Dear Editor,
We are overseas-based Guyanese who want to return home with our family and encourage investors to support development in Guyana, but the authorities are making it difficult for me in seeking justice. After seeking every avenue there is, I write this letter in desperation. The issues in question go back over 2 years when my father-in-law became very ill. He died on the 8th Jan 2014.
Equipment and machinery were purchased by myself and wife in the UK in 2008. In December 2013 we approached the courts in Guyana with all our purchase receipts to protect our assets and investments from some of my wife’s relatives who wanted to deprive us of our rights. We managed to get injunctions from the courts preventing them from interfering with the quiet and peaceful possession of our properties. However this did not last long and they disobeyed the order of the court. They consistently interfered by blocking our trucks at rice-cutting time falsely saying they had planted the rice, while trying to take over our land. They have on numerous occasions targeted me. Whenever we approached the authorities and the relevant government departments no support or justice was given.
We are business people running two businesses: an electronics shop and rice farming. We have had to employ armed guards consistently when we require to prepare our land for planting rice and harvesting. This is because of the above mentioned as they have tried to deter us from cultivating the land. When the time approaches to harvest, some relatives and their families come with combines, trucks and other vehicles to cut our rice. We have always managed to stop them with great difficulty from harvesting our crops.
A hit man was hired to kill me and my supporters. We were very fortunate that the person who was hired went to the authorities and informed them of the plan in November. So far two of the authors of this crime are on bail. The third is on the run. However, it’s been a long while since we were told that the files had been sent to the DPP for advice.
In June 2015 my wife’s uncle instructed her to arrange for a woman to stay in his house in West Coast Berbice and be the caretaker of the property. When the person went there to clean the place, the uncle was called in Canada and warned about what would happen to his house if the person were not removed. The same night the house caught fire and the following day the man who had called the uncle put up a butcher’s stall on the boundary of the house without permission. He knew that if the woman moved in with her 5 kids he would not be able to set up his business on the property. The fire department’s investigation showed that the fire was a case of arson. Reports were made at the Fort Wellington police station but to this day no report or arrest has been made and no one has been questioned. The prime suspects are still at large.
The uncle has now rebuilt his house and has requested that the shop be removed by the local authority. The notice was allegedly served a long time ago but the stall remains to this day. We are not sure why such serious crimes are not being investigated by the authorities; we have brought a number of investors to this beautiful country. As well as this we try our best to help other businesses to be successful. We feel responsible for these investors as we have encouraged them to do business in Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Salahuddin Saleem
Bibi Hasina Saleem
