Prominent PNCR member and attorney, James Bond allegedly benefitted from a second lucrative flipping of state land at Peter’s Hall on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), which saw the two original holders consigning the rights for 30 acres to a Chinese national for $100 each.
Bond has remained silent on these transactions involving state lands and the apparent conflict of interest since he had been engaged with state holding company NICIL on these matters.
The government has since sought an investigation of the transactions and those deals now appear to be in jeopardy. These lands have attracted speculators as they are seen as precious to the burgeoning oil and gas industry.
One swathe of land was transferred by Eddie Doolal to Chinese national Jian Fen Yu for $100, allegedly masking a behind-the-scenes payment of $130 million. Half of the sum is said have gone to Bond, sources close to the investigation say.
Doolal was yesterday taken into police custody as part of the investigation into the land deals. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum would only confirm that Doolal was up to press time in police custody.
Doolal’s company, A-Z Pharmaceutical, and Avalon Jagnandan, of Life 1 Pharms, according to National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) documents, received only $100 when they transferred their leases to Chinese national Jian Fen Yu, possibly as only a procedural legal covering for the transfer.
Source say that Doolal, whose office is close to Bond’s, had been told that he could acquire the lease to the land and then flip it to make money. The agreement to flip it was reportedly drawn up by Bond and Doolal duly sold the rights to the land to the Chinese national for $100.
According to the source, fifty percent of the monies was paid at the law offices of an attorney and Bond collected. The other half was later paid and Doolal then sought to collect his cut.
This newspaper was reliably informed that there is no record at NICIL that Bond was retained by that agency for legal or other works. NICIL’s former acting Chief Executive Officer Colvin Heath-London would possibly have to answer as to what role Bond played and how he became so involved in the processes.
Stabroek News yesterday reached out to Bond who said that he continues to hold the position he had communicated to this newspaper before. “I have the same position,” he said.
Bond has told this newspaper that he would not be speaking to the press on the issue.
“No response,” he said just over a week ago when contacted. Questioned on the reason for his decision, given the serious allegations that have arisen, he said, “I am not going to speak to the press”. Asked then who would he be speaking to, he replied, “The court, the police, SOCU (Special Organised Crime Unit)”.
This newspaper attempted to also contact the other attorney on record in the Doolal case to no avail.
Documents show that in May of 2018, Doolal leased a total of 15 acres of land from NICIL; divided into three plots of A7, A8 and A20 at US$11,700 plus taxes for a 20-year period.
He would keep the lands for two years before the documented $100 lease sale on January 28th of this year.
The buyer, Jian Fen Yu, lists his address as 43 Wellington Street, the same building that houses the Lucky Star Store which wholesales and retails clothing. That address has been used for a number of other Chinese nationals who have applied for naturalization here. This newspaper has visited the location more than once but the store remains closed and no one has responded from the two upper flats of the building. This newspaper understands that Jian is currently in China.
Three files
The Guyana Police Force and its Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) had last week received three files from Attorney General Anil Nandlall for the investigation of leases for several acres of prime state lands at Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara which were done without any valuation, public advertisement or Cabinet decisions.
The second case shows that lands held by Jagnandan, of Life 1 Pharms, were transferred for the same $100 amount. The plots, A17’, ‘A18’ and ‘A19’ which total 15 acres were assigned to Jian at the same time as Doolal’s land at the same terms. Their $100 transfer sales were also conducted on the same day.
This newspaper had reached out to Jagnandan and he said, “I am not going to comment at this time”.
In the other case, a Caribbean joint-venture for a chemical storage facility between Glass Holdings and Trinidadian Lennox Petroleum also saw allegations that Bond was the recipient of some US$952,800 for the sale of those lease rights.
GLASS Holdings, based at Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown, has been actively operating here since 2011, according to the Deeds Registry, and has as one of its directors Glen Low-A-Chee, a Guyanese businessman. It is he who has written to and is in discussion with NICIL on the way forward for the project.
This newspaper has reached out to Low-A- Chee, and he had last week explained that both GLASS and LPTT would issue a statement on the issue because he feels that there “has been much misconceptions and mix-up” between his company and others in the same Peter’s Hall area.
However, to date there has been no statement from the company but the Environmental Protection Agency yesterday said that the company was seeking other areas for their project.
“The EPA… wishes to notify the public that the processing of Glass Holding Inc.’s application for a Chemical Warehouse and Laydown Yard at A3 & A4, Plantation Peter’s Hall, EBD, has been placed on hold in view of the developer currently considering alternative locations for this project,” the notice said.
As millions have already been invested at the site for ground work, it is unclear if a deal has been worked out between the company and NICIL.
