Tonight, an allegation of land fraud is breaking in Sarteneja, Corozal, and its implications could mean negative publicity for the UDP, mere days before the upcoming General Election. That's because it happened under the watch of Gaspar Vega, former Minister of Natural Resources.
It involves a 72-year-old American by the name of Robert James Condreay. He's currently living in Colorado, but he purchased 1.02 acres of beach-front property in Sarteneja. The best information to 7News is that he had the intention of either retiring there or building a sort of vacation home. But, he's currently embroiled in a land dispute with 2 other Americans, who appear to have title to the same piece of property.
That property is now known in the Land's Department's registration system as Parcel Number 878, Block 3, Sarteneja Registration Section. But, back in 1997, it was previously known as Lot Number 535, situated along the sea coast of Sarteneja Village. Back when it was government land, a Corozal resident by the name of Marcelo Cruz purchased it, with the permission and authority of the former Natural Resources Minister, "Dito" Juan. Cruz later sold that land to American Robert Condreay.
But, in October 2013, when Gaspar Vega was the sitting Lands Minister, the Ministry of Natural Resources issued a lease to the same piece of land to Vega's relative through marriage, Raul Fabian Rosado.
The Ministry of Natural Resources should have had all the information to be well aware that this is private property, and so, this lease shouldn't have been issued. But, the Ministry's fumble was compounded exponentially when Vega, acting as Minister of Natural Resources, purported to sell this private land - which was treated as Government land - to Raul Rosado on June 11th, 2014. That sale happened about 8 months after the faulty lease was issued.
Rosado held on to this purported title to the private land until June 11, 2020, when he sold his rights to the Americans, Jay Dean and Cynthia Felstow, who are residents of Michigan, USA.
Meanwhile, the real owner of the property, Robert Condreay, left a caretaker in charge of the land for 14 years. In that time, he made invested to improve it for development in the future.
Several days ago, that caretaker realized that contractors began to construct a building on the property, and so, she alerted Condreay that someone was trespassing on his land. He got his attorney, Marcel Cardona on the case, and Cardona's research uncovered the entire mess.
This case has elements that are similar to the Andre Vega case. You'll remember that scandal which caused his father, Gaspar Vega, to resign as Minister of Natural Resources. The Ministry should have known that this was private property. But, it was treated as government land, and it was sold for a second time when it shouldn't have been.
Today, Cardona called a press conference in Orange Walk Town to express his client's outrage that he is being jilted out of his prime piece of sea-frontage. 7News attended, and here's an excerpt of Cardona's comments:
Marcel Cardona - Attorney for Robert James Condreay
"Mr. Condreay is a victim of gross fraud being committed upon him. On October 21st, 1997, by Minister's Fiat Grant #536 of 1997, one Marcelo Cruz of Sarteneja Village, Corozal District, became the owner of the fee simple absolute in a parcel of land, actually a prime piece of real estate, measuring in excess of 1 acre in Sarteneja Village."
"Then Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. "Dito" Juan, granted to the said Marcelo Cruz a minister's fiat grant for this parcel of land, then referred to as Lot 535, situated along the sea coast of Sarteneja Village, Corozal District, Belize."
"Marcelo Cruz agreed to sell Robert James Condreay the said parcel. Following that, there was a conveyance made on July 17th, 1998, between Marcelo Cruz, of Sarteneja Village, Corozal District, and Robert James Condreay, granting and conveying all rights and interests in that parcel of land."
"Under the new registration system, it's now known as Parcel #878, Block 3, Sarteneja Registration Section. It's only now that we discover that Mr. Condreay's property, notwithstanding that it is private property."
"This is a certified copy, certified registry copy, of a document that purports to be a transfer of land for the same parcel, 878, Block 3, Sarteneja Registration Section, from the Hon. UDP Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Natural Resources and Agriculture, on behalf of the Government of Belize, Gaspar Vega, in consideration of the sum of 3,500 Belize dollars - the paltry sum, I must say, for such a prime piece of real estate. In consideration of $3,500, he purportedly sells all the rights and interests to the said person, Raul Fabian Rosado, or Flamboyant Street, Corozal Town, Corozal District, Belize. And it's signed there."
"I don't know how the heck - I don't know how on Earth, they got to this point, to issue this, because normally, to the best of my knowledge and information, the Lands Department should have an internal procedure, where they go and they perform due-diligence checks on any property before they give you a lease to a parcel of land. They have to go in and carry out a site visit, to check and see what's the condition of the property."
"Raul Rosado is then given title on the very same day to the property in 2014, unknown to my client. Just earlier this year, again unknown to my client, the same Raul Fabian Rosado then proceeded to sell and dispose of the "interest" that he allegedly had acquired by Minister's transfer, the transfer from the minister himself."
"He proceeded to transfer it to some Americans, by the name of Jay Dean Felstow and Cynthia Lynn Felstow. And apparently, it would appear that it is these individuals, who have now trespassed on our client's legal property, and are now proceeding to carry out some construction work thereunder."
"Here now, you have a copy of the so-called transfer - transfer of title, transfer of land from Raul Rosado, to the Americans, as I said, for the declared amount of $100,000 US."
"This situation is absolutely outrageous, absolutely outrageous. This cannot be a mistake. How can someone attempt to go and apply for title to a land that is already occupied? It's already under someone else's control and possession, and ownership. How can someone go to the Lands Department and tell them, I want the title to that parcel of land?"
"I wish to make a public call upon all those who have participated in this fraud, that you will be brought to justice. My client is not going to take this sitting down. I make this call to all others to just in a national call for the following 2 things: 1 immediate rectification of the land register records by the Registrar of Lands in Belmopan to properly reflect and restore the lawful proprietary rights and interests of my client, Mr. Robert James Condreay in the relent property being Parcel 878, Block 3, Sarteneja registration Section of the Corozal District, and 2, an immediate, professional, credible, and impartial criminal investigation into this criminal matter."
This evening, we contacted Raul Fabian Rosado for comment via telephone, and he refused to discuss the matter. He appeared more interested in whether or not we were recording the telephone call.
We later sent him the full transcript of Cardona's comments, along with documentary evidence of the land transactions, and we requested comment again. But, none has been forthcoming so far. We also attempted to contact Gaspar Vega, but we were unable to reach him via telephone.
