Dear Editor
BETWEEN January-March 2019, Mr Deodat and his agents came and used his machine and wilfully destroyed crops of members of the Belle Vue Co-op in Fields # 3, 4, 5 & 6, worth several millions of dollars; the police from Wales Police Station, the Ministry for Social Protection, Minister Keith Scott and the Department of Cooperatives did practically nothing to stop this destruction and illegal occupation of our land.

During this unjust and wilful destruction of our crops, some farmers and their families came out to their cultivation and were trying to prevent\stop Mr Deodat, his agents and his machine from entering their cultivation and destroying their crops, etc. When the police showed up, it appears that based on their actions, that they were more interested in removing the farmers from the field dam-bed, rather than stop and prevent the machine from going into the farmers’ cultivated area to destroy their crops.

Can Minister Keith Scott and probably Mr Aubrey Norton tell us what Minister Scott told Mr Deodat, and if he really told him to stop his illegal and unjust destruction of the members\farmers’ crops? Editor, after the first day of this destruction, Minister Keith Scott and Mr Aubrey Norton from the Ministry of the Presidency came to Belle Vue Scheme one morning, to meet with the members\farmers, to listen to the farmers’ complaints and see their cultivation and the damage to their crops.

It was reported that during this meeting with the farmers, Minister Scott told them not to stop and or confront Mr Deodat and his agents, that he will talk to Mr Deodat and tell him to stop his destruction; that the ministry will deal with him. It was reported later in the same day of this meeting, that Mr Deodat came and brought more of his agents\ workers and with his machine continued to destroy our farmers’ crops with greater speed.

Editor, sometime in December 2018, I think it was a couple of days before the co-op members representatives \delegation had an appointment for a second meeting with President Granger, Minister Ronald Bulkan appointed investigator Mr O Clark at the Ministry of Communities. *Without prior notice\information, Minister Scott, Mr Francis Caryll, the CCDO and some of his staff came in the afternoon for the first time to meet with the Belle Vue Co-op members. *Minister Scott and his accompanying party were present during this roadside meeting\gathering on the West Bank Public Road, in front of our co-op office; it was then that Mr Deodat and his agents came and started an argument with Mr Beir, Mr Ferreira, Mr Balkarran, and the other members present.

During this shouting and arguing, Mr Deodat several times made threats that he will bring his machine and destroy the farmers’ crops, etc… When the farmers asked Minister Scott if he will report these threats to the police and let the police warn him, the minister told the farmers that whatever is said here let it stay here and went away.

Is hoarding of money illegal or a criminal offence? Before and after destroying our co-op members’ crops, it was reported that Mr Deodat is boasting that he have lots of money by the boatloads; that he can hire the best lawyer (s) and law firm to represent him. Later, he also boasted that he has friends who are senior police officers in Georgetown; that breeze cannot pass between them, and that is the reason the police officers from Wales Police Station cannot touch him and his agents.

Editor, if this is true or not, it needs to be investigated as soon as possible and if it is true, then disciplinary and legal action must be taken against these officers and this business person to stop the bad image that this can bring to the entire police force and the government. *Editor, we the legitimate members, wrote the President and the prime minister asking them to intervene and help us to get justice, compensation and the return of all our land and co-op rights.

It has been reported that some members have video, photographs and tape recordings as evidence of the destruction and the boasting of police favours, officials’ pandering, etc…. and the members are willing to show and play these, for the President, his ministers and the PPP/C MPs, if they are willing to make time to meet with the affected Belle Vue Co-op members. Some of the members with the information are afraid. The President, Ministry of Public Security and the prime minister must meet with these members and take the necessary action to protect these members and the information for future legal action. Editor, many of the co-op members are afraid of losing their lands and rights to their co-op society.

It was reported that some of the members are suffering from low esteem \low morale, undue stress, stroke and death because of this injustice, coercion and loss of income and the constant pandering and dilatory behaviour of some officials in the Department of Cooperatives and the Ministry of Social Protection. Editor, Our Belle Vue Cane farmers’ Marketing Co-op Society –Reg # 967, is one of the oldest or the oldest Cane farmers Marketing Co-op Society in Guyana and are made up of 55 peasant farmers, from Belle Vue Pilot Scheme, West Bank Demerara. *2017 July –August: the majority of members (over 33), met more than once and the members democratically elected a new committee of management and also decided to go into Other crop farming on their cane lands.

See members signed petition, using Regulation # 16 of the Co-op Act. August 2017: the members elected representatives, applied for arbitration and requested Mr Yoganand Persaud to be appointed arbitrator. A copy of this signed arbitration form was submitted to the Chief Cooperatives Development Officer (CCDO), Ministry of Social Protection; the Ministry of Communities; Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of the Presidency and the Office of the Prime Minister. See Part IX-Disputes, Section # 49 of the Co-op Act. We are still waiting to hear from the CCDO and the Ministry of Social Protection about our request for arbitration.

Editor, Ramnarine (Aron), Balkarran and M Ramadhin have among them lost over G$6M through destruction of our other-crops farm. We had approximately two acres of cassava and sweet potatoes; approximately 1/2 acres of eddoes and dasheen, bora, ochroes, pumpkins, squash, peppers, cucumbers and over 300 plantain suckers(plants); over 350 three-year coconut trees; eight soursop trees; 20 katahar trees; 15 papaya trees and other plants. There are many other members who have suffered great losses too. The Belle Vue Co-op legitimate members and their families want justice and compensation, NOW!
*All for Law & Order and Social Justice! All for the Development of our Village Economy.

Regards
Shyam Balkarran