Govt steadfast about pursing “criminal” land deals

“Criminal” is how Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo described “land deals” he said that the government is now reviewing. The Irfaan Ali led PPP/C administration made no secret about going after “deals” it said are questionable, these include transactions done following the passage of the no confidence motion in December 2018 and following the March 2nd General and Regional Elections.

Schedule of lands vested, valuation and sums paid. This was released by the Attorney General.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall recently released a schedule of lands the government said were vested and which small sums were paid for. On Friday, Jagdeo was quick to draw differentiation when the Ogle lands and those at Pradoville two of which led to charges for several persons linked to the PPP administration.

Accusing former Minister of Finance Winston Jordan of “complicity” in the “Ogle land deals”, Jagdeo said there was no “cabinet decision” in the way those lands were transferred, “When those things were sold under the PPP it had to go from the (privatisation)  unit to the board and then to cabinet,” Jagdeo told the media.

The now disbanded State Assets Recovery Unit had brought private actions against Jagdeo in relation to the Pradoville land as it accused the former President of also benefiting from land which was sold under the market value.

On Friday, Jagdeo said the government is only interested in the “architects” of the Ogle land deals as he asked, “how could you not collect any money or a fraction of payment then vest or transfer the land.”

The government had announced that some of the persons and organisations with lands in Ogle returned the titles. It had called on more of the investors to do the same promising not to pursue legal actions if they do.

Recently, Former Finance Minister Winston Jordan said he performed his duties in “compliance with his oath of office” in response to the government threat of legal actions against him in relation to the land deals.