Corruption again in the AFC

THE Alliance For Change (AFC) seems to be in trouble with ethical and moral principles and the law, once again.

Executive member of AFC, Mr. Charrandass Persaud, attorney-at-law, who was a candidate for that party in the 2011 General Elections, has found himself in the middle of an investigation of fraud in respect of a property situated at Lot 7 Blairmont, West Bank Berbice.

A judge of the High Court in Berbice has ordered a police investigation into the matter when the alleged fraud came to the judge’s knowledge while the judge was hearing an application in the High Court of Berbice for Title to be issued for the land.

In an Affidavit in support of Summons, sworn to by Harmati Bissoon of Lot 7 Blairmont, West Bank Berbice, which was drawn by Mr. Charrandass Persaud and dated 6th March, 2013, Bissoon deposed that she purchased a property at Lot 7 Blairmont, West Bank Berbice, from Basdai and Hooblall Umrao for US$13,000 while the parties were in New York.

In that very affidavit, Harmati Bissoon also deposed that the vendors have no agent to pass title and that their whereabouts are unknown to her since 2008, despite the fact that she made several attempts to contact them. It is on this basis that she petitioned the Court to pass Title to her.

However, the records at the Land Registry established that the same Basdai Umrao filed documents to transfer the very property to Harmati Bissoon on 31st January, 2013, that is only three months before. These documents were all prepared again by Charrandass Persaud, attorney-at-law for both parties and signed by those parties.

This transfer document was supported by Affidavit of Vendor and Affidavit of Purchaser, sworn to by the same Basdai Umrao and Harmati Bissoon, all being done on 31st January, 2013 and all prepared by Attorney-at-Law, Charrandass Persaud. Significantly also, the purchaser price which is stated on these affidavits is G$2,000,000 and not US$13,000 as stated in the previous affidavits.

Therefore, there is one set of documents prepared by Attorney-at-Law, Charrandass Persaud on 31st January, 2013, in which he claims that the purchaser could not have located the vendors since 2008 and then another set of documents, dated 6th March, 2013, a mere few months after, prepared by the same lawyer and signed by those very parties who, apparently not only found themselves but also colluded to change the purchase price.

Legal minds whom this newspaper consulted have expressed the view that if this is not criminal conduct, then, at minimum, it amounts to grave professional misconduct for which Mr. Charandass Persaud should be disciplined, if not charged by the police.

The same Charrandass Persaud was recently forced to apologise to a female medical doctor in Berbice after he made ridiculing and disparaging remarks about her at a public political meeting, of the AFC, in Berbice.

Mr. Charrandass was forced to apologise after there was widespread public condemnation of his verbal onslaught on the young doctor. On that occasion, the AFC distanced itself from him and the statements. The party may have to do so again.