The former Minister of Finance under the APNU+AFC Government, Winston Jordan, was placed on $3million bail after he was slapped with the charge of misconduct in public office.
In court today, Mr. Jordan, accompanied by the APNU-AFC Party colleagues, made his way into the courtroom of the Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, where the charge was read to him.
The charge read to Mr. Jordan states that while performing duties of Minister of Finance and being the concerned Minister for the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited, a company owned be the Government of Guyana, between Wednesday 26th February 2020 and Friday 31st July. 2020 at Main Street, Georgetown, he willfully misconducted himself by acting recklessly when he signed National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited order handing to BK Marine the Kingston Waterfront Property for $20 Million when it was worth some $5b.
Mr. Jordan was not required to enter a plea to the charge He was ordered to return to court on Feb 10, 2022.
Jordan was represented by Attorney at Law, Roysdale Forde, Darren Wade, Head of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon and Member of Parliament, Khemraj Ramjattan.
Making Representation to the court verbally, Attorney Forde told the court the charge will be dropped since it has no merit because misconduct in office is one that is broad.
Attorney Forde added that even when looking at the context of the matter it would show that Jordan was not acting on his own but was formally following the order of the cabinet.
Attorney Forde noted the plans to file an action in the high court which will seek to bring the charges in the Magistrates’ Court to an end.
The BK Waterfront was a deal that had started under the then PPP/C back in 2006. It concluded under the APNU-AFC Government, where the property of land was sold. The price asked by the PPP back in 2006 was $110 million. That price remained until the property was sold.
When returning to power, the PPP/C Government later noted that the property was sold way under the value. The government did not take into consideration that it had fixed the price during a previous administration and that the arrangement was almost completed.
That assumption, then lead to the Government filling this court action to have the property handed back to NCIL and now later charging Jordan for placing the last signature on a document submitted by NICIL.
