$156M HDC site Abandoned, Vandlised
Published: Sun, 2011-01-16 20:04
Shaliza Hassanali
HDC squatter Bruno Molinari.
A 59-year-old Canadian is illegally occupying one of the houses in a $156 million Housing Development Corporation (HDC) project in Chaguanas, while six Jamaicans are also living illegally on the site. The project—99 per cent complete—is overgrown with grass, while some 125,000 people are at their wits end as they wait for housing accommodation. A brief tour of the Lions Gate Development at Egypt Street, Enterprise, Chaguanas, constructed by Brave Lion for the HDC, showed several of the vandalised units covered in grass and vines. The glass windows of many units have been shattered, electrical wires severed, doors uprooted, kitchen counters smashed and tiles in washrooms yanked out.
Nearby, a group of workers was busy tying up the loose ends around a single unit on the site, which looked like a ghost town. Even the presence of security on the site, which is also limited, has helped to deter thieves and vandals. To compound matters, at least two of several contractors hired by Brave Lion to undertake work on the site are threatening legal action due to non payment amounting to millions. Bruno Molinari, who was paid $40,000 a month by Brave Lion as a site representative, claims he too is being owed $700,000 in outstanding payments.
Squatting in HDC house
With no money forthcoming, Italian-born Molinari, who resided in Canada, said he was forced to occupy one of the incomplete HDC units after Brave Lion could not pay his $11,000 rent. “I am squatting in one of HDC’s unit,” he said, pushing open the door to his new rent-free home, which had little furnishing. During the day, Molinari would relax and prepare his simple meals in Brave Lion’s site office, an air conditioned freight container. At nights, Molinari walks across to the HDC’s semi furnished single unit which has no pipe-borne water and electricity to sleep. In a corner of one of the bedrooms stands a 4 feet by 6 feet bed, while the living room has two single chairs with a brown vinyl covering the bare concrete flooring.
• Brave Lion was awarded a $156 million contract by the HDC to construct Lions Gate Development in April 2007.
• Brave Lion eventually retained the services of Genivar to assist in providing engineering, project and construction management services.
Molinari offered big perks
Within the next few weeks, Molinari said, he would be leaving Trinidad as a pauper. “I have to cut my losses and move on. I just want the country to know how I was treated. I never expected this to happen.” Captivated by the island’s beauty, Molinari said he wanted to live in Trinidad, but things did not work out. Of the 30 odd countries in which he has built houses, Molinari said Trinidad has left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“I constructed house in the jungle in Nigeria and was paid,” he added. Molinari said on November of 2010, he was forced to flee a three-bedroom house at Brook Street, Lange Park, Chaguanas after the landlord was owed $110,000 in rent. Molinari said he vacated the house to avoid any confusion or being levied upon. The rental of the upscale house, a $40,000-a-month salary and the enjoyment of an $187,000 Toyota van were part of the deal Molinari said he had struck with Brave Lion upon taking up the job in September 2007.
Molinari said he was contacted in Canada by an agent of Brave Lion, who told him that his expertise was needed in building 71 three-bedroom single family units and 160 three-bedroom townhouses with an acrylic finish, which required no painting and maintenance for up to 30 years. The houses, Molinari said, are the first of its kind in Trinidad. Molinari said part of his duty was to train local labourers on the site, but because of their unwillingness to learn and work he had to seek the services of 12 Jamaicans, who were issued work permits upon arriving in Trinidad.
Shake hand deal
“When I came here to work I did not sign a contract. It was just a shake hand deal,” said Molinari. However, in November of 2009 Molinari said his salary was stopped after hearing that the HDC was not delivering payments to Brave Lion for work undertaken. Molinari said he was asked to continue his task with the promise of being paid once the matter was settled. This he agreed to, even though Brave Lion’s office in Maraval had closed down.
He claimed he spent US$35,000 from his personal savings to upkeep himself. To compound matters, Molinari said his work permit which expired in June 2010 was also not renewed. Attempts to have the permit renewed proved futile as Molinari owed the Board of Inland Revenue $31,000 in taxes, which he could not pay. “Brave Lion had agreed to pay the taxes,” he claimed. Molinari said six of the 12 Jamaicans who previously worked on the site were also living illegally on the HDC site.
BRAVE LION: WE ARE OWED BY GOVT
Yesterday, one of Brave Lion’s directors, Joseph Azar, admitting that he knows Molinari, said those who are threatening legal action can go ahead. “That is their right.” Azar denied that bad management led to the contractors and consultants not being paid. He claimed Government, in fact HDC was owing the company since November 2009. “What happened there was a problem that went on with the HDC. It started there...Lack of payments from them...that caused everything to virtually run aground.” He said the matter was now in the hands of the company’s lawyers.
“What I like for myself, I like for others.” Asked what is causing the delay in payments, Azar said, “Well, I think they should refer it back to the CEO of Brave Lion Industries who has resigned. Then you have the COO by the name of one Mr Peter Agnelli, who happens to be in Canada.” He could not say what led to the resignation of the CEO.
Genivar waiting for $$
Vice president of Genivar Jack Shenker said his company was in the same position as the other contractors who are awaiting payments. “We are owed a substantial amount.” Questioned if the figure was millions, Shenker said, “It could be in that range.” Last December, Shenker said he held a meeting with Brave Lion, who claimed “they were waiting to settle with HDC.”
John—houses 99 per cent completed
Questioned on Friday about the project, managing director of the HDC Jearlean John had little to say. “All I could tell you is that 99 per cent of the houses have been completed. We really have little or nothing to do there.” A HDC source said monies was not being paid to Brave Lion.
Contractors threaten legal action
Meanwhile, two sub-contractors who are owed $4.9 million by Brave Lion Industries Ltd for works undertaken are threatening legal action. The two companies—Premium Contracting Services Ltd owned by Shivan Beharry, and R Ramdeen and Associates managed by Rajkoomar Ramdeen have indicated that their attorneys will be filing pre action protocol letters in court to Brave Lion this week. Beharry said his attorney Ken Sagar was seeking to recover $3.2 million in outstanding payments for repairs to electrical infrastructure and internal electrical works done between October 2009 and January 2010 under two contracts. Beharry said the non payment has had a serious negative impact on his business, since material suppliers and workers have not been paid.
Beharry said his company has not been able to accept further work from other agents “since acquiring credit facilities is proving to be extremely difficult as no one wants to recommend my company as a secure creditor,” while loans and overdraft facilities are steadily incurring interest. On March 26, 2010 Beharry wrote John explaining his company’s position. Ramdeen, who conducted remedial sewer works, internal plumbing and supplemental plumbing works on all units in June 2009, is claiming $1.7 in payments plus interests. Ramdeen has since retained the services of attorney Ravi Gooljar. On Friday, Ramdeen said he had run out of options and had no where to turn. “I cannot express the effect this is having on my employees, creditors and family.”