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Pradoville Two and Guyana Cricket World Cup Inc issues… AG provides no clarity on selection process for special prosecutors
Attorney General, Basil Williams
Attorney General (AG) Basil Williams is yet to provide clarity on the selection process for the special prosecutors chosen to ensure the effective and efficient prosecution of criminal charges into the Sparendaam Housing Project known as Pradoville Two, and the operations of Guyana Cricket World Cup Inc.
During an interview with this newspaper, Williams was asked to respond to concerns regarding the selection process for the prosecutors, their retainer fees, and how these were arrived at. These complaints, among others, were raised specifically by former AG, Anil Nandlall.
Williams however stated that he does not take Nandlall seriously and in any case, he could not answer the questions as he was in a meeting. He said that this publication could make contact with him later yesterday. But all further calls proved futile.
In the meantime, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan said he was not aware of the selection process or if there was one to begin with. As for Nandlall’s concerns, Ramjattan said, “He could haul he ass. Every time you do something is ‘money for the boys’. Leh they haul they ass, man. It is bulls**t. Nothing but bulls**t.”
Only recently, Nandlall, told media operatives at the PPP/C’s Headquarters in Robb Street, Georgetown that lawyers who will be or have been hired as Special Prosecutors, are operating out of Government Ministers’ “former” firms.
“One operates out of Minister (of State) Joseph Harmon’s former Law Office, two are operating out of Minister (of Legal Affairs and Attorney General) Basil Williams’ former Law Office and another was a candidate on the APNU/AFC 2015 General Elections’ List of Candidates and was the Returning Officer at Congress Place for PNC’s Internal Elections at their Congress last August,” Nandlall reported.
“This is yet another political witch-hunt that is contaminated with cronyism, nepotism and money for the boys.”
Nandlall did not disclose the identities of these lawyers. However, on January 7, 2017, the state-owned Guyana Chronicle reported that Cabinet had approved the appointment of six attorneys to serve as “special prosecutors on several cases – including but not limited to – the range of forensic audits conducted by the administration when it came into power in May 2015.”
The six attorneys were identified as Michael Somersall, Hewley Griffith, Lawrence Harris, Patrice Henry, Compton Richardson, and Trenton Lake.
It is reported that Trenton Lake operates out of Ibis Chambers, managed by Harmon and Associates. Hewley Griffith and Lawrence Harris operate out of Basil Williams’ Private Law office.
Firms have also come out saying that they were cheated, as they question the selection process and whether the positions were advertised.
Meanwhile, Nandlall told media operatives that $100M has been budgeted for the hiring of Special Prosecutors, while adding that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions’ (DPP) budget for the year 2017 was cut by several million dollars.
“So this Government is refusing to give funding to the DPP Office, the Office that has the functional mandate to prosecute all the serious offences committed against our citizens, including, murder, rape, robbery, drug-trafficking etc., but is prepared to spend $100 million to witch-hunt and persecute political opponents.”
Nandlall asserted that the coalition government was trying to create a “parallel legal system” to the constitutionally established criminal justice system. The only way that special prosecutors can be involved, is if the DPP issues a fiat, he emphasised
“The DPP normally orders a fiat in relation to cases filed by the DPP or advised by the DPP and then if the victims wish to retain a lawyer of their choice, they write to the DPP and she grants permission,” Nandlall explained.
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