All of the laws which Government is passing may not get very far where the prosecution of offences are concerned, since the Director of Public Prosecutions’ office has 73 vacancies out of its total 128-strong complement.
United National Congress senator Gerald Ramdeen made the observation as he expressed concern about the vacancies during yesterday’s Senate debate on the Miscellaneous Provision legislation which seeks to change sections of the Proceeds of Crime Act, Anti Terrorism Act and Financial Intelligence Unit Act.
Ramdeen noted that work has been going on to amend and strengthen laws but results are still lacking.
One matter he noted has been going on for 11 years with $500 million spent on this, “yet not a single person has been charged.”
“The time is coming when the DPP’s office has to be accountable to the people. With rights comes responsibility,” he said, noting that while the DPP’s office is independent nothing’s in place for accountability.
Ramdeen said as at August 15, the DPP’s office, which has 128 posts, had 73 vacant and 55 filled.
Vacancies included for the positions of deputy DPP (two), Assistant DPP (4), 13 senior state counsel posts, 12 state counsel (three), 38 state counsel (two) and five state counsel (one).
“It doesn’t take a lawyer or Attorney General to say if you have 73 posts not filled you have a problem. Unless we resource that office properly, we’re spinning top in mud,” Ramdeen said, calling on Government to fill the 73 vacant posts.
He said it would be an exercise in futility if laws were being passed and the most important office to do the prosecutorial work was understaffed.
Ramdeen pointed out that Government would soon be asked by international assessors if anyone had been prosecuted for terrorist financing or money laundering
Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi apologised to Senators for meeting yesterday—after the Senate also met on Tuesday—saying international assessors had only just brought aspects of the bill to be dealt with and T&T’s position on this bill and others, such as the Income Tax Amendment Bill, would be evaluated on January 4.