After hearing submissions on whether or not to lift an injunction with respect to a disputed lot that the Lands Department transferred to family members of the former CEO of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Beverly Castillo, Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin indicated to the parties that he will rule on the matter on Tuesday, January 28.
Castillo resigned from her CEO post to enter politics. Before she resigned, however, a lot, located at the corner of Albert Hoy and Chetumal Streets, which was leased to Bernadette Pickwood, was transferred to Castillo’s mother, Maud Williams and her (Castillo’s) son, Mervin Castillo.
Late last December, however, Bernadette Pickwood, through her attorney, Audrey Matura-Shepherd, obtained a Supreme Court injunction that put the brakes on the construction that was being carried out on the lot by Castillo’s family.
Pickwood claimed that the Lands Department cancelled her lease for the prime piece of real estate, without issuing the proper notice. The Lands Department, however, claimed that Pickwood’s lease was cancelled because she had breached the lease condition.
Following the hearing, Matura-Shepherd explained to reporters that the defendant in the case, the Lands Department, applied to the court to have the injunction removed, while her client wants it to remain in place.
“What we have this evening was the Chief Justice hearing the arguments for or against us, saying why it should remain, and them saying why it shouldn’t remain. He has not given his decision whether to discharge it or not, but the order today is that it remains in effect until the 28th of January, which is next week Tuesday, at which time he will give his decision,” Matura-Shepherd said.
Matura-Shepherd said that the government’s position is that Pickwood had breached the lease condition and is not entitled to any benefit.
She added that the government side argued that there is a remedy for Pickwood; instead of recovering ownership of the lease, she could receive monetary compensation.
“The ways it could go, it could be injunction remains until the end of the hearing. If no injunction remains, there is still a hearing. If injunction remains and there is settlement, or (it could be that) no injunction and there is an application by the different defendants to try and not even make the matter reach the court,” Matura-Shepherd explained.
Bernadette Pickwood’s brother, Bernard Pickwood, said it is not a good feeling to have to go to this level to seek the justice they think is due to them. Pickwood said it is a cost that they don’t think they should incur.
“The best way for them to have corrected that, given the interest that my sister has had in this land for more than 30 years versus 2 months that the defendants have, I think it is clear-cut that they should have just corrected that error and just have given them another option [another land],” Pickwood said.
Magali Perdomo from the Solicitor General’s office represented the Ministry of Natural Resources, and attorney Vanessa Retreage appeared for Beverly Castillo, Maud Williams and Mervin Castillo.