Govt. to strengthen laws and systems to combat property fraud
AG announces steps to make Official Gazette more accessible to the public
Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall.
Kaieteur News – The Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, SC, have announced several plans to strengthen the laws and systems to combat property fraud.
During a live broadcast of the program, Government in Action, last week, the AG stressed the importance of protecting citizens from property fraud.
He noted that there were dozens of cases where Guyanese fraudulently lost their property, “through no fault of their own,” but because of a lack of understanding of the laws and systems governing the sale and transfer of property.
“We have had a problem in Guyana where dozens of people have lost property through no fault of their own, but simply by people who commit dishonest acts, as well as institutional failure on the part of the agencies, whose responsibility it is to protect their own process and by extending the interests of the Guyanese propriety, ”he said.
AG Nandlall noted that while there may be gaps in the law and systems that allow for the illegal activities, the lack of adequate due diligence by citizens and their attorneys also plays a role.
He said the Official Gazette, for example, was crucial to the sale and transfer of property. “All important laws and notices are required to be published in the Official Gazette,” said the AG.
Under his previous stint as PE, Nandlall had taken steps to publish the Official Gazette online. Published copies of the Official Gazette may also be purchased, but only at the President’s Office.
The Attorney General said that one of the main reasons fraud is occurring is the inaccessibility of the Official Gazette. As such, he said steps would be taken to make the index more accessible to the public.
“The President’s Office cannot be the only place where the Official Gazette can be purchased. The President’s Office is not accessible to all members of the public and the atmosphere and environment of the President’s Office is one that can be daunting … for many people, “said Nandlall, adding that there is no reason why he cannot the Gazette being accessible in Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) and Neighborhood Democratic Councils (NDCs), post offices or even pop-up shops and stores nationwide.
He also stated that, following discussions with Guyana National Printers Limited on improving the accessibility of the Official Gazette, he is in the process of producing a Cabinet paper to support the initiative.
He suggested that this could be a means of protecting citizens and their property from fraudulent activities.
“We can also put it on social media, on popular websites that are easily accessible to the public,” said Nandlall, of plans to get the Official Gazette popularized and publicized.
Meanwhile, AG Nandlall is urging the public to familiarize themselves with the Official Gazette and to continually check the updated publications to ensure their properties are not listed for sale. The Attorney General also said the issue needed more public education because “everyone has a duty to protect their property.”
During the interview, the AG said that it is vitally important that the Government protects its citizens and their property from fraudulent activities. The Attorney General said fraudsters forged documents and sold the property of people they are unfamiliar with: “This type of fraudulent behavior has happened repeatedly, especially recently, with alarming prevalence, considering probably the profanity, which now endangers criminals, as well as the fact that you have it, technological advances and fraud probably manifest itself in many ways. “
Referring to recent fraudulent incidents, AG Nandlall said that he had asked the Head of Crime to launch a “full-blown” investigation into the matter.
“If there is a Public Notary involved, who may have exercised a Power of Attorney, investigate that component of the transaction. Obviously, the matter was filed in the Registry of Deeds, investigation of that component, and investigation of the officers. If it was advertised in the Official Gazette, then let the investigation go there as well and let us see where the fraud actually happened, ”he said.
It is against this background that the Government intends to examine the administrative equipment and the statutory framework to improve the system, both in terms of law and the administrative process. This was supported by a call from the Caribbean Court of Justice to examine the legal framework.