Goans Worldwide For Goa, Vows To Defeat Michael Lobo And His Candidates In Goa Polls

LONDON: A newly constituted social forum “Goans Worldwide For Goa” (GWFG), consisting of non-resident Goans, primarily living in London, USA and Europe have come together for what they have termed “to defeat the rising evil in Goa”.

They are agitating against the rampant destruction of the environment, conversion of lands on the banks of rivers, creeks and wetlands which fall into CRZ and NDZ zones into ‘settlement’ zones and the involvement and inclusion of hardened criminals and goons from other states into the tourism business in the coastal belt.

Speaking to this reporter from London, Ryan Mascarenhas the convener of the GWFG said, “Michael Lobo represents everything that is evil in Goa. How do you think this man has made his millions – he has been doing everything that is fraudulent and evil in Goa. How can a person with limited education and no personal capital to invest become an owner of a Rs 5000 crore empire. Michael Lobo owns more than 100 flats, villas and bungalows in Goa and other parts of India. Then there are properties and plots of land most of them benami. Officially on paper his net worth is Rs 60 to 70 crore – that in itself is questionable. He has been grabbing properties, businesses and plots of land in various parts of Goa. Unofficially, Lobo is worth Rs 5000 crore,” Mascarenhas, whose grandparents originally hail from Arpora said.

Lobo must explain how he came to own hundreds of properties in the coastal belt in a span of 10 years, Julian Fernandes another NRI from London demanded, and even went to the extent of comparing the rise of Lobo to the ‘rise of the antichrist or the king of evil’ in Goa.

“Lobo wants to become the CM of Goa. That is the only reason he has joined the Congress, because he has realized he cannot become the CM being in the BJP. He is funding and sponsoring 5 or 6 candidates. The Congress has sold itself lock, stock and barrel to Lobo. It should now be called the Lobo Congress, instead of the Indian National Congress. Lobo is involved in all the illegal activities in the Morjim to Nerul belt. The attack on the Souza Lobo restaurant at Calangute was at his behest and Lobo was the one instigating Rajiv Arora and the others, who want to purchase the Souza Lobo restaurant on behalf of Lobo. We will not allow Goa to be sold and controlled by drug lords and criminals. We are ready to go to jail, but we will speak up and oppose all this. The entire Morjim – Nerul belt is being run by criminals. Ask the villagers, they will tell you if they trust you. Everyone is scared to speak up. It’s like ‘how and why do I care’,” Vinita D’souza who originally hails from Panaji and is now settled in the USA, said.

Michael Lobo was not available for comment and we were unable to contact Lobo to respond to the allegations leveled against him by the persons mentioned above. We will update this story when Lobo responds to us.

On earlier occasions, when queried about his wealth, Lobo has maintained that all his income, his properties and his wealth are in black and white and on paper and has dismissed as false all allegations against him.

Even former Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte and the Siolim MLA Vinod Palienkar had made allegations against Lobo, alleging his involvement in the drug trade in Goa, with Khanute going far enough to imply that Lobo was the Pablo Escobar of Goa. Khanute however did not directly mention Lobo’s name in his press conference.

Defending himself, Lobo had said: “I pay my taxes and all other applicable levies and dues. It is not wrong to do business and as a Goan, I have every right to buy property and later on sell it at a profit. If businessmen from Delhi can buy and sell bungalows and plots in Goa, why can’t I do the same. There are many businessmen from Delhi who have made much more money that I have,” Lobo has claimed in the past.