– insists GuySuco lands purchased for $4B to further housing drive
HOUSING and Water Minister Irfaan Ali maintains that $4 billion was used to acquire lands from the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to provide house lots for Guyanese.
Minister Ali stressed this point during an invited comment by this newspaper yesterday, in which he accused the Kaieteur News of “sensationalising” the issue.
“The $4B was used to acquire lands from GuySuCo for the further development of the housing programme,” Ali stressed. “What is so wrong with creating more than 15,000 house lots for Guyanese?” he queried.
Minister Ali was disappointed that Alliance For Change (AFC) Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan continues to misrepresent the facts.
Meanwhile, in an invited comment yesterday, GuySuCo’s Chief Executive Officer, Paul Bhim explained that, in 2009, monies were paid to the Sugar Corporation for the acquisition of lands on the East Bank of Demerara.
“GuySuCo received the money, which was paid to purchase land in Diamond two years ago,” he maintained.
On January 11, 2010, when Supplementary Paper #6 was up for debate, the Opposition MPs had walked out of that sitting after the Housing Minister had refused to specify what the additional $4 billion was being sought for.               
Following the session, it was revealed that the money had been used to acquire lands from the Guyana Sugar Corporation, and that those lands were to be used to provide house lots for the Guyanese populace.
Subsequently, Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran, refuted claims made by Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament, Khemraj Ramjattan that the Parliamentary Hansard has been tampered with.
Ramkarran said that Ramjattan reported his suspicion on February 22 that, at the January 11 sitting of the National Assembly, the $4B allocation being sought by Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali was not spent according to the laws of Guyana.
The speaker noted that on that same day he requested the Clerk of the National Assembly to launch an investigation.
“I expected that the Honourable Member would have awaited the results of the investigation before making a public allegation,” he said.
Ramjattan further claimed that the minister’s words “we are ready” recorded in the Hansard should have read “we have spent it already.”
The Speaker, however, confirmed that he had listened to the audio recording of the proceedings of the day in question, and it confirmed the Hansard record of Minister Ali’s statement: “we are ready.” This statement, the speaker said, was made with exemplary clarity.
The said recording was played in the National Assembly for the benefit of all the MPs, which served to further confirm the speaker’s account.

APOLOGY
Ramjattan was then forced to apologise to the National Assembly, after he was proven incorrect regarding claims that the Hansard was tampered with.
“The premature carrying forth to the press before the investigation was complete was in error. I humbly apologise,” Ramjattan said.
He added that he had listened to the audio recording provided to him by the Clerk of the National Assembly, and after comparing it with the Hansard, had found that they corresponded.
He reiterated that the Hansard was not tampered with.
“I always had tremendous respect for the integrity of your staff, and so will it be in future. As a matter of fact, this incident has heightened my respect for them. My charge was indeed serious, and has not been proven. I apologise for that, because indeed, more than what was said by me, the integrity of the Parliament’s record-keeping was under attack. I take blame for that, and will shoulder same henceforth,” Ramjattan said.
However, despite repeated apologies, Ramjattan had made yet another blunder when he stated that the Minister of Housing and Water was untruthful.
People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP) Gail Teixeira had objected to this allegation against the minister.
As a result, the speaker had admonished Ramjattan, and pointed out that his allegation was serious; and after being urged by then PPP member, Moses Nagamootoo, Ramjattan had then withdrawn his statement against the minister.

Meanwhile, the former speaker, in his ruling, told the members gathered that though a prima facie case was found to be made out against the Housing Minister, he cautioned that his ruling did not mean that Ali was guilty of any of the allegations against him, but simply that there was enough merit in the accusations to require him defending himself in front of the Committee of Privileges.