Lands Commissioner Appears before Senate Committee
Kevin Herrera
The second person to appear before the Senate Special Select Committee was Lands Commissioner Talbert Brackett. Brackett took office recently under the Briceño Administration. In June 2023, Prime Minister John Briceño told the House of Representatives that seventeen parcels of land were signed over to Portico a day before the Definitive Agreement was signed under the former U.D.P. government. Today, Brackett was asked for details of that land transaction.
Senator Kevin Herrera, Member, Senate Special Select Committee
“Looking into the Portico Matter and so my questions will be specific in relation to some land transactions that were related to that project or became related to that project at some point. The Prime Minister in June of 2023 mentioned that there were 17 parcels of land related to what I think they referred to them as the Portico lands. At some point those 17 parcels were issued to an individual or individuals and then they were transferred apparently to Portico. Would that be highly unusual for so many parcels to be transferred to one or two individuals?”
Talbert Brackett
Talbert Brackett, Commissioner of Lands
“Are you saying transferred from government to these?”
Senator Kevin Herrera
“That’s my understanding and that’s why I’m asking you for to clarify that. Did those come from the lands department? individuals. I mean, are you, have you looked at the trail of how those transactions evolved to where they became portico lands.”
Talbert Brackett
“I would assume that had occurred before I took office as commissioner. And I would also assume that those might just be private lands. So I am not familiar with those transactions.”
Senator Kevin Herrera
“For the lands related to the Portico project. You are not aware that those lands came from the department. They may have been private.”
Talbert Brackett
“Not that I know of. It was before I assumed that office. So I’m not fully aware.”
Senator Kevin Herrera
“You wouldn’t have checked whether your predecessor would have been involved in the issuance of those.”
Talbert Brackett
“Well, I’m not fully aware of the project. I’m not fully aware, and I wasn’t fully appraised of the project also of those lands that you’re talking about, specifically.”
