THREE more persons were questioned on Friday by detectives of the Special Organised Unit (SOCU) as investigations continue into the sale of prime lands at prices below market value at Sparendaam and Goedverwagting, known as “Pradoville 2.”Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack; her husband Mooenul Hack and former Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Retired Rear Admiral, Gary Best visited SOCU’s headquarters with their lawyers, where they were questioned extensively and subsequently released.

Best, who is currently a presidential advisor on the environment, is not willing to settle the matter with SOCU by paying more for the land if it is proven that it was sold below market value. When asked the question, Best’s lawyer, Bernard De Santos, SC, responded, “The answer to that is negative because that was a free contract entered into by [Best], like any other contract. Why should he pay more? Because somebody decides that the land valued more? Would you pay more?”

The former Chief of Staff paid approximately $1.5M for the land; he told reporters that the issue of market value is a very delicate one. “Once government is involved in housing, all along, whether it is this government or the other government, it is always subsidised…So if you purchase a house lot, you build something and years after, a better road is built, other houses come in there, your house is more valued. What happens there? So I think the whole issue of market value will have to be looked at very carefully. At the time I purchased it, I had to build the land up. Next to where my house is, there is a swamp; I had to build it up. And there is no seashore for me…I don’t see the sea as people are saying,” Best argued.

PPP Gov’t informed him of lands
According to the former army chief, he was “indirectly” informed about the availability of lands in the area by the former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government. He does not believe that he was given preferential treatment in this case.

“The government of Guyana made that information available to me…indirectly. As a former Chief of Staff, I would attend meetings, have discussions; somewhere in that process the government would have said, ‘look, we’re having a new housing scheme like other housing schemes.’ Somewhere in that process, I can’t recall specifically and I took advantage of it at the time because I was no longer bound by a ten year for the previous house lot,” Best explained.

He clarified that he went through the proper procedure of acquiring the land in question. “There was a process…The Government of Guyana offered a process for lands in Sparendaam so there was paperwork, an invoice a generated, a fee was paid, which I paid; a title was prepared and I constructed.”

Best, an advisor to President David Granger, does not believe that the SOCU investigation will affect his job at the Ministry of the Presidency. “This is just an inquiry as to how I was able to purchase a house lot that is connected to other things that they’re investigating. There are three levels of investigations; those who manage the assets, those who made decisions about the assets and persons who just bought house lots, having no knowledge of what, or who was managing the assets. I am at the bottom of the level,” Best said when asked the question by the Guyana Chronicle.

DPP IS NOT THE TARGET
Meanwhile, representing the DPP and her husband was Attorney, Nigel Hughes, who told reporters that the Hacks are not the suspects or the target of the investigation by SOCU. Shalimar Hack paid GY$1,488,744 for 0.2767 of an acre of land under the former PPP government.

According to Hughes, SOCU is merely on a “fact finding mission” and he does not believe that the DPP should step down from her post since she is not being accused of anything.

“That is why I specifically came and say to you that the investigators have made it… clear that they are not suspects, that they’re not the target of any investigation, and what they’re doing at this present moment is gathering facts in relation to the acquisition of property at Sparendaam,” Hughes said.
He further noted, “In light of that statement or that position being made public by the investigators, I don’t see the basis upon which you can ask someone to step down because, there is no allegation, she is not the target of the investigation, she is not a suspect; neither she or her husband.

The prominent attorney reiterated that there is no conflict of interest as it relates to the DPP. “I wouldn’t imagine that in the circumstances, if it were to ever migrate to the stage, where they thought that she might be responsible in some way or the other, that they would invite her to provide advice on herself.” The DPP and her husband left SOCU without speaking to the media.

Since Tuesday last, SOCU hauled in a total of 19 persons in connection with the Pradoville 2 investigations, including Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo; former Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon; and Lisaveta Ramotar, daughter of former President Donald Ramotar; former Minister of Natural Resources, Robert Persaud; private sector executive Ramesh Dookhoo; former Labour Minister, Dr. Nanda Gopaul, his son, Ghansham Singh; and Marcia Nadir-Sharma, former Company Secretary to the National Industrial Commercial and Investments Limited (NICIL).

Also questioned were former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), Sheik Baksh; former Housing and Tourism Minister, Irfaan Ali; former Education Minister, Priya Manickchand; former Public Service Minister, Dr. Jennifer Westford and former Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee; PPP member Kwame McCoy; former Prime Minister, Sam Hinds and former head of the Climate Change unit, Andrew Bishop.