THE Ministry of Finance has handed over to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) the final reports of the forensic audits done on the Sparendaam Housing Project (Special Investigation of the Central Housing and Planning Authority) and the Cricket World Cup/Guyana World Cup Inc., thereby paving the way for the GPF to open criminal probes into both matters.

Government has said it would prosecute those responsible for alleged wrongdoings regarding the sale of lands at the Pradoville 2 Housing Project, as well as those who had allegedly engaged in wrongdoings in the Cricket World Cup/Guyana World Cup Inc.

Both reports have ensnared very senior officials of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Administration, and that party’s legal spokesman, Anil Nandlall, has been trying to stymie the commencement of criminal probes by attacking Government’s move to appoint special prosecutors to fight the case.

Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma, met Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud at the Commissioner’s office on Friday to hand over the reports in accordance with a decision taken by Cabinet on October 25, 2016 to have police investigate the matters. Also present at the handing over of those documents were: Sydney James, Assistant Police Commissioner and Head of the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU); and Messrs. Christopher Ram and John Barnes, forensic auditors.

Forensic audits done on the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) revealed that some $257 million were spent on development of the Pradoville 2 housing project, and the value of land there should have been $82.8 million per acre, instead of the significantly less sum for which an acre was sold.

“Instead of accumulating all the costs associated with the Sparendaam Project — including the market value of the land — in a special account to be applied in arriving at the price to be charged per house lot, NICIL’s Board and Cabinet were complicit in charging the related costs of $257.049M to NCN in the form of equity investment, and to CH&PA in the form of receivables.

“The fact that several key Cabinet members are the beneficiaries of the house lots renders it highly inappropriate for the very Cabinet to approve of the charging of the expenditure to the accounts of NCN and CH&PA,” the audit report stated.

The report, released by the Ministry of Finance, said the use of a “conservative estimate of $985M for the 2009 market valuation of the land on which the Marriott has been constructed prior to infrastructure being undertaken on a similar size land (makes) the total value of the Sparendaam project work out to $1.242B or $82.8M per acre.

“This figure should have been used to compute the price per lot. It is not clear: (a) how many lots are involved, and their respective sizes; (b) the basis under which the recipients were selected; (c) how the price of approximately $1.5M per lot was determined; and (d) which entity — NICIL or CH&PA — received the proceeds from the sale of the plots”, the audit report disclosed.

The State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) had recommended that Attorney General Basil Williams put systems in place to facilitate charges of “misconduct in public office” being laid against former President Bharrat Jagdeo and five ministers of the former administration: Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud; Public Service Minister Dr. Jennifer Westford; Education Minister Priya Manickchand; Labour Minister Dr. Nanda Gopaul; and Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee.

This recommendation follows an investigation into the procedures employed prior to the transfer and issuance of prime real estate at Sparendaam, Lower East Coast Demerara, to the former government ministers and persons believed to be their friends.

Meanwhile, investigations into the operations of the Guyana Cricket World Cup Inc. have found that the local organising committee had engaged in irregularities in meeting expenditures relating to the hosting of the 2007 International Cricket World Cup in Guyana.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, had last week disclosed that regional and international assistance would be provided in each case. He said: “Cabinet, upon examination of the reports, concluded that in both cases there were indications of criminal culpability that required further investigation. Cabinet agreed that in each case a special prosecutors’ team would be established, and that the Minister of Legal Affairs would submit a report to Cabinet — within one week — on the composition of such a team.

“The Special Prosecuting team would not be limited to just local personnel, it (would) have a wider sweep; and we are looking to bring persons who are capable of handling these matters. Yes, we are looking at the region in the first instance as well, and then further afield”

He said Guyana has been offered assistance not only from regional counterparts, but from international partners as well; and he believes this has resulted from the need to tackle corruption with the aim of ensuring transparency in government.