Single Mother takes Deputy Prime Minister to court…
A single mother from Armenia Village on the Hummingbird Highway is taking the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources, Gaspar Vega, to court after he cancelled a lease to the land she has occupied since 1997. Four lawyers appeared in court this morning when the case got underway. In addition to Vega, Edna Samayoa also brought the case against her Cayo South Area Representative, Ramon Witz. She alleges that Witz had a hand in the cancellation of her lease. Samayoa’s case is built around the argument that Witz had her lease cancelled so that a staunch political supporter and next-door neighbour, Joaquina Smith, would end up with the land. Samayoa has already constructed a house on the property for herself and her three children and she refuses to move.
In her sworn affidavit dated January eighth, Samayoa linked Witz to the case, to help Joaquina Smith access the land. Smith, according to Samayoa’s affidavit, worked with Witz in his political campaign for office.
Despite a good effort before Justice Michele Arana, by Samayoa’s attorney, Andrea McSweeney McKoy, round one went in favour of Witz and his attorney, Dean Lindo. Justice Arana found that based on the evidence presented, there was nothing to support that Samayoa’s Area Rep., Ramon Witz had any power to cancel her lease or to cause the lease to be cancelled. Therefore, Justice Arana ruled that Witz should be removed as the second defendant in the matter. We got the views of both McKoy and Lindo following the ruling.
Andrea McSweeney McKoy, Attorney for Edna Samayoa
“The application was for Ramon Witz to be struck out as a party and the grounds of that application by Dean Lindo, Senior Counsel, was that he does not have power under the National Lands Act to determine leases of national land. And that point is acceptable but the claimant’s case is that he indeed does not have that power but he exercised that power by certain representations made and being directly involved in the adjudication, including with Ms. Samayoa directly.”
Dean Lindo, S.C., Attorney for Cayo South Area Rep., Ramon Witz
“She joined my client, the Honourable Ramon Witz as a defendant. We are saying that when you look at the record, because she submitted a very long affidavit, she submitted a statement in support of her application, and nowhere do we find that there is any connection with Witz, as we say there’s no nexus. So we’re saying now why you bring this man here? He cannot help in any way. Furthermore, significantly, they refer to the National Lands Act at section seven, which makes it very clear it is the minister who has the power to award leases or cancel leases. So we’re saying what does this have to do with the area representative? He cannot give any direction to the Lands Commissioner or anybody. He’s not in any way connected with the Lands Department.”
Marion Ali
“It’s done all the time though. We always hear of cases where there is political influence or interference.”
Dean Lindo
“See, this is one of the points I’m making…”
Marion Ali
“She lives in his constituency, Armenia is in Witz’ constituency.”
Dean Lindo
“Yes it is, but as far as I am concerned, remember we are in a court of law. There’s a place for politics, there’s a different place for law and hopefully we don’t mix them. I don’t know. Quite frankly, it didn’t matter to me whether Witz spoke to the Minister of Lands or not. That is not the issue, the issue is did Witz cancel the lease as I said.”
