TOP PNMite Rose Janneire, a former mayor of Arima, and a former senator, has found herself embroiled in a real estate scandal with an innocent citizen being fleeced of thousands of dollars for land in Blanchisseuse.

One of the victims is 69-year-old Elwin Gay, who’s trying to resettle in Trinidad, after retiring from working with General Motors in Detroit, USA for 33 years.

Gay says that in April 2002, he was with his friend Lydia James, when they had their first meeting with Janneire.

“She claimed she had several parcels of land on Blanchisseuse Road to sell, so we negotiated on the price for an acre of land.

“She originally valued the land at $215,000, but said if I made a downpayment of $100,000, she would reduce the total value to $200,000.”

He said the land that he bought was titled as #1 Blanchisseuse Road on Plan 57303.

Gay said that the following month, he managed to secure a $100,000 bank loan which he paid to Janneire, who also holds the position as Executive Assistant to the chairman of the Airports Authority.

He said they agreed that the $100,000 balance would be paid in instalments.

But Gay said his problems began when he approached the Town and Country Division for planning/building permission.

“I wrote to them on October 3, and they replied on November 20, saying that my application was undetermined because of defects/omissions on the land, which needed to be rectified.”

He said investigations then, on his part, revealed that the land actually belonged to Janneire’s blind mother, Rose Elaria Hillebrand.

“Janneire let me down,” an enraged Gay added.

“How can a former Mayor of Arima like Rose Janneire be so dishonest and shameless?”

Gay is now seeking to have Janneire pay annual interest on the award since the judgment was read.

After numerous attempts, TnT Mirror was able to contact Janneire.

Her comment was curt and abrupt.

“Oh that? I have no comment.”