Latest update April 23rd, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 01, 2012 News
The construction of a house at Leonora, West Coast Demerara, is the talk of neighbours who say that the property is owned by 31-year-old Irfaan Ali, the Minister of Housing and Water.
The house appears to accommodate eight bedrooms, a large living room, a detached kitchen and a walkway that runs around the front of the building. One resident described it as a mansion.
In addition to the home there is a multi-million-dollar pool house which makes the $69 million Corentyne office of the National Insurance Scheme office look like a garage.
The cost of the construction which is nearing completion is estimated at more than $300 million if the sums paid by the government for projects that have been advertised and completed, are a yardstick.
One contractor, using the same Government estimates, said that to fence the compound of that estate would be about $50 million.
Some have actually questioned Minister Ali’s wealth bearing in mind that he came from humble beginnings and has been a Minister for just about three years.
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people just writing no action why are allowing,this is so wrong what these people are doing some body please get Irfaan Ali arrested now we should start getting back nuff state funds.we have to make one of them an example.beat the iron while it still hot…i am a AFC SUPPORTER
The implication from this article is that the minister could not have earned enough legally to build such a mansion. In other words, the cost of his mansion is disproportionate to his official earnings, allowing for his living expenses over the period.
The President in his New Year message alluded to the need for tackling corruption but he did not say what policy change would be introduced in this regard. I would suggest that an “Independent Commission Against Corruption” should be established by an Act of Parliament. Under this Act every person holding a public office of some substance should be required to declare his or her assets on appointment to the office. Those who are already holding such positions should be required to declare their assets. If later any such person is found to have assets disproportionate to his official earnings, he or she should account for the difference. In this regard,a study should be made of the Hong Kong system.
We need to get to the bottom of this scam, where does all this wealth comes from, does he have a mortgage, and how much ? This minister is taking bride from Guyanese who wants house lots + others.
And they still have the audacity and barefaceness to say they work hard for it. Look deep in the eyes of a devil tell me if you don’t see betrayal. They are many more ministers including the gutter rat as well.
these people just do not care …give him another 2 years and he will continue building more palaces…these properties must be sold and the funds returned to the people of guyana.
An audit would give the answers. Khursid let see what the income tax returns say. Oh the family from abroad send the money.
check if his income justify his assets .Sattaur i smell a Rat like Papa Ratttttt. Guyanese we need a wall i mean WATER STREET PROTEST please can someone investigate all the MINISTERS in guyana .The 144 most corrupt country in south america.
mangolanding You need to remove the 144. Guyana is the most corrupt in the entire region check the list.
ali, did you stop to think that the money you stole to build that poolhouse, could’ve giving a poor family a roof over their heads? God is watching.
Put this Man in JAIL , should be the head line ! Thanks for bringing to light this story . How in the hell this man can even get a loan much less afford a $300 million dollar house.
From the picture that’s not a mansion. The entire article is based on speculation and no facts. Start complimenting your people for progress. Think big. That’s a nice house with a wrap around verandah, go to any Caribbean country and you will see that’s the norm. Wake up people.
That is a lovely design indeed and anyone can design their home in a similar way , however ,the picture only shows the front of the house , if Kaieteur news says it’s a mansion then there is more to that house .
Your whole article is based on speculation. No one fact was presented. It shows your lack of professionalism to do the proper research. The house is nice and is not a mansion. It’s simply a nice house with a rap around verandah. Think big and think positive. It’s about time Guyana stop looking like some old house place. Go to any island in the Caribbean and you will see this is the norm. Without a strong vibrant middle class any country will sink. Guyana is on the rise. Let’s support progress. It creates jobs and growth for businesses. Smokey.
Smokey tek yuh blinders off, who have eyes to see will see that regular guyanese with a 9-5 cant afford to build a mansion like that, runnings is what taking place in gt.
This property is estimated at $300 Million G$, which is approximately $1.5 US. Show me a government employee in any part of the Caribbean who after 3 years, could afford a house like this on his/her legal income.
here’s the few i gonna name…….barbados, trinidad, grenada, turks and caicos, martinique and st maarten. this is personal knowledge so it is possible.
you either have no grasp of the concept of legally acquiring a property costing USD $1.5M in Guyana over two years on a minister’s salary or you just trying to feel important reeling out random instances where it happened – though unfounded at best.
i am important too so give me the names of the ministers in those caribbean countries you named and let me go after them as we try to figure out how to recover the tax payers’ money.
start the investigation,in his life time on his paycheck,even if a banks give him a loan because he is a minister,he would not be able to pay for this house,this is one of many and the President should immediately let the CID launch an investigation.
It is a very nice house.
Was it built by Guyanese contractor/s?
i cant believe it imagine only last night i was telling my wife what honest man he is and his is what i see tonight i was telling her that he has distributed the most house lots than any other housing minister not knowing that that was a cover up to allow him to build his mansion in the sky but little did he know the waterfalls people has a sky scraper and they saw the mansion according to one neighbour the only way to get on the premises is by a jet imagine 31 yrs old billionaire
It seems as if it is the same old. same old in Guyana, with the bandits masquerading as ministers of the gov’t/ Donald Ramotar does not have the skills to run a country, maybe only the corrupt PPP. We in the diaspora should put some pressure, and ask the overseas govt’s to intervene-not to give them loans, and push for an investigation into the ministers, past and present, including Bharat Jagdeo.
It is time that we get President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe to start representing the poor, downtrodden blacks of Guyana. Ramotar and the PPP will soon begin building concentration camps to her Afro-Guyanese in. The PPP is no different than the Nazis under Adolf Hitler. Jagdeo is the reincarnation of Hitler and Ramotar will turn out to be Klaus Barbe in no short time. Time to fight back. Stop oppressing Africans because the world is watching as Guyana slowly evolves into an apartheid state. There is already economic apartheid as per Freddie Kissoon’s observations so the next five years of the PPP will for sure result in Guyana becoming Latin America’s apartheid state. Expect no solution from Ramotar as he is also part of the problem. Remember Malcolm X’s teachings on how we need to remove this regime – ‘by any means necessary’.
Well, one young Leonoran told me that there is no cultural development really going on there. What say the people appropriate it as their centre for the arts and culture. The same young man told me he really wanted to learn how to swim. Maybe the good minister had the people in mind when he built the place and is now simply waiting for the right opportunity to turn it over.
region 3 is one of the PPP/C’s strongholds so i guess those who voted to keep the albatross around the guyanese peoples’ neck for another 5 years proudly take in the view on their way to their USD $125 per month jobs.
it takes years to make USD $1.5M if you are a small company so eyebrows should be raised when someone from humble background becomes a minister in the government and within two years is the owner of a structure of this grandeur and cost .
i say do an audit on this chap and send him to jail if he is in violation of any laws. it is ridiculous that donald ramotar will continue to surround himself with these characters.
No GRA CANNOT IVESTIGATE THIS BECAUSE SOME SPECIALAGENT FROM AMERICA TO INVESTIGATE THE HEAD AT GRA THEN ALL THE MINISTER THERE NOW AND THE MINISTER FROM THE PAST TOOOOOOOOOOOOO?
My goodness and the corruption continues. It took 9 years for me to get a house lot which they gave me 72 hours to find money to pay for…If I did not find it, they would have sold my lot to the highest bidder. That’s how they make their 300 million
Simply Ridiculous ! hope he will be able to sleep in at least Two of the rooms, each night, climb all the stairs at the end of his day! Swim every day, invite tons of people over, have parties regularly….how about parties with lots of food to feed all the poor where he lives…..disgusting ! but…..if he had earned all the money, he is spending to build that house in Two years, then good for him.
After all he is the Minister of Housing and Water (so you honestly beelive he wouldnt want a mansion with a pool to go with it???)………..
I hope all of the PPP/C supporters duck their heads in shame!
This is a case for President Ramotar to show the people of Guyana that he has a mind of his own and that he can act independently of instructions given by the Big-Rat.
Remember I have been saying all along that the Big Rat is actually the President of Guyana (3rd term) only he does not have the title, while Ramotar has the title but no power.
Mr. Ramotar has since his inauguration has not shown the people of Guyana one independent act or decision, he has recycled the Big Rat cabinet, he has re- appointed all of the Big Rat advisers, he allowed the Commissioner of Police to initiate the action, that saw him proceed on leave and the list can go on.