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SARA files civil suits against Jagdeo, six others over ‘Pradoville 2’ land

Feb 26 2019

Source

The State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) has filed civil proceedings against former President Bharrat Jagdeo and six other persons who purchased land at ‘Pradoville 2’ below market prices, Director Clive Thomas disclosed yesterday before adding that more cases to recover “stolen” state assets will be filed before the year ends.

Thomas revealed that a total of eight cases were filed last Friday to go after persons who are in possession of state assets. Aside from Jagdeo, the other defendants are former Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, former Housing Minister Shaik Baksh, Lisaveta Ramotar, who is the daughter of former president Donald Ramotar, businessman Ramesh Dookhoo, former Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) president Professor Compton Bourne, and Florrie Loretta Ramnauth.

The cases concern parcels 241, 246,175,240, 243,174,183 and 173.

Compton Bourne

The court is yet to fix a date or assign a judge to hear the cases.

Nigel Hughes is the lead attorney and he will be supported by the agency’s in-house attorneys, Ronald Bostwick and Brenden Glasford.

SARA is specifically mandated to recover state property or benefits obtained through unlawful conduct by public officials or other persons.

Speaking to Stabroek News at his Main Street office yesterday, Thomas said that the filing of the cases comes after the closure of an initial window for out-of-court settlements came to an end. The law required the agency to negotiate settlements if possible and it was in this regard that the Guyana Police Force’s legal adviser, retired judge Claudette Singh, recommended that this option be explored. The window for settlements closed at the end of last year.

Joined by his deputy, Aubrey Heath-Retemyer, and Bostwick, Thomas explained that with the ‘Pradoville 2’ matter, the agency took a decision to categorise the cases. The persons named in the cases filed thus far fall into the category of those who still remain in possession of the plots allocated to them, he said. He added the other categories comprise others who are believed to be the “intellectual authors” of the conspiracy to create unlawful conduct, and those who have broken the law further by reselling the land allocated to them.

“We have started this [court] process because we have completed and shut the window… for settlements… there may be other settlements coming out of other cases, we don’t know yet, but we will always create that opportunity because it is a low cost way of getting back the state’s assets. We don’t have to invest in carrying the cases to court, so we would prefer to go that route if we can, providing that we get the full value for these assets” he said.

According to Thomas, in the cases where settlements were reached, the sums were in excess of what the ‘Pradoville 2’ forensic audit had estimated should be the claim made against those beneficiaries. “In fact what we have tried to do is to establish a fair value for what we think the assets are worth in terms of being lost to Guyana,” he added.

Thomas, in response to a question posed by this newspaper, explained that all the other beneficiaries have not settled. He reiterated that the ‘Pradoville 2’ matter is being looked at in groups and the commonality in the persons who had cases filed against them is that they are still in possession of the land.

Additionally, Bostwick reiterated that it is believed that there are persons who are the “architects of the fraud that lead to lands being passed over to the ones who have them at the moment.”

He said what was common in the proceedings filed on Friday is that the legally required procedures emanating from the Cen-tral Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) were not carried out. He did not elaborate.

Thomas, while contending that the defendants in the cases filed are in possession of state assets, signaled that “this is gonna be the start of a series of cases that we hope to roll out with increasing frequency for the rest of this year.”

Heath-Retemeyer said that some of the other cases that will be taken to court arose out of forensic referrals and other recommendations. He stressed the “painstaking process” associated with investigating and preparing cases for civil litigation.

A special investigation of the Sparendaam Housing Project, referred to as ‘Pradoville 2,’ which was part of a larger probe of the financial operations of the CH&PA, was conducted by accounting firm Ram & McRae in the latter part of 2015. The investigation revealed that the allocation of the land was a clandestine arrangement that was handled personally by then Housing Minister Irfaan Ali and it was concluded that a criminal case for misfeasance could be made against the PPP/C Cabinet members who benefitted.

Lots were allocated to six Cabinet members—Jagdeo, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon and ministers Priya Manickchand, Dr Jennifer Westford, Robert Persaud and Rohee—along with other persons with connections to the then government. Among the other beneficiaries are Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack and former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force Gary Best.

The forensic audit found that awardees grossly underpaid for the lots by a total of nearly $250 million, while 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.

The findings of the investigation were later referred to the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) for a criminal probe to be launched.

Ali was charged late last year in connection with the sale of the lands.

Persaud, a former Minister of Natural Resources, had hinted that he would be ready to settle the price difference with the state, if it proves that the land was sold to him at an undervalued price.

Persaud bought 0.3030 of an acre of land in 2007 for $1.5 million. Five years later he sold the property for $90 million.

The PPP/C’s legal representative, Anil Nandlall, has however said that Jagdeo and other former ministers have “ruled out” this option.

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Django posted:

SARA files civil suits against Jagdeo, six others over ‘Pradoville 2’ land

Feb 26 2019

Source

The State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) has filed civil proceedings against former President Bharrat Jagdeo and six other persons who purchased land at ‘Pradoville 2’ below market prices, Director Clive Thomas disclosed yesterday before adding that more cases to recover “stolen” state assets will be filed before the year ends.

Thomas revealed that a total of eight cases were filed last Friday to go after persons who are in possession of state assets. Aside from Jagdeo, the other defendants are former Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, former Housing Minister Shaik Baksh, Lisaveta Ramotar, who is the daughter of former president Donald Ramotar, businessman Ramesh Dookhoo, former Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) president Professor Compton Bourne, and Florrie Loretta Ramnauth.

The cases concern parcels 241, 246,175,240, 243,174,183 and 173.

Compton Bourne

The court is yet to fix a date or assign a judge to hear the cases.

Nigel Hughes is the lead attorney and he will be supported by the agency’s in-house attorneys, Ronald Bostwick and Brenden Glasford.

SARA is specifically mandated to recover state property or benefits obtained through unlawful conduct by public officials or other persons.

Speaking to Stabroek News at his Main Street office yesterday, Thomas said that the filing of the cases comes after the closure of an initial window for out-of-court settlements came to an end. The law required the agency to negotiate settlements if possible and it was in this regard that the Guyana Police Force’s legal adviser, retired judge Claudette Singh, recommended that this option be explored. The window for settlements closed at the end of last year.

Joined by his deputy, Aubrey Heath-Retemyer, and Bostwick, Thomas explained that with the ‘Pradoville 2’ matter, the agency took a decision to categorise the cases. The persons named in the cases filed thus far fall into the category of those who still remain in possession of the plots allocated to them, he said. He added the other categories comprise others who are believed to be the “intellectual authors” of the conspiracy to create unlawful conduct, and those who have broken the law further by reselling the land allocated to them.

“We have started this [court] process because we have completed and shut the window… for settlements… there may be other settlements coming out of other cases, we don’t know yet, but we will always create that opportunity because it is a low cost way of getting back the state’s assets. We don’t have to invest in carrying the cases to court, so we would prefer to go that route if we can, providing that we get the full value for these assets” he said.

According to Thomas, in the cases where settlements were reached, the sums were in excess of what the ‘Pradoville 2’ forensic audit had estimated should be the claim made against those beneficiaries. “In fact what we have tried to do is to establish a fair value for what we think the assets are worth in terms of being lost to Guyana,” he added.

Thomas, in response to a question posed by this newspaper, explained that all the other beneficiaries have not settled. He reiterated that the ‘Pradoville 2’ matter is being looked at in groups and the commonality in the persons who had cases filed against them is that they are still in possession of the land.

Additionally, Bostwick reiterated that it is believed that there are persons who are the “architects of the fraud that lead to lands being passed over to the ones who have them at the moment.”

He said what was common in the proceedings filed on Friday is that the legally required procedures emanating from the Cen-tral Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) were not carried out. He did not elaborate.

Thomas, while contending that the defendants in the cases filed are in possession of state assets, signaled that “this is gonna be the start of a series of cases that we hope to roll out with increasing frequency for the rest of this year.”

Heath-Retemeyer said that some of the other cases that will be taken to court arose out of forensic referrals and other recommendations. He stressed the “painstaking process” associated with investigating and preparing cases for civil litigation.

A special investigation of the Sparendaam Housing Project, referred to as ‘Pradoville 2,’ which was part of a larger probe of the financial operations of the CH&PA, was conducted by accounting firm Ram & McRae in the latter part of 2015. The investigation revealed that the allocation of the land was a clandestine arrangement that was handled personally by then Housing Minister Irfaan Ali and it was concluded that a criminal case for misfeasance could be made against the PPP/C Cabinet members who benefitted.

Lots were allocated to six Cabinet members—Jagdeo, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon and ministers Priya Manickchand, Dr Jennifer Westford, Robert Persaud and Rohee—along with other persons with connections to the then government. Among the other beneficiaries are Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack and former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force Gary Best.

The forensic audit found that awardees grossly underpaid for the lots by a total of nearly $250 million, while 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.

The findings of the investigation were later referred to the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) for a criminal probe to be launched.

Ali was charged late last year in connection with the sale of the lands.

Persaud, a former Minister of Natural Resources, had hinted that he would be ready to settle the price difference with the state, if it proves that the land was sold to him at an undervalued price.

Persaud bought 0.3030 of an acre of land in 2007 for $1.5 million. Five years later he sold the property for $90 million.

The PPP/C’s legal representative, Anil Nandlall, has however said that Jagdeo and other former ministers have “ruled out” this option.

Good Morning GNI....I am back after a few weeks of school. Got all my incomplete paper done...Two A's and a B...not bad for my GPA  .

Anyway, there seems to be a lot of trash talking since I was gone, as usual, with PNC and PPP folks squaring off on each other...so nothing much has changed.

Re: this breaking news

All dem people above look guilty, especially dat dude Baksh in de middle. I hope SARA can make a case, otherwise they will look stupid and PPP gon bark at this, saying that its electioneering gimmeckry. 

By the way, was Compton Bourne a PPP supporter??

V

While I applaud investigations into political fraud, this must hold for all politicians, not just those from the opposition. 

As of now, all I have seen is investigations of the opposition, so in my judgement, it's all a joke

FM
VishMahabir posted:
Django posted:

SARA files civil suits against Jagdeo, six others over ‘Pradoville 2’ land

Feb 26 2019

Source

The State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) has filed civil proceedings against former President Bharrat Jagdeo and six other persons who purchased land at ‘Pradoville 2’ below market prices, Director Clive Thomas disclosed yesterday before adding that more cases to recover “stolen” state assets will be filed before the year ends.

Thomas revealed that a total of eight cases were filed last Friday to go after persons who are in possession of state assets. Aside from Jagdeo, the other defendants are former Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, former Housing Minister Shaik Baksh, Lisaveta Ramotar, who is the daughter of former president Donald Ramotar, businessman Ramesh Dookhoo, former Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) president Professor Compton Bourne, and Florrie Loretta Ramnauth.

The cases concern parcels 241, 246,175,240, 243,174,183 and 17

The court is yet to fix a date or assign a judge to hear the cases.

Nigel Hughes is the lead attorney and he will be supported by the agency’s in-house attorneys, Ronald Bostwick and Brenden Glasford.

SARA is specifically mandated to recover state property or benefits obtained through unlawful conduct by public officials or other persons.

Speaking to Stabroek News at his Main Street office yesterday, Thomas said that the filing of the cases comes after the closure of an initial window for out-of-court settlements came to an end. The law required the agency to negotiate settlements if possible and it was in this regard that the Guyana Police Force’s legal adviser, retired judge Claudette Singh, recommended that this option be explored. The window for settlements closed at the end of last year.

Joined by his deputy, Aubrey Heath-Retemyer, and Bostwick, Thomas explained that with the ‘Pradoville 2’ matter, the agency took a decision to categorise the cases. The persons named in the cases filed thus far fall into the category of those who still remain in possession of the plots allocated to them, he said. He added the other categories comprise others who are believed to be the “intellectual authors” of the conspiracy to create unlawful conduct, and those who have broken the law further by reselling the land allocated to them.

“We have started this [court] process because we have completed and shut the window… for settlements… there may be other settlements coming out of other cases, we don’t know yet, but we will always create that opportunity because it is a low cost way of getting back the state’s assets. We don’t have to invest in carrying the cases to court, so we would prefer to go that route if we can, providing that we get the full value for these assets” he said.

According to Thomas, in the cases where settlements were reached, the sums were in excess of what the ‘Pradoville 2’ forensic audit had estimated should be the claim made against those beneficiaries. “In fact what we have tried to do is to establish a fair value for what we think the assets are worth in terms of being lost to Guyana,” he added.

Thomas, in response to a question posed by this newspaper, explained that all the other beneficiaries have not settled. He reiterated that the ‘Pradoville 2’ matter is being looked at in groups and the commonality in the persons who had cases filed against them is that they are still in possession of the land.

Additionally, Bostwick reiterated that it is believed that there are persons who are the “architects of the fraud that lead to lands being passed over to the ones who have them at the moment.”

He said what was common in the proceedings filed on Friday is that the legally required procedures emanating from the Cen-tral Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) were not carried out. He did not elaborate.

Thomas, while contending that the defendants in the cases filed are in possession of state assets, signaled that “this is gonna be the start of a series of cases that we hope to roll out with increasing frequency for the rest of this year.”

Heath-Retemeyer said that some of the other cases that will be taken to court arose out of forensic referrals and other recommendations. He stressed the “painstaking process” associated with investigating and preparing cases for civil litigation.

A special investigation of the Sparendaam Housing Project, referred to as ‘Pradoville 2,’ which was part of a larger probe of the financial operations of the CH&PA, was conducted by accounting firm Ram & McRae in the latter part of 2015. The investigation revealed that the allocation of the land was a clandestine arrangement that was handled personally by then Housing Minister Irfaan Ali and it was concluded that a criminal case for misfeasance could be made against the PPP/C Cabinet members who benefitted.

Lots were allocated to six Cabinet members—Jagdeo, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon and ministers Priya Manickchand, Dr Jennifer Westford, Robert Persaud and Rohee—along with other persons with connections to the then government. Among the other beneficiaries are Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack and former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force Gary Best.

 

 

All dem people above look guilty, especially dat dude Baksh in de middle. I hope SARA can make a case, otherwise they will look stupid and PPP gon bark at this, saying that its electioneering gimmeckry. 

By the way, was Compton Bourne a PPP supporter??

You are a prejudiced racist sk0nt!!  Its like people who see every Black youth in a hoodie as a criminal!  Who the fk are you to look at a pic of someone and deem them guilty of something!

Gwan dah side you prick!!!

Baseman
Last edited by Baseman
Baseman posted:
VishMahabir posted:
Django posted:

SARA files civil suits against Jagdeo, six others over ‘Pradoville 2’ land

Feb 26 2019,  Source

The State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) has filed civil proceedings against former President Bharrat Jagdeo and six other persons who purchased land at ‘Pradoville 2’ below market prices, Director Clive Thomas disclosed yesterday before adding that more cases to recover “stolen” state assets will be filed before the year ends.

All dem people above look guilty, especially dat dude Baksh in de middle. I hope SARA can make a case, otherwise they will look stupid and PPP gon bark at this, saying that its electioneering gimmeckry. 

By the way, was Compton Bourne a PPP supporter??

You are a prejudiced racist sk0nt!!  Its like people who see every Black youth in a hoodie as a criminal!  Who the fk are you to look at a pic of someone and deem them guilty of something!

Gwan dah side you prick!!!

Mild and kind views to that "learned and educated" one. 

FM
Last edited by Former Member
 

 

 

You are a prejudiced racist sk0nt!!  Its like people who see every Black youth in a hoodie as a criminal!  Who the fk are you to look at a pic of someone and deem them guilty of something!

Gwan dah side you prick!!!

My my...touched a nakedly raw nerve eh, basement dweller?

Racist?

I said they "look"...BUT, I could have easily said "They are guilty"...the defensive reaction would have still been the same from you.

Any fool know that there was corruption, if not wanton corruption, associated with some (if not all) these people in this picture...the former Housing Minister (Baksh), as well as Fat Boy Irfaan, has some explanation to offer regarding housing corruption...that is where the Pradovilles were born...

You people should be ashamed of yourselves to really believe that these people were saints...despite what seems like an incompetent coalition still unable to put a case together...

Wipe your tears knucklehead...there is more to come...remember the Cable Guy (Ramotar's son)?  

Go look at the mansions owned by Jagdeo and Irfaan...and drink some Kool Aid, while you at it.

V
Demerara_Guy posted:
Baseman posted:
VishMahabir posted:
Django posted:

SARA files civil suits against Jagdeo, six others over ‘Pradoville 2’ land

Feb 26 2019,  Source

The State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) has filed civil proceedings against former President Bharrat Jagdeo and six other persons who purchased land at ‘Pradoville 2’ below market prices, Director Clive Thomas disclosed yesterday before adding that more cases to recover “stolen” state assets will be filed before the year ends.

All dem people above look guilty, especially dat dude Baksh in de middle. I hope SARA can make a case, otherwise they will look stupid and PPP gon bark at this, saying that its electioneering gimmeckry. 

By the way, was Compton Bourne a PPP supporter??

You are a prejudiced racist sk0nt!!  Its like people who see every Black youth in a hoodie as a criminal!  Who the fk are you to look at a pic of someone and deem them guilty of something!

Gwan dah side you prick!!!

Mild and kind views to that "learned and educated" one. 

I responded...

Now...are you his "chelah" or you being a "cochure", eyeballing for a moment of stardom?

V
VishMahabir posted:
 

 

 

You are a prejudiced racist sk0nt!!  Its like people who see every Black youth in a hoodie as a criminal!  Who the fk are you to look at a pic of someone and deem them guilty of something!

Gwan dah side you prick!!!

My my...touched a nakedly raw nerve eh, basement dweller?

Racist?

I said they "look"...BUT, I could have easily said "They are guilty"...the defensive reaction would have still been the same from you.

Any fool know that there was corruption, if not wanton corruption, associated with some (if not all) these people in this picture...the former Housing Minister (Baksh), as well as Fat Boy Irfaan, has some explanation to offer regarding housing corruption...that is where the Pradovilles were born...

You people should be ashamed of yourselves to really believe that these people were saints...despite what seems like an incompetent coalition still unable to put a case together...

Wipe your tears knucklehead...there is more to come...remember the Cable Guy (Ramotar's son)?  

Go look at the mansions owned by Jagdeo and Irfaan...and drink some Kool Aid, while you at it.

No poke, you are a racist sk0nt, no question.  Just fk off you *******!

Baseman

SO Vish

Are we to assume that PNC politicians have done no wrong, thus they are not to be investigated?

From what I see, this is all political since it's only one side being investigated.

Like I said, I have no problem with politicians being investigated, but this one smells of pure politics

FM
Ray posted:

SO Vish

Are we to assume that PNC politicians have done no wrong, thus they are not to be investigated?

From what I see, this is all political since it's only one side being investigated.

Like I said, I have no problem with politicians being investigated, but this one smells of pure politics

 

We don’t have to assume anything. Corruption is corruption, regardless of who are the perpetrators are.

Anyone in Guyana (except those being accused) that PPP officials were corrupt. 

The PPP members  were unwilling  to investigate themselves and were blatantly bare-faced with their level of squandermania…stealing a piece of prime real estate and building huge mansions, and in some cases, reselling the prime land for exorbitant prices. They lost the PR on this one. Sounds like the real estate schemers in Richmond Hill.  

This type of corruption was possible under the PPP because of 2 simple reasons: a) PPP supporters turned a blind eye to their corruption and b) they believe they will never lose an election.

This cannot be all political (that is the PPP line of defense) because this investigation started when the coalition came to office, promising to investigate corruption. Jagdeo and others were already interviewed and put on alert by SARA.  It did not start after the No Confidence vote.

Guyana's politicians needs a serious lesson on dirty politics...jail time will go a long way towards cleaning up the stable. 

V
Baseman posted:
VishMahabir posted:
 
 

My my...touched a nakedly raw nerve eh, basement dweller?

Racist?

I said they "look"...BUT, I could have easily said "They are guilty"...the defensive reaction would have still been the same from you.

Any fool know that there was corruption, if not wanton corruption, associated with some (if not all) these people in this picture...the former Housing Minister (Baksh), as well as Fat Boy Irfaan, has some explanation to offer regarding housing corruption...that is where the Pradovilles were born...

You people should be ashamed of yourselves to really believe that these people were saints...despite what seems like an incompetent coalition still unable to put a case together...

Wipe your tears knucklehead...there is more to come...remember the Cable Guy (Ramotar's son)?  

Go look at the mansions owned by Jagdeo and Irfaan...and drink some Kool Aid, while you at it.

No poke, you are a racist sk0nt, no question.  Just fk off you *******!

Cussbird...in case you forget...or you think we have short memory..dis one should jog your memory...

Image result for President Jagdeo mansion

 

V

You still did not address the question about PNC corruption?

This should not be a PR battle, we are dealing with facts...and the fact is that this is all one sided right now.

I should then assume that you feel that the PNC are, and has always been angels.

Like I said, and I hate to repeat myself, I don't have problems with investigations, but this is all one sided , and for that reason it is highly suspect and totally political

FM
Ray posted:

You still did not address the question about PNC corruption?

This should not be a PR battle, we are dealing with facts...and the fact is that this is all one sided right now.

I should then assume that you feel that the PNC are, and has always been angels.

Like I said, and I hate to repeat myself, I don't have problems with investigations, but this is all one sided , and for that reason it is highly suspect and totally political

Much of that blame has to be shared with the PPP. When they came into office in 1997, after 28 years, for whatever reason, the PPP did not choose to investigate anything. They simply continued with the pattern of corruption.

Governments do not like to investigate themselves..its bad for business...and the coalition is now fighting for survival, rather than further weakening themselves by admitting to any form of corruption. Dont expect any investigations from the PNC, or admission of guilt from the PNC.

However, corruption under the PNC could be investigated if the PPP comes to office after the election...but hopefully, finding PPP guilty of stealing from the taxpayers will be a new tradition...and send a warning to prospective raiders of the treasury.

V

Vish, don’t try to dance around this. SOCU Should not become and instrument of the PPP or PNC. Your type of thinking is why Guyana is where it is today. Tit for tat politics has divided Guyana.

Moving ahead, SOCU has to remain independent. 

BOTH PPP and PNC officials must be investigated with sufficient information available before any charges or investigations.

So far it has proven to be a political instrument. Even the “independent” consultant was fired and even SOCU itself is facing a police investigation.

A corrupt SOCU does not serve the country well. Especially when it is now an instrument of the PNC. Let us all try to put Guyana first.

FM
Last edited by Former Member

Vish

By you stating that investigations of PNC or PPP can only happen when one or the other in power makes this all a sham...a big joke

Give it a rest, go back and hit the books....maybe take a class in corruption and how it should be really investigated

FM
yuji22 posted:

Vish, don’t try to dance around this. SOCU Should not become and instrument of the PPP or PNC. Your type of thinking is why Guyana is where it is today. Tit for tat politics has divided Guyana.

Moving ahead, SOCU has to remain independent. 

BOTH PPP and PNC officials must be investigated with sufficient information available before any charges or investigations.

So far it has proven to be a political instrument. Even the “independent” consultant was fired and even SOCU itself is facing a police investigation.

A corrupt SOCU does not serve the country well. Especially when it is now an instrument of the PNC. Let us all try to put Guyana first.

SOCU and SARA are 2 different entities...

Yes, these agencies cannot reflect partisanship...I agree, but Guyana has to start somewhere with stemming the tide on corruption.

AND, remember, these are CIVIL charges, not CRIMINAL charges...so no one is going to jail....but stolen assets have to be recovered, if Thomas can prove his case.

 

V

PNC did lots of Asset Recoveries but nothing to show for. Many millions were spent on independent inquiries to show the taxpayers that the coalition government is working on their behalf, but the money is not there. I know politicians are barefaced thieves, but they are also con men. 

FM
Ray posted:

how much assets can we recover from PNC time in office?

Ask Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan...they were preaching "cumbayah" instead of going after criminality committed during 28 years of PNC riding roughshod over Guyana when they win election in 1997....besides..who you gon prosecute now...most of them PNC people died.

V
VishMahabir posted:
Ray posted:

how much assets can we recover from PNC time in office?

Ask Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan...they were preaching "cumbayah" instead of going after criminality committed during 28 years of PNC riding roughshod over Guyana when they win election in 1997....besides..who you gon prosecute now...most of them PNC people died.

Prince posted:

PNC did lots of Asset Recoveries but nothing to show for. Many millions were spent on independent inquiries to show the taxpayers that the coalition government is working on their behalf, but the money is not there. I know politicians are barefaced thieves, but they are also con men. 

Robert Persaid is a relative of Jagdeo...I believe...Baseman can help clarify since he knows everyone in Guyana....

Persaud settled by making a financial payment to the government...if he was not guilty why did he settle?

V
Nehru posted:

Dat piece of shit Clive Thomas is nothing but a scavenger!!!

I am still waiting for Clive Thomas to start a small business. This is a man who writes about business and economic issues yet he has never had the responsibility of meeting payroll.

Prashad
Ray posted:

Vish

By you stating that investigations of PNC or PPP can only happen when one or the other in power makes this all a sham...a big joke

Give it a rest, go back and hit the books....maybe take a class in corruption and how it should be really investigated

OK...

V
VishMahabir posted:
VishMahabir posted:
Ray posted:

how much assets can we recover from PNC time in office?

Ask Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan...they were preaching "cumbayah" instead of going after criminality committed during 28 years of PNC riding roughshod over Guyana when they win election in 1997....besides..who you gon prosecute now...most of them PNC people died.

Prince posted:

PNC did lots of Asset Recoveries but nothing to show for. Many millions were spent on independent inquiries to show the taxpayers that the coalition government is working on their behalf, but the money is not there. I know politicians are barefaced thieves, but they are also con men. 

Robert Persaid is a relative of Jagdeo...I believe...Baseman can help clarify since he knows everyone in Guyana....

Persaud settled by making a financial payment to the government...if he was not guilty why did he settle?

You prapa know story about Guyana. 

FM

‘Breach of constitutional duty’

-SARA suit seeks recovery of ‘Pradoville 2’ land from Jagdeo

Feb 27 2019

Source

Bharrat Jagdeo

Arguing that the allocation of lands at ‘Pradoville 2’ was an act of fraud and in breach of the constitution, the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) is asking the High Court to strip former President Bharrat Jagdeo and six other persons of the ownership of the plots sold to them in 2010.

“…Jagdeo, a Cabinet member, in benefitting from his own decision, when he participated in a Cabinet Decision to allocate State assets to a class of persons which would include himself was in breach of his Constitutional duty to uphold the Constitution and to act in the best interest of all the People of Guyana, for reasons inter alia he was in a position of conflict of interest in which he participated and acted in his own personal interest,” the court documents in one of two civil recovery cases initiated against Jagdeo states.

Last Friday, a total of eight cases were filed and SARA officials on Monday indicated that more matters will be filed before the year ends.

Irfaan Ali

Listed as the defendants in separate proceedings are Jagdeo, former Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, former Education Minister Shaik Baksh, Lisaveta Ramotar, who is the daughter of former president Donald Ramotar, businessman Ramesh Dookhoo, former University of Guyana Chancellor Professor Compton Bourne, and Florrie Loretta Ramnauth.

Two suits were filed against Jagdeo as he was allocated two parcels of land, while the remaining defendants have one each. The Registrar of Lands, who it is alleged unlawfully passed the title to the land without the consent of the registered proprietor being a party to the transaction, is listed as the second defendant in each of the cases, while SARA is the claimant.

In the court actions, SARA’s in-house attorney Ronald Bostwick is asking for identical claims and lists similar grounds. The court is being asked to grant an order restraining the defendant and/or his servants howsoever from disposing, attempting to dispose, encumbering and or attempting to encumber, dealing with and or attempting to deal with the respective properties; an order setting aside the Certificate of Title; a Civil Recovery Order transferring the respective properties to the Asset Manager or such other person as the Court may deem or determine; and such further or other relief as the Court deems just and costs.

The cases, which concern parcels 241, 246,175,240, 243,174,183 and 173, were filed after the closure of an initial window for out-of-court settlements came to an end. The court is expected to soon fix a date and assign a judge for the hearing of the cases.

SARA, in its claim, states that in relation to parcel 246, the passing of that title to Jagdeo by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) was unlawful for the reason that it was contrary to and in violation of the provisions of the Land Registry Act to transfer a registered interest without the knowledge and consent of the registered proprietor.

According to the claim, the passing of the title without the consent or knowledge of the registered proprietor, “was an act of fraud, dishonesty and done with intent to defraud the State.”

Further it states that the former president’s actions breached his fiduciary duty to the state and the people of Guyana and were dishonest. “…Jagdeo, by bypassing the legally required process for the passing of Title to Parcel 246 Plantation Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara was in breach of his fiduciary duties and the Laws of Guyana,” the claim says, while adding that the then Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali committed an act of dishonesty and engaged in fraudulent conduct by requesting and or instructing the transfer of the title to Jagdeo, “when he was aware or ought properly to have been aware that the CH&PA was not the registered proprietor.”

‘Privileged group’

The claim against Jagdeo states, too, that the decision of the Cabinet members to participate in a Cabinet decision to allocate State assets to a class of persons was a constitutional breach and was made in their own personal interest.

“The decision of Cabinet to allot land to a small group of individuals instead of for the benefit of the greatest number of Guyanese, was a breach of each individual member’s Constitutional duty to uphold the Constitution and act in the best interest of all the People of Guyana,” it adds, while noting that the Housing Minister also acted unlawfully by not fulfilling his supervisory authority over CH&PA, and also not ensuring that CH&PA acted in accordance with the provisions of the Housing Act.

According to the claim, Jagdeo’s parcel 246 was one of 19 lots, which totalled 15.25 acres, and was transferred by the Guyana government, through CH&PA. It said that the land was initially owned by the  Guyana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) but in 2004 government purported to transfer all the corporation’s assets to the National Communications Network Inc. (NCN). Both entities are state-owned.

According to the claim, the land in question was surveyed several times between 2005 and 2010, including a few times at the behest of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited/ Privatisation Unit (NICIL/PU).

“At the 19th Board meeting of NICIL/PU, held on Thursday 16 August 2007, the then Executive Director, Mr. Winston Brassington, reported to the Board that there were 15 acres of land at Sparendaam which were good for sale. He further recommended that the land would be ideal for high income house lots, townhouses or condominiums…,” the claim states.

At the date of their sale, the aggregate value of the sold parcels of land was $246,639,868 as is evidenced by the Appraisal Report of Hugo Curtis, valuation surveyor, dated November 28th, 2017.

Jagdeo paid $9,335,500 for parcel 246, which measures 1.5 acres. According to some of the other claims seen by Stabroek News, Bourne and Ramotar paid $1,515,000 for parcels 240 and 174, each measuring 0.3030 acres, while Baksh paid $1.5 million for parcel 173, which also had a measurement of 0.3030.

On March 9th, 2010 after being previously included in a Cabinet Memorandum, the Sparendaam land was discussed. At that meeting, which saw 18 ministers in attendance, a decision was taken that “Government would create a Housing Development on the aforementioned land vested in the NCN, and that the land should be vested in CH&PA.”

Further, the claim states that it “is the duty of the President and the Ministers whose functions may include the management, dealings and or distribution of, the State’s assets to ensure that all decisions taken are made in the best interest of the State and People of Guyana. The decision of the Cabinet to allocate and distribute the aforementioned properties at prices which were below the then current valuation to a restricted group of persons with significant financial resources deprived the State and the people of Guyana of the optimal benefit of the State’s asset and consequentially caused the State and the people of the Guyana to lose consideration and or value on the disposal of the State’s assets.”

The claim adds, “The purported transfer of the State’s assets to a restricted and limited group of persons of privilege and considerable financial worth at values below their assessed market value without any purported benefit to the State was a disposal of the State’s assets to a selected privileged group at a considerable financial and other disadvantage to the State and People of Guyana.”

Further, it states that while the CH&PA has existing guidelines for the allocation of housing lots to persons, these were not followed in the case of the ‘Pradoville 2” allottees. Included in the guidelines listed in the claim is the fact that there must be an existing application for the land being sought and that the applicant must not be a property owner.

The claim goes on to explain that the CH&PA’s Land Allotment Manual sets out the procedures by which an applicant can apply for government lands under its control. Among these are that following the submission of an application and an acknowledgment of same, the applicant will be invited for an interview to ascertain eligibility for a very low, low or middle income lots.

It was stressed that the statutory role of the Authority is to provide housing for the working class in the three categories listed above, the price range of the lots ranging from at least $59,400 to between $500,000 and $1.2 million, while the largest size allocated is 50 x 100 ft., which is equivalent to 5,000 sq. ft. or 0.1147 acre. According to the claim, the smallest lot available for transfer in ‘Pradoville 2’ was 0.2383 acre or 10,380 sq. ft. while the largest was 1.5 acres or 65,340 sq. ft.

Further, it was explained that the only high income lots ever advertised by CH&PA were related to a re-migrant scheme located in Providence Gardens. The smallest parcel, which measured 5,000 ft. had a price tag of $4 million, while the largest lot measured 8,000 ft. and could be acquired for $7 million.

The claim, explained that after the Cabinet decision was finalised, infrastructural work began to prepare the roads, the drainage and irrigation, electricity and water supply, and demarcate the lots.

‘No vesting order for transferral’

It was pointed out that no vesting order transferring the ‘Pradoville 2’ land from NCN to CH&PA was ever effected.

“The aforementioned land could only lawfully have been vested and transferred upon the issuance of a signed and Gazetted Vesting Order. No such signed vesting order was ever issued,” it states.

The claim explains that in 2010, the then Chief Executive Officer of CH&PA Myrna Pitt set out the process by which the land was to be transferred to CH&PA, along with the manner and steps by which that land should have been allotted to applicants.

The claim lists a 42- part process which culminates with the issuance of the certificate of title to the allottee.

It says, too, that Ali requested Esther Stephen, CH&PA staffer, in 2010 to deliver a sealed yellow envelope to the Registrar of Lands, Juliet Sattaur. “That Esther Stephen took the package to the Registrar and handed it over to her. That either the same day or the day after, she was asked by Minister Mohamed Irfaan Ali to go to the Registrar to collect a package. That when Esther Stephen went back to the Land Registry to meet the Registrar, the Registrar told her that she had to sign for the Certificates of Title and take them back to Minister Ali…Esther Stephen signed for the Certificates and took a sealed envelope and handed it over to Minister Mohamed Irfaan Ali,” it said.

According to the claim, NICIL/PU spent between $71.4 million and $85.1 million on development works in the scheme

“…These monies were spent by NICIL/PU in furtherance of their mandate from Cabinet to do all things necessary for the Development’s completion, as stated in the Cabinet Decision…That NICIL/PU acted unlawfully by not adhering to the Constitutional and Statutory manner of appropriation and expenditure of Funds,” the claim says, before adding that Cabinet also acted unlawfully in authorising NICIL to carry out the works.  

Django

a act of fraud against the state is a criminal offence and should NOT be a civil claim. 

- I see this as nothing more than a political move against PPP going into election. 

- Tax payers money to pay lawyers in the millions of dollars. 

If there was enough evidence by the police to charge these people for the alleged crime , then SARA would have gone that route, so there is none. 

 

FM

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