(Trinidad Express) “The truth will set me free”.
Attorney General Anand Ramlogan yesterday categorically denied that he asked chairman of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) David West to withdraw his witness statement in a defamation case the AG filed against Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley.
He said further, that if this was the case, West, if he received legal advice, would have reported this to the Integrity Commission and the police instead of remaining silent.
The Sunday Express reported that the AG refused to confirm or deny an allegation that six days before attorney West was appointed PCA director, he asked him to withdraw his witness statement in a defamation lawsuit relating to the failed extradition involving Section 34 applicants Steve Ferguson and Ishwar Galbaransingh in exchange for him being selected for the job.
The defamation lawsuit stemmed from statements Ramlogan claimed Rowley made during a news conference on November 8, 2011, relating to Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh’s ruling in which he quashed the Attorney General’s decision to order the extradition of Ferguson and Galbaransingh, arising out of the Piarco International Airport enquiry.
On the heels of the Sunday Express report, the Congress of the People (COP) political leader Prakash Ramadhar issued a release yesterday stating he has summoned an extraordinary meeting of the party executive to discuss the matter.
Fixin’ T&T also issued a release calling on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to fire the AG and for the police to launch a criminal investigation.
Ramlogan initially refused to answer to the allegation but broke his silence yesterday on the matter to clear the air, he said.
He explained that the question that was sent to him via email from the Express which read “Investigations revealed that on October 31, 2014 you telephoned attorney David West asking him to withdraw his witness statement in relation to the extradition matter involving Steve Ferguson and Ish Galbaransingh in exchange for him being selected as director of the Police Complaints Authority. Is this true? If so, why was this done?”.
Ramlogan said while he was and remained reluctant to comment on a matter in which he is the claimant that is awaiting trial before the High Court, “I wish to categorically refute and deny the allegation that I asked PCA Chairman David West to withdraw his witness statement during a telephone conversation which allegedly took place on October 31st, 2014 or at any time thereafter.”
Ramlogan e-mailed the Express a copy of West’s witness statement which was filed in the court on December 19, 2014 according to the court stamp on the document.
West’s witness statement was served to the AG’s attorneys on December 22, 2014 which is penned on the document.
The AG told the Express he was only aware of West’s witness statement on December 22, 2014 and therefore could not have asked him to withdraw something he knew nothing about in October as alleged.
The AG said if he tried to bribe West in October 2014 as alleged, then West had full opportunity to include these allegations in his witness statement which was filed in December 2014. West had signed the statement on June 27, 2014.
“I was only aware that Mr West had filed a witness statement in this case when it was served on my Attorneys on December 22nd, 2014. The said witness statement had in fact been filed in court a mere two days before,” he said.
“It is impossible for me to have asked Mr West on October 31, 2014 to withdraw a witness statement which only came into existence almost two months later. I could not have possibly asked Mr West to not give evidence against me in favour of Dr Rowley’s defence in exchange for him being appointed Chairman of the PCA as this appointment is made by the President of the country and not the AG,” he added.
The AG said this was similar to the allegation in the fraudulent emailgate where it is alleged that he was going to remove the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) by appointing him a judge.
Ramlogan said that power lies with the Judicial and Legal Services Commission which is chaired by the Chief Justice and he could not possibly make such an offer, far less a promise, that he was powerless to deliver.
He noted that the allegation with respect to him asking West to withdraw his witness statement was being raised almost three months after the alleged conversation and two months after West was appointed PCA chairman.
He said further that “carefully selected parts” of the evidence in his case that were published do not tell the entire story.
“At trial, the truth will emerge under cross-examination and set me free. I pray and wait in hope for the judiciary to give me my day in court so that justice can be done. I am confident that the truth will set me free,” he said.
Ramlogan also indicated he was extremely concerned that a newspaper can claim to have gained access to a citizen’s private phone records.
He reminded that the provisions of the Interception of Private Communications Act makes it a criminal offence to intercept private communications.
Ramlogan said law enforcement agencies are allowed to do this with proper authorisation.
“We must not sacrifice the rule of law on the altar of political or journalistic expediency,” said Ramlogan.
