BARATARIA /San Juan MP Saddam Hosein is calling for full financial autonomy for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
He made the comment during the the Opposition press conference on Sunday.
The attorney recalled that when he worked at the DPP’s office he was allocated a small cubicle at the Winsure Building on Richmond Street in Port of Spain.
He said the DDP office has outlived its space and needed new facilities.
Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC, said during the Standing Finance Committee last week that the government had terminated the lease for the new building on Park Street in Port of Spain where the DPP wanted retrofitted to provide proper security for his staff.
Armour said it cost $55 million in rent, renovation, and related expenses over three years.
Hosein criticised the government’s handling of the money spent on the unused building and questioned Armour for being unable to specify who was responsible for the significant expenditure.
Referring to a 2016 Joint Select Committee (JSC) report, Hosein said, “This was the JSC in Finance and Legal Affairs and the Office of the DPP has been calling for financial autonomy for quite some time. And I think it’s time now that the government gives the Director of Public Prosecution financial autonomy and independence with respect to administrative issues.
“And I just read an excerpt from this report to put it in context for you. So that you understand the relationship between the office of DPP and the Office of the Attorney General.”
He said, “This is the JSC report, the office of the DDP is not financially autonomous, but rather is treated as a department under the administrative jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs. The existing relationship between DPP ‘s office and… requires a DDP to approach the ministry for approval in, hiring of staff, the acquisition of plant and equipment to support its operation.”
He said an example of this dependency was illustrated when the DPP had to consult with the Office of the Attorney General to provide allowance for the staff, recruit additional legal officers and legal counsel and acquire additional accommodation in Port of Spain, San Fernando and Tobago.
Hosein said, “The Ministry advised the committee that the Cabinet and the Budget Division are responsible for giving the office of DPP its own budget. The ministry also indicated that it has engaged and contracted to treatment issues related to the equipment with respect to the office of the DPP.”
He said, “Since 2016, there’s a report of the Parliament that tells us that the office of the DPP ought to be financially autonomous and independent of the office of the AG. Because the Office of the AG operates in a political environment. Whereas the Constitution sets up the DPP as having the sole responsibility for criminal prosecution in Trinidad free from political interference or of political interference and I leave those issues the outer respect to the office of the AG”
‘Integrity Commission Stifled’
Hosein also said that the Integrity Commission has been stifled and has been starved of resources and it is on the verge of being shut down.
He said the Integrity Commission’s budget was reduced from $26 million to now $8.6 million since 2015.
Hosein said it has ongoing investigations but lacked funds to pay staff and cover legal fees. .
He said, “Not a single dollar was allocated for the Integrity Commissioner in fiscal 2024.”
Hosein questioned Finance Minister Colm Imbert’s claim of not seeing the Integrity Commission’s annual report.
He said, “We must ask the government today why are they afraid of the Integrity Commission.”
