Case against Winston Jordan to proceed via paper committal

The case against former Minister of Finance Winston Jordan, who is accused of misconduct in public office, will proceed via a paper committal.

During a hearing before City Magistrate Leron Daly on Monday, Jordan’s lawyer, Dawn Holder-Cush, requested the matter to continue via a paper committal.

This will involve witnesses’ statements and documented evidence being tendered to the court to be inventoried and marked as exhibits.

At the closure of the case, the Magistrate will not impose a sentence but will rule whether sufficient evidence was presented to the court for the matter to either be discharged or for Jordan to be committed to stand trial in the High Court.

Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) prosecutor Neville Jeffers did not object to the lawyer’s request. Magistrate Daly adjourned the matter until May 2.

Jordan, who served as Finance Minister under the previous APNU+AFC government from 2015 to 2020, is on $3 million bail after making his first court appearance back in 2021.

The charge against Jordan alleges that while being the concerned minister for the government-owned National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), between February 26 and July 31, 2020, he willfully misconducted himself by acting recklessly when he signed NICIL (Transfer of Property) Order, No. 50 of 2020 in favour of BK International.

The court further heard that BK paid only $20,260,276 for a property valued at over $5 billion – a price that was grossly undervalued.

The charge was laid indictable, and Jordan was not required to plead to the charge.

Thus far, Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus have both recused themselves from the case.