Latest update November 29th, 2024 1:00 AM
Cumberland NDC officials in hot water over fraudulent house transfer
By Leon Suseran
Officials at the Ordnance/Fort Lands #38 Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) in Cumberland, Canje are in hot water over ‘missing’ documents from an apparent fraudulent transfer of the ownership of a house.
The Ordnance/Fort Lands #38 NDC
The Local Government Ministry is now conducting a probe that could result in the sacking of the Overseer and Deputy- Overseer.
Ramjohn Ghani, an overseas-based Guyanese currently residing in New York, USA, recently discovered—through his Power of Attorney in Guyana—that the records of the said NDC now show that Ghani’s daughter, Dorani Devi Ghani Ramjohn, also of the USA, is recorded in the Assessment Book as the owner of the building at Tract ‘W’, Part of Lot 1 Eastern Section, Palmyra, East Canje, Berbice.
He and his daughter have not been on speaking terms for a while.
Upon the discovery in April, Ramjohn immediately sought the services of Attorney-at-Law, Mursaline Bacchus who wrote a letter to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government demanding an immediate investigation.
Mr. Ramjohn stated that he never sold or transferred the building to his daughter. He said, too, that he was informed that there is “no paper trail at the NDC which supports the assessment” in his daughter’s name.
Bacchus is now requesting that a thorough investigation be carried out to ascertain how the building was illegally assessed in the daughter’s name. He also wants the records to be corrected to reflect the former and true position.
Ramjohn’s Power of Attorney in Guyana said that the discovery was made in April after the land was sold. “When I enquired about the rates and taxes to be paid, the records showed that his daughter is recorded in the Assessment Book as the owner of the building.”
“I was shocked that the land remained in the man’s name and the building in his daughter’s name so I contacted higher authority and they sent two persons from the Local Government section of the Regional Democratic Council to come and investigate.
“They found that the house was in the girl’s name,” the Power of Attorney stated. “Some skullduggery happened—some fraud happened—and the guy at Local Government said that they will instruct them [at the NDC] to put the thing back in the man’s name and take disciplinary action against them.”
At the NDC, the Overseer Mr. Kristendat Nandu was not in office. The Assistant Overseer, Mr. Kumar Ramsundar who admitted that the transaction was done [by Dorani] said, “We cannot pick up the documents at the office—we misplaced it!”
Ramsundar was adamant that it was not a fraudulent transaction. “If you are doing fraud will you only do fraud for the house alone? Won’t you do for the entire property?”
“We cannot locate the documents in the office because it happened so long ago—about 3 years or so ago.”
Ramsundar added that the NDC has offered to correct the mistake and have the original owner’s name appear back on the legal books. “We tried to negotiate and offer them back to make the changes to the original owner so they have to tell us if they want it back.”
“The document was misplaced, and as such we offered but we cannot locate the documents.”
He said that they can “change it back.” He said that the man’s daughter indeed performed the transaction and she brought documents. Whether they were legal or bogus is under question. Also, who would have accepted those documents is also under question.
Ramjohn denied that the NDC made contact with him to offer him to change back the names on the document. Efforts to reach the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Local Government, proved futile.
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