Office of the President Press Officer Kwame McCoy yesterday refused to answer questions about the cost of his Diamond, East Bank Deme-rara property and responded to enquiries by offering to sell it at a price of $50 million.
There were reports that the home was being built at a cost of about $100 million and questions were being asked about how McCoy could have afforded to build his home for that sum. When contacted by Stabroek News on this and asked whether he was willing to respond to the statements, McCoy responded “you figure it out yourself” and hung up.
However, he later sent a statement accusing this newspaper of being “entrenched in ‘gutter journalism’” and “using bitter, bias, anti-government critic Mark Benschop” as the source for information. He did not offer any clarification on the cost of the property.
“The newspaper telephoned me today [yesterday] using Benschop’s valuation of $100 million for a property under construction by me in the new Diamond Housing Scheme. The newspaper asked a conclusive question, I quote, ‘Mr Mc Coy could you say where did you get G$100 million to build your house?’” the statement said.
The quote used by McCoy is inaccurate. He was asked whether he was willing to respond to the statements about the cost of the house and to the questions being raised about how he could afford it.
McCoy, in his statement, said that it is interesting how Stabroek News has “adopted” Benschop as a credible source for information. “This perhaps brings clarity to that newspaper continued bias, distorted and unobjective reporting [sic],” he said.
“May I use this opportunity to offer Anand Persaud, Editor-in-Chief of Stabroek News and Mark Benschop the Diamond property at a selling price of G$50 million. I anxiously await your response to my offer,” he added.
