Less than a week before the March 2nd elections, Minister of Finance Winston Jordan granted permission for a number of state assets to be sold, among them some 2.5 acres of prime land at Mud Lot, Cummingsburg, Georgetown, to BK International.
And while the results of the polls remain marred in controversy that has seen this country in a political stalemate since then, in the Official Gazette publication of Tuesday, March 28th 2020, notification of the sales were made.
“The title to the property shall, as from the Appointed Day, stand transferred to and shall be vested in the purchaser absolutely, free and clear from all claims and liabilities,” the Order, cited as the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (Transfer of Property) Order, in the Gazette’s Legal Supplement, states .
For the sale and transfer of state property from NICIL to a buyer to be legal, the Minister of Finance would have to make the order.
This newspaper yesterday tried contacting Jordan to ask about the grounds for the sale at such a time, when the Caribbean Court of Justice had ruled that the government is in caretaker mode.
The ministry’s Public Relations Officer Wanita Huburn was reached and she said that she would have to see the documents before replying. This was done but up to press time there was no response from her or the minister.
The three parcels of land sold total 2.553 acres.
The publication of the order drew much criticism with former Attorney General and PPP/C executive Anil Nandlall calling it an illegal act.
“In the ordinary course of things, a caretaker government does not dispose of state assets, does not acquire or dispose of state property. It is only to manage the country and provide essential services. Selling prime property at this time, when the government has lost the election, makes it even worse. One week before the election a caretaker government would do this?” he asked.
“While a government remains in power, the framers never contemplated that that government would not commit acts like these, and essential services alone,” he stressed.
Nandlall said that the elections came and the APNU+AFC government was “still holding on to power” and went ahead and published that the order was signed.
“The other thing is them remaining in power for such a protracted period. And it is not remaining in power because of some natural disaster or some unforeseen and unpreventable act, it is staying in power because of circumstances it created through its own political machinations,” he said. Nandlall contended that it shows abuse of power. “This government has lost the elections and they know they have lost. This is not only illegal, it is a vulgar abuse of power. To crown it off, this is a political party that campaigned on the platform of honesty and integrity. Almost everything they have done since March 2nd has been dishonesty and without integrity,” he argued.
The sale will also raise serious questions as BK International has maintained close links with the government and has been seen as one of its key supporters.
