Ashni Singh, Brassington no-shows in court

May 08, 2018 News

…Prosecutor to submit evidence of summons

Three weeks after charges were instituted against former Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh and Ex-Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Winston Brassington, the two men are still to make an appearance in court for the charges to be read to them.

SOCU prosecutor, Trenton Lake

Brassington and Singh were charged months after the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) completed its Pradoville Two investigation.
The two were jointly slapped with three charges of misconduct in public office as it relate to three plots of state land in Pradoville Two housing scheme.
Yesterday when the matter was called before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, SOCU prosecutor Trenton Lake, told the court that it was only recently that efforts were made to serve summons at the accused local addresses, adding that the two former government officials no long

Former Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh (l) and Ex-NICIL Head, Winston Brassington

er reside in Guyana.
The Magistrate after listening to the prosecutor told him that he has to return the original copies of the summons to the court this morning, so as to satisfy her that efforts were made to serve the summons at their last known addresses.
The Magistrate however told the court that there is sufficient evidence that counsel representing the duo are in contact with them. She expressed her dissatisfaction with the efforts made by the prosecution to locate Singh and Brassington.
The Chief Magistrate has the authority to issue arrest warrants for them, pending the return of summons to the court by the prosecution.
The first charge alleged that Dr. Ashni Singh, being and performing duties of Minister of Finance, and Chairman of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited, a company owned by the Government of Guyana; and Brassington being and performing duties as the Chief Executive of NICIL, on May 14, 2011 at Lot 126 Barrack Street, Kingston, Georgetown, sold a tract of land being 10.002 acres of Plantation Turkeyen, East Coast of Demerara,

Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) Head, Sydney James

property of the State of Guyana for the sum of $185,037,000, without first having procured a valuation of the said property from a competent valuation officer.
It is further alleged that Dr. Ashni Singh, and Winston Brassington on December 30, 2008 at Lot 126 Barrack Street, Kingston, Georgetown, by way of Agreement of Sale and Purchase without due diligence, sold to Scady Business Corporation, a 4.7 acres tract portion of Plantation Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, for $150M knowing that the said property was valued at $340M by Rodrigues Architects Associate, a competent valuation officer.
The last allegation against the two stated that Dr. Ashni Singh, and Brassington on December 28, 2009 at 126 Barrack Street, Kingston, Georgetown, by way of Agreement of Sale and Purchase, acted recklessly when they sold to National Hardware Guyana Limited a tract of land at Plantation Liliendaal, Pattensen and Turkeyen, situated on the East Coast of Demerara, being 103 acres, being property of the State of Guyana for the sum of $598,659,398 (VAT exclusive) without first having procured a valuation of the said property from a competent valuation officer.
The duo is being represented by Attorneys Stanley Moore, Ronald Burch-Smith, Mark Waldron, Anil Nandlall and Sase Gunraj.

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