As he stands in support of the Beterverwagting/Triumph (BV/Triumph) community in the land controversy with John Fernandes Limited, Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton says that the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) should bear the brunt of the blame.
“I support and am in solidarity with my brothers and sisters,” Hamilton told the Sunday Stabroek.
“I am a born and bred Beterverwagting/Triumph person. That is where I spent my life as a boy; where my life began and where my life is, even though I do not live there presently. I still have relatives that live there. The APNU+AFC council sought to sell private lands. That is a fact of the matter. Why?” he added.
He had also visited the village two weeks ago in a show of solidarity with the villagers. “The lands the PNC/APNU-run NDC trying to steal and sell from my village people, BV/TRIUMPH143 acres .Villagers, just to reiterate, your country man is supporting you all the way,” was posted by him on his Facebook page along with photographs.
Last week, Hamilton echoed the same position and said that it should not be forgotten that it was the NDC that had initially said it owned the land and only changed from a position of salesperson when residents objected and produced transports to corroborate their ownership. He believes that the issue would have never gotten to that stage, if the council was familiar with the history of the village.
“Some of the persons have legal counsel challenging the sale. They have made some progress that now the council has reverted to saying that they can’t sell what they don’t own. In the early days the council was seeking to suggest they own the land and it is the council’s land. Many persons came forward and brought transport and all of that. The council now says it can’t sell the land because they don’t own the land.” he said.
“The history of the village is that it is was bought by three slaves … in 1839. That was one of the first villages that was ‘lotted out’ for residential purposes and farming purposes. Every family, once they owned a residential property to the front, they owned corresponding farming lands at the back. Those lands were what the NDC was attempting to sell to a private person,” he said, adding that the council had to have known this.
Hamilton’s family also owns residential land and farmlands but it is “not on that side with the contention. The side that the big contention is on the BV side; on the western side of the main road.”
Last December, this newspaper reported on the controversial agreement between John Fernandes Limited (JFL) and the BV/Triumph Neighbourhood Democratic Council. Details of the $35 million deal had only come to light when the agreement document was leaked, according to Councillor Elton 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 importantly, 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.
Make preparations
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.
In a fixed date application, the company is seeking among other orders, that the NDC forthwith transfer the property to it once it would have paid the outstanding balance on the purchase price. The court hearing is scheduled for November 1.
However, BV/Triumph NDC Chairman Jimmaul Bagot declared that the council will not be bullied.
‘We’ve made it clear to them in several letters that we cannot sell what we don’t own. Hence, we had to rescind the agreement. However, they’re still pursuing it…”
“John Fernandes would have published a notice in the Stabroek newspaper where they would have indicated that they have no interests – that they’re distancing themselves from any agent or anyone whatsoever who are claiming to have some vested interest in the lands located in Section G, BV,” he related before noting that to the council’s surprise, it received the notice of the court action filed on behalf of Mohamed Sons and Daughters, although it thought the matter had been put to rest.
Hamilton posited that as far as he sees it, the mystery company involved makes the issue even more questionable, but hopes the matter is soon resolved.
“The story has taken a dastardly twist. [JFL] is saying they have no interest anymore but you have a phantom company… now saying they have some interest because they were acting as the real estate interest”, Hamilton said .
