Another day, another Commissioner of Inquiry

Aug 28, 2017 Letters

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Dear Editor,
The owner of Sleepin Hotel and Casino, Mr. Clifton Bacchus just filed a $2 billion lawsuit against the Guyana Chronicle for the publication of two libelous articles which he described as highly defamatory and damaging to his business and reputation. This was soon followed by two other lawsuits, one from Pasha Global Group and the other, Yokohama Trading Company. One would have thought that the Editor-in-Chief of this government-owned newspaper company would be more careful. But squandering taxpayers’ money to settle lawsuits seems to be an art form that has now become a hallmark of the Granger Administration.
The front page of last Thursday state media screamed the headlines “PRADOVILLE LAND IN DISPUTE” with the tagline just as prominent in reverse text that reads, “Plaisance resident says land was bought by slaves” and “SOCU points to massive discrepancies in transfer”. This article begins with the following quote: “THE Special Organized Crimes Unit (SOCU) has found a number of discrepancies in the transfer of lands by an order signed by Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, for the Pradoville Two housing scheme at Sparendaam on the East Coast of Demerara. And a resident of Plaisance has come forward with claims that the land was bought by slaves in the early 1800s.”
By linking the two in the same paragraph, the writer, Alva Solomon gives readers the distinct impression that the land known as Pradoville Two “was bought by slaves”, hence the so-called “massive discrepancies” discovered by the Special Organized Crimes Unit (SOCU). This statement is not only misleading but may even be libelous. Because much later in the same article, the Head of SOCU, Assistant Commissioner, Sydney James reported that during an investigation, “SOCU spoke to one Fitzoy McKenzie, a resident of Plaisance who produced documents purporting to show that the area encompassing Goedverwagting /Plaisance were acquired by slaves in the early 1800s.
He told the commission that based on examinations of the documents, McKenzie had obtained the papers from the National Archives and SOCU was not able to conclusively state whether the areas mentioned by the man pertained to the same area subject to investigations.”
My point is, since the Head of SOCU, Assistant Commissioner, Sydney James admitted that “based on examinations of the documents” shown to him by this resident of Plaisance, Fitzoy McKenzie, “SOCU was not able to conclusively state whether the areas mentioned by the man pertained to the same area subject to investigations” meaning Pradoville Two, why was it necessary for the Guyana Chronicle to sensationalize the front page with this misleading headline?
What is most astonishing about this Commission of Inquiry, is the way Pradoville Two has gained so much attention during the opening salvo, when the Terms of Reference deal specifically with the ownership of ancestral lands.
To date, no one from the APNU+AFC Coalition has ever mentioned the 25 acres of State land in Sophia that the PNC Administration gave themselves on which the PNC Headquarters, Congress Place now stands, and the 5 acres of prime real estate that the PPP government generously gave to the family of the late PNC dictator, LFS Burnham for FREE.
And there is no mention either by the State Asset Recovery Agency (SARA), to launch an investigation into all the lands and properties that the PNC cabal acquired during those 28 years of PNC rule. But the government is determined to go after the Red House lease and land at Pradoville Two that were paid for. Because of this vindictiveness, the Granger Administration spends more time and money on a political witch-hunt, than it does running the affairs of the country.
But like those before, this COI is another waste of taxpayers’ money, paid to friends and supporters of the APNU+AFC cabal in search of evidence to persecute former PPP/C ministers. Another day, another COI, another witch-hunting exercise. How are these helping Black youths find those illusive jobs promised by the APNU+AFC coalition, and how is this helping their struggling supporters in South Georgetown whose dream of the “good life” diminishes with each passing day. And how is this government helping the interest of Afro-Guyanese when they take away land from 41 Black families in Berbice? They’re not, it was the PPP that had to represent these farmers in the Courts for justice to prevail.
An Executive Member of the African Cultural & Development Association (ACDA), Ms Violet Jean-Baptiste told the commission that in 2007, ACDA wrote to then President Bharrat Jagdeo requesting that the Government set up a commission to address the issue of African ancestral lands, and that “Our pleadings fell on deaf ears.”
But why did she wait until 2007 to do so? If there was ever a time in our nation’s history that was perfect for this injustice to have been settled, was during those 28 years when the Leaders they supported and idolized had full control of government, sometimes as much as a two-thirds Parliamentary majority, Why ACDA did not make this request from the two Black Leaders, LFS Burnham and Desmond Hoyte, whose government ruled Guyana for 28 years?
HARRY GILL
PPP Member of Parliament 

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