Eccles-to-Great Diamond Highway Project: Legal action will be taken in Mocha squatting dispute – Norton threatens

Despite being given several months’ notice to remove from the State’s reserve, and despite the Housing Ministry’s offer to have squatters relocated to a regularised housing area, among other benefits, Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton has threatened that legal action will be taken against the Government on behalf of those whose houses were destroyed.
In Thursday’s press conference, the Opposition Leader disclosed that the party has been collecting the necessary material to pursue legal action against the Government.

“We have always been collecting material for legal action, and that action would come…I always contemplated legal action. We are in constant conversation with the persons in Mocha. We actually sent in lawyers who spoke with them, but there was also a feeling among some of the residents that there will be a resolution, and we were acting in keeping with our consolation…rather than on our own accord, but the option was always placed to them,” he told the media.
The Mocha squatters have been asked to relocate in an effort to facilitate the development of the Eccles-to-Great Diamond Highway. Of the 35 squatters who were in the highway’s path, 28 have already been given ready-built houses in nearby residential areas through Government’s compensation.
However, the remaining seven who refused to remove resorted to exacting compensation from the Government, including cash several times the value of the property they are illegally occupying, with individual demands reaching $100 million.
In totality, the squatters were demanding over $590 million for properties valued at just $56.5 million. As a result, the Ministry has disclosed that while it stands ready to make available move-in-ready, single-flat, two-bedroom housing units in the Little Diamond Housing Scheme for these seven non-compliant persons, these efforts had been met with harsh and irrational resistance.
Last Tuesday, the Ministry attempted to resume a demolition exercise, but the situation developed into a standoff with the squatters for several hours. During the confrontation, members of the APNU/AFC Opposition, including Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton, Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine, and several Coalition Members of Parliament, were present.
As recently as in November 2022, Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal had called out the APNU/AFC Opposition for urging the persons occupying the Government reserves not to relocate. As such, he had said the Opposition was being ‘reckless’ and was not interested in the development and upliftment of the very people it claims to represent.
Croal further noted that the process to remove the squatters was done in a way to minimise living disruption of the families, while making sure that homeownership is legally achieved as a means of building generational wealth.
Last week, the Minister asserted that these tactics, supported by the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), are to stymie developmental works carried out by his Government. He also reiterated that Government reserves have always been set aside for developmental works and expansion; and moreover, it is illegal to occupy such lands.