Attorney says GOB can’t offer compensation for private property

The government has been reacting with different interpretations to the ruling that declared that the acquisition of Telemedia was unconstitutional.  On Monday the Prime Minister told News Five that the ruling could mean that the owners of Telemedia are entitled to compensation, instead of getting back the company. But according to Executive Chairman, Dean Boyce’s Attorney, Godfrey Smith, the ruling clearly states that the nationalization was null and void, which means that GOB cannot offer compensation for private property that it never legally acquired.

Godfrey Smith, Attorney for Dean Boyce

Godfrey Smith

“The issue of compensation does not arise. If you are going to offer me compensation it means that you have lawfully taken my property and all I have left is compensation. But go back to the court judgment, the law and the order under which you took my private property is no good. It’s no good. You have no right and authority to even offer me compensation and the court has no authority to do that either. So it’s another distraction which obviously people are latching on to and forgetting the hundred and fifty pages. Maybe people should read it and see all the things that government did wrong which cannot be fixed, even if he tries to go back to parliament. We have legal options and court options which we have to exercise but ultimately you are right. I mean look, Barrow intends to hold on; he will use the police to hold on. No amount of legal maneuverings on our side will stop him if he wants to be the dictator that he is turning out to be and hiding behind yes, the populace sentiment. That is the first refuge of somebody who has that tendency to say look, this is the popular will; get all these foreign companies out, to hell with business, this is what the people want and this is what we’re gonna do.”