By The Star Staff
To achieve compliance with Act 67-2022, which reverts to the commonwealth the ownership of the land in Carolina donated to the Ciudad Deportiva Roberto Clemente, the island government, through the Department of Justice, on Wednesday sued the corporation that received hundreds of acres of public lands 48 years ago under the condition that they develop sports facilities.
The heirs of famed baseball star Roberto Clemente control the corporation.
The government argues that Ciudad Deportiva is hindering the process established by law to complete the transfer of the land, as well as the buildings, properties and administration of the entity to the Department of Recreation and Sports (DRD), causing, in turn, the state to fail to comply with the provisions of the statute and thereby delaying the development of the Roberto Clemente Sports District.
“Despite all the efforts made to comply with the provisions of Law 67-2022, Ciudad Deportiva has hindered and impeded the work of public servants so that the land is registered under the provisions of the statute so that, finally, the Government can achieve its public policy of full development of sports through the Roberto Clemente Sports District,” reads the lawsuit filed Wednesday in San Juan Superior Court, in which the Lands Authority (AT) and the DRD are listed as plaintiffs.
According to the legal appeal, Ciudad Deportiva has prevented the central government from inspecting and measuring the land to grant the public deed required to re-register the reverted land in the Property Registry in the name of the commonwealth. Furthermore, the brief directly states that Luis R. Clemente, president of the defendant corporation, informed the Lands Authority that he would not allow access to the property since he disagrees with the provisions of Law No. 67-2022.
“At present, it has not even been possible to begin the preparatory work aimed at complying with Law No. 67-2022, due to the acts and inactions of Ciudad Deportiva and Mr. Luis R. Clemente,” the lawsuit says.