Dear Editor,
The continuous persecution of professional African Guyanese persists under the PPP/C. Since their rise to office, many families of professionals who served under the Coalition Government have been subjected to brutal repression by various arms of the state, particularly the Guyana Police Force (GPF). The irony is that those who are carrying out the bidding of their political masters themselves have serious levels of corruption and abuse hanging over their heads.
The new, unfounded, politically motivated charges brought against former Minister Winston Jordan are unconscionable and without merit. They will eventually end up like the previous charges brought against him, which were dismissed.
Let me juxtapose this matter with what was found in the special investigation of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) on the ‘Sparendaam Housing Project,’ conducted by Ram and McRae on October 20, 2016.
Editor, in paragraphs five and six of the Executive Summary of the report, the following is stated in the absence of a Vesting Order: “On March 9, 2010, a Cabinet decision marked SECRET purported to vest in the CHPA ‘the new development project at Plantation Sparendaam,’ which, to the best of our knowledge and understanding, does not constitute vesting of the land. It appears, however, that the Housing Ministry, of which Mr. Irfaan Ali was Minister, and the Registrar of Lands, Ms. Juliet Sattaur, took the Cabinet decision as key and proceeded to facilitate and issue Certificates of Title to various persons.”
Additionally, at paragraph six, it is reported: “While Cabinet made the decision on March 9, 2010, to vest the land at Sparendaam in the CHPA, Dr. Anand Goolsarran, former Auditor General, stated in section 4.5.13 of his report on the investigation of NICIL that, ‘I have also reviewed the vesting orders covering the period 2007 to 2014 and I have found no evidence of the Sparendaam land being vested in NICIL and subsequently to CHPA.’ This confirms our own inquiries.”
Now that I have laid the foundation, I will remind Guyanese that Mr. Irfaan Ali was NEVER charged in relation to the ‘vesting order’ (which was never issued by the then Minister of Finance, Dr. Singh), but rather for nineteen (19) charges of fraud for allegedly defrauding the state of over $174M between 2011 and 2015, allegedly conspiring with others to greatly undersell 19 plots of state land at Plantation Sparendaam and Goedverwagting in Demerara-Mahaica. This included the sale of house lots to six Cabinet members—then-President Bharrat Jagdeo, Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon, and Ministers Priya Manickchand, Dr. Jennifer Westford, Robert Persaud, and Clement Rohee—along with other persons with connections to the government.
Therefore, what I cannot understand is the constant and persistent persecution of Mr. Winston Jordan, for which he has already been cleared by a competent court in Guyana.
With the many revelations involving Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo and his friend Su making deals, SOCU has yet to go after him. The latest case involving Mr. Sherwin Greaves, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA), who resigned because of alleged corrupt practices involving lands. Did SOCU go after him? No! He walked free through resignation.
With all the trumped-up charges brought against my former colleagues in government and ordinary Guyanese, they have all attended and continued to subject themselves to attending court, while the likes of Dr. Ashni Singh and Mr. Winston Brassington left Guyana and returned after August 2020, holding senior positions in office, and had their cases dismissed by the DPP.
Editor, it is crystal clear that the rule of law is not applied fairly and justly. The moment one is critical of the PPP/C, they go after them. The constitution is clear when it comes to the right of free speech in this country.
In conclusion, I publicly denounce the PPP/C’s vindictiveness against Mr. Winston Jordan, who is merely educating and exposing the wrongs of the government on matters of national interest. Rather than fighting against Mr. Jordan, let the public know what measures your government has in place to deal with Maduro and all other external forces to protect our nation.
Further, I say to Mr. Jordan: Do not allow this current episode to silence you. Continue your weekly activism through education and enlightenment, as recorded in the Book of Hosea 4:6: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” Guyanese are hungry for vital and critical information, and you have stood through all adversities in sharing it. Through this, our people have become informed, and their minds liberated.
Yours truly,
Annette Ferguson, MP
