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Police called in to probe controversial Lamaha Gardens land sale
Minister of Labour Nanda Gopaul has confirmed that a new investigation has commenced that will cause criminal charges to be laid if the police finds that irregularities occurred during the sale of property at Lot 142 Durabana Square, Lamaha Gardens.
Giving an update of the progress made so far in the probe of the matter, the Minister told Kaieteur News that law enforcement officers were called in, since at the conclusion of the Ministry’s investigation earlier in the year, it was discovered that certain regulations were overlooked when the property was sold to a prominent businessman by the Ministry’s Chief Co-operative Development Officer Kareem Abdul-Jabar and his team.
Minister Gopaul said that the Liquidator, the Inspecting Officer and others involved in the transaction will be placed in the spotlight as the Ministry has already confirmed that there was some wrongdoing.
The disputed Lamaha Gardens land.
It was also found that the community’s Housing Co-operative was illegally dissolved. The doing away with the organization, Gopaul continued, was inappropriate since it was found that several members of the Civil Service Association (CSA) Housing Co-operative Society Ltd. were around but were not contacted when the property was sold.
That Coop Society was responsible for the plot of land in question.
The Lamaha Gardens residents have since written to the Minister, and he said he is supportive of their drive to regain the property. The letter has since been forwarded to the Attorney General.
Gopaul said that the Attorney General has made recommendations that the transport be rescinded from the new property owner and that the matter goes before to court.
He noted however that the legal ramifications would determine how the land would be returned. He explained that while he is sympathetic with the resident’s plight, the businessman did pay money for the land and has to be heard also.
In the meantime, the residents, he said, would have to await the court’s decision since to go on the property that now belongs to the businessman would be trespassing and charges could be filed. He said it is not a case whereby the play area could be opened to the public without the contentions of both sides being before the court.
The Chief Co-ops Officer has since been fired, having been accused of malpractice with fraudulent intent and dishonesty in official dealings.
He is currently before the courts arguing that the part he played in the land sale was straightforward. Jabar wants the court to block the Labour Ministry from sending him on administrative leave.
Jabar said in his defence, that on May 9, 2011, an inspection of the Co-op Society was done, and on June 6, 2011, an order of cancellation was made, followed by a liquidation order on June 5, 2012.
He said investigations showed that millions were owed to City Hall for payment of rates and taxes, while there were numerous vacant house lots in the area, built on lands also designated for the playfield, school and other community purposes.
For these properties, he claimed, there were no records of ownership found at the Deeds Registry or City Hall, so instructions were given to a liquidator to possess all unoccupied lands still in the Society’s name. Over $8.4M was reportedly paid to City Hall subsequently for money owed for Lot 142.
The Lamaha Gardens residents said however, that their own investigation has proved different from what the Co-op Officer is claiming since they produced several original members of the initial CSA Co-op, who were still living in the area. Checks to City Hall they said showed that the Housing Co-op was one of the agencies exempted from paying taxes and all outstanding fees were erased.
They still feel strongly that enough is not being done by the government to have the land returned. They say that since there were irregularities then the process of returning the property should be speedier.
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