‘Will Opposition help ‘homeless & hopeless’ Mocha squatters now?’ – AG raps Norton, others

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall has called out the parliamentary opposition for misleading several squatters – whom government was attempting to relocate to facilitate the construction of a highway – who are now homeless and hopeless, after losing a case in the High Court where they sought to establish their rights to the State lands.

“They have five lawyers in the Parliament. None of them appeared for these people…no known PNC lawyers appeared for these people that [Opposition Leader Aubrey] Norton promised he will represent and that the opposition will represent,” Nandlall pointed out during his programme “Issues in the News” on Tuesday.

Chief Justice Roxane George, SC, on Friday last dismissed claims brought by squatters who had taken up residence at Cane View/Mocha, East Bank Demerara against the Government following the demolition of their homes in January 2023.

Representing by attorneys Vivian M. Williams and Lyndon Amsterdam, the applicants – Mark Gordon, Shenika Simpson, Roxane Allen and Lucretia George – had sought more than $200 million in damages, declarations of ownership of parcels of land, and compensation for alleged breaches of constitutional rights.

Justice George ruled that the applicants had failed to substantiate their claims for prescriptive titles, property damage, and constitutional violations; and she awarded costs against the applicants in the total sum of two million dollars, payable by June 30, 2025.

In January 2023, the government demolished several homes in Mocha-Arcadia to make way for the construction of the Heroes Highway. Despite offers for relocation and compensation dating back to 2021, some residents refused to move, leading to a standoff and eventual legal action. Some 28 persons who were squatting on the reserves had been relocated from the path of the highway, and have rebuilt new homes in nearby residential areas through Government compensation.

However, those who refused the offers and challenged the government’s actions in court, were encouraged to do so by members of the parliamentary opposition.

Nandlall has since pointed out that those residents were “used and abused”.

“The Leader of the Opposition and many members of the Opposition used this as a platform for politics and cruelly exposed these persons to the perils that they are now experiencing and up to now, I have not heard any statement from the Leader of the Opposition or any Opposition parliamentarian or politician saying what assistance they will give to those people who are now homeless and I supposed hopeless,” Nandlall contended.

“They used those people, abused them, and discard them. And I hope that persons listening to me, will internalise what I’m saying and will not become the victims of political pawns and not allow themselves to be used and abused and manipulated in the manner that the opposition politicians have used, abused and manipulated this bunch,” he further expressed.

Nandlall also said he hopes this case serves as a lesson to other squatters or potential squatters.

“I want every person occupying government lands, occupying government reserves, occupying State lands or public lands, to take note of this decision and its implications. It means this decision, if you are ever in doubt, clarifies for you, any squatter or potential squatter, what your legal status is, you have no right, no interest, or no title for that land,” he outlined.

“The lawful owner of a property reserves the legal rights and powers to take such steps that may be necessary including using reasonable force to remove and eject from his or her land, any squatter. You do not necessarily need an order of court to remove a squatter from your land, you can do so by self-help,” Nandlall added.