Borja’s Murder Reveals Corruption Allegations at Lands Department

The possible sale of gun licenses was not the only issue that the Borja murder brought to the forefront.  What Police believe may have been the motive for his murder was Borja’s willingness to come forward and explain a corrupt land scheme that was being carried out by one of his former associates.  Leader of the Opposition, Moses “Shyne” Barrow, says Ricardo Borja’s murder exposed corruption at the Lands Department. Barrow explained that the reports are extremely troubling and called on the government to expeditiously investigate the persons implicated by Borja. 

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition: “What we need to realize is this is a land corruption scandal that involves members of government from what I understand on all different levels. And that is what we need to focus on as well. Because again, when the UDP was in power they said it was a cesspool of corruption, hotbed of corruption, and the PUP promised to change that. Obviously with the murder of Borja that has uncovered a large scale land corruption scandal. And so we really need to get to the bottom of that. Who is still sustaining this culture of corruption in the lands department and the fact that it is deadly? I don’t remember anyone being executed for any land corruption under the Barrow administration. I know that they have detained one of the biggest real estate companies, one of their proprietors. They detained him for questioning. I don’t know what will come of that. But that is something very serious, that Mr. Borja gave testimony and then two days before he was supposed to meet with the police, I guess to do a formal complaint or to give further testimony, he was executed. And this boils down to not just corruption in the lands department but the citizen insecurity that our country is suffering. No one is safe. So someone goes and someone tries to do the right thing and unmasks, uncover corruption, and they get executed. And we just have someone detained, wealthy person, powerful person, will they be treated like the young men and women on George Street or on Police Street or from Mahogany Street? Let’s see.”

Borja was reportedly killed after a recording of his statement as an informant leaked into the public domain. Borja was expected in court on August 22 but was killed on August 19, before he could make a court appearance on the matter. In the recording, Borja incriminates several persons at the Land Department and a well-known real estate mogul.