Former Finance Minister Winston Jordan was granted bail of GY$150,000 on Monday after appearing in Georgetown Magistrate’s Court, where he was charged with misconduct in public office.Â
The case, which is set for further hearings on April 23, alleges that Jordan, between February 25 and June 11, 2020, recklessly signed a vesting order for over five acres of land at Lot PSS Plantation Beterverwagting and Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara.
The land in question, reportedly valued at GY$150 million, was allegedly sold for a fraction of its cost, GY$2.425 million.
Prosecutors claim that Jordan’s actions constituted an abuse of public trust, carried out without reasonable cause or justification.
Jordan, who was not required to enter a plea, saw no objection to bail, although the prosecution requested it be set at a substantial amount.
His defense team, led by attorneys Dawn Holder-Cush and Dexter Forde, argued that Jordan poses no flight risk, citing his consistent attendance in previous court hearings.
Jordan’s legal team also emphasised that the charge is politically motivated, referencing its previous dismissal by both Magistrate Leron Daly and acting Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire.
“This is a clear waste of judicial time,” Holder-Cush asserted, with Forde adding, “It’s obvious this case is politically driven. This is part of a broader effort to target anyone who opposes the current government.”
Analysts have long contended that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government has used the judicial system as a tool to target Jordan and other figures associated with the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition government (2015-2020).
This ongoing legal harassment, according to critics, is part of the PPP’s broader strategy to defame and silence political opponents, employing the judicial process as a means of intimidation and suppression.
