Dole Chadee, one of this country's most notorious crime kingpins, left this life with nothing more than two parcels of land in Piparo to his name.
At least that is what an estate search revealed about the man who had been known for his palatial spreads, expensive cars and high-priced lawyers.He had been rumoured to be at the helm of a million-dollar drug empire and employed a small army of thugs before he was executed for murder on June 4, 1999.
It was also believed that he created an elaborate money laundering operation to "wash" the proceeds of drug sales through established business places, some of which are still existing.
Indeed, after his death, money by the bag loads were found at an orchard which he operated in Piparo.
Next to that orchard was his over-the-top mansion, which had been styled after the home of Colombian drug baron Pablo Escobar-the richest known drug trafficker in the world at the time of his death in 1993.
That estate, which was constructed on State-owned lands, was reclaimed by the Government and now houses a drug rehabilitation centre.
A self-styled don, Chadee would seldom appear in public without wearing his trademark business suit and dark sunglasses.
Yesterday, the High Court published a notice that his estate was about to be handed over to his first wife, Juliana Boodram.
Boodram married Chadee, also called Nankissoon Boodram and Motie, in 1979. She was 21 and he 29 at the time. She currently lives in England.
She applied for a letter of administration on July 29 this year, and attached to her application was a statement of Chadee's property.
According to the statement, Chadee's wealth had been reduced relatively. He had no money, debts, furniture, insurance policies, or any other property to his name, apart from two parcels of land, together worth $340,000 in Piparo.
In her affidavit, Boodram said that Chadee died intestate, i.e. he died without leaving a will, and that his property should go to her for administration.
Another statement attached to the application confirmed that no other application had been made to administer Chadee's will, which means that his second wife, Chandra Chadee, and neither of their two children tried to take control of the lands.
Following Chadee's execution for the murder of four members of a Williamsville family in 1996, Chandra Chadee left the country with her children.
Chadee's mother and brothers still live in Trinidad, though one of them, Naresh Boodram, is currently on Death Row.
Chadee was 48 years-old at the time of his death.
