Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has refuted claims of preferential treatment in the sale of State lands to private developers.
His comments come in light of allegations that businessman Ed Ahmad who is convicted in the United States of America for mortgage fraud, was sold prime real estate lands at Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD) under questionable circumstances.
During his weekly press conference on Thursday, Jagdeo said he has seen Ahmad casually four or five times in the last five years. “Was there any preferential treatment of this individual because of ‘connections’ to the PPP? The answer is absolutely not and cannot be proven,” Jagdeo said.
Ahmad is associated with the Sheriff Group of Companies. According to Jagdeo, “I don’t want to get into the Sheriff Group and their family feud; don’t drag the PPP into your business.”
In fact, the Vice President said he was unaware of the contract between the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) and Ahmad, since he was not present at Cabinet when it was approved.
He made it clear that the PPP/C does not protect anyone involved in criminal activity.
“Whether it is Ed Ahmad or any other individual from abroad or locally, if they engage in criminal conduct, they have to face the music,” he said.
The Vice President referred to former Assistant Commissioner of Police Calvin Brutus who was rumoured to be “in bed with the PPP” but has been facing the music for his alleged acts of wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, as the APNU+AFC Opposition criticises the government for land deals, Jagdeo claimed that the APNU+AFC engaged in many instances of corruption and nepotism in the distribution of land.
In addition to the allocation of 75 acres of land leased to AFC Leader, Nigel Hughes, Jagdeo said “in the last two years of the APNU regime, they gave out and transferred maybe twice or three times the land than we have done in four years, and we haven’t transferred the lands as yet.”
He pointed to 23 transactions at Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD) where 235 acres of land were sold, with 15 of those transactions completed after the 2020 General and Regional Elections. Further, at Peters Hall, East Bank Demerara (EBD), 222 acres were leased without a protection clause to bar persons from selling the prime lands.
Jagdeo alleged that some people have already sold their lands.
“It was a pure rape of the assets of the country,” he said referring to the APNU+AFC’s land management policy.
According to the VP, the current government does not provide land titles to private developers until they complete promised infrastructure and other developments on the land. The names of the developers are later published in the Official Gazette, noted.
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