By: Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News|
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall has reaffirmed that the Government will maintain a consistent and firm approach in dealing with cases of damage to public property, following last week’s accident at the newly commissioned Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge.
Just one week after its opening, a minibus collided with the median on the bridge’s eastern approach, damaging the structure and knocking over a light pole. The driver was subsequently hospitalized following the crash.
Speaking on his weekly programme, Issues in the News, on Tuesday, Nandlall underscored that the Government’s response in such cases will remain even-handed and impartial, emphasizing that equal treatment before the law is a constitutional right.
“If we are committed to a course of conduct, then we are committed to it — and once we are committed to that course of conduct, the treatment would not be different. Equal treatment is part of the constitutional protection accorded to every Guyanese citizen,”
— Hon. Anil Nandlall, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs
The Attorney General disclosed that the Guyana Police Force is conducting an active investigation, with a report being compiled on the incident. This includes a full assessment of the damage and cost of repairs to the bridge infrastructure.
Once the report is finalized, it will be submitted to the Attorney General’s Chambers, after which a letter of demand for compensation will be issued to the individual deemed responsible for the damages.
“If that letter is not satisfactorily responded to, then other legal proceedings will follow. That is the approach adopted on previous occasions, and it yielded the compensation that was requested, and the public property was restored,”
— Attorney General Anil Nandlall
Nandlall stressed that no exceptions will be made, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to accountability and the protection of national assets.
He concluded by reminding the public that reckless or negligent acts that destroy public property will not be tolerated and that legal remedies will be pursued to recover the costs of repairs.
