Georgetown: Former President and Prime Minister of Guyana, Samuel Hinds and several PPP officials Wednesday visited the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) headquarters as investigations continue into the Pradoville Two land acquisition scandal.
Making an appearance was former Education Minister Priya Manickchand, former GWI Chief Executive, Shaik Baksh and former Housing Minister Irfaan Ali. Ms. Manickchand, who also served as Mr. Hinds’ attorney during his SOCU appearance, is believed to have sold her house in the area for more than GUY$100M.
Reports indicate that the former Prime Minister was invited by the investigators to provide some clarity specifically on the decision to remove the AM Transmission tower of the National Communications Network. Hinds served as Minister of Telecommunications.
He told the investigators that the tower at Sparendaam was removed as part of the expansion of the Ogle Airport to accommodate larger aircraft and gain international airport status. The tower had been flagged by aviation experts as being in the flight path.
Mr. Hinds recounted that dating as far back as 1994, the new PPP government under President at the time, Cheddi Jagan, was contacted by local airline representatives about the need for the expansion of the airport.
It would take the government another 16 years to move the transmission tower. It was dismantled and removed from the Sparendaam area at a cost of over $180 million between 2009 and 2010.
It was around that same time that the President at the time, Bharrat Jagdeo and a number of his cabinet members and associates, started to acquire land in the same area where the tower once stood to build their sea side dream homes.
“This is a police investigation, this is not a PPP (People’s Progressive Party) investigation. The police dictate where they interview the suspects, not the individuals. Also all the exhibits are here, so they [police] can’t transport them all around the country to do that. It makes sense to do the investigations at the police station where you have all the materials; your recording equipment and visual equipment as well,” Dr. Sam Sittlington -the Financial Investigation expert attached to the Guyana Police Force’s (SOCU) said.
He noted that the police have to power to arrest persons suspected of committing a misdemeanor without an arrest warrant. “ Whenever the police require them for an interview and they refuse to, then they are breaching that, and the police can come in and arrest them. The whole point is to bring someone in to gather evidence because you suspect them of committing a criminal offense,” he said.
Those questioned on Tuesday included former President Bharrat Jagdeo, former Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon, former Minister of Natural Resources Robert Persaud, General Manager of the Guyana Gold Board Lisaveta Ramotar, former Company Secretary of the state holding company, National Industrial & Commercial Investments Limited, Marcia Nadir-Sharma and former Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Ramesh Dookhoo.
The PPP has accused government of being on a witch-hunt to distract from Guyana’s poor economic performance and heavy taxation.
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