Latest update February 6th, 2025 7:27 AM
Another MMA/ADA chairman benefits from thousands of acres of state lands
The first post-2015 elections chairman of the Mahaica-Mahaicony Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA), Dr. Kenneth Sealey, also benefitted from state lands.
MMA-ADA’s former chairman, Dr. Kenneth Sealey
According to documents of the MMA-ADA, its Land Sub-Committee on May 20, 2016 considered applications for Albertha Investment Inc. That company applied for two areas for agricultural purposes.
The company had as its directors Dr. Sealey and Selma Sealey, who is the Secretary/Director.
One area was for 2,000 acres and it is situated north of the Herstelling Drain, east of the MMA-ADA main canal, and on the West Bank of Berbice.
Albertha was said to be in occupation of the land with cattle on it. The business was also reportedly planting permanent crops.
Albertha also on the same date had another application for 152.425 acres. These lands were said to be located in the Abary area.
This tract of land was previously occupied by Belmont Investment Limited, which was defunct.
MMA-ADA documents to the Lands Sub-Committee indicate that Albertha started occupying the lands which also once housed an army farm.
The two applications had been filed just two days before the Land Sub-Committee of MMA-ADA considered the transactions.
Both transactions were approved for rental of 50 years with $1,000 per acre charged annually.
The disclosures would come as questions about possible conflict of interest situations were also raised recently when it was learnt the current chairman, Kelvin Saul, who took over from Sealey in 2018, would have benefitted from 10,000-plus acres.
Saul has since defended the transaction of those lands, explaining that it was forested lands that he had with some partners which was converted to agriculture. The applications for the conversions had to be processed by the MMA-ADA as the lands are said to be located in the area. He said that he had recused himself.
Sealey would have been appointed as Chairman in late 2015.
There has been increased scrutiny into the allocations of lands and other transactions involving state properties, within recent times.
The Opposition has said it is compiling a list of land transactions which appear to be highly illegal and improper.
Kaieteur News was unable to make contact with Sealey.
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