Residents of Beterverwagting/Triumph (BV/Triumph) met last Monday and decided to retain an attorney to represent their interests in the matter of the 143 acres of land before the courts, independent of the efforts of their Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).
Many are peeved at not only the inconvenience and loss of time due to an issue brought on by the NDC, but that they also now have to foot “unnecessary” monies to pay for legal expenses in a matter that they never agreed to in the first place.
“Some community members came out and we discussed the issue … Some of them were not clear about what exactly happened or where we are so they were brought up to par. We decided that we will get a lawyer to also guide us on what would be in our best interest,” Villager and NDC Councilman Elton McRae told Stabroek News following the meeting.
“We have not yet worked out everything in that regard because we have to get the funds to pay the lawyer, as the case may be. It is so unfair to the people because the lands were there, not bothering anybody and then one decision causes people to now have to take money that could have gone to something else, to now put it to give a lawyer just to secure ourselves somewhat. Why? Because you never know what can happen,” he added.
Last week, the villagers were invited to the meeting to discuss the issue and the staging of a fundraiser for legal fees for residents who might need counsel, independent of the NDC.
McRae said that about 40 persons turned out and he believes the meeting went well. He noted that many of the older villagers were not able to attend because of the time but they will be “brought up to speed” on the events.
Another meeting will be held as this one was focused heavily on giving an overview of the matter and deciding if there will be a fundraiser.
Last December, this newspaper reported on the controversial agreement between John Fernandes Limited (JFL) and the BV/Triumph NDC. Details of the $35 million deal had only come to light when the agreement document was leaked, according to McRae. The terms of the agreement stated that JFL was supposed to pay the NDC $20 million on the signing of the agreement and the remainder when the transport was passed. Observers had deemed the $35 million figure as paltry but more important, the deal related to some lands which the NDC had no jurisdiction over.
After negative publicity over the deal, JFL backed out of it. It was later, however, revealed that JFL transferred its interest in the arrangement to the mystery company, Mohamed Sons and Daughters Trading. Further, it was only earlier this month that JFL disclosed that it had accepted $20 million from the company in return for the transfer of its interest in the matter. This had become known when JFL returned a cheque to the NDC for the $20 million refund on the down payment.
The NDC had earlier received a lawyer’s letter from Mohamed Sons and Daughters Trading, directing it to make preparations for the passing of the transport, a development which set off alarm bells among residents who feared efforts were still being made to take their lands despite the disavowal by JFL.
At a recent protest in front of the company’s Water Street offices, residents noted that JFL appears unperturbed that it had transferred its interest in a matter where private holdings are at stake, property that the NDC has no control over.
McRae noted that if JFL was no longer interested in the land, they should not have gone to a third party, rather they should have simply asked the NDC for the $20 million refund. “Why [did they] have to go to a third party…?” McRae questioned.
“We have not given anyone permission to transfer our properties – to sell, lease, rent or occupy and we will challenge the council’s right to attempt to [usurp] our lands,” he added.
Mohamed Sons and Daughters Trading has since taken the NDC to court for it to be ordered to release to it the 143 acres once it would have paid the balance of the $35 million purchase price as had originally been agreed between the NDC and JFL.
