It’s a sunny day at the community hearing, it is Paul’s turn to state his case against Peter.

He starts by greeting the council chiefs and the community members present. ‘Carry on with your matter’ a small section of the crowd murmured. An undeterred Paul carried on with his matter by arguing that he is the legitimate Administrator of the Estate of George Burn, his late father, that all other documents in contrast with the Letter of Administration issued to him are null and void, and that he is to superintend, manage or partition the Estate of George Burn and its proceeds.

Secondly, Paul argued that the paper purportedly identified as a Letter of Administration in the hands of Peter, his younger brother was fraudulently obtained.

Paul then asked the council chiefs to declare that all the purported sales of any of the Properties of the Late George Burn by Peter are null and void and that he should be bestowed with the ownership of all the properties of their late father, especially the one at NO. 9/10 Eden Road with its Deed of Conveyance Registered as Number 46 on Page 46 in Volume 1602 of the Community Lands Registry.

Peter though given the opportunity to defend himself chose to be silent. The community chief decided to sleep on the matter and then make their joint decision the next day. Everyone dispersed after the day’s hearing to gather again tomorrow.

As expected, the next day arrived, and it was time for the community chiefs to make their decision on the matter. Both Paul and Peter were called out to stand before all those seated in the hall while the joint decision made by the chiefs would be read out.

The chieftain stood up to read the decision but was rudely interrupted by the presence of the figure of a man dressed unlike that of other members of the community.

The man approached the community chiefs and was only recognized by a handful of people in the hall who eagerly awaited his arrival.

His name was Jude maybe because that was what he told the chiefs and everyone in the hall when asked who he was. He calmly said he was here to diligently defend against the claim made by Paul as a matter of interest since he was not made a party at the proceedings that took place the day before.

Jude’s case against Paul was simple, he said that long before Paul brought this matter to the community chiefs, Paul knew that the building at 9/10 Eden Road had been lawfully sold by Peter to him, but Paul deliberately neglected to involve him in order to secretly reclaim the property that was legally sold to Jude by Peter. A cozenage long orchestrated by Paul and Peter.

Jude claimed that Peter an active participant in the con scheme took upon himself the role of a delinquent who fabricates their father’s land documents and sells to unsuspecting buyers

so that his bother Paul would later come to claim the property already sold thereby leaving the buyer empty-handed.

Before Paul was called on by the Chieftain to respond, he already took the liberty to assert his position on everyone by confidently responding that he was neither aware of any sale made by his younger brother nor does he know or have met Jude before now. Peter just stood like a log of wood as he watches the drama unfold spectacularly only to nictate his eyes to some of his brother’s claims.

Jude then smiled as a diminutive figure in the crowd stood up to be noticed and shouted, ‘My lord Judge Jude show them the evidence’.

At that point, the entire room became quiet and you could hear the pin drop if there was one. Then people started to murmur; could this Jude be a real Judge from another town, I have heard of a Judge who is notorious for brandishing the most brutal judgments on even small offenses, said another person.

Jude then brought out a paper from his pocket and handed it over to the chieftain. The chieftain confirmed that the paper was indeed evidence of the transfer of money from Jude to a joint account bearing the name “Paul Burn and Peter Burn” to prove that Paul always knew who Jude was.

Piqued by the words of the chieftain, a visibly distraught and embarrassed Paul shouted that Jude is just a mere busybody and a meddlesome interloper and that the property being discussed in the matter is different from the one Jude claims to own.

Paul claimed that the property which his father owned was registered as 46/46/1602 in the community Lands Registry but the property supposedly bought by Jude is registered as ‘48/48/1602’. ‘You all can confirm from Mike who works at the registry’ Paul said, still shouting. He stated further that Peter must have sold to Jude a property that Peter neither had the right to nor was even owned by their late father.

There was a chorus of laughter all over the room as Paul seems to have ushered in a new line of argument. Paul may have forgotten that the entire community knows that Mike is Paul’s best friend and compatriot-in-mischief.

The chieftain interjected and urged everyone to be silent and the room did become silent, though one could still hear few murmurings here and there. The chieftain then turned towards Paul and Peter and said, ‘Give up the theatrics and have some decency to know your game is up’. Peter nodded his head as he covers his face in shame while a deflated Paul looked like he was going to gibber but read the room and kept mute.

The chieftain approached Jude and pleaded with him on behalf of the community but insisted that there was little the council chiefs could do to the boys as they are only empowered to settle disputes but not deliver punishment for crimes committed. Jude, a judge from another community, chuckled and responded; I will deal with them my way.

‘Two less fraudsters in the community’ said one to another as everyone dispersed from the community hearing on a sunny day.