When contacted recently, head of NICIL, Winston Brassington confirmed that the entity had handled the East Coast land transaction but did not disclose more information as he said that a press release had been issued some months ago. He promised to check on the statement and make it available. When contacted later, he said that he had been asked by the SN reporter about the Liliendaal land sale. He said that he did not have any information about the Sparendaam land and directed this newspaper to the Ministry of Housing and Water or the Central Housing and Planning Authority. The SN reporter had asked about the Sparendaam transaction.
Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali refused to speak on the specifics of the Sparendaam land deal when approached at Parliament recently. He would only say that the land was allocated based on the mechanism of allocation of the Central Housing and Planning Authority and that the mechanism is publicly known. He said that the transaction was done this year but refused to say at what value. Ali said that he was busy and “when I feel like speaking to you I will speak to you”. Asked when this would be, he asked whether the reporter was trying to “direct” him. He then said that this would be when this newspaper stop with “y’all stupidness” and further told the reporter that “you’re a part of it”.
Stabroek News Editor-in-Chief Anand Persaud said Ali’s response to the reporter was most unbecoming of a minister of the government who must always be answerable to the public. Persaud said it is apparent that there were uncomfortable details of the Sparendaam transaction that the government wanted to keep secret.
The new East Coast housing development, where several top government officials are reported to be building their homes, is on the grounds where NCN’s radio transmitter was once sited. The transmitter has been relocated to the West Bank of Demerara. The source at NICIL said there was no public tender for the land.
Questions have been raised about whether the land was advertised publicly and how it was allocated and valued, among others. Observers say this is crucial as ordinary members of the public are subjected to rigorous guidelines and procedures for the apportioning of land. How the land in a prime spot close to the city could have been allocated to big-wigs only is a source of concern.
The new housing development has also attracted concerns over its proximity to sea defences but Ali told this newspaper a few weeks ago that, generally speaking, whatever construction is done, engineers ensure that “everything is taken into consideration”. Ali had said that all constructions by the ministry are built to “strict engineering specification” and quizzed on whether the Ministry had inspected the Sparendaam development; he responded tersely that “the ministry must inspect it…” With regards to its proximity to the sea defences, one official within the Ministry of Public Works had indicated that from observations, it was “adequate”. The Sea Defence Board (SDB) was doing a report on the new housing development but it is not clear what effect the report would have as construction at the new housing development has already started.
