Nandlall’s law book trial deferred as Appeal Court grants stay

Mar 03, 2019 News

One week after the Court of Appeal granted an interim stay in the trial of former Attorney General Anil Nandlall who is on trial for the alleged theft of Law Reports from the State, the matter has been deferred to April 5.
Yesterday when the matter was called in the courtroom of Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore, the court orderly called Nandlall’s name thrice and no one answered or appeared.
Hence, his lawyer, Glenn Hanoman, who was present in court stood before the Magistrate and told the court that the Court of Appeal granted an interim stay in the proceedings before her.
When asked by the Magistrate why his client was not in court, the lawyer was unable to answer.
However, Hanoman told the court that matter at the Court of Appeal will commence on March 20.
Hanoman then handed over a copy of the Appeal Court interim stay to the Magistrate after she indicated that she did not have a copy.
The Magistrate after then adjourned the matter until April 5, for report.

Charged: former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

It is alleged that Nandlall, between May 18 and May 29, 2015, being a bailee in the then capacity of Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, fraudulently converted 14 Commonwealth Law Reports property of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, to his own use and benefit.
Nandlall has pleaded not guilty to the allegation and is out on self-bail, pending the outcome and determination of the trial.
Late last year, Magistrate Azore ruled that Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) Prosecutor, Patrice Henry, was able to prove every element of the offence. In the circumstances, Nandlall was called upon to lead a defence.
His lawyers approached the High Court for a stay to be granted in the matter, but Chief Justice Roxane George, dismissed the appeal against a no-case su

bmission that was overruled by Magistrate Fabayo Azore in the trial.
The no-case submission was presented by Nandlall’s lawyer after the close of the prosecution’s case
Nandlall was previously reported as saying that when he took up the post of Attorney General, he did so at a loss, and it was for that reason he agitated for the State to pay for the Law Reports.
He had said that the arrangement received the blessings of then Head of State Donald Ramotar. However, investigators are contending that because the books were bought with State funds, they cannot be the property of Nandlall, and in fact, the State should not have entered into such an arrangement in the first place.
The Ministry of Legal Affairs is contending that there is no evidence of an agreement between Nandlall and Ramotar, and even assuming that there was such an agreement, the use of public funds in this manner is a flagrant violation of the Financial Management and Accountability Act.
Nandlall was charged after SOCU, an arm of the Guyana Police Force, completed investigations.

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