THE controversial Red House deal, which has been described as “illegal” will be scrapped, according to Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams and the land will be returned to the State.Under the stewardship of the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration, the State land on which the Red House sits, was transferred under the guise of a lease which was grossly undervalued.

But while admitting that it is a criminal and civil matter, the Attorney General on Wednesday said the government through the AG’s Chambers has been in discussion with the PPP/C to have the matter resolved by having the land returned to the State.

A legal settlement can be reached through the utilisation of the Criminal Procedure (Plea Bargaining and Plea Agreement) Act 2008 which allows discussions to be held with the view to arriving at a consensus with the defendant, the appointed lawyer and the DPP or an authorised representative.

Since negotiations commenced, a team from the opposition comprising Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran and PPP executive member Hydar Ally have met with the Attorney General. “The land has to be returned to the State and…the building ought not to be used only for the late President Cheddi Jagan. We have other past presidents and all the past presidents should really be dealt with in that building. That is our position,” the Legal Affairs Minister said.
In August, Minister of State Joseph Harmon had revealed to the National Assembly and by extension the rest of Guyana that the former PPP/C had privatised the Red House.

In 2012 a company was established named Cheddi Jagan Research Inc. and the building was leased by the PPP/C to that company. The lease agreement has a duration of 99 years at a cost of only $1,000 monthly. This will add up to $12,000 per year and $1,188,000 over the 99-year period.

However, this will not be even a quarter of what was spent to build, renovate and maintain the building over the years.

The building with its distinctive red colour is situated in High Street, Kingston between Young and Barrack Streets. It is built of pitch-pine timber and covered with red wallaba shingles.
The Red House was acquired in 1925 by the Colony of British Guiana and Sir Eustace Woolford, a Speaker of the Legislature, was one of the early owners of the house. Between 1925 to 1953, numerous Colonial Secretaries resided there.

Dr. Cheddi Jagan also lived there from 1961 to 1964 while he served as Premier of British Guiana. Subsequently from 1965 to the early 1990s the Red House had accommodated the Public Service Ministry. The house was left vacant until 1999 when the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre was established in the building, according to online sources.

By Svetlana Marshall