Constitutional protection does not preclude the President from public questioning or scrutiny

Feb 13, 2011 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Mr. Christopher Ram’s letter, (Kaieteur News, February 9) captioned, “Did President Jagdeo breach Pradoville contract?” evoked memory of an SN editorial, “The President’s house at Plaisance,” (January 17).
Anyone who did not read that editorial should do so without delay; it was just as illuminating as Mr. Ram’s letter.
But while many Guyanese are focused on questions surrounding the President’s new house and the first one he sold, they should also focus on the man who bought the President’s first house at Goedverwagting or the so-called ‘Pradoville I’ where several current and former ministers, government and PPP/C officials live, because in almost every questionable decision in which the President is involved, he obviously needs the cooperation of others.
On July 14, 2010, SN carried a news story, “Jagdeo sells house for 120M,” and the buyer’s name was revealed as Mr. Ernest Ross, Guyana’s Honorary Consul to Trinidad and Tobago. That alone was a major red flag that demanded at least the local media go to work ferreting out the facts about the transaction to determine whether political favours were involved.
If the President of the United States, or the Prime Ministers of Canada or Britain (three countries where thousands of Guyanese live and are familiar with systems of good governance) built a new house while in office, did not live in it but rented it, and then sold it for six times its construction cost to a diplomat serving any of those governments, I guarantee that the media and legislative branch would have a field day getting to the bottom of this.
At any rate, apart from his diplomatic status, Mr. Ross was said to be a musician and Chief Executive Officer/Creative Director of Ernie Ross Advertising Limited in Trinidad, and his given residential address was 129 Park Avenue, West Moorings, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
So to Mr. Ross’ credit, he did create and sell his own music and he did manage an advertising business in T&T, which contracted American Harry Bernard Campbell to help with the campaign strategy for Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s ‘Peoples Partnership’ that recently swept to power.
And even articulate letter writer, Mr. Michael Maxwell, had a letter published (“Has any political party retained Ernie Ross Advertising?” SN, September 30, 2010), in which he noted Mr. Ross’ commendable job in Trinidad and asked whether political parties in Guyana had retained the man’s services for the 2011 elections. By now he probably has the answer.
But since $120M equate to US$600,000, the following questions become necessary for Mr. Ross if he is to avoid sharing the spotlight with the President’s questionable house transactions:
1. As a diplomat appointed by the Jagdeo government to represent government’s interest in another country, did he not think it would raise red flags to buy the President’s personal property for six times its original estimated construction cost?
2. Does he know who evaluated the President’s house and came up with that staggering figure of $120M/US$600,000?
3. Did Mr. Ross own a house while living in Trinidad worth GY$120M/US$600,000?
4. Was Mr. Ross’ business in Trinidad and Tobago worth in excess of GY$120M/US$600,000 or did it generate the kind of income that would allow him to plunk down that kind of money on a house in Guyana?
5. Did Mr. Ross borrow the GY$120M/US$600,000, either in Guyana or Trinidad?
6. Did Mr. Ross’ business in Trinidad ever encounter financial difficulties, resulting in unpaid debts or even bankruptcy filing?
7. Now that he bought the President’s house, does this mean he will be living in Guyana full time or shuttling between Guyana and Trinidad, and is he still serving as Guyana’s Honorary Consul?
8. And is he planning on getting involved in public relations work for the PPP 2011 election campaign or in the advertising business (local and international) in Guyana with the government as a major client?
These questions may appear to be of a personal nature for Mr. Ross, but only because of the President’s involvement while an active public servant of the people in selling his personal property to another person while also in active service to his government.
And even though the President is constitutionally protected from criminal indictments and lawsuits while he is still in office or after he leaves office for acts committed while in office, that should not stop us from publicly questioning aspects of his private dealings while in office if there is reason for such questions to be asked. After all, we are talking about a President of an ethically challenged regime.
It has also struck me as odd, Mr. Editor, that the President would reveal to the nation through his attorney how much he sold his first house for, but I don’t recall him revealing how much he actually paid to build the house or even the source of his financing seeing he built it while still in office.
Mr. Ram, in his letter, said the first house was sold for a profit of approximately $100M, which means it cost approximately $20M to build, and that begs the question: why would any investment savvy businessman pay $120M for a house that cost $20M to build?
Is it possible that only a ‘true friend’ would do something like that, or is there more to this transaction than meets the naked eye?
Finally, the President in his many climate change speeches repeatedly warned of rising sea levels, and with Guyana’s coastal lands being below sea level, the location of his new house raises yet another question: Does he really plan on living in the new house so close to the sea wall or will he receive an epiphany after construction and decide to sell, thus putting him in the business of building houses only to sell for massive profits?
Emile Mervin

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