Sedi Clears the Air on Allegations Against Him

Both parties were called before the court on July twenty-fourth, but Elrington was a no-show.  The minister said he was sick and submitted a medical certificate.  Notwithstanding his illness, Elrington was said to be deliberately frustrating the process by not showing up on the scheduled court dates.  In fact, Senior Counsel Eamon Courtenay, who represents Progresso Heights Limited, also accused him of using politics at the Lands Registry.  Elrington today cleared the air on those allegations and explained that the former Registrar of Lands is government’s key witness.

Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington, Shareholder, Progresso Heights

“The issue of last week, when I was supposed to have gone to court, but for my illness.  It was also made clear to me that the court would not have been able to proceed and finish the case because the registrar, the former Registrar of Lands, Ms. Ethel Gladden, who is a vital witness in the case, if you want to remove the caution and because the government is one of the defendants in the case, is out of the country and as far as I know, the government’s counsel has not been able to make contact with her.  So we don’t know when she’s going to be back to give evidence, so that is a problem.  But it is my understanding that there seems to be some urgency on the part of the court to dispose of this matter like yesterday.”

Isani Cayetano

“Because they are saying that this thing has been cautioned from 2010 or 2011 and it remained so for the past eight years.”

Wilfred Elrington

Wilfred Elrington

“Yes.  Well if you look at the record of the courts, you will find that cases have languished there for many, many years.  The fact that it has been cautioned, in my view it has been rightly cautioned and I don’t see why any special effort should be made to facilitate people who are acting, to my mind, in a less than honest fashion.”

Isani Cayetano

“But isn’t that for the court to decide?”

Wilfred Elrington

“Right, it’s for the court to decide.  But if you don’t have the witness, if your witness is abroad, if the witness is sick, doesn’t the witness have rights too and don’t we have regards for the witness’ feelings?  This is the first time in my history that I have in fact not been able to attend court because of illness and I sent a certificate.  The other witness is not in the country, so it is not my understanding that we would be able to finish the case in the absence of the other witness because the government is a defendant and that is the sole witness of the government.”