Lawyer to challenge claim that BDS owes Beachmont Estates

A prominent lawyer here is challenging the authenticity of a claim made in court that BDS Ltd owes Beachmont Estates Inc $435,000.{{more}} Grahame Bollers, lawyer for Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, told SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday that he intends to make an application to the court to set aside the appointment of Trevor Edwards as receiver manager on behalf of Beachmont Estates Inc, as he “challenges the authenticity of the alleged debt” by BDS to Beachmont Estates Inc.

On Monday this week, Master V. Georgis Taylor-Alexander signed a consent order appointing Trevor Edwards receiver manager of BDS Ltd on behalf of Beachmont Estates Inc.

Beachmont Estates Inc claims it is trying to recover $435,000, which it says it is owed by BDS Ltd.

Beachmont Estates Inc is said to be owned by Merma DeFreitas, sister-in-law of Douglas DeFreitas, owner of BDS Ltd.

Master Taylor-Alexander, on Wednesday, also granted an application for Peter Alexander to be appointed receiver manager for BDS Ltd, operators of Nice Radio. She also ordered that BDS Ltd pay Gonsalves $180,000 by 10 a.m. yesterday (Thursday).

Alexander will receive the balance of money awarded to Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves in relation to a defamation suit he filed between 2002 and 2003 against Elwardo ‘E.G’ Lynch, host of the New Democratic Party’s “New Times” radio programme and BDS Ltd, after Lynch made comments about the financing of a trip to Rome by the prime minister and some members of his family.

A source who was present in court on Wednesday told SEARCHLIGHT that Taylor-Alexander expressed the view that she had been deliberately deceived into signing the consent order on Monday, for the appointment of the receiver manager on behalf of Beachmont Estates Inc.

According to the source, Master Taylor-Alexander said she would recommend to the Attorney General, the Judicial and Legal Services Commission and the Chief Justice that disciplinary action be brought against the lawyers concerned.