The owner of the Kingston buildings currently occupied by the Guyana Elections Commission Anand Sanasie, has taken the Commission to Court over some $9.2 million owed in rent due to increase rates.

A source close to GECOM told News Source that the Elections Commission had agreed to the new rates, which took effect in January, 2022. However, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) and the Cabinet did not approve the increased rates.

In mid-September, Mr Sanasie moved to the High Court in an attempt to recover the money.

In his Fixed Date Application (FDA), he asked the High Court to order the Elections Commission to pay him approximately $5.996 Million for rent due for the Lot 9 Fort and Barrack Street, Kingston building. He told the Court that an additional $3.228M is also outstanding for the rental of the Lot 31 Fort and Barrack Street, Kingston building.

 According to the Court documents seen by News Source, Mr Sanasie and GECOM signed Agreements of Tenancy for the rental of the Lot 9 and Lot 31 Fort and Barrack Street, Kingston buildings in February, 2022.

It was agreed that the rent for the Lot 9 property would increase from $1.332M to $1.998M per month; and in the case of the Lot 31 property, from $717,000 to $1.076M per month. 

During a statutory meeting on the 18th January, 2022, the Elections Commission approved the increase, paving the way for the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud to sign the three-year contract on February 4, 2022.

Mr Sanasie told the Court that though the new rates took effect from January 2022, GECOM continued to pay rent at the old rates, and to date has not paid the increase as agreed.

As such, he has asked to Court to issue two orders directing GECOM to pay him monthly rentals in the sum of $1.998M for the Lot 9 property, and $1.076M for the Lot 31 property.

He said attempts to secure the outstanding money owed have been without success.

“The Applicant has made numerous oral demands and written demands for the payment of rent. The respondent has refused, failed and or neglected to pay the said sum rightly due to the Applicant as rent for the …mentioned properties,” Mr Sanasie told the Court through his lawyer Ron Motilall.

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