Registrar of the Deeds Registry, Azeema Baksh has confirmed that an investigation has been launched into an alleged forgery of documents in two property matters between Fidelity Investment Inc and Caricom Insurance and which resulted in acting Chief Justice Ian Chang making an order for six notices of Discontinuation and six notices of Withdrawal of Opposition not to be treated as valid.
Contacted on Friday, Baksh told Stabroek News she could offer no further information on the case but just to say that both the Deeds Registry and the Supreme Court Registry are investigating the matter. Justice Chang’s order was to the two registries directing them not to validate the 12 notices after a reputable law firm from which they were allegedly filed denied that this was the case.
Sources say that so far the investigation has not identified any employee of the registries as being implicated in the fraud. It was stated that from all indications it appears as if someone went through the normal procedure in filing the fraudulent notices which would have appeared to be valid to the employees.
Last Monday Justice Chang made the order after the law firm had written both registries indicating that it had not issued the notices.
This newspaper understands that the court matter started in 2012 when Fidelity Investment Inc sought to transfer two properties to Caricom General Insurance. Co. Inc., another member of the same group. Gafsons Limited, through their attorneys, on December 27, 2012 immediately intervened to oppose the transports since the companies were said to owe Gafsons substantial sums and it feared that the transfer of the properties was a means to prevent Gafsons pursuing its debts.
Pleadings in the matter were closed and a request for hearing was filed on June 17, 2013. However, legal sources told this newspaper that while Gafsons was awaiting a fixture for hearing, someone submitted forged documents purportedly issued by Gafsons’ attorney withdrawing the six oppositions and six actions. An attempt was made to pass the transport based on the forged withdrawals. The forged documents came to the attention of the authorities and the transports were not issued to Caricom General Insurance Co. Inc., which if they were issued would have jeopardized Gafsons’ claim.
The orders by the High Court now effectively block the transports. The plaintiff in three of the cases was National Investments Limited of Lots 1 and 2 Area `X’ Houston and in the other three Gafsons Industries Limited of Lots 1 and 2 Area `X’ Houston. The defendant in all six matters was Fidelity Investment Inc of Lot `A’ Ocean View Drive, Ruimzigt Gardens., West Coast Demerara.
The Deeds Registry has been troubled by allegations of fraud and forgery and only recently Bibi Sattaur, an employee, was accused of defrauding a woman of $4M for a plot of land. She was accused of obtaining from Bibi Akleema Goberbhan $4M in cash by pretending to transfer a plot of land to the woman.
Soon after taking up her office in July 2012, Baksh had told this newspaper that she intended to transform the registry into an agency that is respectable, accountable and transparent since it was perceived to be corrupt. She had said there was evidence before and after she arrived to support the perception.
“I will be blunt to say that both sides of the arena are to be blamed when we talk about corruption, there is always the giver and there is always the taker and I have tried as much as possible to [say] to members of the public—as much as I speak to my staff on this—please don’t give my staff money, they are paid to do a job…” she had said at the time.
She had reminded her staff members that they were being paid to do a job and while it may not be one of the best salaries, they must develop an attitude that if they choose to work in an agency they must be prepared to take what it pays. “And I have said to them that when you get tired of being nice to people… or you feel that the earnings that you are making is not sufficient for your qualification or experience then I would freely give you a recommendation to move on…,” she had stated. She had made it clear that she did not expect her staff members to stay at the registry in a way that brings “down the image of the registry.”
