Businessman arrested as probe gets underway

Peter’s Hall land giveaway…

Businessman, Eddie Doolal was taken into police custody Friday as investigations continue into the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited’s (NICIL) giveaway of prime state lands situated at Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
Doolal and another businessman, Avalon Jagnandan of Life 1 Pharms Inc. had both received a total of 30 acres of land from NICIL and later transferred it into the hands of one individual, Chinese National, Jianfen Yu on the same day for merely G$200, with both deals carrying glaring similarities.

Doolal, who was listed as the Director and Secretary of A-Z Pharmaceuticals, had leased from NICIL three plots of land; ‘A7’, ‘A8’ and ‘A20’, a total of 15 acres situated at Plantation Peter’s Hall, EBD.
He, on May 17, 2018 agreed to lease the lands annually for US$11,700 plus taxes for a 20-year period but then transferred the three plots to Chinese national, Jianfen Yu on January 28, 2020 for G$100. Avalon Jagnandan also did the same.

Police are now attempting to locate Yu, whose address was listed as 43 Wellington Street, Georgetown. This paper however, understands that the man is currently in China.
Kaieteur News had discovered that both companies were registered on the same day – March 1, 2017. In addition, the lease agreement details for both companies are also identical – both agreed to pay US$11,700 plus tax in lease fees annually for a 20-year period, both received 15 acres in total and both agreements were signed on the same day, May 17, 2018.

It should be noted too that both companies transferred its lands to the same individual, on the same day – January 28, 2020 and for the same price of G$100. Further, both Deeds of Assignment of Lease Agreements are also identical.
Guyana’s State Lands Act clearly stipulates that whenever State lands are leased, the lease agreement must indicate that the lessee “SHALL NOT” part with lands (possession) or “SHALL NOT” assign the interest in the said agreement without the consent of the State.

It states too, that in the event that there is going to be a transfer to a third party, the State reserves the right to step in and repossess the lands, reverting ownership back to the State.
However, that very clause was altered in the lease agreements currently at the center of investigations. Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, had pointed out that the lease was altered to say that “the lessee may divest the land, may part with possession, may assign it to a third-party interest” – an insertion that saw hundreds of prime lands being resold and transferred with the State acquiring zero revenue from the transactions.