Attorney Jawara S Mobota has said that his long-standing client Percy Thomas (deceased) had instructed him to prepare his last will, in which Thomas appointed his grandson Roger Austin Benedict Monroe as his sole executor.
Monroe is the PNM’s Toco Sangre Grande candidate.
Mobota said in a statement yesterday that he is the legal personal representative for the estate of Thomas and that he’s also Monroe’s attorney.
He issued a statement after family members of Thomas recently indicated that contrary to what Monroe had told another newspaper, “there was compelling evidence in their possession to back up their claims about an alleged particular financial transaction” Monroe conducted following the passing of their father.
They refuted allegations that they had abandoned the ailing Thomas and want police to reopen a fraud investigation into Monroe for allegedly using an expired power of attorney to withdraw money from his grandfather’s account two days after he died in February 2015. But Monroe has said his “hands are clean.”
Yesterday attorney Mobota said in his statement, “The claims of some of the beneficiaries as to Roger Monroe’s want of bonafides are completely unsupported and I must say politically motivated.”
Mobota said “Mr Percy Thomas (deceased) late of 27 1/2 Eastern Main Road, Damarie Hill, Guaico, Manzanilla, Trinidad was my long-standing client. Mr Thomas instructed me to prepare for him his last will and testament dated the 4th day of December 2014 whereby he appointed his grandson Roger Austin Benedict Monroe as his sole executor.”
“Mr Thomas died on the February 7, 2015 without revoking or altering the said will. However, during various dates in January and February 2015, just before his demise, Mr Thomas had given to another attorney instructions to prepare for him several deeds of gift and a Memorandum of Transfer with respect to five parcels of land mentioned in the will.”
“Of these five parcels of land, two were bequeathed to Roger Monroe absolutely, one he was entitled to with two other beneficiaries, subject to the condition that same be not sold during the lifetime of Hazel Ann Hayes; one to him alone, subject to the same condition, and one to him alone, subject to a life interest of Hazel Ann Hayes.”
“The Deeds and Instrument prepared by said Attorney at law were all certified by him as having been read audibly to the donor who appeared to have thoroughly understood same before affixing his right thumbprint. The attorney-at-law also took the precaution of obtaining a medical report as to the capacity of the donor to understand and transact his own affairs.”
“A grant of probate of the will was obtained on the June 8, 2018 after successive caveats were filed on behalf of Darren and Shurland Thomas only. Efforts were made to settle the claims of the beneficiaries who felt that they should have been entitled to a greater share of the estate by way of both correspondence and meetings. There is no outstanding issue pertaining to unpaid monies from the account of the deceased at the RBC Bank.”
Mobota added, “The executor has been unable to file an account as is required by law because of the failure of the parties to reach an accord on the distribution and/or sale of certain parcels of land to realise the funds necessary to afford the pecuniary legacies in the will, and to agree in general the distribution and settling of the estate in the circumstances outlined.”