CEO of Central Housing and Planning Authority resigns amid backlash over land sale deals and property purchases

The Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority, Sherwyn Greaves, tendered his resignation from the Government Department on Monday evening, one day after a flurry of questions were raised about land deals at Ogle in Guyana and his purchase of properties in New York.

In a statement this morning, he confirmed the resignation and said his decision is a deeply personal one made after consulting with his family.

Greaves said his resignation stems from various posts on social media directed at him.

“Let me be crystal clear: my resignation is purely a personal choice and in no way an admission of guilt. Everything I have achieved has been through hard work and can be fully justified. However, these posts have caused significant distress to my family and impacted our mental well-being. While I take great pride in the work we’ve accomplished at CHPA and the many milestones we’ve reached, stepping away now is in the best interest of my family and the organization. I did not enter public service to be subjected to such vilification. These posts are not only upsetting but also irresponsible, inflicting immense mental strain on individuals and their families”, Greaves said in a statement.

Greaves, who had been heading the CHPA since 2020, was at work for most of Monday, but by the end of the day, the sun was also going down on his career at the Government’s lead agency for housing development.

Over the weekend, questions were raised on social media by Leader of the Alliance for Change, Nigel Hughes, about the sale of 30 acres of land at Ogle to a company owned by controversial US-based Guyanese real estate magnate, Ed Ahmad and the purchase and flipping of properties in New York in the name of Greaves from another company linked to Ahmad.

Businessman, Terrence Campbell, has also written to the Department of Justice in the US seeking an investigation into the suspicious transactions involving properties in the US.

Greaves remained silent on his property purchases in New York, even as the Central Housing and Planning Authority and the Minister of Housing, Collin Croal, both issued statements on the sale of Government lands to real estate developers.

In defending the process and responding to concerns about the price tag, the Housing Minister indicated that the $30 Million per acre price tag was standard and had been in place for a number of years, even under the former Government.

News Source understands that as more information was published about the local land deals and the purchase of high priced properties in New York from companies associated with some of the land deals in Guyana, senior Government officials became concerned about the impact the information could have on the Housing Department and the Government.

There are now calls for other major land deals with real estate developers to be re-examined. While commercial land deals fall under the purview of the Housing Department, there are reports that final approval would usually have to come from the President’s office.