Quitar – that’s what ten landowners in the Caribbean Shores Division say government wants to do with their land - and they’ve gone to the supreme court to stop it. As we’ve reported, a week after assuming office - the Ministry of Natural Resources sent caution letters to the owners of 57 lots in the University Heights area of Caribbean Shores. The caution is for the owners to desist from selling or developing the land until the lands department completes an investigation into the sales. But the landowners don’t want to wait - they say they’ve got valid titles. So they’ve gone to the Supreme Court asking Chief Justice for leave for judicial review. Godfrey Smith and Elson Kaseke argued for Cheop Enterprises and the other landowners – while Solicitor General Tanya Longsworth responded for government.
It was a full day of arguments which started this morning and continued until 6:00 pm. Elson Kaseke spoke this morning stating that his clients already have the title to the land and they’ve already paid for it – so they should have the freedom to do whatever want to.
But Sol Gen Tanya Longsworth says not so fast. She says that the involvement of then Natural Resources Minister Florencio Marin – and former Health Minister and Caribbean Shores Area Representative Jose Coye in the deal usurped the National Lands Act and therefore the sale was unlawful. She added that throughout the transactions, procedures were breached. She also argued that instead of going to court – Kaseke’s clients could have simply gone to the Registrar of Lands and Inquire why the department was investigating the sale of the lands.
As we said the arguments concluded at 6 pm. The Chief Justice has reserved judgement.
