Nagessar refuses to move, says he's being victimized

The political sideshow between Jack Warner and Basdeo Panday is developing into a serious feud involving the two top officials of the Chaguanas Borough Corporation - Mayor Natasha Navas and her deputy, Orlando Nagessar.

The problem started when the borough passed a resolution earlier this week to end all political meetings are the offices of the corporation. The move was aimed at Panday, who had been using Nagessar's office to meet residents of Chaguanas West.

The feud move one step further on Friday when Navas instructed Nagessar to remove his personal belongings from the office, which is to be used by administrative. But Nagessar, who is a strong Panday ally, refused, saying he won't budget until he gets a written eviction notice.

He told the Trinidad Express the mayor has so far not told him about the change. He said he learned about it from the chief executive officer who "told me that the mayor gave him a letter to deliver to me...I did not get the letter. I am not moving out until I get something in writing."

On Thursday when the matter of the office came up at a meeting of the council four councillors walked out but Navas insists that the resolution to use the office for administrative staff had already been passed and there is no need to reconvene the meeting.

Nagessar claims that that Navas and Warner have teamed up to victimize him as part of the fight with opposition Leader Basdeo Panday.

"I have occupied that office for ten years and had no problems. So I don't understand what she is talking about now. This is purely discrimination and victimisation," he told the paper.

"People come to my office daily for assistance, and I am not allowing this to prevent me from meeting them. I will come to work on Monday and operate from the trunk of my van," he said.