By Prior Beharry
AFTER the dropping of the criminal bribery case against two United National Congress (UNC) members, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is calling for a probe into former attorney general Faris Al-Rawi.
She is demanding an immediate criminal investigation be launched into the conduct of Al-Rawi.
The case against Anand Ramlogan and Gerald Ramdeen was discontinued after Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard, SC, said that State’s main witness Vincent Nelson was unwilling to testify until the conclusion of the civil case he brought against the State when Al-Rawi was AG.
In a statement on Monday, Persad-Bissessar said, “The shocking revelation by the DPP about the conduct of the disgraced AG Faris Al-Rawi in this fiasco culminating in the filing of a claim by Nelson against Al-Rawi in excess of $100 million is scandalous and outrageous.”
Persad-Bissessar said, “The chickens have come home to roost and our worst fears and suspicions have been justified. Al-Rawi had a secret sweetheart deal with Nelson under which millions of taxpayers’ dollars were paid in exchange for his testimony against Ramlogan and Ramdeen.”
She said that to make matters worse, Nelson’s lawyer was ex-Police Service Commissioner Roger Kawalsingh who was under police investigation for “the strange purchase” of Al-Rawi’s Porsche Cayenne which was never transferred.
Persad-Bissessar said, “Kawalsingh was also the fortunate recipient of over $10 million in legal fees for work under the PNM.”
She called for the DPP to make public the lawsuit filed by Nelson.
Persad-Bissessar said questions arise were:
- Was the indemnity agreement a clever disguise or illicit vehicle for the payment of monies to induce Nelson to fabricate evidence against Ramlogan and Ramdeen?
- Why did Al-Rawi enter into a secret indemnity agreement with Nelson without the knowledge, participation and consent of the DPP?
- Did Rowley, as prime minister and/or the Cabinet approve the terms of this scandalous indemnity agreement?
