Former Executive Member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Attorney-at-Law James Bond attended a no-show at Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday where he is charged in connection with the leasing of State lands in Peters Hall, East Bank Demerara (EBD). His reason for being absent from court, according to his lawyer Patrice Henry, was “transport issues”.
Former Head of National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Colvin Heath-London, also accused, was also absent from court. This is his second absence. His lawyer, Narissa Leander, informed Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan that her client was stuck in Jamaica where borders are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A similar charge is also charged: Director of AZ Pharmaceuticals Medical Supplies and Equipment Inc, Eddie Doolal, and Arken Group Inc. Principal Jermaine Richmond. The quartet was first charged on April 1, 2021. Monday was the second hearing for the matter. Only Doolal and Richmond along with their lawyers were present for the hearing.
It is alleged that August 1, 2017, and November 30, 2020, in Georgetown, Heath-London and Bond conspired together and with others to deceive NICIL, its sole shareholders, and the Government, of a property interest in land; namely, grant of a lease of land known as Plot A17, A18, A19 Plantation Peters Hall, EBD, owned by NICIL, without the necessary Board and Cabinet approval to do the same, and for purposes other than one NICIL.
It was also alleged that Heath-London, Bond, and Doolal, between August 1, 2017, and November 30, 2020, in Georgetown, conspired with each other and with others to defraud NICIL, its sole shareholders, and the Government, of property interest in land; namely, the grant of a lease of land known as Plot A7, A8, A20 Plantation Peters Hall, EBD, owned by NICIL, without the necessary Board and Cabinet approval to do the same, and for purposes other than one NICIL.
The final charge stated that between August 1, 2017, and Nov. 30, 2020, Bond, Heath-London, and Richmond, in Georgetown, had conspired with each other and with others to defraud NICIL, its sole shareholders, and the Government of a property interest in land; namely, the grant of a lease of land known as plot A1, A2, A3, A4 Peters Hall Plantation, East Bank, Demerara, owned by NICIL, without the necessary Board and Cabinet approval to do the same , and for purposes other than that of NICIL.
The application was granted
At the court hearing on Monday, the Special Organized Crime Unit Prosecutor’s Attorney-General Leslyn Noble requested that the charges against the defendants be summarily dismissed. With no objections raised by defense counsel, the Chief Magistrate granted the application. In light of this, the defendants will be allowed to plead to the charges at their next court appearance on May 10, 2021.
Bond, meanwhile, was set on $ 150,000 bail, while Richmond and Doolal were ordered to post $ 100,000 bail each. Bond is the lawyer who represented three companies at the center of Peters Hall’s land investigation – Life 1 Pharms Incorporated, AZ Pharmaceutical Medical Supplies and Equipment Inc, and Arken Group – in drafting NICIL leases for the lands.
Shortly after the PPP / C took over the Government in August 2020, a thorough probe was conducted by the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) in the matter, and it was revealed that several irregularities had occurred. During the investigations, Bond and his co-accused were questioned. The company bosses told Police that Bond had arranged for the sale of the lands, after which he found a buyer and paid it. Bond is alleged to have received about $ 60 million from each of them.
The leases were controversial as they contravened the conditions regarding the disposal of State lands, which specify that when State lands are leased, the lease must state that the lessee will not engage with possession of the land without the consent of the State.
However, in this case, Life 1 Pharms Incorporated and AZ Pharmaceutical Medical Supplies and Equipment Inc – who leased 15 acres of land from NICIL at an annual rate of US $ 11,700 – converted those lands to a Chinese national for only $ 100.
In the case of Arken Group, the owner of that company leased 20.8 acres of land for an annual fee of US $ 16,224 and had his address listed as in Bond’s. It was revealed that Bond then received US $ 1 million for the property after it was flipped to a local oil and gas company.