GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Monday March 13, 2017 – Guyana’s Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has vowed that members of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration will mount a strike fight back in the law courts if they are charged in connection with investigations into the acquisition of land.

Jagdeo, a former president, former attorney General Anil Nandlall and former head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon were arrested and interrogated by the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) last week.

The daughter of former president Donald Ramotar, Lisaveta Ramotar, former Secretary to National Industrial Commercial and Investments Limited, Marcia Nadir-Sharma and former president of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) Ramesh Dookhoo were also questioned by investigators.

It is alleged that the former high profile officials used state resources to construct palatial homes at the Sparendaam District on the East Demerara.

A forensic audit into the land deal found that the recipients underpaid for the seaside lands by more than GUY$250 million (US$1.2 million). The report noted that in 2010, the PPP government, through the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), also spent more than GUY$200 million (US$968,102) to develop the area.

The audit report also pointed to the subsequent sale of the lots acquired by at least two former ministers for GUY$100 million (US$484,051) and GUY$90 million (US$435,645) respectively.

After intense questioning, the high profile group was released from custody, but Jagdeo told reporters he expected that other arrests would be made and possible charges laid.

According to Demerara Waves Online, Jagdeo, who admitted to invoking presidential immunity, accused government of using SOCU, which was originally established to work alongside the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), to target members of the former government instead of arresting criminals.

“In two years of this government, they have not made a single arrest of drug dealers of major note to block the drug trafficking, nor have they brought a case against anyone for smuggling a billion US (dollars) per annum out of the country,” he said. “I have no doubt that the staff in SOCU . . . are under tremendous pressure to come after political opponents of this government rather than to go after the people that they were set up to go after.”

However, in a strong statement, the David Granger administration countered that it was on no political witch hunt, and insisted that it was duty bound to protect the assets of people of Guyana and “under no circumstances will it condone or overlook any action which resulted in the improper, illegal or unjust distribution of same”.

“The Government notes SOCU’s meticulous, fair and independent work in investigating this immensely serious matter relating to state assets and looks forward to a thorough and comprehensive investigation and for the law to take its course and justice to be served. The Government notes spurious allegations of political vendetta and harassment and dismisses same, as SOCU is operating independently and without any interference or direction,” the statement added.