Nandlall: Government has no role in ‘Melly Mel’ US detention

Attorney General Anil Nandlall has dismissed insinuations that the Guyana government played any role in the arrest and detention of controversial figure Melissa “Melly Mel” Atwell.
Atwell, a popular Facebook commentator, was detained last week by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
On Tuesday night, several individuals, including senior opposition executives, gathered at the Square of the Revolution for what they described as a “unity meeting” in support of Atwell.
During the meeting, participants also protested the government’s alleged instigation of Atwell’s detention, citing the negative content she has posted about several senior government officials.
However, during his weekly Issues in the News podcast on Tuesday, Nandlall emphasised that the US is a sovereign nation with the authority to enforce its laws when they are believed to have been violated.
“Those persons who are protesting must understand that they are protesting the actions of a sovereign government enforcing its laws within its own territory, as it has a legal duty to do against those whom its law enforcement agencies believe have violated the law,” he stated.
Furthermore, Nandlall suggested that Atwell’s detention may have been a consequence of her own actions, as she frequently tagged US law enforcement agencies in her Facebook posts—often using obscene or offensive language.
In a post from last November, Atwell claimed, among other things, that then-incoming US President Donald Trump could end up in jail before her.
She was responding to critics who called for her return to Guyana under Trump’s immigration enforcement policies to face criminal charges for her conduct.
In that same post, Atwell used obscene language toward both President Trump and the Guyana government.
The Attorney General himself had been a target of Atwell’s attacks, as she alleged that he provided her with information about his party colleagues, as well as leaked details of Cabinet and party meetings—claims he categorically denied.
Nandlall has since filed a libel lawsuit against Atwell and noted that other individuals affected by her statements had done the same and also lodged complaints with U.S. authorities.
“One can’t discount the possibility that several complaints may have been made against her—many complaints to US law enforcement authorities. There are several publications on social media regarding reports of fraudulent conduct involving this person. Perhaps those are matters for which she is being investigated—I don’t know,” he stated.
While Atwell has often framed her online activity as an exercise of free speech, Nandlall argued that making false allegations against individuals on social media has nothing to do with freedom of expression