Irfan Ali arrested and charged; to appear in court

Last Updated on Wednesday, 28 November 2018, 15:21 by Denis Chabrol

FLASH BACK: Former Minister of Housing, Water and Tourism, Irfan Ali at SOCU’s headquarters.

Former Minister of Housing, Water and Tourism in the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC)-led administration, Irfan Ali was early Wednesday morning arrested by agents of the police force’s Special Organised Crime Unit, multiple sources confirmed.

The sources said he has been charged and he is expected to be arraigned before a City magistrate some time Wednesday.

SOCU agents arrived at his home at about 6 AM, arrested him and took him to Georgetown.

He had been long fingered in by investigators in the processing and sale of land at Goedverwagting-Sparendaam to then President Bharrat Jagdeo, several of his cabinet members and other prominent government officials. After the radio transmission station had been removed from Sparendaam, the land was subsequently taken over by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited before it was divided, developed and sold to Jagdeo and others for housing purposes.

Ali is widely believed to be Jagdeo’s choice for the PPP’s presidential candidacy for the 2020 general elections.

Also before the courts is another leading PPP presidential candidate hopeful, former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall. He has been charged with stealing several law books. He has maintained that his acquisition of the books had been authorised by then President Donald Ramotar as part of his employment contract.