Parliament seeking advice on monies owed

…as Peter Ramsaroop withdraws case

Rental of Bel Air property

Officials of the Parliament of Guyana are seeking legal advice on the way forward for recouping funds in excess of $1.5 million, as the dispute over who owes the security deposit and other payments for a Bel Air property continues.
In a brief interview with Guyana Times on Wednesday, Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs confirmed reports that the property owner, Dr Peter Ramsaroop had withdrawn the lawsuit he had filed for non-payment of rent and the security deposit.

“The Deputy Clerk (Hermina Gilheous) who signed the contract with Mr Ramsaroop was told by the [Attorney General’s] Chambers not to be in court, because the matter was withdrawn,” Isaacs noted.
This publication had obtained a copy of the legal proceedings, which show that Minister within the Natural Resources Ministry, Simona Broomes was a co-defendant in a default of over $1 million in house rental payments as a Member of Parliament (MP). The payments were owed for the period November 2016 to January 2017. However, the National Assembly Clerk noted that Parliament could take steps to retrieve the monies that it believed it was owed.
“We have to contact the AG’s chambers, the Deputy Clerk only yesterday (Tuesday) told me this; we are guided by the AG’s chambers, [but] I don’t know what they would do,” Isaacs stressed.
This newspaper was told that while the Parliament was yet to officially act on the matter, the body was said to be waiting on the return of its accounting officer, who signed the contract. Thereafter, Parliament officials will meet with operatives of the AG’s chambers for advice.

Before the suit was withdrawn, the plaintiff, Dr Peter Ramsaroop, had taken to the court against three co-defendants – the Attorney General of Guyana, Basil Williams; the Parliament of Guyana and Minister Broomes.
The lawsuit had noted that on January 13, 2016, the plaintiff, for his Lot 27 Jacaranda Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown property, entered into a written Agreement of Tenancy with the Parliament of Guyana, the second defendant, represented therein by the Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, for the said body to let the premises from February 1, 2016 to February 1, 2017 at a monthly rental of the Guyana dollar equivalent of US$2500 (GYD $520,000).
According to the Agreement of Tenancy, upon signing, a deposit of the Guyana Dollar equivalent of US$7500 (GYD $1,560,000), being two months’ rent and a security deposit, was to be made and was duly made by the tenant to the plaintiff.
The withdrawn suit alleged that Parliament was in breach of the Tenancy Agreement, claiming that the second defendant had “failed, refused and/or neglected to pay to the plaintiff the said sum of the Guyana Dollar equivalent of US$7500 (GYD $1,560,000).