Testifying before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry (LGCI), Nandu stated that every time he made a payment to Charbel Elhajj, the man who allegedly facilitated the land transaction, he would inform the Mayor, and she would simply reply with approval.
The two businessmen, Charbel and Nandu, both claimed they had been meeting with the mayor in her office where they discussed price with her.
“Whenever I gave money to Charbel, I would call the Mayor and tell her about it. She would always say ‘okay’,” Nandu told Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez during a tense hearing. “She knows everything about it,” he repeated.
The Mayor during her testimony denied ever meeting Nandu over the land deal but later in her testimony said Charbel came to her office three times.
Nandu claimed that after Charbel presented him with a letter from the BCC which he believed to be an allocation letter, he purchased the land from him.
He added that Charbel then instructed the BCC to change the allocation to his name, and he subsequently entered into an agreement for a lease with the Council.
However, the authenticity of the so-called allocation letter has come under serious doubt. Lead Counsel Gomez told the witness that the letter in question was not an official allocation, but merely a communication of the Council’s decision to allocate land a position previously reinforced by former BCC CEO Mustapha Batchilly.
Nandu insisted he saw what he believed to be an allocation and promised to provide it to the Commission.
Nandu said he made an initial payment of D2 million, after which further financial demands followed.
He testified that during his early visits to the BCC, he met with Mayor Lowe three to four times, often accompanied by Charbel. He said he did not go to the CEO’s office but went directly to the Mayor to express frustration with the lack of progress.
It was in these meetings, Nandu claimed, that the Mayor herself asked him to pay an additional D5 million. “Charbel told me that the Mayor said I need to pay D5 million. I met the Mayor with Charbel and she confirmed it,” he testified. After paying a total of about D20 million, he said Charbel disappeared, prompting his lawyer to write to both the BCC and Charbel without receiving any response.
“They know how they organised themselves. I don’t know anything about it,” Nandu said, distancing himself from internal dealings at the BCC.
According to Nandu, he was told the total cost of the land was D15 million. He described Charbel as an agent of the BCC and said he was “instructed by the BCC” to handle the transaction.
An agreement dated 14 May 2019 between Charbel’s company (C-Consulting) and MK Stores was presented to the Commission, which indicated that Nandu agreed to pay D15 million for a 100 by 100-meter plot.
Nandu detailed the payment terms in the agreement: D2 million upfront, D5 million to the BCC after signing, another D5 million once the lease was prepared and a final D5 million after the land was transferred. He told the Commission he had paid the full amount and promised to provide payment breakdowns and receipts.
He said his first visit to the Mayor came after he was stopped by the Department of Physical Planning from developing land behind the National Assembly a location he believed he had secured. When he approached the BCC for clarity, he claimed they could not offer any answers. By that time, he had already paid D20 million. “She [the Mayor] said she would look into it,” he said.
On April 5, 2023, Nandu’s lawyer wrote to the BCC indicating that the National Environment Agency (NEA) had approved the land use, but a subsequent press release clarified that the land did not belong to the BCC. The lawyer requested an alternative plot. This was when Nando was reassigned to Bond Road, and he made a D5 million payment to Charbel using an open cheque a method he admitted was highly irregular.
Gomez questioned why Nandu didn’t request to pay directly to the BCC’s official account. Nando responded that Charbel asked for an open cheque, claiming it would allow the cash to be withdrawn easily. “It is a mutual understanding between me and Charbel,” he said. Pressed further, Nandu added, “Charbel knows how to sort them [the BCC officials] out.”
Gomez reminded him that Charbel had testified earlier that Nandu did not pay the full amount. Nandu pledged to submit evidence to prove otherwise.
When asked why he referred to Charbel as an agent, Nandu answered: “He was an agent for the BCC.” Although the agreement between them was for D15 million, he ended up paying D20 million. He revealed the agreement was signed in January 2021.
Nandu’s lawyer continued to send letters to the BCC seeking clarification and compensation. On April 26, 2023, another letter was sent to the CEO “reminding them of what is happening” in the transaction.
When asked whether the BCC knew he paid D20 million, Nandu said: “They know everything.” Gomez pressed him to clarify how the Mayor was aware of these payments. “I spoke with her and she knows everything about it,” Nandu said. “I would just call her over the phone and tell her I had paid this and she would say ‘okay, okay’.”
In a particularly damning statement, Nandu added: “Whenever I gave money to Charbel, I would call the Mayor and tell her about it. She would always tell me ‘okay’.”
The Commission accepted into evidence Nandu’s additional written statement dated November 20, 2024, in which he confirmed that after paying D2 million to Charbel, he was introduced to the Mayor and subsequently to the BCC CEO. He said he later made another payment directly to the Council.
Despite these payments, Nandu said he had never taken possession of the land and was seeking a full refund. A letter from the NEA dated September 5, 2022, and referenced by Nandu’s lawyer, stated that his land use application was not granted and approval was denied. The same letter accused the BCC of misrepresenting the status of the land. A refund of D35 million was demanded for payments and investments already made.
Lead Counsel Gomez pointed out that Nandu did not pay D35 million to the BCC directly. Nandu responded: “Whatever happened, I want to recover my money.”
The inquiry continues as the Commission awaits Nandu’s proof of payments and further clarifications on the role of BCC officials including Mayor Lowe in what is shaping up to be a deeply troubling land deal.
