A letter confirming approval by Town Planning for Steven Close Subdivision. Nine families paid mortgages and invested 1.3 million in the development that never happened. Denise Burrows an unlicensed realtor is the individual at the center of the scam, cannot be found and is believed to have skipped town.
Nassau Bahamas – Comments levied against the Progressive Liberal Party on Monday 22nd in the House of Assembly by Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham where he said “they [PLP] are shameless men and women…” could backfire today as a scandalous story has once again come over the head of a sitting member of the FNM, Sen. Hon. Dion Foulkes.
Some nine families held a press conference implicating that the current Minister of Labour and Maritime Affairs along with a former FNM senator Mr. Desmond Edwards had committed alleged fraud along with a realtor who have left the Bahamas after collecting the money for homes to be built in a new subdivision just off Cowpen Road.
The nine Families that have invested some $1.3 million dollars into the proposed subdivision named Steven Close, presented their case to the media yesterday calling for the resignation of the Minister of Labour.
The spokesman for the group announced their intention to call for the resignation of Sen. Hon. Dion Foulkes from the Cabinet of The Bahamas, and also said that they also intend to write to the Bahamas Bar Association to have former FNM Senator Desmond Edwards disbarred. The unlicensed realtor is one Denise Burrows who is alleged to have left town is the individual at the centre of the scam. It was noted that the unlicensed realtor ran adverts in the newspapers announcing the sale of homes packages for the proposed new subdivision.
“I work so hard all my life to have attain something what I can call my own and here it looks like everything is being thrown out of the window …there should be some retribution as to whatever has happened…whomever it my be whether it is the bank, Desmond Edward or Minister Dion Foulkes. You cannot have a high-powered individual in the community who claims he represent the people, put families in stress. That is not right and it is not fair.” Scammed but hopeful homeowner Deron Davis said.
“This is like a big scandal lawyers them sitting in Senate and talking as if they doing good for the people and they checking for the people and this is not right. The bank did not do their job, the lawyer s did not do their jobs, the real estate agent isn’t licensed, and we found all this out afterwards because we did everything the bank asked.” Scammed but hopeful homeowner Ms. Tanya Rodgers told the media gathered.
This is not the first time Cabinet Minister Dion Foulkes has been embroiled in an alleged scandal. It was back during the 2001 leadership race of the FNM when then the opposition PLP exposed questionable contracts issued by Minister Foulkes who served as the Minister of Education. However later in his investigation Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham found Mr. Foulkes innocent of the allegations.
Minister Foulkes issued a statement to the press earlier today stating that whilst his firm had only dealt with two of the transactions, he nor his firm had any interest in the proposed subdivision.
“The suggestion that the subdivision was not approved and that mortgage transactions were therefore out of order is simply not true.”
“A letter granting approval in principle was issued by the Department of Physical Planning on 15th September 2004 (Ref No. S/S/117) and it was on the basis of that letter that the developers were able to proceed.” Minister Foulkes said.
“The developers have good title to the land and are in possession of a valid conveyance.” Minister Foulkes said.
However according to the current owner of the property Mr. Garon Hepburn, the unlicensed realtor of Reality Homes began building on the property before they completed any payment for the property. Mr. Hepburn therefore concluded that his company still owns the land.
In a surprising twist of things a source close to the PLP noted that the opposition plans to deal with this latest revelation on the practices of the current Minister of Labour, as they had warned the public in 2001 of the ‘questionable dealing of Mr. Foulkes when he was Minister of Education.
“This latest revelation comes as no surprise to us within the PLP, as we know that there are men and women in the FNM who have serious public records no one can trust. This is just a start of many things that will come to the public light.” The PLP source said.
“The FNM said you can trust them, but yet today two FNM lawyers, one a sitting member of the Cabinet is caught up in a serious alleged land scam. Lets see if the Prime Minister will deal with this.” The PLP source noted.
Opposition leader Perry Christie plans will hold a mass meeting at Gambier House tomorrow night.
The nine homeowners begged for a solution on their investment and they also want someone connected to this scam to be prosecuted.
This is a PLP witch hunt, let by the disgraced Bradley Roberts who should have been jailed for raped adn Omar Archer the crook from City Market
By Elcott
Suffice it to say, Senator Foulkes must resign as both Senator and Minister. His actions also warrant dismissal from the Bahamas Bar. I am curious about how the PM will handle this in light of his much hyped “Trust Agenda” and his bravado at the candidates presentation ceremony. He assured the Bahamian people that none of his candidates could be so “stupid or foolish” as to become embroiled in questionable and ethically challenged situations. He promised to take immediate and decisive actions if this ever was to be the case. Thus far he has done neither. We will watch and wait.
Elcott
Obviously you do!
Baby Girl wrote:
I agree. When the client contacts the bank, he/she is required to contact his/her lawyer (usually one from the banks approved list of lawyers) who is expected to conduct a full search(title, conveyance etc). It is then on the word of the attorney(once everything is in order) that the mortgage is granted by the bank.
“Mr. Foulkes maintained that the developers have good title to the land and are in possession of a valid conveyance.” It is more than likely on these grounds that the mortgage was granted.
My question is: Where are the other 7 lawyers? Shouldn’t they be just as “responsible”?
islandgyal wrote:
why would the lawyers be at fault here? the realtors, the developers … i can understand going after them. but would foulkes be liable for the actions of his clients, other than filing their legal paperwork?
ching357’s wrote:
Tell me if Dion said his office dealt with this matter and said to have done what was required is he still guilty?
If so how come Allison Maynard crazy gibson on two project deals she dealt with didn’t or isn’t being question herself?
Besides that this isn’t a scandle for the FNM but maybe Dion,even so do you think Shame would be found guilty in the housing scandle investigation,when some of his own so call PLP friends said and know of money he was getting pre-house.
Net Connect wrote:
If found guilty of fraud, Foulkes and Edwards must pay.
Alien wrote:
But what about the land scandal?
watsayu wrote:
These are the ideas of a lost party trying to grasp power, they are been ignored to the hilts.. who cares about a cry baby named parry christie….or his crooked bunch of PLPs crooks…
bahamiangoddess wrote
WHO THE HELL DOES HAVE MASS MEETINGS!!!
The people in those jacked up LOW COST GOVERNMENT homes, along with the taxpayers who will now foot the cost for the extensive repairs needed to those brand new homes needs to prosecute Shame Gibson.
When Hubert was telling Christie and Sears they ought to be ashamed, he should have included Shame too.
canesfins
Registered User
Re: Alleged Land Scandal Engulf Fnm Minister
Why we continue to re-hash politicians, and specifically politicians with questionable historical dealings is beyond me. I wonder what the bar is going to do, probably not much since it does not have all that much teath to enforce wrong acts.
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