Volume No. 2 Issue No. 12 - Monday September 10, 2007
Lawyer says he erred
 Reprinted from the Chronicle Newspaper
Prime minister Skeritt
|
The land controversy involving Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit took a new twist with Attorney-at-Law, Stephen Isidore stating that he has erred on the land transactions he handled on behalf of the Dominican leader.
Isidore issued a statement saying that he was retained by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit to assist him in the purchase of a parcel of land namely 2.989 acres of land at Wall House Estate and the registration of 2.06 acres of land in Trafalgar and to apply for Certificates of Title to both properties.
In a statement dated September 4, 2007 and sent to media houses, Isidore stated that there is a signed agreement of sale executed between Leopold Emmanuel and Roosevelt Skerrit for the sale of 2.989 acres at Wall House Estate for the sum of $140, 283.00. �Based on my own personal involvement and knowledge, the 2.06 acres of land in Trafalgar was given to the Honourable Prime Minister as a gift by Ms. Marina Shillingford.
On each occasion the Prime Minister gave me copies of the plans for both parcels of land. I subsequently calculated the transfer fees, which were to be paid by him in respect of each transaction and informed him of the amount.
The Prime Minister then sent me the fees for the 2.06 acres of land and the fees for the 2.989 acres were sent to me by the Royal Bank of Canada,� he said.
He stated further, that he prepared the two applications for the Certificates of Title for Roosevelt Skerrit and submitted the documents to the Registry and subsequently obtained the Certificates of Title for the two parcels of land.
That matter has been the central point of public discussion and Isidore claims that he may have erred in some respects as it relates to the calculation of the transfer fees.
�Based on discussions I have had with my more experienced colleagues, I believe that I have made a mistake in the calculation of the fees in respect of the Leopold Emmanuel transfer and consequently I will take steps to rectify it and ensure that the correct transfer fees are paid,� Isidore stated.
According to Isidore, given the intense public discussion that this �unfortunate matter� has generated, he wishes to state clearly and emphatically that the Prime Minister and he had no discussion whatsoever concerning the calculation of the fees payable in respect of each transaction.
�I was the one who prepared the documents, calculated the fees and informed him of the amounts to be paid by him.�
And, as it relates to questions in relation to the 2.06 acres of land in Trafalgar, Isidore states that from his involvement and knowledge, he knows that Marina Shillingford gave the land to Mr. Skerrit as a gift and he was also the person who prepared the Memorandum of Transfer as part of the application for the Certificate of Title.
�In preparing the Memorandum of Transfer, I inserted the sum of $90,000.00 as the consideration for the land. I did so because it was my understanding of the law and practice that I had to use the form contained in the Schedule of the Title by Registration Act and that I also had to state a figure or value on the Memorandum of Transfer for the purpose of transfer fees.�
�From my discussions with my colleagues, I now accept that I should not have included the figure of $90, 000 on the Memorandum of Transfer at all. Instead I should have stated the consideration as �love and affection and $1.00 ECD� and submit the valuation to show the value for the calculation of transfer fees.�
�I did not insert the sum of $90,000 on the Memorandum of Transfer to show or indicate that Roosevelt Skerrit paid $90,000 to Ms. Shillingford. That is simply not true. Mr. Skerrit did not pay for the land, as there was no purchase price on which the fees could be calculated.
I included the value of the land on the Memorandum of Transfer. The figure of $90,000.00 came from a valuation prepared by Mr. Balthazar Watt, a licensed surveyor and valuer, and I included it on the Memorandum solely in order to show a value for transfer fees purposes and for no other reason,� the young lawyer stated.
Meantime, retired Nurse Marina Ingrid Shillingford said that her deceased father left her over 80 acres of land in Hartington and at another location. �Most people feel that we have the greatest Prime Minister in the Caribbean, so I decided to give my Prime Minister two acres of land as a gift since I can afford it. I was told about a story in The Times newspaper and was very upset about it�� she said.
Read related articles
Million dollar assets, $5 000 salary
Prime Minister Responds
|
|
