The Law Association will hold an emergency meeting today to discuss a comment made by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley on the Ish Galbaransingh/Steve Ferguson extradition matter. Sources said yesterday that the Law Association was very concerned about Rowley's claim that the ruling was a defeat for justice in T&T. During a news conference at his Charles Street, Port-of-Spain, office on Tuesday, Rowley was asked if the ruling was a defeat for Attorney General Anand Ramlogan. Rowley said: "I wouldn't term it a defeat for the Attorney General...if there is any defeat, it would be for justice in Trinidad and Tobago." Ramlogan responded yesterday, saying with respect to the extradition matter he has pursued and executed his professional and statutory duties in accordance with the laws and Constitution of T&T.
He said in a press release that he sought the opinion and views of external leading counsel in T&T and the UK before deciding whether to issue the extradition warrants. Ramlogan said he respected the judgment of the courts of T&T and any suggestion that he had acted for his own or for any other purpose inconsistent with his role as Chief Law Officer was "not only irresponsible but is an outrageous suggestion." He said he was seeking independent legal advice from senior counsel in London "to examine whether the comments made by Dr Rowley amount to defamation." Ramlogan further stated that Rowley's comments "may well constitute contempt of court in so far as his comments 'scandalise the court' with the intention of interfering with the administration of justice and upon which the Attorney General is seeking further advice."
Ramlogan said these were matters for the consideration of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and the Law Association. He said he intended "to formally bring these matters to their attention for immediate action." He stressed the judicial process in T&T "is wholly independent of the executive and beyond reproach." The extradition order for businessmen Galbaransingh and Ferguson was quashed by Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh on Monday. They are wanted in the US to answer money laundering charges.