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More legal woes for NBS…Wrongfully fired manager revives claims for outstanding pension, benefits
Former NBS manager, Kissoon Baldeo
The legal woes of mortgage lender, New Building Society (NBS), are piling up.
Another manager, who was wrongfully fired, plans to revive his claims for outstanding benefits and pension. Yesterday, Kissoon Baldeo, who now lives in New Jersey, USA, said that he has started talking to his lawyers.
“I have taken note of the recent developments at NBS where my former Chief Executive Officer Maurice Arjoon was successful after being forced to take some drastic action,” Baldeo said in a telephone interview with Kaieteur News.
“The fact is we were all fired for the same reasons. We were all cleared in the same court. We have all suffered in indescribable ways. Mr. Arjoon has received a part of his pension and therefore we are also entitled to the same treatment.”
Baldeo was referring also to the treatment of Kent Vincent, the former Manager of Operations who also was suddenly dismissed and charged in 2007 for fraud.
The men were cleared by courts in 2011, with Arjoon and Vincent instituting High Court lawsuits for their benefits and pensions.
According to Baldeo yesterday, during the court case which ended in 2011, his family had migrated leaving him alone in Guyana, pending the decision. He was subsequently granted his visa by the US and moved there, in effect putting a halt to his legal bid to get his outstanding money.
“I would like my outstanding pension, severance pay and compensation for wrongful dismissal and other damages.”
According to Baldeo, the “trumped-up” charges had rocked his family, with his children deeply affected while in school, by the finger-pointing.
“I was just 38 years old at the time, in 2007. I had been working almost two decades at NBS. I was forced to work with family, because other people were suspicious of you. The stigma, the embarrassment…it is difficult to explain what it is like.”
Baldeo explained that he did not pursue the matter, as he was awaiting the outcome of Arjoon’s matter.
The issue has been angering citizens with NBS, the country’s largest mortgage lender, defiant against paying the men.
In fact, last year, despite a court decision for Arjoon to be paid $79M, including outstanding pensions, NBS refused, instead moving to court to halt the judgment.
The standoff at NBS last week
The court decided in late December to lift the stay on the decision.
Over a week ago, Arjoon’s lawyers, Ganesh Hira, Sanjeev Datadin and Siand Dhurjon descended on NBS’s headquarters, Avenue of the Republic, to levy on the judgment. However, the police were called in after Hira, a Court Marshal and customers were locked in the bank as NBS remained defiant.
The customers were later let go as the police moved in and arrested the security personnel manning the front door and a number of senior NBS staffers.
The false imprisonment allegations are being investigated by police.
Arjoon is currently awaiting a court date for damages and the rest of his money.
Court Marshals last week seized an SUV as part of their actions.
The former officials claimed they were framed after refusing a transaction to lend $2B of NBS money for the Berbice River Bridge, which was under construction around the 2007 period.
The transaction would have been illegal, Arjoon claimed.
NBS, under new management, went ahead and lent the money.
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