P.U.P. Asks for Audit of Lands Department

The P.U.P. says that they want an audit in the Department of Lands from 2008 to 2015 – the years when disgraced former Minister Gaspar Vega led the lands department. The call comes in light of the recent scandal where Vega’s son, Andre, and U.D.P. loyalist, Sharon Pitts, walked away with four hundred thousand dollars each in what appeared to be a land scheme, which the Government would later called an “error.” Well, Vega is no longer there since he resigned earlier this week. But P.U.P. says bring on the audit. When asked if he would welcome the investigation to way back as 2000 – this would include years under the P.U.P.  Party Leader John Briceño said that he doesn’t mind. Here’s how he put it on Wednesday:

John Briceño, P.U.P. Leader

“Now that we have heard about the issue in the Department of Lands in the Ministry of Natural Resources. I think it is of utmost importance that there be an investigation into the lands department from 2008 to 2016. Because we need to get to the bottom of what exactly has taken place under the leadership or the care of the former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources the Honorable Gaspar Vega.”

John Briceño

Reporter

“Would you support a thoroughgoing audit of the twenty first century at the Lands Department?”

John Briceño

“If that is what it takes to get to the bottom of it and to see what we can do to avoid some of the mistakes and in instances abuse, yes. If you were to look at one of the proposals that we are making on the twenty-ninth of September in our Good Governance proposals, one of the issues were the same thing that we need to limit the powers of the minister. We want to limit the powers of the Minister, not because we want to limit the powers of the minister not because we just want to take away the power from him or her, but also to protect him, to protect her. Because once a citizen know you have the powers to reduce the price or to almost give away the land to him or her, then they put you under pressure.  I have been there, so I know what it is.”