High of the agenda for a criminal probe when the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) takes office after the March 2020 General and Regional Elections is an investigation into the happenings at the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC), according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo. “Land and surveys is a criminal enterprise…(Trevor) Benn and the others are running a criminal enterprise,” he said, during his Thursday (December 5, 2019) news conference. According to him, there will be consequences for the illegality that is taking place.
“This is high on agenda for a criminal probe,” Jagdeo said. The Opposition Leader noted the line being pushed by the APNU+AFC Coalition controlled Guyana Chronicle, which has advanced the line about work being done by Benn, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission Head, at the entity – work he says is “taking away personal family time” from him. Benn, in the article also charged that corruption cannot be completely eradicated from the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission. In June 2019, following exposure of massive land transfers, Jagdeo made clear that Benn has much to answer for.
In June 2019, the following land giveaways were exposed:
1. Marlon Bristol, Head of the Project Management Office within the Ministry of the Presidency received: • 1 acre in Mocha, Region 4 – February 2019 • 12 acres in Linden (at Dallawalla, the proposed site for Deep Water Harbour), Region 10 – June 2019 • 80 acres in Bohemia, Region 6 (the proposed site for Deep Water Harbour) – February 2019
2. Charles Ceres, whose wife, Ndibi Schwiers, is with the Department of Environment within the Ministry of the Presidency, received: • 4.5 acres at Liliendaal, Region 4 • 112 acres in Bohemia, Region 6 – File number 621112/4 (Map Available)
3. Great Wall Inc. – of which Saratu Phillips is a Director, received: • 20 acres at Schoonard Foreshore, Region 3 (in the Demerara River – proposed site for shore-based facility) – File Number 332242/3 • 20 acres at Good Fortuin, Region 3 (in the Demerara River – proposed site for shorebased facility) – File number 3322421/3 • 50 acres at Best Foreshore, Region 3 – File Number 332231/38
4. Aubrey Heath-Retemeyer, Deputy Head of SARA, which falls under the Ministry of the Presidency received: • 10 acres on the Linden/ Soesdyke Highway, Region 4, in 2019 – File number 411412/522b • 1 acre Mocha, Region 4, in 2019
5. Eric Phillips, SARA Special Assistant, within the Ministry of the Presidency – received: • 1000 acres in the Essequibo River – April 2019 – File Number 321132/1604• 1000 acres in the Demerara River in 2019 – File Number 331231/7
Another official who recently received land is Chief Elections Officer (CEO) at the Guyana Elections Commission, Keith Lowenfield.
Lowenfield received: 216 acres at Millie’s Hideout, Region 10 – June 2019; and 2 acres at Mocha, Region 4. The Parliamentary Opposition contends that key questions remain unanswered since the revelations were made.
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in a statement said, “The issue is, has been, and remains that: Ordinary Guyanese continue to suffer the hardships imposed by the policies of the Coalition Government, including their inability to access house lots, since NOT ONE house lot has been developed in the past four-plus years, while there is “wanton” and “obscene” land grabbing that benefits a select few; Persons in agencies that report to President Granger have been implicated, while President Granger remains silent – as he has on the plethora of corruption scandals that have plagued the last four-plus years of his Government’s term in office, several of which have been documented and pronounced on by the Public Procurement Commission (PPC); and that the land grab in taking place in strategic locations – locations for possible shore-based facilities, deep water harbours and other major infrastructural developments.” The APNU+AFC Coalition has not addressed this issue since it was exposed.
