Linden Town Council ups campaign against illegal vending

– vendor threatens legal action

A Linden vendor says he intends to take legal action against the Linden Town Council for removing property and cash from his mobile shop at Co-op Crescent, Mackenzie, even as the town continues its campaign against illegal vendors.

Emanuel “Archie” Archibald alleged that the council’s ranks removed goods including bags of powdered milk and over $200,000 from his place of business in his absence. Archibald said he had just returned from the Christianburg Magistrate’s Court when he saw a number of ranks removing items from his vehicle. He said when he approached them they stopped but “They had a lot of my stuff packed in the town council bus and I asked them to allow me to collect my box with my money.” Archibald said he searched in vain for his money and when he questioned the officers they said they did not remove the box of cash. The goods were seized in the presence of Archibald’s son who was left to manage the business in his absence.

In an invited comment acting Town Clerk Edward Cedreno said though he could not comment on the items removed from Archibald’s business he was aware of the incident. He said the council had had cause recently, to put Archibald before the court for illegal vending and assault. The prosecution told the court that an amicable solution had been reached between the two parties and the case was dismissed. Archibald was ordered to pay $1,000 for documentation fees. He had been returning from court after collecting his bail money when he encountered the officers at his place of business.

Archibald had agreed to move to a stall on the Mackenzie Wharf and he was given one week’s notice within which to do so. Cedreno said the man then requested an extension so that he could complete some renovations to the stall “But we had to also take into consideration the concerns of other vendors who were operating legally and they were complaining that they were suffering because of those persons selling on the road.”

Cedreno said Archibald was advised to vend on Potario Road while he completed the work on the stall but he failed to comply and therefore the council was relocating him. However, the man told Stabroek News that he had not been given a particular timeframe within which to move and that he was currently doing some electrical installations at the shop.

Meanwhile, Cedreno said the council has begun a campaign to rid the streets of illegal vendors. Cedreno also directed this newspaper to Chief Security Officer Waveney Corbin for more information, but efforts to contact her proved futile.

The Linden Town Council has for many years been grappling with illegal vending both at the Mackenzie and Wismar shores.

It had been alleged that workers have been attacked and assaulted by a gun-toting shop owner, a matter which is currently before the court. Several stall holders believe that the problems with the vendors keep recurring because of the poor relationship between Interim Management Committee Chairman Orin Gordon and the current and past clerks and a councillor.