‘President Cannot Sit on His Hands’: MP Amanza Walton Demands Resignation of Convicted Border Patrol Director Daniel Seeram

By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News |

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Member of Parliament and Leader of the Forward Guyana Movement Amanza Walton-Desir has called for the immediate resignation or dismissal of National Border Patrol Director Daniel Seeram, following his conviction for domestic assault and subsequent remand to the Georgetown Prison at Camp Street.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with HGP Nightly News, Walton-Desir sharply criticized President Dr. Irfaan Ali for avoiding public questions regarding Seeram’s continued tenure as the nation’s “Border Czar,” arguing that retaining a convicted public official erodes public trust and compromises basic governance standards.

Her demands follow the dismissal of Seeram’s urgent High Court bail application and his eventual transfer into the Camp Street penitentiary, where he remains detained awaiting formal sentencing on November 2, 2026.

Drawing Parallels: Resignation as the Minimum Public Standard

Walton-Desir contrasted the administration’s silence regarding Seeram with recent developments involving other public officials facing criminal allegations:

• The Precedent of Resignation: She highlighted the case of former Member of Parliament for We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), Dr. Andre Lewis, who resigned his seat in the National Assembly after coming under investigation by the Guyana Police Force over sexual offense allegations. Walton-Desir characterized Lewis’s resignation as the proper and necessary course for any public official facing grave criminal scrutiny.
• The Contrast in Executive Action: While legislative resignations occurred amid active investigations, Seeram has already undergone trial and received a formal judicial conviction for domestic violence, yet remains substantive Director of the National Border Patrol.
• Rejecting Political Deflection: Referencing recent political rhetoric regarding decency and civility, Walton-Desir stated that retaining a convicted offender in high public office exemplifies the very degradation of governance the administration claims to oppose.

“That, my dear, is what is vulgar, that is what is vitriolic, that is what is abusive,” Walton-Desir declared.

‘The President Cannot Sit on His Hands’: Scrutiny Over Executive Inaction

Walton-Desir aimed her criticism directly at Head of State Dr. Irfaan Ali, who on Monday sidestepped direct questions from reporters regarding whether Seeram would be asked to step down from his statutory portfolio:

• Incompatible Roles: The opposition lawmaker insisted that maintaining executive authority over national border security while convicted of violent assault is untenable.
• Setting Dangerous Precedents: Walton-Desir warned that by failing to act, the executive is lowering the bar for ethical conduct and statutory accountability across state agencies.

“I would hope that Irfaan Ali understands that Mr. Seeram cannot be the border czar while these allegations are hanging over his head and while this trial is continuing,” Walton-Desir stressed. “A court has handed down a decision and the president seems to be sitting on his hands, which cannot be the standard set.”

Judicial Backing: From Sparendaam to the High Court

Seeram’s current detention at Camp Street follows decisive judicial rulings at multiple levels:

• The Conviction: Presiding Magistrate Abigail Gibbs found the former Region Four Chairman guilty at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court of Assault Causing Actual Bodily Harm, stemming from a domestic violence incident on September 11, 2023, involving his ex-wife.
• Remand Order: Upon finding him guilty, Magistrate Gibbs remanded Seeram to prison custody until his sentencing hearing on November 2.
• High Court Dismissal: Defense attorney Nigel Hughes immediately challenged the committal order through an urgent application for judicial review in the High Court, seeking pre-sentencing bail. However, High Court Judge Madame Justice Joy Persaud-Singh dismissed the motion, ruling that Magistrate Gibbs acted entirely within her lawful statutory powers and ordering Seeram to remain incarcerated.
• Pending Appellate Challenge: Hughes has signaled that a fresh motion challenging the remand order is being prepared for submission before the Court of Appeal.

With public pressure mounting and calls from the parliamentary opposition growing louder, attention remains focused on the Office of the President regarding whether the administration will continue to shield Seeram’s post or initiate formal proceedings to relieve him of his duties.