The Alliance for Change (AFC) today condemned the arrest yesterday of former Minister of Finance Winston Jordan as “despicable”.
A statement from the AFC follows:
The unlawful and vulgar arrest of Winston Jordan has cemented the position that the PPP regime is now a naked dictatorship. This arrest comes mere weeks after Bharrat Jagdeo publicly expressed disappointment in the Special Organised Crime Unit’s sloth in not going after political targets. This public chiding was meant to literally whip SOCU into action, and act it did.
The nation needs to be reminded that Winston Jordan was, at all material times, a gazetted Minister, with responsibility for Finance, within the President David Granger constitutionally appointed Cabinet of Ministers.
As per the Constitution of Guyana, and established Commonwealth practice, Ministers operate under the doctrine of “collective responsibility” and are answerable to the National Assembly of the Parliament.
At all times, Minister Jordan acted within the strict parameters of the Constitution and Financial Management and Accountability Act (FMAA). No decision was personal or without Cabinet approval. To charge and prosecute a former Minister for taking actions pursuant to a decision(s) of Cabinet is vulgar, abusive, unlawful and unconstitutional, and as the PPP recognised when it withdrew false charges against Dr. George Norton, an individual should not be singled out and persecuted while acting on behalf of the collective of the Constitutional body known as the Cabinet.
It is no coincidence that SOCU has slithered into action following the biting and justified criticism leveled against the regime for doling out a paltry 7% increase for public servants and for mismanaging the public debt in particular, and economy, in general. This action is meant to silence Winston Jordan who has been very vocal on PPP mismanagement of the economy, and all who like him, are crying out for fairness and justice.
It is important to recall that in December 2006 the PPP government entered into a 20 year lease arrangement with an option to purchase, between NICIL and BK Inc. This agreement was signed by former head of NICIL Winston Brassington and witnessed by Marcia Nadir Sharma. In 2009 BK Inc. exercised their option to purchase. This matter subsequently engaged the courts from 2013 long before Mr. Jordan was Minister of Finance and through to 2017 when it was finally settled.
The AFC joins with those who consider themselves as patriots, right-thinking and law abiding to condemn in its loudest voice, this latest act of atrocity and violation of the human rights of a citizen – Winston DaCosta Jordan.
