Jagdeo needs to face his ‘real nasty’ record – Greenidge

Apr 01, 2015 News

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“Come on Jagdeo, be a big boy and talk about your history of corruption, failed projects, gifting extravagant parts of Guyana to your friends and cronies, the giveaway of the radio licences, the Skeldon “white elephant” factory etc.”  

Considering the latest fascination of former President Bharrat Jagdeo to call on members of the opposition

to “face their record,” APNU executive member, Carl Greenidge, sought to send him a stern message.
“Instead of calling on others to do that, why don’t you face your own nasty record which shows nothing but poor governance?”
He said that the former President also needs to stop trying to take credit for things that never occurred under his watch like major declines in the overall debt rate and improved measures of transparency and accountability.
“That is a fabricated record Jagdeo is trying to paint for himself,” Greenidge added.
Since the former President surfaced to support the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) during its election campaign, he has called on various members of the opposition to confront things he claimed they did.
Jagdeo at his second press conference held at Freedom House on Saturday, went into an exhaustive critique of Greenidge’s performance when he served as Minister of Finance over two decades ago.
He said that the financial point man for A Partnership for National Unity was the most unaccountable Minister of Finance in Guyana’s history.
The former President said that when the country’s economy was under the stewardship of Carl Greenidge, the nation was not creditworthy.
In fact, he claimed that accounts of the country were not available for auditing for almost ten years during

Greenidge’s tenure, and as Minister of Finance he incurred the largest rate of external debt for the nation.
He even brought specially for Kaieteur News, a copy of Greenidge’s transport of prime property in Bel Air which he acquired just after demitting office in 1992 for $4 million.
Jagdeo had said that while he does not want to venture into the past, Greenidge must face his record.
Even at the PPP/C’s rally in Kitty on Sunday last, the APNU Executive was still on his mind. Jagdeo spoke about his opponent in less than friendly terms.
RESPONSE
Greenidge in response said, “I really want Jagdeo to tell me why he is so obsessed with me. It’s laughable.”
As it relates to Jagdeo’s gifting of a copy of Greenidge’s transport to the media to suggest that Greenidge engaged in a corrupt transaction in 1992, the APNU executive deemed this to be “wicked and malicious but all the same hilarious.”
In relation to his Bel Air home, Greenidge said, “Guyana Stores which owned and managed the properties sold them from time to time to persons on the basis of private agreements.
The properties were sold to the former Bookers/GuySuCo managers who lived in them as well as to private individuals. In keeping with that policy, when I offered to buy the property, they initiated a process of sale which was perfectly normal. The property is not on special land.
The allegation of fraud is malicious.”
The politician also sought to address Jagdeo’s accusations that he wrote to the Auditor General when he served as Finance Minister, prohibiting him from auditing NICIL’s books and the country’s accounts.
“It is clear from these allegations that Jagdeo, as a former President, is unable to drop the most distinctive characteristic he exhibited as a President, being a perpetual stranger to the truth. The PPP has been making these allegations for the last 23 years. The claims are inaccurate and silly.”
“I urge him to complete his story by finding the letter in question and, since he is so sure of himself, he should have the Police take action against me in relation to the corrupt transaction. I challenge him to make it public.”
Greenidge said that he is surprised that Jagdeo could take the trouble to find a copy of the transport to a property he owns, but was unable to ensure that he fix the Skeldon Sugar Factory which he gave a personal commitment to doing.
He added, “Come on Jagdeo, be a big boy and talk about your history of corruption, failed projects, gifting extravagant parts of Guyana to your friends and cronies, the giveaway of the radio licences, yhe Skeldon “white elephant” factory, the failed Guyana/Brazil cable project, and the tax-funded Marriott Hotel.”
He also said that Jagdeo must speak about the Sanata Complex giveaway, the sale of the GPC, the Amaila Falls road project, the Specialty Hospital, the Surendra pumps, the Enmore Packaging Plant and the CJIA Expansion project.”

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