Jagdeo says no preferential treatment given to Ed Ahmad for land purchases

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo today joined the list of Government officials defending the Government’s commercial land sale policy in wake of questions surrounding the sale of commercial lands in prime areas to close associates of his party.

At his Freedom House press conference this afternoon, Mr. Jagdeo dismissed claims that friends and associates of the PPP have been getting preferential treatment for land deals.

In the case of disgraced US Guyanese real estate magnate, Ed Ahmad, who was convicted in the US for mortgage fraud, Mr. Jagdeo confirmed his purchase of prime lands in Guyana in the Ogle area.

However, he said the process was legitimate and the transaction was completed above board. He said there was no preferential treatment. However, he said the Ahmad family should keep the PPP out of its family feud.

“Was there any preferential treatment of this individual because of ‘connections’ to the PPP? The answer is absolutely not and cannot be proven, and I don’t want to get involved in the Sheriff group and their family feud, don’t drag the PPP into your business,” Mr. Jagdeo said.

The Sheriff Group of Companies which has been purchasing large pieces of lands and opening several businesses has distanced itself from Ed Ahmad and his company. The Sheriff Group is owned by relatives of Ed Ahmad.

Mr. Jagdeo lashed out at the opposition APNU+AFC today over its handling of land sales while in Government.

He said the former Government was involved in the selling and leasing of state lands to persons close to it, including the current AFC Leader, Nigel Hughes.

“So imagine, all the lands that we have given out so far for private development not a single person has received title in these areas including Ed Ahmad, they all paid $30M per acre, the same price that they (the previous government) were selling the land, the only things they didn’t collect the money but transferred the land and its a fraction of what they have done, in just Ogle,” the Vice President said.

The Vice President said, persons who are perceived to be close to the PPP should also benefit from the resources of the state and he has no apology for that.

Earlier this week, the Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority, Sherwyn Greaves resigned from his position as questions were raised about him singing off on land sales for Ed Ahmad and purchasing properties in New York from a company linked to Ahmad.

The Vice President came to the defence of the former Housing CEO, crediting his work at the Housing Ministry, but said he would need to provide answers on his acquisition of properties in New York.

“Sherwyn Greaves would have to answer and give credible answers for the acquisition of any of his property, if he broke the law, and Ed Ahmad break the law, they must face consequences, that is our position, but they have already wildly vilify and run him down,” the Vice President noted.

He said Mr. Greaves assured the Government that his sources of funds were legitimate and he offered to resign because of the public scrutiny.

The Vice President said he believes the account of Mr. Greaves and the Government has made no decision on whether it will probe the land deals and property purchases.