Winston Jordan slapped with misconduct charge over land sale days before 2020 election

Former Finance Minister Winston Jordan is once again facing a misconduct charge related to the sale of state land at a significantly undervalued price. The charge, brought by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), stems from a transaction in 2020 when the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government was operating in a caretaker capacity following the passage of the December 2019 no-confidence motion.
Jordan appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Monday, where the misconduct in public office charge was formally read to him. The charge alleges that between February 25 and June 11, 2020, Jordan willfully misconducted himself by signing vesting order #69 of 2020, transferring over five acres of land at Plantation Goedverwagting and Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara (ECD) for $2,425,000, despite the property’s estimated market value of $150 million.
As an indictable offence, Jordan was not required to enter a plea. He was represented by attorneys Roysdale Forde and Dawn Holder-Cush.
The SOCU prosecutor did not oppose bail but requested a substantial sum. However, Jordan’s attorneys contended that their client poses no flight risk and has consistently appeared in court for previous matters. They also argued that a similar case had already been dismissed by the court.

Following submissions by both defence and the prosecution, Magistrate Azore granted Jordan bail in the amount of $150,000. The matter was adjourned to April 23.
In December 2021, Jordan faced similar charges regarding the sale of state property to BK Marines Limited. That case, which involved the sale of the country’s largest wharf facilities in Kingston, Georgetown, was dismissed in May 2023.
At the time, Jordan had been accused of signing a National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) vesting order that transferred 2.553 acres of land to BK Marines Inc for $20,260,276, despite the property being valued at over $5 billion.
Prosecutors alleged that the transaction amounted to an abuse of public trust, as the property was sold at a fraction of its worth.
However, Jordan’s attorneys successfully argued that the prosecution had failed to establish a key element of the charge, namely, whether he qualified as a public officer under the law.
Senior Magistrate Leron Daly upheld a no-case submission, ruling that the evidence was insufficient to proceed. The case was subsequently discharged, and Chief Justice Roxane George later deemed the prosecution’s attempts to reinstate the charge a “waste of judicial time.”