Govt ducks Jagdeo’s challenge to declare MPs’ assets

Members of Parliament in the National Assembly

…even as Code of Conduct proposed  

The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition Government is still to accept the proposal made by former President and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo to have all Members of Parliament (MPs) become part of a process which would see them declaring their overseas assets.

Jagdeo had made the proposal at a time when Government itself had announced that it had established a Code of Conduct for all MPs. Against this backdrop, questions are being asked whether Government would accept the proposal of the former Guyanese leader.

Speaking to Journalists last Tuesday, Jagdeo said he was prepared to work with Government to unveil MPs’ assets around the world. “Let’s put a huge penalty for those who lie or don’t submit accurate information or refuse to provide the information. We should table this, not to the Integrity Commission, but let’s pass a law to deposit these affidavits in the National Assembly so any member of the public can go in and check what assets we hold abroad. I am prepared to do that,” Jagdeo had declared.

He added that he was prepared to subject himself to the same scrutiny. “In fact, I am advocating it; so I am not worried about a Christopher Ram and an Anand Goolsarran. They discovered that I am living in Pradoville and how much I paid for the land. I see a big revelation about this. I’ve been living there for four years. I don’t think you could have any more things written about this or any more accusations levelled against me. We should do it, I am prepared to do this, but let us do it as every Member of Parliament across the board,” Jagdeo said.

“I’m also prepared to work with them on declaring that every Member of Parliament must clear for the past 10 years their payment of taxes for them to make public, so that anybody could walk over the road and check this.”

Meanwhile, he had told Guyana Times in an exclusive interview last month that the accusations of the APNU/AFC Government with regard to the “Pradoville” situation were acts of desperation.

“I think they are becoming a bit desperate. They are not focusing on the economy, not focusing on job creation, absolutely no initiative to create wealth…The reason Pradoville is thrown into the Asset Recovery Unit is because they don’t have anything more,” the former President said.

He pointed out that the issue of “Pradoville” has been in the newspapers and media long before the 2015 General and Regional Elections and since its establishment, he has already answered numerous questions publicly on his home there.

The former President reiterated that this is the Government’s demonstration of a “witch-hunt” and that the land price for “Pradoville” was comparable to what Government had been selling to developers.

“They will now have to put the land sold to Burnham’s family, Burnham Estate, which is five acres of prime land in the Gardens, in the city. The land was given at zero cost and they didn’t pay a cent. We will see whether it was a corrupt act of the PPP concerning this land, this has to go to the Asset Recovery Unit as well,” he added.

He said that he was unmoved by the probe as those carrying out the investigations will find nothing unusual or sinister about the project.