Former Finance Minister under the David Granger-led A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government was arrested earlier today by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).
According to the unit, Jordan was invited to attend its Camp Street office for questioning in relation to a series of alleged fraudulent transactions involving public funds and state properties, estimated to value billions of Guyana dollars.
Today, at or about 10:30hrs, Jordan, in the company of two lawyers attended the SOCU office at Camp Road and was interviewed.
The first transaction that he was interviewed about, relates to the sale and vesting of the state’s largest wharf facilities located at Kingston, Georgetown, valued approximately GYD$8 billion (US$40,000,000) which was allegedly sold for GYD$110 million (US $500,000.)
The purchaser, BK Marines Limited, paid only 10% of this purchase price, that is, GUY $20 million (US$100,000) and Minister Jordan issued a vesting order passing the Title to the purchaser, without the payment of any further sum of monies, SOCU said.
It added that the vesting order stated that the property is being sold free from encumbrance and liabilities and no further sum of money is owed by the purchaser.
“Transport was subsequently issued for this property and the value strangely stated on the Transport was GUY $400,000,000 million (US 2,000,000.) Further, the agreement of sale stated that Title must only pass upon full payment of purchase price. Investigators have evidence to establish that a facility that is a mere fraction of the size of the state property under investigation, located some seven miles upriver was sold by a private company for US $17 million,” SOCU said in a statement today.
This is only one of several investigations that implicate former Minister Jordan.
At 13:00hrs, as Jordan was being escorted to Sparendaam Police Station for further questioning, he claimed of feeling unwell and he was rushed to the Sparendaam Health Centre. He was attended to by health workers at that institution. He was subsequently placed on his own recognisance and sent away with instructions to return tomorrow.
The investigations are ongoing.
