Opposition raps government on arrest of former Finance Minister Jordan

Last Updated on Thursday, 2 December 2021, 20:42 by Denis Chabrol

Former Finance Minister Winston Jordan was Thursday questioned by police in connection with alleged misconduct in public office.

Police say that among the several allegations he faces is about the sale and vesting of the state’s largest wharf facilities located at Kingston, Georgetown, valued approximately $8 billion which was sold for $110 million.

Police say that BK Marines Limited, paid only 10% of this purchase price of $20 million and Minister Jordan allegedly issued a vesting order passing Title to the purchaser, without the payment of any further sum of monies.

The Guyana Police Force says that the vesting order stated that the property is being sold free from encumbrance and liabilities.

Police say that the vesting order also reportedly states that no further sum of money is owed by the purchaser. Investigators say that the transport was subsequently issued for this property and the value states that $400,000,000 million.

According to investigators, the agreement of sale stated that Title must only pass upon full payment of purchase price.

Attorney-at-Law Roydsdale Forde says that Mr. Jordan has to return to the Special Organised Crime Unit at 10 O’clock Friday morning.  The lawyer says the allegation does not have any basis, and amounts to a political witch-hunt, a position echoed by Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon. “The PPP’s misuse of SOCU and its resort to Gestapo tactics and inhumane treatment against members of the Coalition administration is no more than political witch hunting aimed at distracting the citizens from its mismanagement of the nations’ finances, the Covid-19 Pandemic, economic and financial discrimination, rising costs of living, increased poverty, rising crime and a fast return of Guyana as a narcotic state,” he said.

He notes that a civil action against the former Finance Minister for the same matter has already failed.

Mr. Jordan served as Finance Minister under the People’s National Congress Reform-led coalition administration.