Attorney Anil Nandlall has signalled his intent to initiate proceedings to commit Finance Minister Winston Jordan to prison due to the government’s failure to pay damages awarded by the court in a number of wrongful dismissal cases.
Nandlall made the disclosure on Monday after winning a judgment in favour of former Guyana High Commissioner to Canada Harry Narine Nawbatt, who was awarded over $24 million for his wrongful dismissal by the APNU+AFC government.
Nandlall said that even though they filed similar proceedings for former Advisor to the Minister of Local Government Clinton Collymore, former Liaison Officer to the Office of the President for Region Six Zulfikar Mustapha and former Ministry of Amerindian Affairs employee Anna Correia between 2015 and 2016 and won judgments, the government has made no payouts.
Nandlall said that Attorney General (AG) Basil Williams, who is listed as the defendant in all the cases, has filed no appeal against any of the decisions yet he “has consistently refused to honour these judgments.”
Nandlall added that they have repeatedly written to the AG requesting that he honours the payments, but to no avail. As a result, he said he intends to commence proceedings shortly to have the Minister of Finance jailed for non-payment of the judgment sums awarded.
In all the cases, he said, the plaintiffs sued for damages for wrongful dismissal/unlawful termination of their contracts of employment and after a trial were awarded judgments in various sums as compensation along with interest and costs.
According to Nandlall, “we note in some cases, judgments are quickly paid, taxes are written off and in one case, a mere letter threatening litigation attracted the payment of approximately US$ 5.7 million.”
He added, “needless to say, the relevant proceedings will be commenced shortly to commit the Minister of Finance to prison for non-payment of these judgments.”
