— Zana Frank
ZANA Frank, the embattled Deputy Deeds Registrar, has said it was never her intention to

maliciously involve Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams in the ongoing matter surrounding her appointment and payment.

In an “Affidavit in Reply” to the High Court, Frank said: “I will contend that I never sought to maliciously involve the Minister, but it is rather the response received from the Human Resource Manager and Secretary of the Deeds and Commercial Registry Authority Board, Shyam Doodnauth, that did implicate the Minister.”

According to Frank, she had enquired about her salary, and in response, the Human Resource Manager advised that she should have consulted with the Legal Affairs Minister on the matter.
“Thus it is correct to say that the Minister does not pay salaries. I never purported to state such, but it is rather Mr. Doodnauth who directed that I should have consulted the Minister, as mentioned in his Letter dated 3rd August, 2016,” she stated.

Frank had, in August, moved to the High Court to have removed the directive preventing her from functioning. The Deputy Deeds Registrar alleged that the Attorney General attempted to block the decision of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to appoint her, but instead influenced the appointment of Penelope Whyte as the acting Deputy Registrar, though she is not an attorney.

However, in an affidavit in answer filed in the High Court, the Legal Affairs Minister denied assertions made by the Deputy Deeds Registrar that he had given directions for the JSC to appoint Penelope Whyte to the post of Deputy Registrar of Deeds (ag)

However, Williams is maintaining that Frank is unsuitable for the post. In his affidavit in response, dated August 26, he has asked for her application for the Writs of Certiorari, Mandamus and Prohibition to be discharged. According to the affidavit, Registrar of Deeds Azeena Baksh, by virtue of a letter dated December 1 and addressed to Williams, indicated that only a Deputy Registrar can act on her behalf when she proceeds on vacation. Baksh, according to the affidavit, suggested a “virtual shutdown” of the authority if she were to proceed on leave and not have a Deputy Registrar in place.

Williams submitted that the suggestion by Baksh was “erroneous, since by virtue of Section 13 (2), the Assistant Registrar of Deeds could perform the functions of the Registrar of Deeds, subject to her instructions.”

In November 2015, Penelope Whyte, who is said to have 15 years’ experience in the Deeds Registry and 29 years in the Ministry of Legal Affairs, applied to the board for the post of Assistant Registrar of Deeds.

By virtue of a letter dated November 16, 2015, Registry Supervisor of the Deeds Registry, Aretha Quinn, wrote the Secretary of the Board complaining about the trend of sidelining persons for unknown reasons and the need for employees to be treated fairly based on their experience, qualifications, and in accordance with workers’ rights.

As a result of the letters, the board, at its meeting on December 10, 2015, discussed the contents and supported the Minister of Legal Affairs’ proposal to appoint Whyte as the Assistant Registrar of Deeds on the grounds that the holder of the post must have an LLB Degree and two years’ experience in conveyancing; or 10 years’ experience in the authority.