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Special Prosecutors is a case of “money for the boys” – Nandlall
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, announced last year that special prosecution teams will be set up to prepare reports that will ensure effective and efficient prosecution of criminal charges into the Sparendaam Housing Project, known as Pradoville Two and the operations of the Guyana Cricket World Cup Inc.
However, it appears that the Minister’s revelation is not sitting too well with the former regime now Main Parliamentary Opposition, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). Some of its members have been fingered in what have been described as “multimillion-dollar scams”.
Former Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, told media operatives at the PPP/C’s Headquarters in Robb Street, Georgetown yesterday, 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’s former Law Office and another, 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 Prosecution (DPP)’s 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 stated, last year, 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 stated.
“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.
Director of Public Prosecution, Bibi Shalimar Ali-Hack, is among several persons who benefitted from house lots in the upscale Pradoville Two scheme. The exclusive scheme at Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara, was develop with state resources and then sold way below market prices and under questionable circumstances to a chosen few.
Last October, the State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) completed a report which stated that in 2010, the Bharrat Jagdeo Cabinet made a decision authorising the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) to privatise State lands. NICIL is the body tasked with overseeing the privatisation of State assets.
NICIL reportedly spent more than $200M to develop the seafront community without the knowledge of the National Assembly and other relevant bodies.
The said lands were then secretly sold to the former Ministers and known friends and associates of the PPP/C. At the time of the sale, the report said, the lands were grossly undervalued and sold at a price substantially below the market value, thereby depriving the state of its full benefits.
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