Latest update November 20th, 2024 1:00 AM
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SARA looks into Ogle Airport land
– already started preliminary inquires
The State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) is looking into the manner in which Ogle Airport Inc. (OAI) has been able to acquire 441 acres of prime land at Ogle. This was confirmed by SARA’s Chairman, Professor Clive Thomas.
Dr. Thomas said that that is one of the first cases reported to the agency.
He said, “We are looking into all the cases referred to us but I cannot tell you the state of this one in sequence.”
Dr. Thomas said that the matter was reported with documentation attached. “We have jurisdiction over the case because it was referred officially with documentation; so we cannot ignore it.”
Dr. Thomas said that the agency begun evaluating the evidence submitted but is yet to begin actual investigation. “We haven’t started the investigation because it is not of the highest priority but we have made inquires and we are preparing to get into discussion about some of the evidence.”
Dr. Thomas continued, “We have to deal with the ministry to see what the ministry has to say. We asked people at GuySuCo (Guyana Sugar Corporation) how the transfer took place because the land was originally GuySuCo’s. So we made some preliminary inquires but we haven’t gone full blown into investigation mood, that might be the second round of the cases. It depends on how we are advised by Fraud Net (the international agency assisting SARA).
Chairman of SARA’s Board, Professor Clive Thomas
On 17th July, 2003, the Lands & Surveys department, in keeping with the conditions set out in the Lease Agreement, granted a 441-acre lease of land for 25 years, extendable for two further periods of 25 years.
The land leased to OAI was the property of GuySuCo.
The land was leased without any public notice. There was no public transparent process; neither was there a public bidding process.
Kaieteur News understands that OAI made recent attempts to renew the lease.
Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, had told this newspaper that OAI approached the Commission of Lands and Surveys petitioning for the contract to be extended.
He said that Lands and Surveys then consulted the Ministry which advised against such extension at this time. Patterson said that he was advised that the lease expires in 2028.
“It has 10 years remaining, we have been advised not to start a new lease and further complicate the entire issue.
“OAI never approached us; Lands and Surveys approached us about getting a request and we said to Lands and Surveys exactly what I just told you; that it is not something we are contemplating at the moment. The lease has 10 years to go and is still in effect,” said Patterson.
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