Former President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, and other former top government officials have been arrested on Tuesday in connection with the Sparendaam Housing Project probe in that country.
The probe looked into the fraudulent acquisition of seaside housing lands obtains by former ministers and other members of the former Guyana government.
The investigation of the Sparendaam Housing Project, also known as Pradoville 2, found that the awardees of the land underpaid for the lots by a total of G$250 million, while the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), National Communications Networks (NCN), and Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) never received reimbursement for monies spent on preparatory works.
Members of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) have also arrested and questioned Lisaveta Ramotar, General Manager of the Guyana Gold Board and daughter of former President Donald Ramotar, Dr. Roger Luncheon, former Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Marcia Nadir-Sharma, former Secretary to NICIL, and Ramesh Dookhoo former President of Private Sector Commission.
The arrest of Jegdeo comes days after he warned of street protest in regard to President David Granger’s possible appointment of a replacement chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission.
“This act will long be remembered as a grave injustice,” said Jagdeo.
He said the arrests of Luncheon has nothing to do with corruption but about attacking those who are resisting the government, referring to the arrests as a witch-hunt.
