By Prior Beharry
THE organisation that led the failed 1990 coup d’état, the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen of Mucurapo, has been served with a notice to quit lands it is illegally occupying off the Audrey Jeffers Highway.
No other action has been taken against the Jamaat for illegal clearing, stockpiling materials and allegedly erecting billboards on these lands.
This was revealed to AZP News in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Fuad Abu Bakr, the son of former leader of the Jamaat Yasin Abu Bakr, said that it was a mistake by the Commissioner of State Lands (COSL) and that that piece of land is part of the overall 8.8 acres given to the organisation by the State more than 30 years ago. Bakr promised to send documentary evidence to support his statement, but none was forthcoming before this article was published.
Current head of the Jamaat Iman Sadiq Al Razi would only say that the organisation was well within its rights but did not specify which lands he was speaking about.
The information obtained under the FOIA revealed that based on a July 19, 2001, survey, the boundaries for the Jamaat are:
- North – Mucurapo Road;
- South – South Trunk Main Reserve;
- East – Road Reserve; and
- West – Bournes Road Ravine and Sewer Trunk Main Reserve.
It was revealed that the COSL and the Land Management Division (LMD) are aware that for the past two years the Jamaat, of #1 Mucurapo Road, has been filling and clearing acres of State land it did not previously occupy on the northern side of the Audrey Jeffers Highway and south of its compound. According to the LMD, it has requested an updated survey plan of the area from the Director of Surveys.
The information revealed that the former minister of agriculture, land and fisheries Clarence Rambharat was made aware of the issue in 2020 and gave instructions to the LMD to investigate it.
The COSL stated that an investigation was also launched into the issue after an article in the Trinidad Guardian of May 18, 2020. The story quoted then Jamaat head Yasin Abu Bakr as saying they were just doing some cleaning.
The FOIA answers revealed that a Quit Notice, dated July 23, 2021, was served on the Jamaat on August 12, 2021. A copy of the Quit Notice, obtained by AZP News, noted that Fuad Abu Bakr, received it but refused to sign it.
The document also revealed that the COSL neither gave permission to erect billboards on the State lands off the Audrey Jeffers Highway nor is collecting rent for them. The COSL is also unaware of who is renting the billboards on the lands.
Contacted on Friday, Bakr said when the notice was served he and his late father had a conversation with the officials telling them that it was a mistake.
He said, “I know people who might be interested in the property for quite some time. But from a legal perspective once they do their research they would realise that the parcel of lands given initially to the Islamic Missionary Guild and then transferred to the Jamaat al Muslimeen was 8.8 acres.
“Any division thereafter that they sought to create stating that part is state land and part is (Port of Spain City) corporation land is just erroneous and ridiculous and I don’t think that that will ever materialise. And I think that most individuals including those in the government and otherwise they are aware of that and that is why none of the lands has ever been utilised. It has only been utilised and occupied by the Jamaat al Muslimeen.”
He said he told officials of the COSL that they were well aware that the parcel of land was granted to the Jamaat al Muslimeen more than 30 years ago.
Bakr said the land in question has been occupied by the Jamaat much longer than two years. He said even before July 1990 there were a number of structures including the foundation for a school.
He said, “We explained to the COSL that factually they have some type of misunderstanding and if they want documents dating back to more than 30 years, that Jamaat had 8.8 acres and initially bounded by the sea and there have been some development.”
Bakr said the Jamaat had even planted a number of crops including peppers, bananas, caraille and barbadine that were shared within its community.
Asked about the billboards, he said he did not know what was the fixation with them.
He admitted that the state officials had asked them to stop the stockpiling of materials on the land in question, but Bakr said, “how can we quit when we utilising our property in a beneficial manner.”
The Commission of Enquiry into the Jamaat’s attempted coup that began on July 27, 1990, stated that a key feature of the survey plans since 1969 is that they identify a Sewerage Trunk Reserve (STR), 80 feet wide, which traverses the entirety of the 8 acres, 2 roods, 5 perches originally under the possession of the Islamic Missionary Guild.
The STR in effect demarcates two separate parcels of land in different ownership but comprising, in total, 8 acres, 2 roods, 5 perches.
The Commission found that that parcel or portion of land north of the STR and comprising 1.5203 hectares is owned by the city corporation. That parcel or portion of land, south of the STR and comprising 1.9324 hectares is owned by the State.
It is clear that there is a dispute as to the extent of the land that the Jamaat is entitled to occupy and the possible encroachment on State lands, as provided for in the State Lands Act.
AZP News intends to solicit further information from the COSL as to how that office intends to move forward on this issue and has also sought comment from the recently appointed Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Kazim Hosein.
