It is unfortunate that Stabroek News continues its biased, irresponsible method of journalism; it is also regrettable that the Central Housing&Planning Authority (CH&PA) has to release documents and facts relating to the allocation of land to, Region 10 Chairman, Mr. Mortimer Mingo. Housing and Water Minister, Irfaan Ali made this announcement during a press briefing in his office  yesterday, in response to a Stabroek  News  article, headlined, ‘ Mingo :No lot at Pradoville 2’ dated  Friday September 30,2011, in which Mingo denies that he owned a plot of land in the aforementioned scheme.
As to Mingo’s denial, Minister Ali said, “It is unfortunate that Stabroek news continues its biased, irresponsible method of journalism by not having the decency or ethics to contact the CH&PA for clarifications.
Ali said, “The facts are as follows, Mr. Mingo was allocated a plot of land at Sparendaam, referred to as ‘Pradoville 2, in Stabroek News. Mr. Mingo issued a cheque numbered 375166565 dated Sept 3, 2010 for the said plot of land.”
According to Ali, after the cheque was issued by Mingo, receipt numbered 551514 was issued by CH&PA.
The Housing Minister stated, “The cheque was returned from the bank, it was dishonoured or, as popularly known, the cheque bounced. These are the facts that can be verified, the Ministry is releasing a copy of the returned cheque and notice of the return as issued by the bank.”
Ali noted that he is not aware of any reason why the Region 10 Chairman would seek to mislead the public on the issue, and emphasized that the Ministry of Housing and the CH&PA can only pronounce on the facts that surround the matter.
“I am very happy that we were able to produce the facts. Mr. Mingo is raising an issue where he is putting the credibility of the institution out to the public, that he was never allocated a plot of land. In fact, Mr. Mingo said clearly, I never paid.”
Then Ali produced a photostat of both the cheque which was returned to drawer by Citizen’s Bank and the notice that it had bounced.
Mingo denied that he had a lot in ‘Pradoville 2’ as stated in court testimony on Wednesday, by Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon.