Amazonia Swimming Pool Company yesterday announced that it was pulling its investment from Guyana following the City Council’s decision to remove four large swimming pools that were encumbering reserves on Sheriff Street.
A decision was taken late Thursday afternoon by Brazilian director Ibrahim Mustapha to conclude operations here, a statement issued by the company said yesterday. It also said the company is consulting with its attorneys as it plans to take legal action for breach of agreement.
The company is of the firm belief that the “manner in which the pools were moved was wrong,” and damage was done to the pools.
Mustapha, in the press statement, said Amazonia will sell the remainder of pools and return to Brazil since it saw the action by City Hall as deceitful and fraudulent.
On Thursday, city council workers were attempting to remove the pools, valued at over $14 million, when employees from the pool company showed up and attempted to prevent the removal. The council had already removed two pools and stored them at the city’s Solid Waste Department compound on Princes Street.
As the last two pools were being removed, an Amazonia employee attempted to destroy the pool by throwing large rocks at it. It was at this point the employee got into an argument with an inspector of the City Constabulary. The confrontation escalated and as a result, the officer armed himself with his weapon to prevent the employee from further obstructing the council’s work.
In an invited comment yesterday, Town Clerk Royston King said, “It is my regret to hear that they would be pulling out… But I want to say, wherever they take their business they would have to abide with the laws of that particular city.” He emphasized that businesses must exercise their corporate responsibilities, which include abiding by the city’s by-laws.
King added that the city council is continuing to reclaim city spaces, such as parapets and reserves. The spaces, he said, are collectively owned by citizens of Georgetown and no individual or corporation has the right to occupy these spaces for private enterprise without permission from the city council.
“The illegal placement of swimming pools on the reserve in that community is a classic example of disrespect for city by-laws, the neighbours and [an example of the company’s] general view of the community,” he pointed out.
King refuted claims that the pools were removed as a form of victimisation because the company did not attend a meeting the city had requested with Shelliza Allie, Managing Director of operations in Guyana. He further pointed out that the council will not allow residents and businesses to disrespect the law. “Where we find individuals behaving in that manner, we will apply the law,” he said.
Allie had said in a press statement that she had sought time for the removal of the swimming and had been granted up to today by Chief City Engineer Colvern Venture, who had been in contact with her. She also stated that she had requested a notice to remove the pools but never received one.
However, King said the city was not obliged to send notices to persons who never sought permission from the council to utilise public spaces in the first place.
City Hall spokeswoman Debra Lewis told Stabroek News that the pools were illegal encumbrances on the city reserves.
She added that the placement of the large pools on the parapet was a traffic hazard and contributed to the breeding of mosquitoes as the drains were blocked by their placement.
Stabroek News was also told that residents of the area had made complaints to the council.
According to Lewis, the council visited the area last Thursday and tried to contact the owners of the company. Eventually contact was made via phone and the company was informed that it was in breach of the law, she said.
King lamented that some persons have become accustomed to illegal activities and had no respect for the law.
