Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley is moving to strike out a legal victory being claimed by Attorney General Anand Ramlogan in the emailgate scandal.
This was announced by his attorney, People’s National Movement (PNM) Senator Faris Al-Rawi, in a hastily-called press conference at the Office of the Opposition Leader, Charles Street, Port-of-Spain, yesterday evening.
It was in response to statements by Ramlogan at yesterday’s post-Cabinet press conference, St Clair.
Ramlogan told the media Rowley’s legal team had failed to file a defence in a defamation lawsuit against him over statements made on the emailgate issue.
He filed the suit in the High Court last September 11.
Following this, Rowley’s lawyers filed an application on October 31 for an extension of time to file a defence.
Yesterday, Al-Rawi said the application for an extension was made because Rowley’s legal team had requested copies of CDs featuring the audio recording of alleged statements made by Rowley but had received blank CDs and because the transcripts required had not been produced.
“We have to check the recordings and whether they were doctored or not.
“We have to check to make sure that what is said was in fact what was said, let alone whether it was defamatory or not and whether there are defences for that defamation or not,” Al-Rawi said yesterday.
Following the application for extension to file a defence, Justice Vashiest Kokoram recused himself from the matter.
While both Ramlogan and Al-Rawi agreed on those first chain of events, Al-Rawi said his legal team was unaware of any further court proceedings and said as far as he was aware the extension application was still pending.
Ramlogan, however, supplied the media with a copy of an e-mail to his attorney Richard Jagai which stated that the matter of the extension had been determined without a hearing and an extension was given until January 7, 2015.
Al-Rawi said his team did not receive any such correspondence.
He said the only response he received on the matter since Kokoram recused himself was yesterday when he received a notice for assessment of damages based on the judgment in default of defence.
Al-Rawi said he immediately contacted Jagai to answer on the matter.
Further checks revealed that the application for default judgment was filed by Ramlogan on Wednesday.
“It is something of concern, however, that an application of default judgment could be filed yesterday and Mr Ramlogan made an announcement today,” Al-Rawi said.
Al-Rawi also said court records had not listed the matter
He added: “Dr Rowley’s position is that this is being dealt with in a very serious manner.
“We take the emailgate situation very seriously in the Opposition.
“We do not share the Attorney General’s view that this is a landmark occasion of justice.
“We certainly don’t share his view that this is a matter that is not being treated with any seriousness. We are prosecuting Dr Rowley’s defence with all of the litigation brought against him with great vigour.”
Ramlogan wants apologies
Attorney General Anand Ramlogan yesterday called on Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley to make apologies to him and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar after Ramlogan claimed victory on a defamation lawsuit.
He made the call at yesterday’s post-Cabinet media conference.
The AG said the trial for the assessment of damages to determine the amount of money to be paid to him by Rowley had been set for March 10 at 9 am.
“With this important and significant legal victory, I am certain that the population will have no doubts that the emailgate fiasco is one which had no basis in fact whatsoever but was a political concoction by someone with a very overactive and creative imagination,” Ramlogan said.
Ramlogan gave an open message to Dr Rowley on his own behalf and on behalf of Persad-Bissessar.
He said: “We are willing to entertain an apology at this stage in the game and I therefore call upon Dr Rowley to do the manly and honourable and decent thing to apologise to the Prime Minister and myself for making these scandalous allegations, knowing full well, because of the manner he claimed to have received it, because of the errors in the document and the clear evidence to the contrary that really these utterances should never have emanated from someone who holds senior and high public office.”
Ramlogan said the next step was to consider whether Rowley be reported to the Integrity Commission for investigation. (KC)