Injunction fails to stop demolition K.P Thomas offices

Oct 04, 2009 News

– as workers, company officials clash

Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn at the demolition site yesterday.

By Leonard Gildarie
A Government Minister and media clashed yesterday and the police were called in during an early morning demolition exercise on the Railway Embankment that threatened to turn ugly.
A late afternoon ex-parte injunction granted by Chief Justice, Ian Chang, failed to stop the demolition.
Workers of the Public Works Ministry, armed with crowbars and hammers, descended on the K.P Thomas Consultants building, located at High and Lamaha Streets, just around 8am yesterday with a Hymac and proceeded to demolish part of the back fence with the intention of entering the compound.
The workers said that they were ordered to carry out the demolition on all the buildings, including the offices of K.P Thomas. The order was to be given by Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn.
However, officials of K.P. Thomas ordered them not to enter the premises.
According to Director, Kenrick Thomas, he has a lease on the property whose boundaries start from High Street and run east along the Railway Embankment. The company has had its offices there for almost 30 years, he said.
Thomas acknowledged that the company had been given notice by the Ministry in the past but these matters have been handled by his lawyers. The company has paid up its rent for the year also.
He expressed surprise that the Ministry had decided to suddenly “appear” without warning and not even given him time to act.
Ministry officials were at the premises and few weeks ago but left after they were refused entry.
“I can tell you that I am really surprised at this. We cooperated with the Ministry. We have all our rents paid up for the entire year in advance. Further, the government was building the power transmission lines through here and they did their work. We did not interfere.”
Thomas believes that demolition is revenge by Government for his closure of the offices of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)
Drama
When the Ministry officials arrived, officials of the construction company used pickups, cars and trucks to block the High Street entrance. But Public Works officials quickly drove the Hymac to Parade Street where they entered the now GPL compound and came up behind the K.P. Thomas bond.
However, workers of K.P Thomas quickly countered this move by blocking the torn down back fence with a pick-up and a car.
The drama started there as workers of Public Works and the company squared off and an argument ensued. A few of the Public Works employees were reluctant to continue and for a while things were quiet.
Heavily armed ranks arrived on the scene shortly afterwards and after much discussion, a senior superintendent said that the authority of the demolition had come from the Minister and therefore it had to be carried out.
He advised that there were “other ways” to deal with the situation and the company may have recourse with this.
Minister Benn arrived on the scene shortly after and things heated up even more. Capitol News’s Enrico Woolford attempted to speak with the Minister but was rebuffed as he was ordered to “get off” government’s property several times.
He advised the newsman that he would be holding a press conference at 14:00 hrs.
Shortly after the Minister’s departure, workers completed the removal of the fence separating the company from the GPL compound and the hymac started advancing forcing the officials of the construction company to speedily remove the vehicles they had used to block the path.
These were taken further up and a barrier again formed.
With the heavily armed police keeping a watchful eye, the hymac started tearing down the bond.
No contract

Workers of K.P Thomas used vehicles to block a demolition crew yesterday.

In a short but testy press conference at his Kingston office, Minister Benn explained that the exercise is part of the campaign to clean up all of Government’s reserves.
According to information available to the Minister, the Transport and Harbours Department, which falls under the Ministry of public works, had rented the property to K.P Thomas who has since died. No new contract was entered into with his sons who now run the business.
Three years ago, the Minister said, he had met with officials of the company and had indicated that Government wanted to repossess the property.
Government has since removed and relocated scores of squatters along the Railway Embankment line with K.P Thomas being the only one
Contrary to claims that rent has been paid, Benn said the ministry has orders to refuse any payments.
Regarding what notices were given to the company, the Minister disclosed that a final notice of removal was given in March along with several letters but the company has refused.
According to the Minister, with new transmission lines now installed right next to the office of K.P. Thomas, the Ministry stands to be liable in case anything happens. As such, the Ministry was acting within its mandate to demolish the building.
He noted that despite orders to stop taking rent from the company, the rent was “inadvertently taken” last year.
He described the rent as “peanuts”.
Responding to questions about whether the correct procedure was used, Benn refused several times to answer that.
Asked if government wanted the property so badly, then why a decision to tear it down, the Minister said, “Our property (government) and we will do with it as we see it.”
Speaking to Kaieteur News last evening, attorney for K.P. Thomas, Roysdale Forde, disclosed that he was able to acquire an ex-parte injunction to stop Minister Benn and although it was not served on him, it was served on the workers of the Public Works Ministry.
The injunction will be heard tomorrow before Justice Ian Chang.
According to Forde, the company will sue for damages.
Last night a guard hut was erected by the ministry and company officials confirmed that they will be posting guards and will be moving since the entire office was damaged.
Additionally, losses as a result of the demolition are estimated at millions of dollars.
The K.P Thomas offices occupied an historical landmark that was once a train station.