Millions of taxpayers’ dollars are at stake in the “Nelsongate” fiasco and Government must at least reveal how much in fees were paid to Douglas Mendes SC and Gilbert Peterson SC for the advice they gave on the matter.
That was call-out to Government from Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Monday.
On the current “hotspot” issue of King’s Counsel Vincent Nelson’s indemnity claim against the Government, Persad-Bissessar said the best example of hubris is former Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi’s revelation that senior counsel Mendes and Peterson settled the indemnity agreement entered into with Nelson.
“Faris was extremely confident in calling out his colleagues. With the greatest respect to both of them, I do not think that an opinion from Mendes SC or Peterson SC, whether jointly or severally, is a defence known to law. Faris has hung them out to dry. Question: how much in fees were they paid?”
She added, “Our friend Mendes SC is a senior ordinary member, and a champion of Trinidad and Tobago replacing the Privy Council with the CCJ. In the face of Nelsongate, the same Law Association, which in the past has criticised all Attorneys General for overstepping their bounds, remains until today as silent as lambs. All of this while the society, led by its so-called validating and silent elites and commentators, is being led to the proverbial slaughter.”
She added, “We have also heard threats by the Attorney General about bringing (Gerald) Ramdeen and (Anand) Ramlogan before the Disciplinary Committee of the same Law Association. Guess who chairs the Disciplinary Committee? None other than Gilbert Peterson SC.”
Persad-Bissessar alleged one senior attorney is “often seen on the golf course at Moka with the Prime Minister.”
Persad-Bissessar also alleged that amid the PNM internal elections, Al-Rawi and Minister of Energy Stuart Young are “apparently engaged in an inside battle against each other.”
“It was Stuart who gave Nelson’s statement to the UK authorities. Stuart’s disclosure unravelled the deal with Nelson and all the chickens as they say, have come to roost on Faris’ head. When the case was filed in February by (Government MP Keith) Scotland, after it was filed, Faris was moved as Attorney General. They moved him because they all knew. Everyone is guilty.”
Persad-Bissessar added, “I saw (Prime Minister Dr Keith) Rowley telling the media not to ask him about this indemnity fiasco. That is simply unacceptable. What the PNM has done is undermine the entire justice system and erode all confidence the public has that they can be given a free and fair trial.
“Any government that is willing to break the law as the former AG has clearly done is a government that will break any law and tell any lie to stay in power. If we allow the PNM to get away with this heinous crime, then we might as well tear up our constitution and the notion that we are a democracy.”
Persad-Bissessar added this is the time to fight, “and fight we must.”