Ministers of Government do not have to live in a ‘logie’ to prove they are not corrupt; in fact the founder of the Peoples Progressive Party Civic, (PPP/C), Dr Cheddi Jagan, lived in the still affluent community of ‘New Haven Bel Air Village,’ but this did not cause him to be disconnected from the people or his cause.

This is according to successor to the Jagan’s Presidency, Bharrat Jagdeo, who yesterday, after three years out of the spotlight, spoke candidly with the media at Freedom House, and also outright denied any assertion that the State had paid for any Medevac for him at any point after he left Office in 2011.
JAGAN’S VISION
He was asked to speculate on whether the Late PPP founder, would be happy with his (Jagdeo’s) residence built on East Coast Demerara (ECD), in the context of criticisms over a perceived accumulation of wealth by PPP leaders—something supposedly not envisioned by Dr Jagan.
The Former President responded by firstly asking if it was Dr Jagan’s vision was for “us to ride motorcycles all our lives.”
Jagdeo recalled that Dr Jagan, lived in a nice home in Bel Air Village which at that time was not typical of the living abode of all Guyanese.
“I don’t think Cheddi Jagan living in Bel Air Park at that time, in a nice house was typical of most of Guyana, but Cheddi Jagan lived at that time there, did that weaken his commitment to the cause,” asked Jagdeo.
According to the Former President, New Haven, Bel Air Village, “was a prime area, it’s a big piece of land it’s a nice house, it still is a nice house, but did that weaken his (Dr Jagan’s) commitment to the cause, did that make him corrupt or anything of the sort?”
Dismissing assertions leveled against him and others in the administration, Jagdeo queried the motivation of the critics and emphasized that although Dr Jagan lived in a nice house in an affluent community, he was still, “committed to the cause.”
Speaking out for the first time over the numerous allegations over his first house built at Goedverwagting, ECD, Jagdeo told reporters, when it was firstly built the critics said it was too big and when he sold it, “it was for a lot of money.”
JAGDEO GOOD
Jagdeo said criticisms then went on to focus on where he got money to build a second one.
Responding to the allegations for the first time publicly, Jagdeo told media operatives: “in 20 odd years in public office, if the worst thing that they can say about me, is that I have a pension that they try make it look like I took for myself which is not true, and that I have a big house and that I earn now a lot of money abroad then I am good.”
He , added, “everything that I do, I am transparent about it,” in relation to whatever he has earned was over the course of 20 years odd years he has been in public office as Minister of Finance and President.
Jagdeo was adamant too, “we would like to see everybody progress…I don’t believe that Ministers should have to live in a logie to prove that they are not corrupt.”
The former president repeated, “I don’t believe that,” and added that as long as whatever is achieved was done so honestly, a Minister should not have to worry about investing what he/she has earned into a nice house, “like so many people are doing, or aspiring to do.”
Jagdeo questioned why should they be ashamed of investing their money in a house, “a nice house like so many people are doing or aspiring to, why should they have to prove that, Cheddi Jagan didn’t have to prove that by living in a logie.”
SN MEDIVAC NEWS WRONG
Jagdeo was also asked to clear the air on speculations that government had spent tax payer’s dollars money to Medevac him Florida, USA for medical treatment using a Private Jet.
Putting to rest any speculations or assertions, the Former President made it clear, “I have not received a single cent from the treasury for the three years that I have been out of Office for medical expenses the State did not pay for any Medevac for me, nothing of the sort.”
According to Jagdeo, “since I left Office, I’ve been on two checkups, that’s it directly and I have not been reimbursed for it…I haven’t received a cent on medical expenses since I left Office from the State, not one cent.”
Jagdeo was adamant too that he has no plans to approach the tax payer’s coffers of the country to ask for any reimbursement for the Medevac.
The former president told media operatives the method or mode of payment for the flight is his private business, but assured, it was not paid for by the State using tax dollars.
He took to task, the Stabroek News, which he said, “had it wrong because, they said that the State paid for this, the State did not pay, that’s my private business.”
Former President Jagdeo assumed Office in 1999 from the wife of the Late Dr Cheddi Jagan and served for 12 years until 2011 when his successor, Donald Ramotar was elected Head of State.

By Gary Eleazar