Following a meeting with Town Clerk Royston King, the Shipping Association of Guyana (SAG) yesterday instructed its attorneys to withdraw a court action challenging the city’s move to charge fees for the parking and transport of containers on the streets of Georgetown.
Attorneys Christopher Ram and Sase Gunraj, who represent the association, confirmed to Stabroek News that based on the instructions of their clients they were asked to withdraw the court action. The request came a day after they filed the action to contest the implementation of the fees, which was prompted by city officials blocking the exit of several container trucks from the John Fernandes and Muneshwers wharves.
The reason behind the withdrawal of the court action remains unknown.
When Stabroek News sought an explanation, Ian D’Anjou, Administrative Secretary of the association, said a joint statement with the Private Sector Commission (PSC) would be issued. PSC Chairman Edward Boyer further explained to this newspaper that the associations were discussing what should be said in the statement that would be released to the media.
Yesterday, a senior official at City Hall confirmed that members of the PSC and SAG had discussions with King on Wednesday evening. However, the official said that she did not have any knowledge of what was discussed and what was the outcome of the discussions.
Further efforts made by Stabroek News to contact Jeremy Fernandes, Terminal Operations Manager of John Fernandes, and Robin Muneshwer, Director of Muneshwers Limited, proved futile. Calls to Fernandes went unanswered, while Muneshwer said that he was busy.
On Tuesday, city officials erected barricades and prevented container-bearing trucks from leaving the wharves. The city administration later said that it was conducting road assessment tests, although it was also demanding that every truck exiting the wharves carrying a container pay a fee.
In his affidavit in support of the motion for Orders Nisi to be issued against King, quashing both fees, D’Anjou had deposed that he was informed by Alan Fernandes, a Director of John Fernandes Limited that on July 19, at around 3 pm, a delegation from the city headed by Assistant Town Clerk Sherry Jerrick descended on the junction of Water and Robb streets, which leads directly out of the gates of the John Fernandes wharf.
Upon the directions of Jerrick, the affidavit said that several persons erected barricades across Robb Street, preventing vehicles from crossing and/or turning into Water Street. Thereafter, the affidavit said that under Jerrick’s direction, a person drove a motor car and blocked the barricades.
“This caused a long line of vehicles to develop, which continued well within the gates of John Fernandes Limited until there was a virtual gridlock of vehicles,” the affidavit said. It added that Fernandes approached Jerrick and inquired about the reason for the barricades and that she informed him that “no motor vehicle transporting a shipping container would be allowed to pass the barricades unless proof of payment of a fee of $25,000 was provided.”
Fernandes, the affidavit said, offered to pay the fee of $25,000 that was demanded for a total of 30 containers and this “seemed to find favour” with Jerrick. However, no payment was made as the company was advised by its lawyers to hold off.
D’Anjou deposed that a similar operation was conducted at the Muneshwers wharf.
