Housing Minister Rodrigues denies land-for-US property swap

Last Updated on Wednesday, 5 February 2025, 21:49 by Writer

Housing and Water Minister, Susan Rodrigues on Wednesday fiercely denied that she owns property in the United States (US), as the saga continues about government’s sale of hundreds of acres of land to several businesses.

“It has come to my attention that late last night, a known miscreant, alleged that I was “given” a property in the United States of America purportedly in exchange for land in Guyana.

First of all, the allegation is a complete fabrication, and the person who made the allegation was fully aware that it is untrue when she made the post, and so she quickly removed the post after less than an hour,” Ms Rodrigues said in a statement.

The Minister was referring to a post that was made on Facebook by a US-based social media activist who was not named by the Minister of Housing.

Vowing to defend her reputation against anyone who tries to “tarnish my reputation or disparage the work I have dedicated my life to these past few years,” Ms Rodrigues said “I am consulting with my attorneys on the way forward.”

The Central Housing and Planning Authority, which falls under the Ministry of Housing and Water, has come under the microscope in recent days after Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader Nigel Hughes released sections of a July 17, 2024, agreement on the sale of land to a company, New Global Investment Corporation, whose director and secretary is New York-based Guyanese-American Edul Ahmad.

The Chief Executive Officer of the CH&PA, Sherwyn Greaves has since resigned, saying that he was not guilty of any offence.

His resignation came one day after city businessman Dr Terrence Campbell said he filed a complaint to the US Department of Justice requesting a probe into a Sherwyn Greaves’ purchase of a property from Reliable Custom Builders Inc, represented by Rashaad Ahmad.

Mr Campbell said that entity sold a property located at 11530 142nd Street, Jamaica, NY 11436, to one Sherwyn Greaves. “If the Sherwyn Greaves is the same person as the CEO of the Central Housing and Planning Authority then it would seem the sale of the NY property was a quid pro quo for favors to be granted in Guyana in violation of the FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act).

The AFC Leader has publicly called on the CH&PA to release details of such commercial land transactions although that agency has said that there is no preferential treatment and that the standard price is GY$30 million per acre. However, Mr Hughes has refused to discuss the details of a land acquisition deal by a Trinidad businessman.