Patterson moves to court following denial to travel to US last September
Member of Parliament and former Public Works Minister, David Patterson has initiated court proceedings against the Government of Guyana after he was not allowed to leave the country for the United States of America last September.
Patterson is accusing the government of denying his constitutional rights to free travel. According to his party, the Alliance for Change (AFC), Patterson was scheduled to deliver a presentation to the Black Caucus of the Congress of the United States of the America on September 27, 2023, in Washington, DC. He was reportedly denied travel from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) “despite an order of court permitting Patterson to leave the country,” the AFC said.
This publication reported on September 27 that Patterson, after clearing customs and immigration, was approached by Immigration Officers who informed him that he was not permitted to travel.
Patterson contacted his lawyers at Hughes Fields and Stoby, who informed him that the magistrate had expressly permitted him to travel for business and professional reasons when he was recently charged.
The lawyers then engaged the Immigration officers and inquired whether they were in possession of any order of Court restraining Patterson from travelling.
They reportedly responded in the negative but noted that there was “something in the system” thereby prohibiting Patterson from travelling. He was, however, allowed to leave the country following an apology from the Guyana Police Force.
Below is the legal document shared by the AFC this afternoon to the media:
