Former food production minister Vasant Bharath has found himself the victim of an ongoing land fraud issue and while reports have been made to the T&T Police (TTPS) relating to the identity of the illegal occupant, Bharath said the land grabber is yet to be detained and charged in relation to the offence.
Bharath, who served under Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s administration confirmed that the seven-acre parcel at Ravine Sable was bequeathed by his grandmother for “all her grandchildren.”
Bharath is one of the beneficiaries of the land.
He broke his silence on the heels of then agriculture minister Clarence Rambharat raising an alarm over a large number of fraud and corruption matters taking place with respect to lands and a promise this week by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley that land fraud matters were currently engaging the attention of the TTPS.
Rambharat, who resigned from Rowley’s Cabinet on March 16, is expected to take up a position in an entity called the Single Point Land Management Authority to address problems relating to the use of State lands.
Land management will also be brought under Rowley’s purview.
“It is a national epidemic. I am putting things in place to deal with all the breaches,” Rowley was quoted in the T&T Guardian two weeks ago.
Investigations into land fraud and corruption by the Fraud Squad and Anti-Corruption Bureau of Investigations led to the arrest and charge of four men last month, three of whom were Ministry of Agriculture employees.
The officers also seized forged documents purportedly issued by the Commissioner of State Lands, a stamp and seal.
Pressed to comment on the ongoing land scam and corruption being unearthed, Bharath replied.
“Actually I am a victim of that (land grabbing) right now.”
He explained that his grandmother who passed away left seven acres of private land in Ravine Sable “for her grandchildren,” including him “for which we have the deed.”
Three years ago, Bharath said to their shock they noticed the land was being cleared.
The police were called in but no one was caught trespassing on the property.
Then the land was fenced by the illegal occupant.
Bharath said that each time the police visited the land no one was found.
“The police basically say they have to catch them in the act. So, it has been a cat and mouse game between the police and the person trespassing on the land.”
Admitting that land fraud has become prevalent, Bharath said “the issue is if I am having problems getting the police to intervene, you could imagine somebody else who does not have that kind of ability to pick up the phone and call somebody.”
As to who has been behind the land grab?
Bharath has recently chaired two sessions of a platform called “T&T Speaks” one of which took place on Saturday at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya.
“We believe is somebody from the area who has been selling lands to people. And they may have sold this land or they are parcelling it out for sale. We have no proof,” Bharath said.
Bharath said family members who live in the area are afraid to intervene for fear of being killed or wounded.
“You go and confront somebody and they chop you and shoot you. And people as a result just stay away. My cousins have said that they are not going to confront the people when they see them.”
Bharath said the trespasser feels emboldened while the owner feels unprotected by the legal system.
“A number of people in this country undergo that situation...where people illegally occupy their lands and eventually take it. And then they go and get a false deed for the land which makes it even more difficult particularly where you have elderly people in the country who own lands and their children aren’t around.”
In many instances, he said, these people did not have the resources to deal with the matter legally.
Bharath could not put a value on the land but he said it would be worth a pretty penny.
“When my grandmother died the area was virtually uninhabited but over the years a number of large houses have been built up in the area. So of course, the land value has increased significantly.”
Bharath described the incident as “shocking.”