(Trinidad Express) The Ministry of the Attorney General paid some $353.7 million to attorneys and other consultants between June 2010 and October 2014.
Out of this amount, Charles Russell was paid approximately $19.1 million for legal advice arising out of the cancellation of the OPV (offshore patrol vessel) contract in 2010.
And Alan Newman QC was paid $2.4 million for advice relating to the repeal of the controversial Section 34 clause.
This forms part of the information provided in a written response last Friday to a question on the Order Paper of the House of Representatives on the payment of legal and other technical/professional services made to persons and entities by the Ministry of the Attorney General for the period June 2010 to October 31, 2014.
The question was filed by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley.
According to the information provided by the Attorney General, some $353,734,622.38 was paid, with the largest payment being made to British law firm Charles Russell, which received $63,181,472.
The second highest fees were paid to accounting firm Ernst and Young—$26,415,744 and Alix Partners, a foreign-based global business advisory firm, which received $20,090,020.
Jamaican attorney Vincent Nelson (who replaced Fyard Hosein as the lead counsel for the Ministry of Finance in the CLICO Enquiry) received $20,400,544, while British QC Alan Newman was paid $14,474,613.54 and Barbados-based Guyana-born attorney Fenton Ramsahoye received $9,969,080.
*Among the local legal fraternity, the highest sum was paid to Gerald Ramdeen, who has figured in the “Prisongate” affair as well as in the current controversy involving the location of judiciary files in his office. He received $15,541,423.
*Second in line was Israel Khan SC, who benefitted from legal briefs under the tenure of former attorney general John Jeremie, but who now serves as the Prime Minister’s lead attorney in the emailgate matter. He was paid $11,660,800.
*Third in line is Avory Sinanan SC, who received $10,406,925.
*Law Association president Seenath Jairam SC, who received $9,850,210, is next in line.
* Coming closely behind were Kelvin Ramkissoon, who was paid $9,723,399, and the late Dana Seetahal, who received $9,294,500 during the same period.
*Russell Martineau SC, who received $8,834,875, and Pamela Elder SC, who was paid $7,831,500, are next major beneficiaries.
*Completing the top ten list are Larry Lalla, who was paid $6,974,825, and Jagdeo Singh, who received $5,772,166.
Falling just outside that list is Wayne Sturge, the 11th-ranked attorney in terms of earnings from state briefs. Sturge received $3.1 million.
The top ten attorneys who benefitted from State briefs earned among themselves $95.5 million.
Interestingly, among the ten top earners are four attorneys who are not yet members of the Inner Bar i.e. not yet senior counsel, whose combined earnings amounted to $37.2 million, while the six senior counsel received $58.2 million.
