Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall on Sunday announced that he will commence civil proceedings against former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan for allegedly vesting State lands to several companies without receiving full payment.
In a media release on Sunday, Nandlall stated that, except in one case where 10 per cent of the purchase price was paid, several land titles were vested by Jordan after the March 2, 2020 elections and after the APNU+AFC Government lost the No-Confidence Motion moved against them in December 2018.
The AG attached a schedule containing the names of the companies or principals, locations, date of agreement of sale, the purchase prices for the lands and the total amount paid for these lands in his statement.
It included companies such as BK Marine Inc. (Brian Tiwari); American Marine Services Inc. (Hareshnarine Sugrim); Cardiology Services Inc. (Dr. Mahendra Carpen); Guyana Oil Company Limited (Renatha Exeter, Company CEO); Supergraphics (Eton Cordis); Premier Sales and Services (Danley Major); Navigant Builders Inc. (Danny Sawh) and Caribbean Marketing Enterprise Inc. (Edmon Braithwaite).
In the case of Navigant Builders, American Marine Services and GUYOIL, it showed that lands were vested on June 11, 2020 but no sums have been paid to date. For all others, it showed that a small fraction of the value of the land was paid.
The AG stated he sought independent legal advice and was advised that Jordan and former Chief Executive Officer (ag) of National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Colvin Heath-London “acted recklessly, in bad faith with full knowledge of the flagrant illegalities, which have resulted in millions of dollars of losses to the State.”
The AG said that based on the independent advice, he will begin civil proceedings to, inter alia, recover the said parcels of land and claim compensation against those implicated, including Jordan.
Additionally, he said that each of these matters will be passed to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), for their investigations and any consequential actions which may flow therefrom.
Nandlall in an addendum to his initial press statement that “No actions would be taken against companies that surrender their allotted lands to the State”.
