Former Guyana Lands and Surveys Commissioner Trevor Benn was on Friday faced with a third misconduct in public office charge, which stemmed from the alleged illegal purchase of a portion of land at Mandela Avenue by Cevons Waste management.
Benn, who is on bail on two other charges, appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly in Georgetown, where he was read the charge and later released on $100,000 bail.
The newest charge alleges that Benn, between October 1, 2018, and August 31, 2018, at the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Georgetown, while being a Public Officer, misconducted himself by executing a sale of a parcel of land held under Transport No. 336 of 1925 — that portion known as Area C being portion of Track B Plantation Le Repentir, Georgetown, containing an area of 1.356 acres — and causing Cevons Waste Management Inc. to pay the sum of $80,000,000 to the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission for the said parcel of land, knowing that at the time he did not have the authority to sell the said land, the said willful misconduct amounting to breach of public trust, without any excuse or reasonable justification.
He was represented by attorney-at-law Keoma Griffith. This matter was adjourned until June 18.
Benn was previously charged in the Courtroom of Senior Magistrate Daly and later Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaac-Marcus. He has been placed on $200,000 and $100,000 bail for the two separate charges, respectively.
On August 7 last year, the government had announced that all public land deals made by the APNU+AFC administration from December 21st, 2018, would be reviewed. During September last year, Benn was instructed to proceed on 42 days’ vacation. Subsequent to that, Benn was terminated from the post with effect from February 4, 2021. He received his termination letter in November 2020, which gave him three months’ notice.
He was then arrested by police and after two days in police custody, the former GL&SC commissioner was slapped with his first misconduct in public office charge, over the lease of land at Ogle. He was released on $200,000 bail by Senior Magistrate Leron Daly.
