Earlier this week,  Sagicor Bank Jamaica announced that it had placed the lands under mortgages for the Hambini Estate Development granted to FirstRock Real Estate Investment Limited into receivership. 

This matter garnered plenty of attention.

Opposition Spokesperson on Finance Julian Robinson drew greater scrutiny to the Hambini residential real estate issue, declaring that FirstRock Real Estate Investments had been placed in receivership.

FirstRock pointed out that FirstRock Real Estate Investments had not been placed in receivership and that Julian Robinson’s assertion had caused harm to the company and was not factually correct.

Below is FirstRock Real Estate Investments Limited’s letter setting Julian Robinson straight: 

Issue Re: False and defamatory statements made to the public regarding First Rock Real Estate Investments Limited

“Reference is made to the captioned matter.

We are aware that you have made public statements to the media today, which have entered the public domain, falsely indicating that First Rock Real Estate Investments Limited (FREI) has been placed in receivership.

We categorically state that this assertion is entirely false, misleading, and defamatory, as the company has not been placed in receivership.

Your statements are therefore factually incorrect and constitute a reckless and malicious misrepresentation of the company’s affairs.

By release through the Jamaica Stock Exchange, a publication was made by the company indicating that certain lots owned by the company along Bamboo Avenue, have been possessed by Sagicor Bank under receivership. This is a limited and isolated occurrence and does not reflect the status of the company as a whole as you portrayed in your statements.

Your inaccurate statements have already received negative implications on the company and have directly interfered with ongoing commercial transactions. As such, we hereby demand that you immediately cease and desist from making or publishing any further false, misleading, or defamatory statements regarding the company. 

We further demand that you issue a formal retraction of your statements as well as a public apology using the same medium in which the original defamatory statements were made.

Failure to immediately comply with the above will result in the company taking immediate legal action against you without further notice. The company reserves the right to pursue additional damages and take further legal action upon the completion of a full assessment of the harm caused by your statements.

Kindly govern your actions accordingly.”