Doctor seeks President’s help

In a letter to the President dated August 20, Ayoung Chee is alleging that on March 5, Deosaran entered his (Ayoung Chee) name into the Senate and Hansard as the writer of a letter which was sent to him (Deosaran). He alleged that on February 1, the senator also made certain statements from this letter while addressing the Upper House.

"The alleged statements made by the senator are not contained within my letter. These statements have tarnished my character, both nationally and internationally. These stains may never be wiped away completely," Ayoung Chee said. The doctor called upon Richards to use his good office to have Deosaran’s statements, with reference to the letter and himself, "retracted via an official announcement in the Senate." "It must be clearly stated in the Senate that the statements made by the senator were not contained in my letter," Ayoung Chee stated.

The doctor said he enclosed a copy of the letter which Deosaran allegedly read in the Senate on March 5 with the August 20 correspondence to the President. Ayoung Chee said while parliamentary privileges are certain rights and amenities enjoyed by the members of both Houses of Parliament, the playing field was not level between parliamentarians and ordinary citizens.

"While parliamentarians are prevented from making derogatory statements about each other, they seem to possess the right to make derogatory statements about members of the public, who seem to have no form of redress," the doctor said.

Ayoung Chee again criticised Deosaran for saying that many local doctors have become "enthusiastic mercenaries." He claimed this was not right in any civilised society and should never have been permitted in the hallowed halls of Parliament.

Meanwhile in a January 5 letter mailed to Deosaran at the Parliamentary Chambers of the Red House, Ayoung Chee said he never intended to physically hurt him (Deosaran). Stating that the dictionary describes a mercenary as hired soldier or one hired for killing, the doctor told the senator that, "I am not a soldier. I am not for hire and I will not kill you. I do have better things to do."

However Ayoung Chee told Deosaran that he would make any visit by the senator to the San Fernando General Hospital "most unwelcome, without parliamentary privilege and in public." He advised Deosaran to visit the hospital on a day when he was not on the compound. "You will be presented with my full wrath and rot," Ayoung Chee warned the senator.

Last Wednesday, Deosaran expressed disappointment and dissatisfaction when the Senate’s Committee of Privileges ruled that a letter written by Ayoung Chee and mailed to him did not commit a breach of privilege or contempt. The committee however ruled that Ayoung Chee’s letter was "insulting," the Senate should inform the doctor that it found the correspondence he sent to Deosaran was unacceptable and the matter would end there.

Deosaran described the committee’s report as "a lame duck report." The committee is chaired by Senate President Dr Linda Baboolal and includes National Security Minister Martin Joseph, Legal Affairs Minister Christine Kangaloo, Opposition Senator Robin Montano and Independent Senator Dana Seetahal.