HDC: We’re target of ugly campaign

The HDC says it “has noted with concern that since the dismissal earlier this year of its Managing Director (Jearlean John), and even more so, since the recent filing of a matter before the High Court by the Honourable Attorney General (Faris Al Rawi), it has been the target of an ugly campaign of entirely spurious allegations either emanating from or supported by members of the Opposition United National Congress (UNC).

The press conference called by...Ramdeen on November 22, 2016, who is also the attorney- at-law for (John), is quite obviously part of this campaign.” In a three-page statement issued late Wednesday evening, the State agency expressed regret that it had to expend “much time, effort and expense...towards correcting calculated misrepresentations from those opposed to the efficient, effective and fair operation of the HDC.” This past Tuesday, Ramdeen had claimed there was collusion between the HDC’s Land Coordinator, Deborah Cheesman and Director of Media 21 Limited (Media 21), John Afoon on “expressions of interest” in the $8 billion Public Private Partnership (PPP) HDC housing project.

The HDC denied this, emphasising that “the receipt of expressions of interest is not a competitive process, nor is it a tender or a bid, as stated by Senator Ramdeen and as such, there are no tender documents to pass to a third party, nor are there bids which are capable of being rigged.

“It is also important to note that at the end of this process, no contract is issued.”