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Sussex Street wharf fiasco…CoI report recommends shipping company recovers rent paid to Council
The report of the Commission of Inquiry, (COI) into the affairs of City Hall has highlighted apparent shady dealings by Town Clerk Royston King as it related to leasing of Sussex riverfront property to Quick Shipping Incorporated.
The report specifically noted that the disputed wharf is the property of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited, (NICIL).
King had leased the property to shipping company, Quick Shipping Inc, owned by businessman Paul Sandy despite claims of ownership of the land by NICIL.
Town Clerk: Royston King
The matter became a source of contention at the recently concluded Commission of Inquiry, (COI) into City Hall.
During the hearings, both the Town Clerk of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC), and in house attorney of NICIL, Arianne Mc Lean produced documents claiming ownership of the property. NICIL submitted `Land Transport #525 of 1985’, while the M&CC says their `Transport #2803 of 1966’ shows the ownership of the land located at Lot 1 Mud Lot Lombard Street.
However, a report prepared by retired Justice Cecil Kennard, who also chaired the COI, indicated that given the bankrupt state of the Council, the rental not only seems to be a bad decision but can be viewed in a corrupt light.
The report further outlined that the lease for forty years at $625,000.00 per year appears to be a gift of the Town Clerk to the tenants.
“The sum of $625,000.00 per year runs at approximately, $52,084.00 per month. This is prime real estate land, and this price set by the Town Clerk is ridiculous. It seems as if he has given a gift to the tenant,” Kennard said.
Further, Kennard recommended that the Town Clerk should be brought before a disciplinary tribunal of the Local Government Commission.
“It is my view that he acted outside the scope and intent of the law on several occasions,” Kennard said.
According to the report, the COI, along with the Managing Director of the shipping company, and the in-house attorney for NICIL, visited the wharf on November 26, 2018 last.
They established that NICIL owns the land.
This was revealed that the NICIL’s transport, describes the land being occupied by the company.
The COI also observed that the lease document, which is provided by both the Council and the company indicated the description on the NICIL transport.
The transport produced by Town Clerk Royston King, last month, in relation to the leased Lombard and Sussex Street Wharf facility, does not correspond with the location of the disputed property.
The document supplied by King shows that the transport #2803/1966 has no connection to the property, which he leased for the shipping company for $625,000 per year. The document makes no mention of Lot 1 Mud Lot Lombard Street, the location of the disputed property.
On the other hand, the description on the NICIL transport published in the public records of Parliament more closely matches the disputed location.
As a result, recommendations were made that Quick Shipping to re-evaluate its engagement with the Council, as it is the Council does not own the land. What is owned by the Council is a portion of land occupied by the company.
“It would be in the best interest of the company to formally approach NICIL to enter into a contract with that entity. NICIL, in fairness to the company, should pay regards to the fact that it expended a large sum on the development of the land…”
As it relates to the Council, the company should try to recover its rent paid in light of the misrepresentation made to it by the Town Clerk.”
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