Colvin Heath-London is among the first victims of the oil curse, driving the seemingly orchestrated political power grab which had begun. Colvin Heath London, a highly qualified and professional young black man with no direct political involvement did not perceive when he took up office in the A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition government that after August 2, 2020 he would become a target in one of the worst post elections witch-hunts in the history of Guyana and against a young professional black man.
Heath-London returned home to serve his country through contractual work with a Chinese company who recruited him out of the Bahamas.
London is among the many African Guyanese, who, merely by being an employee of the previous coalition government, in a key position, became an unfortunate victim of a vindictive People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government, embarking on purging persons employed by the coalition from the public sector and denying ownership of business where Government’s approval is required.
Even as the two major political forces (APNU+AFC and PPP/C) became embroiled in the 2020 Elections dispute, the name Colvin Heath-London was not popular among the rank-and-file masses. He was not seen as a political figure. He was known by persons close to him to be a quiet, soft spoken, intellectual person, a conscientious professional with an impressive track record, who was deeply in love with the country of his birth, and happy to be playing a key role in its development at a time when the prospects of our oil wealth opened many vistas.
Heath-London was not a name associated with any form of notoriety and only came to widespread public prominence after Irfaan Ali and Bharrat Jagdeo seized the reins of government and led a slew of vindictive attacks on African Guyanese professionals, African public servants, top ranking officers of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and non-Africans perceived not supportive of the PPP/C.
In 2021 Heath-London was charged for the offence, alleging that between August 1, 2017 and November 30, 2020, at Georgetown, he conspired with others, to defraud the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) and the Government of Guyana of property interest in land, namely the grant of a lease of plots of land in Plantation Peters Hall, East Bank Demerara, owned by the said NICIL and allegedly sold without the necessary NICIL Board and Cabinet approval to do same, and for the purposes other than that of NICIL.
There were three leases, two of whom took the government to the High Court which ruled in December 2021 the transactions are legal and must be concluded. Notwithstanding the High Court ruling the government has taken the matter to the lower court (magistracy), pursuing criminal charges against Heath-London for the same transaction dismissed in the higher court.
What is clearly the concern, is not whether the transaction is legal or illegal, but a government’s need to persecute Heath-London based on vindictive politics, and to create sufficient public information to besmirch his character as a professional and affect his potential for future employment.
Heath-London and others, who are similarly being victimised, are also perceived to be targets to get back at the coalition government for the 19 fraud charges laid against the current President and the questioning of Jagdeo for the area known as “Pradoville II.”
The attempt to destroy Heath-London’s career in Guyana cannot be separated from the elections outcome that saw the installation of the PPP/C government and the threats by then Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, that every public servant and their families who had assisted the Granger/Nagamootoo administration in the “alleged “ electoral rigging would pay a price.
Heath-London was not part of the political or electoral process. He was targeted for his legitimate role, in the legitimate portfolio, he held as Head of NICIL where lands under the control of the state were sold to Guyanese investors. Both purchasers and Heath-London became targets. Adding to the list of several others, all of whom appeared to be used as examples of PPP/C post-election bloodless terror to drive fear into the nation and isolate sections of the Guyanese population.
For Guyanese, any change in government is always seen as a period of reckoning, even professional public servants are dismissed and many find themselves unable to find jobs in the aftermath; being riddled with accusations before, during and after the electoral process.
For Colvin Heath-London this was the worst experience of his youthful career, and it was not just the curse of oil and the political struggle, it was also of political vindictiveness directed at the Opposition forces and African Guyanese. Heath-London had not imagined such wrath forthcoming, for merely carrying out his duties as a professional in the distribution of resources. Had he foreseen this, he may have decided to continue his career in foreign lands, or work in the private sector.
To be continued….
