October 28,2016
The APNU+AFC government yesterday said that a special team is to be set up to ensure the prosecution of criminal offences connected to the sale of land at the ‘Pradoville 2’ scheme, where former President Bharrat Jagdeo and a string of current and former senior officials have houses.
The decision came after a perusal by Cabinet of the audit of the ‘Pradoville 2’ scheme, which was one of dozens of audits that had been commissioned by the government on entering office last year.
In addition, government will also hand over the audit report and another into the hosting of World Cup Cricket in 2007 to the Guyana Police Force for their own investigations into alleged criminal matters. A special prosecution team is also to be set up for the World Cup Cricket audit.
“Cabinet, upon examination of the reports, concluded that in both cases, there were indications of criminal culpability that required further investigation,” Minister of State Joseph Harmon yesterday told a post-Cabinet press briefing.
Harmon did not say which auditing firm or person conducted the two forensic audits. The Minister of State said that Cabinet also agreed that in each case, a special prosecutor’s team would be established.
Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams is now entrusted with putting together the two teams and at next week’s Cabinet meeting will submit the names. Said Harmon, “The Honourable Minister of Legal Affairs would submit to Cabinet, within one week, on the composition of such a team…the reports will be handed over to the police for criminal investigations to commence into those matters.”
Harmon added that the prosecution team would not be limited to local personnel as it would have a “wider sweep” and that government was “looking to bring persons who are capable of handling these matters.”