Former Finance Minister Jordan arrested for sale of Ogle lands

Apr 29, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – Guyana’s Former, Finance Minister, Winston Jordan was on Thursday, arrested by ranks of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) for the alleged illegal land deals made with private investors for prime state lands located in Ogle on the East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan

The land transaction reportedly took place when Jordan was in office under the APNU+AFC Coalition administration. Confirming Jordan’s recent arrest with Kaieteur News was SOCU’s boss, Senior Police Superintendant, Fazil Karimbaksh. He said his investigating ranks had detained Jordon for questioning in relation to the land sale that took place after December 21, 2018 following a no-confidence vote against his government. He has since been released on his own self recognizance as the investigation continues.
In November, 2020, the present administration had asked SOCU to investigate land transactions conducted by the former coalition government, A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC). One such controversial transaction was the giveaway of prime Ogle lands worth billions. Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall had stated back then that a review by the Auditor General’s office had found that no legal course of action was followed in the distribution of the state assets. Nandlall had pointed out that the coalition did not publish an expression of interest or advertisement inviting persons to apply for the lands. He had said, “What is [astonishing] is how persons were told that land is available for giveaway. You cannot look at any of the records and determine that Expressions of Interest were made.”
Prior to the AG’s statement, Kaieteur News had been extensively reporting on the suspicious land deals made under Jordan’s watch. It had exposed how Jordon and state agency, National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) had vested lands without receiving any monies. NICIL was at the time under the control of Colvin Heath London and one of the most glaring case involves a developer by the name of Navigant Builders (Windsor Estates), which had plans of developing a prestigious housing scheme at Ogle without issuing any payment to the then government. According to reports Navigant Builders was gifted 30 acres of land worth some $900M.
When the current government, the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) took office in August 2020, Navigant Builders and four other developers decided to return the acres of lands that were vested to them. The developers had premised their rescinding on the fact that they wanted to engage with the new government on transparent terms. This is not the first time that Jordan has been arrested by SOCU for suspicious deals for state assets. In December 2021 he was arrested for reportedly selling the Kingston Wharf to BK Marines Limited for only one percent of its total value. The state property was valued at US$40M but was reportedly sold to the local company for only $US500, 000.

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