Latest update February 10th, 2025 2:25 PM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Jagdeo calls for police investigation into Housing Minister’s scandal

Apr 19, 2019 News

Leader of the opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, is calling for police investigation into the scandal surrounding the contracts awarded to the husband of Housing Minster, Valerie Adams-Yearwood.
Speaking on the issue at a press conference, Wednesday, Jagdeo said that police should take a serious look at the situation unfolding at the Housing Ministry.
“It should be investigated because now it is not just the husband that is getting the contracts, but relatives who are employed at the Ministry that are witnessing these contracts and signing unto them,” Jagdeo said in relation to reports that a relative of the housing minister’s husband was also involved in the procurement process.
The Minister came under public scrutiny two weeks ago after Jagdeo reported that contracts were issued to the Minister’s husband, Godfrey Yearwood, by CH&PA – the agency over which she presides.
Minister of Housing, Valerie Adams-Yearwood released a statement challenging claims of a conflict of interest with her husband at the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), there are shocking details emerging that raise even more questions.
After days of public pressure, Minister Adams-Yearwood denied any input, claiming that she does not preside over the bidding and awarding process at CH&PA.
The Minister and Godfrey Yearwood married in August 2017. A few months later, he was awarded contracts to build a number of turn-key homes for CH&PA.
However, the minister claimed, in her statement on Monday, that she learnt of the awards only after he told her. Further, when a 2017 press release from Government surfaced, stating that the Minister “presided” over the awarding of contracts – contrary to the claim by the Minister that she does not – she claimed Monday that her presence at the event was purely ceremonial.
But it isn’t just the Minister who is related to Godfrey Yearwood.
This publication saw documents that suggest that staffers at CH&PA were very familiar with the Minister’s husband.
In fact one of them, Troy Marks, the Clerk of Works at CH&PA, is said to be a nephew of the Minister’s husband.
According to a private contract, Yearwood in January 2018 sub-contracted a number of houses to one Desmond Murphy.
Marks, and Elizabeth Simeon, a Secretary at CH&PA, both signed as witnesses to that January 2018 private contract.
That is a clear no-no as CH&PA is the agency that in the first place issued the contracts to Yearwood.
Chief Executive Officer at the CH&PA, Lelon Saul, had said that if a contractor is the husband of the Minister, there exists a conflict of interest.
It is unclear whether he knew that Marks is related to Yearwood as well.
That private contract, dated January 18, 2018, was made for the construction of 11 concrete, single-storey houses at Perseverance, East Bank Demerara, to the tune of $10.5M.

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| February, 7th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Allicock, Amsterdam named in GBA training squad 2025 Caribbean Boxing Championships

Allicock, Amsterdam named in GBA training squad 2025 Caribbean Boxing...

Feb 10, 2025

Kaieteur Sports- The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) has officially announced the national training squad, with the country’s top pugilists vying for selection to represent Guyana at the 2025...
Read More
Interesting transfers, Clubs secure firepower ahead of Season Seven Elite League

Interesting transfers, Clubs secure firepower...

Feb 10, 2025

North East beat Back Circle B; set up semi showdown with defending champs

North East beat Back Circle B; set up semi...

Feb 10, 2025

DCC executive laud Savory, Imlach for champion performances

DCC executive laud Savory, Imlach for champion...

Feb 10, 2025

Dozens of young chess players participate in Kitty Square Mall U-16 C/ship

Dozens of young chess players participate in...

Feb 10, 2025

Shai Hope claims Green Belt and Dispatch of the Season in ILT20 Triumph

Shai Hope claims Green Belt and Dispatch of the...

Feb 10, 2025

Features/Columnists

  • Forward to the past

    Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News-Guyana’s debt profile, both foreign and domestic, has become a focal point of economic... more

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]