AG roasts PPP for “deplorable” attacks on judiciary and CCJ

DPI, GUYANA, Wednesday, April 25, 2018

The recent attacks by the People’s Progressive Party on the judiciary and the Caribbean Court of Justice was today described as “deplorable” by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, SC.

The Attorney General was responding to reports by the Opposition that the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has been comprised, following the recent dismissal of charges against Ministers Volda Lawrence and Dr. George Norton.

The AG said it is surprising that, “the people who have put parliament in a state where it was dysfunctional for a year, who had allowed gangsters to advertise in the newspapers, who have had the greatest killings ever in the history of this region under their watch and (who) were the leading government for corruption in this hemisphere are making such comments.”

He expressed confidence that the charges filed against Ministers Winston Jordan, David Patterson and Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine will also be discontinued since they are unsupported by any investigation.

“The DPP has given reasons, that in the interest of good governance that they didn’t file their complaints or took any evidence to the established investigatory authorities which will then go to her if it has any merit,” AG Williams said.

The Attorney General clarified that it is unnecessary for the government to tender any formal request to the DPP, saying that, “I outlined the powers of the DPP, noting that she had to be proactive. Why would the DPP have all those powers over all prosecutions in the country?”

The Attorney General noted that it is within the remit of the DPP to also choose to continue or discontinue charges that were not instituted by her office, “so, no one has to ask her to do that, she should be proactive. I think my admonition to her was to patrol the corridors of justice.”

The recent charges brought against the five government ministers comes on the heels of criminal proceedings filed by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) against Former PPP Finance Minister, Ashni Singh and former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Winston Brassington for “misconduct in public office: contrary to common law” as it pertains to the sale of three plots of state land.

 

By: Stacy Carmichael