Honeymoon lawyer summoned in deed matter

Justice Frank Seepersad was told in the San Fernando High Court that attorney Ryan Sebastien Sinanan’s wedding is today and that he had an appointment on Thursday at the Immigration office regarding his passport because he will be leaving the country on Monday for his honeymoon. This was given as the explanation for the attorney’s absence in court on Thursday,when he was due to testify in the trial. The case involves a lawsuit filed against housewife Gyatrie Sirju, 43, of Rambert Village, La Romaine, by her deceased husband’s nephew, Nicholas Sirju, over a parcel of land on which Gyatrie currently resides.

Gyatrie, in defending the claim which is being made against her, stated in documents filed in the High Court, that she married Kenneth Sirju, 41, whom she lived with for 14 years on the land located at No 56 Dumfries Road, Rambert Village, La Romaine. She stated her husband bought the land from his grandfather and in 1991, he took out a bank mortage on the land for $131,000. She and her husband used the monies to begin building a house.

Gyatrie, who is being represented by Senior Counsel Anand Ramlogan instructing attorney Alvin Pariagsingh, further stated her husband Kenneth, became blind and he made a will in which he bequeathed the house and land to her. She stated that she worked at a jewellery store in San Fernando to make a living . However, her husband also had a good relationship with his nephew Sirju whom he trusted.

Gyatrie stated that her husband never mentioned to her that he had given an attorney instructions to prepare a deed of gift for transfer of the land to Sirju.

She stated she held down two jobs and staged several barbecues sales to raise funds to pay for the eye surgery her husband needed.

However, he died on July 1, 2012.

Gyatrie then applied for her husband’s estate, which was granted to her and she continued to live at theie home.

However, two years ago, she was confronted with Sirju’s lawsuit in which he made a claim for the land on the basis that a Deed of gift was signed by the deceased Kenneth, transfering the land to him.

Gyatrie’s attorneys are contending that husband Kenneth did not meet nor give instructions to attorney Ryan Sebastien Sinanan or any attorney at law , to prepare any deed of gift for Sirju. Attorney Sinanan has since prepared a witness statement and attorney Pariagsingh was scheduled to cross-examine the attorney last Monday at the San Fernando High Court on that witness statement.

However, he was absent when the matter was called before Seepersad and the judge adjourned the matter for Thursday, but still there was no appearance of attorney Sinanan.

Attorney Pariagsingh told Seepersad that he would very much like to cross-examine Sinanan about the preparation of the so-called deed of gift, the purported signature of the deceased blind man, especially in the light of the evidence of handwriting expert and forensic scientific officer at the Forensic Science Centre, Glen Parmamsar.

Seepersad did not the attorney’s absence lightly and said attorneys have a responsibility to the court in conveyances matters to provide the instructions given to them in relation to property transactions.

“They cannot take money from citizens to prepare deeds and casually shirk their obligations to the court.” The judge then issued a witness summons to be served on Sinanan to attend court on May 24 which is the date the judge fixed for the next hearing. Seepersad added, “That type of behaviour will not be tolerated or confined by this court and so as to avoid any doubt, please advise Mr Sinanan and Hobsons, that this court has absolutely no diffficulty to have him brought here in an involuntary manner.” The witness summons will be served on Sinana by a marshall of the High Court.