Government dismisses political vendetta accusations

GUYANA - Following the arrests and questioning yesterday of seven persons in the “Pradoville Two” land distribution case, by the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU), the Administration has dismissed claims that the actions were politically motivated. In a statement, government insisted that SOCU is independent and that the assets of the state “belong to the people of Guyana and under no circumstances will it condone or overlook any action which resulted in the improper, illegal or unjust distribution of same”.

The statement from Government, in its entirety, is as follows: “The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana has been informed of the on-going investigations by the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU). The Government has been informed that SOCU has conducted interviews with a number of agencies and individuals in relation to the ‘Pradoville 2’ Forensic Audit which was referred to the unit. SOCU, the Government has been informed, has conducted interviews with the Department of Housing, the Central Housing and Planning Authority, National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the Betterhope/Sparendaam Neighbourhood Democratic Council, Guyana Power and Light, Guyana Water Inc, National Communications Network and various other agencies and individuals in an effort to, among other things, determine the market value of the Pradoville 2 complex. Interviews, the government has been informed, are on-going. The Government has further been informed that specific individuals were invited to the SOCU Office at Eve Leary for questioning during the course of this week and that some of the individuals complied while some did not. The Government has been specifically informed that in the case of two prominent former government officials – former President Bharrat Jagdeo and former Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon – they declined to visit the SOCU office for questioning and were arrested, questioned and subsequently released on their own recognizance. The Government notes SOCU’s meticulous, fair and independent work in investigating this immensely serious matter relating to state assets and looks forward to a thorough and comprehensive investigation and for the law to take its course and justice to be served. (kaieteurnews.com)