February 10, 2025
Attorney General Anil Nandlall has dismissed calls for an investigation into the acquisition of state lands by Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader Nigel Hughes, asserting that the available documentation confirms due process was not followed under the previous government.
Hughes, who has welcomed a full investigation, has been accused of securing prime commercial lands at Ogle for a Trinidadian company at a rate of $26 million per acre—$4 million less than the standard government price of $30 million per acre.
This was revealed by People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo last Thursday.
During a live broadcast over the weekend, Nandlall stated that under the APNU+AFC coalition government, prime lands were allocated to investors without public advertisement or a transparent bidding process.
He further noted that the agreement for the Ogle lands was finalized in October 2019, months after the passage of the No Confidence Motion.
Jagdeo also alleged that Hughes was involved in another transaction where the same Trinidadian company obtained 10 acres of land at Earl’s Court, La Bonne Intention (LBI) for $10 million per acre—significantly below the market rate.
In his defense, Hughes has stated that in January 2016, he acquired 50 acres of land near Groete Creek for agricultural purposes from a private individual, Simon Munroe.
However, at the time of the transaction—two years before the No Confidence Motion—Munroe had not yet received the final lease from the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission.
Hughes explained that he visited the commission the following day and paid for the necessary inspections.
A provisional lease for the 50 acres was issued in March 2020, and he has been awaiting a final lease since then.
Nandlall, however, countered that as a lawyer, Hughes should have conducted due diligence before proceeding with the transaction to confirm whether the seller had the legal authority to transfer ownership.