Former Finance Minister Winston Jordan, who was released from custody after falling ill during questioning today, has been instructed to return to the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) tomorrow.
This is according to a statement released by SOCU, which noted that Jordan is being investigated in relation to a number of suspected corrupt transactions which occurred whilst he was Finance Minister.
See full statement from SOCU:
Yesterday, officers of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Guyana Police Force, made contact with Mr. Winston Jordan and invited him to attend the office of the unit at Camp Road, Georgetown for questioning in relation to a series of alleged fraudulent transactions in which he is implicated, involving public funds and state properties, estimated to value billions of Guyana dollars.
Today, at or about 10:30hrs, Mr. Jordan, in the company of two Attorneys-at-Law, attended the SOCU office at Camp Road and was interviewed.
The first transaction that he was interviewed about, relates to the sale and vesting of the state’s largest wharf facilities located at Kingston, Georgetown, valued approximately GUY $8 billion (US$40,000,000) which was sold for a mere GUY $110 million (US $500,000.)
The purchaser BK Marines Limited, paid only 10% of this purchase price, that is GUY $20 million (US$100,000) and Minister Jordan issued a vesting order passing Title to the purchaser, without the payment of any further sum of monies.
The vesting order stated that the property is being sold free from encumbrance and liabilities and no further sum of money is owed by the purchaser. Transport was subsequently issued for this property and the value strangely stated on the Transport was GUY $400,000,000 million (US 2,000,000.) Further, the agreement of sale stated that Title must only pass upon full payment of purchase price.
Investigators have evidence to establish that a facility that is a mere fraction of the size of the state property under investigation, located some seven miles upriver was sold by a private company for US$17 million.
This is only one of several investigations that implicate former Minister Jordan.
At about 13:00hrs, as Minister Jordan was being escorted to Sparendaam Police Station for further questioning, he claimed of feeling unwell and he was rushed to the Sparendaam Health Centre where he was attended to by health workers at that institution. He was subsequently placed on his own recognisance and sent away with instructions to return tomorrow.
The investigations are continuing.
