Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Oct 16, 2010 News
On Thursday, popular West Demerara businessman Shairaz Ali was forced to once again call in the police after persons with whom he is currently locked in court with over a plot of land began dismantling a perimeter fence at his Parika property.
Not only was the businessman’s property damaged but persons associated with the owner of the disputed land began conducting spiritual rituals on the land.
Garfield Straughn, the party at the other end of the dispute, said that he has been the owner of four plots of land in Parika for several years and has been paying rates and taxes for the said land.
Straughn said that the land was inherited from family, and his wife, Joan Straughn, is power of attorney for the plot of land which includes ‘Parcel 917’ that also takes in a portion of sea defence.
The man showed documents claiming that Ali has been trying to secure the continuation of his lands that is the sea dam for several years now, dating back to 1994.
According to Straughn, Ali had also attempted to purchase the land from him but he refused to sell. He added that after he turned down Mr. Ali, he (Mr. Ali) turned up with a lease for the land.
The man is claiming that his investigation revealed that the lease Ali presented to him is not authentic. But using this lease, Ali secured an injunction in the court restraining Straughn from conducting any further work on the land.
However Straughn said that he (Straughn) sold a plot of the land to a man identified as King who has begun carrying out some developmental works on the land but is prevented from doing any works on the sea dam since the entire area is fenced off.
On Thursday, persons associated with Straughn were seen carrying out works at the front part of the land while Ali’s workers were seen replacing the fence, which was damaged by his opposition.
Ali is insisting that he has been given permission to work from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Ministry of Public Works, the Sea Defence Board and the region after he was granted a lease for the land.
Ali explained that permission was given to him to occupy the land under the new Sea Defence Act. According to Ali, he has secured a 50-year lease for the sea dam for the purpose of setting up a Fuel Bulk Storage Facility from the Regional Office since the sea defence is not owned by any private person.
According to a document seen by this newspaper which carries signature of both the Chairman of the Sea Defence Board and Secretary of the Sea Defence Board, Mr. Ali is responsible for the sea defence reserve at Lot 936 Parika.
As such he is responsible for all remedial works to make the sea dam stable and all must be done at his own expense and under the guidance of the Sea and River Defence Division.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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