I am hereby requesting the IMMEDIATE retraction of the piece titled “A Practical Guide to Visiting Guyana for CARIFESTA” published in the letter section of the Kaieteur newspaper on Saturday 17 May, 2008, and attributed to Malika Alleyne-Persico.

I would like to emphatically and unequivocally state that the piece WAS NOT written by Malika Alleyne-Persico. This piece can be readily accessed online at http://livinguyana.blogspot.com and someone, whether or not with devious intentions, sent it to your newspaper and attributed it to me.

I would also like to register my deep regret and disappointment at the fact that an item, whether newsworthy, satirical, comical or otherwise, can be published in the newspaper and attributed to a private citizen WITHOUT first verifying the veracity of its content or that of its source.

By your actions you have brought me, my husband and family into disrepute and public odium. We also suggest that you make attempts to identify and find the writer of this piece and attribute it to them, as I am not interested in taking credit, whether good or bad, for someone else’s work.

I have been advised by my Attorney-at-law that in attributing such negative comments to me, you have caused severe injury to my reputation and that I am entitled to sue for libel. Further, in so far as the purported letter illegally and recklessly attributes to me, the literary work of another person, I will hold you liable for any damages for copyright infringement that may arise.
MALIKA ALLEYNE-PERSICO