Dear Editor,
The Kaieteur News, on Sunday, May 6, 2018, carried an article under the caption ‘Three years, billions of dollars later, Attorney General tries to get a handle on outsourced state cases’. In that article, the following passage appeared:
“It has been reported that under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic government, several litigations that were brought against the state were outsourced to various private lawyers. This is while Anil Nandlall was Attorney General.”
I served as Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs from December 5, 2011 to May 15, 2015. During my tenure in Office, I retained the service of only two lawyers from the private bar, namely, Stephen Fraser and Roysdale Forde.
Mr. Fraser was retained to represent the State in certain legal proceedings in relation to cricket administration. He also represented the State in the constitutional challenge filed by Cedric Richardson.
Mr. Roysdale Forde was retained to represent the State in the trial of two cases: one filed by NH Construction Ltd and one by Dipcon Engineering Services Ltd. Both of these cases were filed over a decade prior to my assumption to Office.
The above represents the entirety of the “outsourcing of cases” during my tenure in Office. I briefed Attorney General & Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams on these matters at a “handing over” which took place on or about the 22nd May 2015, at the Attorney General Chambers, Lot 95 Carmichael Street, Georgetown.
I hope I have set the record straight, again. This is the second time I am clarifying these matters in the press as a result of the recklessly inaccurate information which emanates from that Ministry on a regular basis.
Yours faithfully
Mohabir Anil Nandlall
MP
Former Attorney
General & Minister of
Legal Affairs.
