“I will never agree that Jagdeo stole money”- Rohee

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 20:59 by GxMedia

General Secretary of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee on Tuesday defended the wealth amassed by Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, saying he has saved all his working life.

“I will not agree, I will never agree that Jagdeo stole money, Jagdeo engaged in corrupt practices where he siphoned off money from government to build that house,” said Rohee.

The Home Affairs Minister challenged anyone to produce the evidence that Jagdeo accumulated wealth through corruption.

Rohee assumed that Jagdeo, bachelor, has been saving he had been working at the State Planning Secretariat and then as Junior Finance Minister from 1922 to the end of his presidency in 2011.

He challenged Kaieteur News editor, Adam Harris to say that the former Guyanese leader built his house at Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara from stolen and corrupt proceeds.

Sections of Guyana and anti-government critics often question how Jagdeo was able to build huge houses in upscale residential areas that have been largely set aside for current and former government officials. Jagdeo’s first house in Goedverwagting (Pradoville 1) was sold to Trinidad-based marketing and public relations expert, Ernie Ross for GUY$120 million. The then Guyanese leader at the then time then moved on to build a mansion at Sparendaam (Pradoville 2) on a sprawling piece of land.

Rohee denied that there was extensive corruption in government agencies and departments including the Births and Deaths Registrar, Licence Revenue Department and the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Guyana Police Force.

The General Secretary denied that his colleagues moved have moved from rags to riches due to corruption. “I won’t say that was a fair assessment,” he said, adding that he has been working since he was 17 years old and today he earns GUY$300,000 monthly plus allowances.