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Day two, Pradoville 2 probe… Former PM Hinds, six ex-Ministers questioned
By Brushell Blackman
As the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) continues its investigations into matters related to the Pradoville 2 housing scheme, former Prime Minister, under the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration, Samuel Hinds was questioned for over two hours at SOCU headquarters on Camp Road yesterday.
Also questioned were former Minister of Housing Irfaan Ali, former Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, former Minister of Tourism Shaik Baksh, former Minister of Labour Nanda Gopaul and former Public Service Minister Jennifer Westford.
Hinds, who was Prime Minister for a number of years under the PPP/C administration, arrived at the SOCU headquarters and greeted the large press corps that was camped outside. Speaking to the media after his interrogation, Hinds said that he was asked to explain why he in part facilitated the move of the National Communications Network (NCN) transmission tower that was stationed at Pradoville.
Hinds explained that the movement of the tower was mooted since the presidency of the late president Cheddi Jagan. The former PM said that in 2004 it was decided that the tower needed to be moved to facilitate the Ogle airport expansion, since the tower would have been in the flight path of incoming aircraft.
The National Investment and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) reportedly paid over $100M to relocate the tower to Dairy Road, La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara and that charge was borne by NCN..
Ali who arrived at SOCU very early yesterday morning, clearly did not want the attention that the waiting media would have provided. He was the Minister of Housing at the time when the Pradoville 2 lands were allocated and was also at the helm of that ministry when the subsequent infrastructural works were done in the controversial scheme.
According to reports, significant amount of state funds were spent on the construction of roads, drainage networks and other works at Pradoville 2. The developed house lots, complete with infrastructure, were then sold below market value to former president Jagdeo, several ministers, government officials and friends. There was no evidence that the house lots sale were advertised or what procedures were used in the allocations. Ali did not speak to the media, and left hurriedly in his waiting sport utility vehicle.
After her interrogation was completed, former Minister of Education Priya Manickchand told the media that the investigations are “malicious” and are “designed to embarrassed former government ministers”.
“Why arrest Roger Luncheon, he is clearly not a flight risk?”
Heaping disgust on the current administration, Manickchand said that the APNU + AFC coalition came to power with a ‘sexy’ pitch that she had even believed at some point. However the former Education Minister said that the nation is now being confronted by the realities of value added tax (VAT) on private tuition fees, VAT on services and a number of other anti-progressive measures.
On the land that she purchased and subsequently built a property and sold it for much more than the price paid, Manickchand said that she did nothing wrong and is confident that she will be exonerated when the investigations are completed.
Clement Rohee, who was former Minister of Home Affairs, said that he was reluctant to avail himself for the interview that SOCU requested. He said that he was willing to be arrested not for a lack of cooperation but to register his displeasure at the way the interviews are being conducted.
Rohee was of the view that the investigations are nothing more than a political ploy by the government to silence the opposition. However, he did not address his ownership of a plot of land at the Pradoville Scheme.
Former Minister of Tourism Shaik Baksh, former Public Service Minister Jennifer Westford and former Minister of Labour Nanda Gopaul refused to speak to the media when they were finished at SOCU.
It is expected that among others the Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali-Hack and former Chief of Staff Rear Admiral Gary Best will be questioned today.
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