…and lawyers confident about their case
With Witz removed, the remaining defendant is Minister Vega. But while Hubert Elrington will have to wait to how the next ruling affects his client, Joaquina Smith, both Mckoy for Samayoa and Douglas Carr for Vega expressed confidence.
Douglas Carr, Attorney for Minister of Lands
“We did nothing unlawful or there was no abuse of power on behalf of the Minister in cancelling the lease and that we intend to prove this to the court.”
Marion Ali
“You don’t see in the evidence presented that there was some political influence?”
Douglas Carr
“None whatsoever, but then I can’t speak for Ramon Witz, noh.”
Marion Ali
“But that the Minister of Natural Resources, he had some influence from the Area Rep of Cayo South?”
Douglas Carr
“That is not evident in the affidavit of Ms. Samayoa. It’s not evident at all.”
Marion Ali
“The fact that she had developed and built, that didn’t meet the requirements of the Ministry or the Minister?”
Douglas Carr
“That’s another question that will be answered later on at the substantive hearing. I won’t get into it as yet but it is a matter which will be fully aired out on the twenty-sixth.”
Andrea McSweeney McKoy, Attorney for Edna Samayoa
“What we are saying is if you are giving notice of a cancellation, the party should be aware by the time this claimant arrived at the Ministry of Natural Resources to apply to purchase the property she was handed a letter of cancellation dated over a month before and she was informed at that time that we cannot accept your application to purchase because your lease is cancelled. She had absolutely no knowledge of it, so we are saying she was not given the opportunity to benefit from the procedure for cancellation. That is our only difficulty. The Minister does have power to cancel and it would be chaotic if he were not able to exercise that power. However, we wanted him to act as the law provided because our client has a right to that.”
Hubert Elrington, Attorney for Joaquina Smith
“She comes here for justice and justice may be that my client may very well have to be the person who stays with the land. My understanding is that if she gets justice then she will have to get another piece of land somewhere.”
Marion Ali
“She meaning the claimant?”
Hubert Elrington
“Yeah.”
The matter will resume on May twenty-sixth before Justice Michelle Arana. Samayoa says that Minister Vega has since offered her a piece of land and a house elsewhere, an offer she has refused.
