Seven former PPP/C ministers were called in by SOCU over the long-running probe into the Pradoville 2 Housing Scheme and one of them, Robeson Benn told the investigator that it was established to ensure the safety of government officials during the then crime wave.
The undervaluing of the land at Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara has been engaging the attention of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) for more than a year following the findings of a forensic audit.
The former government has never provided an explanation as to the rationale behind the scheme and why only certain ministers and close affiliates were offered pieces of land at what was later discovered to be discounted prices.
Recalling the violence during the crime wave which claimed the life of former Agriculture Minister, Satyadeow Sawh and his relatives, Benn said that he did point out to the investigator questioning him that the “security of the senior members of the government and senior personages was an overriding issue and that it had to do with the stability of the country to make sure that the President and other members of the Cabinet, that they would want to be secure and safe and whatever was done had to be done”. Benn does not live in the scheme nor did he buy land there.
In addition to Benn, former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, former Housing Minister Irfaan Ali, former Labour Minis-ter Manzoor Nadir, former Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai; former Local Government Minister Kellawan Lall and former Health Minister Dr.Bheri Ramsaran were all questioned by SOCU yesterday before being released. They were not told to return or what is likely to happen next. The questioning of the seven men came one day after another former Minister, Priya Manickchand was also grilled.
Based on what they said all cabinet members inclusive of former President Bharrat Jagdeo who were present at a 2010 cabinet meeting, where the sale of the land was discussed are likely to be summoned for questioning in the comings days.
Benn said he made it very clear from the inception that he has happily served this country as a Commissioner of Geology and Mines and then as a cabinet member in the PPP/C government for two terms.
“I am absolutely shocked and surprise by the allegation which was put to me that I conspired with the cabinet to have lands transferred to Central Housing and Planning Authority in respect of Sparendaam”.
He stressed that he was in no position to help the investigators yesterday. “I am surprised that they could be summoning all the ministers. I guess we will all be charged in respect of the matter. I think it is destabilising to the country” Benn said.
Benn expressed disappointment that he is being forced to “be a part of the process and I am extremely unhappy to hear that all previous members of the cabinet, that all of us are being hauled in to SOCU to answer these questions in this manner in respect of this issue”.
He said he was specifically asked about his knowledge of certain documents, whether he asked for land and “what I thought were silly questions”. He said he answered what he could, since he didn’t have the “recall. I haven’t been fast on my feet as I should have been given the nature of the allegation”. He said that aside from his shock he was also upset and this hampered his ability to answer questions properly.
A special investigation of the housing development, which was part of a larger probe of the financial operations of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), was conducted by accounting firm Ram & McRae.
Clandestine
The investigation revealed that the allocation of the land was a clandestine arrangement that was handled personally by Ali and it was concluded that a criminal case for misfeasance could be made against the PPP/C Cabinet members who benefitted.
It was found that lots in the 12.1187-acre scheme were allocated to six Cabinet members—then President Jagdeo, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon and ministers Manickchand, Dr Jennifer Westford, Robert Persaud and Clement Rohee—along with other persons with connections to the government, including Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack and former army head Gary Best.
The probe found that the awardees grossly underpaid for the lots by a total of nearly $250 million, while the state-owned National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited, National Communications Network, and Guyana Power and Light Inc were never reimbursed for millions spent to execute preparatory works.
The findings of the investigation were later referred to SOCU for a criminal probe to be launched.
The unit had completed its investigation and the file was sent for legal advice. It was returned with a recommendation that some additional work be done. This was done and the file was resubmitted for advice.
Last week this newspaper was told that multiple persons are expected to be charged but that a clarification of a small issue was hampering this. It is expected that this would be dealt with shortly and charges laid as early as sometime this week.
Confidential
Attorney Anil Nandlall who represented Hinds, Ali, Lall, Sukhai and Ramsaran said that all his clients were questioned about a “particular” cabinet meeting which occurred in 2010 and the Pradoville 2 case which was said to be the subject of that meeting. “Nobody could remember. The Cabinet meeting took place ten years ago and therefore hardly can one remember what transpired”, he said.
Nandlall reminded that whatever is discussed at cabinet, “is a confidential matter and members of cabinet cannot disclose confidential matters to anyone. I find it shocking that this government is now removing the confidentiality principle which governs cabinet decisions”.
To this end, Nandlall told reporters that he is unsure how the police can question cabinet members about what transpired at one of those meetings.
He said the questions asked were “specific” and said that even if that cabinet meeting took place a week ago, the issues discussed “might be difficult to recollect”.
Asked if any documents were presented, he responded in the affirmative. He disclosed that his clients were shown a document which has a similar format to cabinet documents. Nandlall who became a cabinet members after 2010 having been appointed the Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General, said that the document shown is unsigned. “You don’t know whether it was a cabinet document or it was typed upstairs of SOCU” he posited, before disclosing that a number of other former ministers are expected to visit the location for questioning.
He said that he believes that this round of questioning is designed to “culminate in some set of charges which we are told is likely to come. So I suppose they are building a case and accumulating what they consider to be relevant evidence towards the establishment of a case”.
Nandlall informed that his clients have refused to sign documents which contain the answers to the questions they have been asked given that they were refused a copy.
Circus
Manickchand said that the line of questioning being pursued is “an attempt to decapitate the PPP and pull down its leaders and interfere with its ability to lead and that is all it is. It is a political persecution happening here”. She represented Benn and Nadir yesterday.
She informed that all the ministers of the 2010 cabinet are being summoned to be questioned about the controversial housing project. According to her it is the same set of questions and the same issues that were raised and answered before in the public domain. Manickchand apart from Tuesday was questioned last year about the matter and had cooperated fully with investigators on both occasions. She was questioned as the former Social Services Minister.
“Whether you are a beneficiary or not. Every single minister is being called in. Do they intend to charge the entire cabinet and make this a bigger circus that it is right now?” she questioned. She pointed out that even though it appears as though they are being harassed there is nothing much they can do. “We are not going to be intimidated by this. I think the PNC has a track record of attempting to bully and persecute persons who hold a different political view than the PNC…That is not going to work with us. It certainly is a waste of time, my time…and waste of resources”, she warned.
Both Hinds and Nadir who don’t own properties at Pradoville 2, expressed their displeasure at being called in for questioning.
According to Hinds, he is disappointed that “the powers that be are pursuing this matter in the way that they are”. He opined that there was no question of any wrongdoing, a position he has expressed repeatedly. “My book…my training says that we should always expect that whatever we do would be coming under scrutiny”. Hinds informed that all the questions he was asked pertained to the process that led to the purchase of the land.
Nadir informed that he did not face questions as he indicated from the beginning that he would exercise his right to remain silent and made it clear that he would not sit through the interview.
He described it as a “fishing expedition” and said that putting people through “wild speculation is nothing more than political harassment. This entire issue has nothing to do with thieving from the treasury, benefiting from the transactions [from] during our time in the cabinet and in the government. It’s more with trying to satisfy egos of the current ministers”.
