Chaos at Reef Island as workers denied entry

DT News Network
news@dt.bh/Manama

Chaos erupted in front of the entry gate of the Reef Island on Tuesday June 30 after a developer’s workforce was denied entry to the Island. The incident occurred at about 9am when the security personnel of the island stopped the developer’s buses and trucks at the gate.

A long tailback was caused at the entry of the island, as the vehicles of the developer had been stuck for around an hour.

Speaking to DT News, the developer alleged that LuLu Tourism Company (LTC), the master developer of Reef Island, had been very troublesome with them and many other developers on the island as well. “Moreover, they had been delaying all required formalities and permits for our projects which is affecting our construction completion date,” he added.

“As much as 95 per cent of the work is already completed. We are obliged to complete the project and hand over the flats to the investors within a few months. Since LTC is not allowing the workers to continue their work, it will lead to a delay in completion of the project. On top of that, LTC will charge us 10 per cent of the cost, if the completion of the project is delayed,” he said.

“We had to call the police, the master developer does not have right to deny developers entry to their own properties, without a court order,” he added. The traffic block was cleared after the officials from Naim police station arrived to resolve the matter.

Meanwhile, the LTC had alleged that the developer brought his labourers and been spreading them on the road. “What happened yesterday was a complicity of defective developers who blocked all access to the island after the management applied the legal action against them for reluctance in paying their dues after enjoying free services over years without bothering themselves in meeting the contractual commitments,” an LTC official said.

LTC has filed legal cases against all individuals who breached the law and blocked all roads causing substantial damage to tenants as well as the reputation of the island, LTC said in its statement.