Dear Editor,

I have read your article in the Stabroek News of August 14, which stated that I was ordered to pay costs of $150,000 in relation to a case filed by Rafeena Ramjohn against one Amirally, and myself in my capacity as Commissioner of Title and The Registrar of Deeds.

Please note that costs were never awarded against me. Costs were awarded against Mr Amirally only. I would be grateful if you would correct this as your article suggests that costs were awarded against me. This matter was settled amicably. I do hope you will give the same prominence to this letter as you did to the article.

As regards petitions filed by me and which were heard by me, please be advised that these matters were pending for a long time (as there was no Commissioner of Title appointed for a very long period). Upon assuming the office of Commissioner of Title, all fees were returned to the clients who were advised to seek the services of another lawyer.

These former clients did seek the services of another lawyer and their cases were presented before me. All matters were unopposed. They were pending for a long time; they were part of a huge backlog, and I was the only one assigned by the Chief Justice to hear these matters. In the circumstances, I proceeded to hear them. In hindsight, I believe I should have declined to hear them.

There were many reasons why I resigned from the position of Commissioner of Title. The fact that the proceeding was brought against me is only one factor in the equation.

Yours faithfully,
Mirza Sahadat
Former Commissioner of Title

Editor’s note

The case jacket on which the information in the report with respect to costs was based did not make clear that these had been awarded against Mr Amirally only. The relevant portion of the jacket read as follows:

“It is by consent further ordered that civil action No, 43W/S2010 is withdrawn and wholly discontinued. Costs agreed in the sum of $150,000 payable to the plaintiff.”