Residents who were relocated to facilitate the building of the Berbice River Bridge  hurdled accusations against Mr. Moses Nagamootoo Vice Chairman and Member of Parliament for the Alliance for Change (AFC). In interviews with this newspaper, many affected residents expressed disgust over the length of time taken and over the fact that seven years have passed and their have not been able to acquire transports for the new lands that were given to them. They said had Mr. Nagamootoo done what he had to do on their behalf this issue would have been closed a long time ago.
One male resident told this newspaper that while on a visit in the area Mr. Nagamootoo told his wife that she would have to deposit $300 000 in an account in his name to ensure she received her land transport. The irate man said that he paid Mr. Nagamootoo a visit himself to enquire about the alleged payment and was told that “Is a small piece to get the paper  fuh de land and den yuh can sell um back”. The man said he refused to make the payment telling Mr. Nagamootoo, “If yuh de help me, I would ah help you”. He said he confronted Mr. Nagamootoo while he was on a visit to the land site.
Some residents even alleged that when the payment for the land they give up was made to them, Mr. Nagamootoo informed them that they would have to pay him legal fees for his service in helping them acquire their payment cheques.
A source close to NICIL told this publication “NICIL had paid Mr. Nagamootoo almost $7 M for processing of land transports for the residents but he failed to deliver.  Nagamootoo had ‘done practically nothing’, save for negotiations with residents thus forcing NICIL to eventually take on the services of other lawyers and is now processing the transports for distribution to the residents”.
NICIL was incorporated in 1990 and served as a holding company for Government’s equity investment in other companies. In 2002, a Management Co-operation Agreement was signed appointing the Privatisation Unit (PU) as exclusive manager of NICIL, for the collecting and accounting of privatization proceeds, rents, dividends and other income of the combined entity will be done in the name of NICIL
The source also said “the relocation exercise was a multi-agency effort that was spearheaded by NICIL. The Central Housing and Planning Authority also played a role in identifying, developing and allocating house lots at Ketting to the residents that would be displaced at D’Edward by the construction and operation of the Berbice Bridge. NICIL was responsible for liaising between the residents and CHPA and was responsible for the dispensing of monetary compensation for the house and lands being acquired, assisted with the cost of relocation for each resident.”
The source indicated that NICIL hired a range of consultants and/or contractors to perform different tasks and that legal services were provided by Moses Nagamottoo. The Attorney –at-law was required to provide legal support to the residents of D’Edward when agreements were required to be executed and compensation dispensed with.  It entailed meeting the residents and assisting them in fixing any outstanding legal formalities that were required to regularize their legal status in order to receive compensation. Mr. Nagamootoo failed in his duties and as a result many residents are still waiting to be regularized after all this time.