Latest update February 25th, 2025 10:18 AM
Aug 30, 2017 Letters
Dear Editor,
I refer to my letter of Tuesday, August 29 describing my frustration with how the rule of law operates in Guyana. I stopped the letter at my initial contact with the Guyana Lands and Survey. Here now is my experience.
I rang GL&SC in Bartica and spoke with a senior official. He advised me to let my niece have Power of Attorney so that she could work on the land. I asked him for a copy of the Lease and he said he was going to Georgetown and would get a copy in a few weeks. I told him I was not prepared to give her POA and he said the Lease needed to be uplifted. He also told me that the rent had been outstanding since 2011.
At some cost, I repeatedly rang this man but he never took my calls, so I asked my niece to visit him to get a copy of the Lease, but she was equally unsuccessful. I kept trying to reach him and on the 18th December 2015, I visited GL&SC’s website and was shocked by what I saw. Glaring from my computer was a Notice to all Leaseholders demanding all outstanding payments by the 31st January 2016 and that failure to do so may result in Leases being forfeited. This was “By Order of Management.”
I could not get in touch with the official so I rang GL&SC in Georgetown but they refused to accept my offer to pay all outstanding amounts and the coming year’s rent. Realising that time was running out I contacted Guyana High Commission (GHC) in London and stressed the urgency. I argued that I could not understand why GL&SC was refusing to accept revenue for the government. On the 29th January 2016, GHC told me that my payment would be accepted. Payment was made that afternoon.
I still could not contact this official mentioned above in my initial contact, so I wrote to a higher authority. To this day I have not had a reply from him, even though his secretary confirmed receipt of my correspondence to him. It is my belief that proper inspection of the documents will show that my half- brother, half-sisters and June have colluded to have June listed as a Lessee and someone fabricated an Affidavit to look as though our father had notarised it. Also, the Bartica official did not carry out proper checks in 2012 before signing the document that included June, and which also listed the amount of rent outstanding: the final amount demanded shows that his calculation was more than was owed at the time.
I wrote to the Commissioner and asked why my half sister was included as a Lessee and in April 2016, I received a letter from GL&SC which informed me that I would be sent an explanation when the Senior Land Registration Officer of Region 7 submitted a report. I was eventually told by GL&SC Commissioner, Trevor Benn, through my then legal representative that I had applied jointly with my siblings, including that half sister to lease the land. This I denied and demanded proof which, of course, could not be presented. Instead, he requested that the lawyer urged me to visit his office in Georgetown. I regarded this as an unreasonable request and again contacted the Guyana High Commission in London who passed the matter to Guyana Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Eventually, GHC advised me to follow Mr Benn’s advice.
From early 2016, I had appointed a certain female lawyer as my legal representative and is a niece of my half-brother’s wife. I specifically asked her if representing me would constitute a conflict of interest and she stated that it would not – this was communicated via e-mail. When she informed me that she had an appointment with Commissioner Benn – after I had repeated my request for proof – I asked if she required a Power of Attorney and the answer was no. However, after her visit to GL&SC she informed me on the 9th November that she was refused the relevant documents.
Eventually, she sent me a photograph of what is purported to be my father’s Affidavit and a copy of a Lease for the property, signed by my half sister in question. In her missive, she suggested that the matter should be closed. I decided to dispense with her service.
I wrote directly to Commissioner Trevor Benn but he has not replied and after writing to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and being advised to contact GL&SC, either in person or through a lawyer, I obtained the services of a lawyer in London who wrote to him. He has not replied to him, even though his secretary has acknowledged receipt.
From what I have read, it saddens me that life in Guyana seems to be tainted by social malaise. Therefore, my siblings’ success does not surprise me as this matter started under the previous administration, but I do expect the representatives of the current government to be keen to demonstrate their desire to abide by the rule of law. I wonder if the Bartica official is still employed at GL&SC.
Nolan Griffith
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Feb 25, 2025
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The writer, Mr Nolan Griffith, of this letter appears to be blaming the previous administration when he apparently did not raise any issue before the present administration took office. Probably the same officers in the relevant office were in place during the previous administration. If there is indeed any wrongdoing it should be attributable to a collusion between the government officer(s) and Mr Griffith’s siblings, rather than to the present or the previous administration. I am aware that Guyanese residing abroad tend to delay in pursing their legitimate property rights in Guyana. The same also applies in some cases to people residing in Guyana. To avoid wasting time, a notice threatening legal action should be served on all the culprits in Guyana giving them a few weeks to reply. If there is no favourable response, an action should be filed in the high court. A lawyer in England and Wales may not have the right to represent Mr Griffith in the court in Guyana because such legally trained lawyers since 1981 are no longer allowed to be called to the Guyana Bar, however overwhelming may be their legal skill and experience.
Nolan G
I am in sympathy with you but your experience is just part of the general malaise involve legal services in Guyana.
What about the services provided by lawyers and the way they speak to you and handle your affairs?