…return of service to be laid over to court

FORMER Finance Minister under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration, Dr Ashni Singh and former National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Winston Brassington, failed to show up in court on Monday to answer to three charges of misconduct in public office, contrary to the public law.

Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) Special Prosecutor Trenton Lake, while addressing Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, explained that the unit was unable to serve a summons on either of the two defendants to attend court. The two are out of the jurisdiction.

The magistrate adjourned the matter until today (Tuesday, May 8), for the prosecution to lay over a return of service to the court. If a summons is issued and it was not laid over to the defendant because they are out of the jurisdiction, a return of service will have to be submitted to the court so that the Magistrate could move on and issue an arrest warrant or take further action.

SOCU said investigators have been trying since 2015 to communicate with the duo but to no avail. Both Dr. Singh and Brassington reside and work abroad.

According to information sworn under oath, Dr. Singh and Brassington on Monday, December 28, 2009 by way of an agreement of sale and purchase “acted recklessly” when they sold to National Hardware Guyana Limited, lands amounting to 103.88 acres, property of the State for the sum of $598, 659, 398 (Vat exclusive) without first having procured a valuation of the said property from a competent valuation officer.

The second charge alleges that the duo on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 by way of agreement of sale and purchase “without due diligence” sold to Scady Business Corporation, land located at Liliendaal, ECD, amounting to 4,700 acres, also the property of the State for the sum of $150,000,000 knowing that the said property was valued at $340,000,000 by Rodrigues Architects Associate.

The final charge alleges that the former finance minister and former NICIL’s CEO on Saturday, May 14, 2011 by way of agreement of sale and purchase “acted recklessly” when they sold to Multi-cinemas Guyana Inc. 10, 002 acres of land located at Turkeyen, ECD, property of the State for the sum of $185, 037,000 without first having procured a valuation of the said property from a competent valuation officer.

Brassington in December of 2015 had said he was willing to undergo public scrutiny in the courts of law, maintaining that he was a man of integrity.

One of the forensic audit reports on the operations of NICIL suggests that under the PPP administration, NICIL engaged in malpractices, and had made poor decisions on behalf of the people of Guyana.

The audit which was conducted by former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran had recommended criminal and/or disciplinary action against all those responsible for the interception of State revenues totalling $26.858B, in violation of the constitution. Goolsarran had said that several laws were broken.

Brassington who left Guyana in December 2015 was said to be living in Florida, where he reportedly operates a business.