SOCU arrests former Finance Minister Saisnarine Kowlessar

May 22, 2018 News

Former Minister of Finance, Saisnarine Kowlessar

The Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) yesterday arrested and questioned former Minister of Finance Saisnarine Kowlessar who served under of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government.
The former Minister was accompanied by one of his lawyers, Mark Conway.
After being questioned, Kowlessar was released on $200,000 station bail and requested to return next Monday.
Kowlessar served as Minister of Finance from 1999 – 2006.
Last evening, one of Kowlessar’s lawyers, Anil Nandlall, said that some of the transactions about which his client was questioned took place over 20 years ago.
Nandlall thinks that the former government official should not have been arrested based on a principle of law which prevents investigations of certain transactions that took place many years ago.
Nandlall said, “It is clear beyond any doubt that these investigations are driven by a political and vindictive motive. Ultimately, they are designed to get to the period when Opposition Leader, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo, was the Minister of Finance. Constitutional immunities prevent them from charging him for acts done while he was President. Recognising this, they intend to go back two decades to persecute him for transactions done while he was Minister of Finance.”
(Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell)