…says protest action politically motivated

A NUMBER of rice farmers from the West Bank and West Coast of Demerara and Dr Turhane Doerga are at odds over outstanding payments for paddy supplied over a number of years, with the latter denying owing anyone of them “a single cent” and charging that protest action by the farmers are all politically motivated.

The farmers are accusing Dr Doerga of defaulting, but the businessman is denying the allegation being peddled against him, stating that the protest action is the work of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). On Wednesday, approximately 14 rice farmers picketed the Rumzeight Rice Processors/Alesie Facility on the West Coast of Demerara on the basis that Dr Doerga allegedly owes them a collective sum of $31.8M. However, there is reportedly another rice farmer in Essequibo who claims that he is owed in excess of $50M.
Dr Doerga reportedly owns or is closely associated with the Rumzeight Rice

Processors/Alesie Facility, and the rice farmers are calling on government to seize the property until the monies are paid over to them. According to the farmers, Dr Doerga, who owns or is closely associated with approximately 28 rice mills or processing facilities across the country, initiated a number of purchases, many of which date back to 2016, and the paddies were supplied to either Ruimzeight Rice Processors or Associated Rice Exporters Inc as agreed, but to date they are still awaiting their payments.

Jeetlall Ramraj, a rice farmer for more than 20 years, said though the court has ordered Dr Doerga and four individuals and entities to disburse payments to the tune of $12.4M for paddy supplied, a payment is yet to be made.

Ramraj, who led the protest on Wednesday, said in 2015 he started to supply Rumzeight Rice Processors based on commitments made by Dr Doerga. “He asked me, he come beg me, he and his son was holding meetings with me on a daily basis and promised to pay me,” the rice farmer said.

According to Ramraj, an initial payment of $8M was made to him for dried paddy supplied but before he knew it, the Rumzeight Rice Processors Facility had in excess of $36M outstanding for parts of 2015 and all of 2016. “He always paid cash. He had this girl Latchmie, signing all the time for him but he ah personally draw the cash and bring it,” Ramraj recalled.

It is alleged that that Dr Doerga paid part of the money owed to Ramraj and had some $12.4M outstanding. The matter was taken to court.
According to a High Court document seen by the Guyana Chronicle, the court, which was presided over by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall, ordered the defendants in the matter – Turhane Doerga (personally and in his capacity of Chairman of Alesie Group of companies), Vijay Doerga, Ruimzeight Rice Processors Inc., Ruimzeight Rice Industries Ltd., and Associated Rice Exporters Inc – to pay Ramraj $12, 478,129.57 ($12.4M) together with interest at the rate of 6 per cent per annum from July 4, 2017 to September 13, 2017 and thereafter at the rate of 4 per cent until fully paid. The defendants had not been present to present their case before the court. Judgment was on October 10, 2017.

I owe no one

But in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, a few hours after Dr Doerga, who was backed by Jinnah Rahaman, denied the claims, stating that neither he nor Alesie owes anyone.

Referencing the court matter alluded to by Jeetlall Ramraj, Dr Doerga said there is a rehearing today (Thursday February 22). In defending his position, Dr Doerga posited that Jeetlall Ramraj, the rice farmer, did business with a manager of Ruimzeight Rice Processors Inc., but the deal went sour. “He went to court and without anybody being heard, how he did it we don’t know, we got a court ruling and that court ruling will be reheard tomorrow,”

Dr Doerga said
Maintaining that he does not owe anyone, Dr Doerga said there are 22 rice farmers who are claiming to be owed by Ruimzeight Rice Processors Inc. The Ruimzeight Mill is owned by the Alesie Group, for which he (Dr Doerga) is a co-owner. According to him, the mill was closed more than one year ago, and is now being rented to a group of processors. “I put in some money in that but I lost all that money,” he posited.

Dr Doerga said he should be made to pay monies allegedly owed by companies that rent the facility at Ruimzeight. According to him, the rice farmers were set up by the PPP to bring his name into disrepute over their loss of the 2015 General and Regional Elections.
“Each one of them which is there are members of the PPP…it is a political matter. Mr Seeraj said…we owed a $100M, he is confusing that with a $100M he stole from GRDA, and is not paying it back,” Dr. Doerga alleged.

He said rice farmers should follow in the footsteps of Jeetlall Ramraj and take their concerns to court. However, he is maintaining that neither he nor Alesie owes anyone and all debts have been cleared. “It is said that Turhane Doerga owes, Turhane Doerga owes nobody a cent. Alesie left this shore a long time ago and owes nobody a cent, we paid all our bills. The properties are rented to companies and those companies do business, and if they don’t pay their bills, that is their story,” he maintained.

Meanwhile, Kawall Ramraj a rice farmer, also claimed that he has been doing business with Dr. Doerga for more than 20 years, but the payments were never consistent. “This man begged me for my paddy in 2016 and meh bring meh paddy and meh give am, and this man promise me to pay meh by the 15th November, 2016, by the 15th November, he close up this place and go ah Suriname,” Kawall Ramraj contended. PPP member Dharamkumar Seeraj, who was identified as the farmers’ representative, had joined the protest and called on Dr Deorga to pay money reportedly owed.