Disappeared housing group executive detained in fraud probe
AN executive member of New Savannah Park Housing Development Group who, allegedly, disappeared with a large sum of money after reselling house lots that were purchased by members, almost two years ago, is now in Police custody assisting with a fraud investigation. A senior police officer confirmed, to Guyana Chronicle, that ranks, acting on a tip-off, went  to Edinburgh, East Bank Berbice, where they found the suspect in the home of a female acquaintance.
He was taken to Central Police Station in New Amsterdam, also in Berbice, where defrauded  home owners are, currently, submitting statements to detectives.
This newspaper was reliably informed that charges will be laid shortly.
It was reported that,  by  October 2009, the 84 members of the organisation had each paid $152,000, to New Amsterdam Town Council , for the purchase of land measuring 50 feet by 90 feet and uplifted transports to prove ownership.
However, although all the lots were being sold in 2005, there were persons who made weekly and monthly payments and, as a result, it took four years to finalise the transactions. It was during the period the homeowners were paying that about 14 lots were resold at prices ranging from $300,000 to $500,000.
But, at an October 11, 2009 meeting, a person who attended, displayed a receipt, purportedly, signed by the executive member and said he bought the plot three days before. On that occasion, members questioned how the purchaser could have clinched that deal when all the land was sold in 2005.
It was when the registered body sought answers that it was discovered that the executive had vanished.