Misconduct case against Winston Jordan to continue on Oct. 31

Sep 16, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – On Wednesday, submissions were made to the court in the misconduct in public office charge against former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan. Jordan’s matter is being heard in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly and is scheduled to continue on October 31, 2021.

Former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan

The former Minister had made his first court in December 2021, before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for allegedly selling a State wharf below its market value. Jordan was slapped with a misconduct in public office charge which alleges that while being and performing duties of Minister of Finance and being the concerned Minister for the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), a company owned by the Government of Guyana, between February 26, 2020 and July 31, 2020 at Main Street, Georgetown, he willfully misconducted himself.

It is further alleges that the former minister acted recklessly when he signed NICIL Order, No. 50 of 2020, transferring to and vesting in BK Marine Inc., Mud lots situated at North Cummingsburg, Georgetown, being over 2.553 acres, by paying $20,260,276, for a property valued over $5B and being sold at a price that was grossly undervalued to such a degree as to amount to an abuse of the public trust and without reasonable excuse or justification.

The former Minister was not required to plead to the indictable charge after it was read to him. The charge was brought against him by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), an arm of the Guyana Police Force (GPF). The Chief Magistrate had granted bail in the sum of $3 million and the matter was adjourned to earlier this year.

However, when the matter was called in April, last, the Chief Magistrate recused herself from the matter due to personal reasons and as such, she had reassigned the matter to Principal Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus. Similarly, the Principal Magistrate also recused herself from the matter and the case was sent back to the Chief Magistrate. The Chief Magistrate McLennan reassigned the matter to Senior Magistrate, Leron Daly who later accepted the case.

Jordan was first arrested on December 2, 2021 and later released on bail for a series of allegations relating to transactions of public funds and state properties, estimated to value billions of Guyana dollars.

According to the police, the first transaction that he was interviewed about is in relation to the alleged sale and vesting of the state’s largest wharf facilities located at Kingston, Georgetown, valued approximately US$40,000,000 but was reportedly sold for US$500,000. It is alleged that the purchaser BK Marines Inc., only paid US$100,000, which is 10 percent of the purchase price, and Jordan issued a vesting order passing Title to the purchaser, without the payment of any further sum of monies.

It was further stated that the vesting order stated that the property is being sold free from encumbrance and liabilities and no further sum of money is owed by the purchaser. Also, the transport was subsequently reportedly issued for the property and the value stated on the transport was US$2,000,000. It was noted however, that the agreement of sale stated that title must only pass upon full payment of purchase price. The police also reported that investigators have evidence to establish that a facility which is a mere fraction of the size of the state property that is under investigation and located seven miles upriver was sold by a private company for US$17 million.

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