UG Vice Chancellor files cybercrime complaint against journalist Rawle Nelson

UNIVERSITY OF GUYANA (UG) VICE CHANCELLOR, PROFESSOR PALOMA
MOHAMED FILED A CYBER CRIME COMPLAINT against www.aroundtheregions.com
journalist Rawle Nelson alleging a derogatory Facebook post he penned caused her considerable
public embarrassment.
Cyber Crime unit investigators of the Guyana Police Force late last week summoned Mr. Nelson
to the Criminal Investigations Unit (CID), Eve Leary, and grilled him for hours about Dr.
Mohamed’s complaints.
Nelson so far has not been charged with any crime.
The experienced journalist is maintaining that the views he expressed in the Facebook post were
“fair comment”. He feels that the top UG official actions are calculated to intimidate and induce
fear.
“So far the police have been very courteous and helpful. They have invited me to give my side of
the story and have remained professional. They have listened and made notes of my concerns
and the reasons behind the existence of the post which Mohamed claimed offended her.”
“I have reread my post several times to find the derogatory comments claimed by Professor
Mohamed. In the entire saga, I am the one who is being hurt.”
Nelson said if police deepen their investigations, they will unearth a number of so-far hidden,
and potentially very embarrassing, information linked to his post. He said the VC’s complaint to
the police Cyber Crime unit will eventually open the floodgates to give the public a peek into the
Biblical “wickedness in high places” prediction.
Dr. Quincy Jones, former Regional Health Officer (RHO) of Demerara/Mahaica (Region Four) is
at the centre of controversies which resulted in Nelson’s social media post which caused lawmen
to invite him before the Cyber Crime unit.

Nelson has a verbal sub-contract with Dr. Jones to interview Venezuelan refugees who at the
time were pouring into Barima/Waini (Region One) following protracted political and economic
difficulties in their homeland.
He fulfilled his end of the verbal pact, more than two years ago, and since then, Dr. Jones has
been evasive. Nelson tried resolving the matter through the international organisation which
hired the former Region Four RHO, but has come up empty handed despite an avalanche of
promises.
“The matter has been escalated to our office of internal audit and we are awaiting their feedback.
Thank you for your patience while the office seeks to be advised by our internal audit office on
this matter,” one official told Nelson in a social media response.
Another more senior official of the local office of the international organisation also told Nelson
in a social media response: “I fully understand…as this is not a new case it has been around for a
long time. I want to assure you that we will take this matter very seriously”.
Nelson said his intellectual property rights were violated when Mohamed and Jones used his
work at a major overseas conference, and the international organisation permitted one of his
pieces to be published in a magazine.
“Despite posting many views on Facebook, I am not saying that the Professor is not a good
individual and/or may have good intentions. But I will reiterate my disappointment that she
allowed herself to be involved without first contacting me despite not being briefed and advised
on my work being used,” Nelson said.
The office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) will advise cybercrime investigators
whether Nelson can be charged.