FRAUD charges against People’s Progressive Party (PPP) presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali, have been deferred until March, 2020.

Ali is currently facing some 19 charges for allegedly conspiring to defraud the state of some $174M in ‘Pradoville’ land sales.

The matter was called before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Thursday, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

However, when the matter was called, Special Prosecutor Patrice Henry told the court that, on January 23, 2020, the Appeal Court had arguments from Ali’s lawyers in relation to why his 19 fraud charges should be dismissed.

It was also outlined by SOCU as to why Ali should face a Preliminary Inquiry (PI) at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. The Chief Magistrate adjourned the matter, pending ruling by the Appeal Court. The matter was adjourned until March 24, 2020, for reports and fixture.

The charges read that, between 2010 and 2015, Ali conspired with persons unknown to defraud the Government of Guyana, when he acted recklessly, in presenting the value of 19 plots of state land, situated at Plantation Sparendaam and Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara, and sold the said lands at a grossly undervalued price, without first obtaining a valuation to determine the true value of the lands.

Ali is accused of defrauding the state of over $174M after selling the lands at an undervalued prices. The former minister of housing is accused of selling the lands to former President, Bharrat Jagdeo; former Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon; and former ministers Priya Manickchand, Dr. Jennifer Westford, Robert Persaud and Clement Rohee; Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, and former army head Gary Best and Fortune Developers Inc., Guyana.

He also sold lands at the locations to former General Manager of the Guyana Gold Board and daughter of former President Donald Ramotar, Lisa Ramotar; former President of the Private Sector Commission, Ramesh Dookhoo; the son of former Labour Minister Dr Nanda Gopaul, Dr Ghansham Singh; former Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Chief Executive Officer, Rajendra Singh; former president of the Caribbean Development Bank, Compton Bourne; Andrew Bishop, former Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission; former Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) Shaik Baksh, Safraaz Khan and George Hallaq.

The controversial ‘Pradoville Two’ issue came to the fore when the coalition government commenced several investigations into suspicious financial transactions of state officials that bordered or amounted to corrupt practices and/or abuse of office. It was found that several persons close to the last government had received prime sea-front lands belonging to the state, at extraordinarily low cost.

It was reported that the ‘Pradoville’ recipients, the majority of whom held very high positions within private or state organisations, received, and later built posh or luxury homes on the properties after paying as little as $114 per square foot; citizens, on the other hand, were being made to pay as much as $500 per square foot for ordinary land.
The ‘Pradoville’ arrangement was made during the PPP’s term of office, 2010-2015. Ali was the Housing Minister during that period.