Jagdeo not bothered about possible legal action over Pradoville 2

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo appears not to be moved by Government’s expressed intention to have a special prosecution team investigate the “Pradoville 2” land sales which were transacted under the former PPP Government.

Speaking with News Source on Monday, Mr. Jagdeo related that if the Government believes any illegal act has been committed, it should proceed with its case.

A state-sponsored audit has revealed the infamous transfer and sale of large plots of seaside land behind the Sparendaam police station, East Coast Demerara, which was reportedly sold below market price to Jagdeo and a number of former Government ministers and their associates.

“The government, if it feels anything illegal has been done, it should proceed with whatever it has to do. They should proceed” the former President said.

He went on to suggest that the Government appears to bring this issue to the fore, whenever they find themselves on the “back-foot.”

“Every time they’re on the back-foot, like with the bond issue, then comes to the fore. Then now again with the fiasco with D’Urban Park, they’ve brought it back up hoping that they will intimidate us into not pursuing these issues” he said, adding that, “it will not work.”

Earlier this month, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) received the final reports of the forensic audits done on the Sparendaam Housing Project thereby paving the way for the force to open criminal probes into both matters.

Some of the other beneficiaries include; former Agriculture Minister, Robert Persaud; Public Service Minister, Dr. Jennifer Westford; Education Minister, Priya Manickchand; Labour Minister, Dr Nanda Gopaul; and Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee.

A forensic audit on the sale of the lands found that the awardees grossly underpaid for the lots by a total of nearly $250 million, according to a Stabroek News report.

The report also stated that the state-owned National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), National Communications Network (NCN) and Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) were never reimbursed for millions spent to execute preparatory works.