Director of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) David West said he is prepared to defend a witness statement he made in a defamation matter brought by the Attorney General Anand Ramlogan against Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley.
“I stand by my witness statement and I am ready to defend it under oath,” he said in a brief statement yesterday.
He said he hoped that did not affect or distract from the work he was doing at the PCA.
West has not denied the contents of a witness statement published in the Sunday Express in a defamation lawsuit involving Section 34 applicants Steve Ferguson and Ishwar Galbaransingh.
The reports claim the AG attempted to influence West to withdraw the statement in exchange for the appointment as PCA head.
Ramlogan, noting that the matter is still before the court, has since denied the allegation that he asked West, during a telephone conversation on October 31, 2014 or any time after that, to withdraw his witness statement.
The swirling controversy has drawn the ire of individuals and groups, including the Congress of the People, calling for Ramlogan to step down and for Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to remove him while and independent investigation takes place to determine whether a criminal offence had been committed.
Former attorney general Ramesh Maharaj has called a news conference for 11 am today to speak on this issue as well as the statement made by the AG that he obtained a default judgment against Rowley, and House Speaker Wade Mark’s statement which said he got notice from the High Court in respect of the matter which collapsed before it was to be debated on the ground that the matter was subjudice.
Maharaj said all of those issues have serious consequences for the enjoyment of democracy, the rule of law, the integrity of government, the accountability of government, the enjoyment of fundamental rights and the principles of good governance in our country.
West’s statement
I, David V.W. West , am a witness to a matter between Anand Ramlogan and Dr Keith Rowley CV 2012-02948. On 27th June 2014 I submitted a signed witness statement to my attorneys on said matter.
My witness statement has since been in the possession of my attorneys and was subsequently filed on 22nd December 2014. The content of this statement is a matter of public record.
During this time frame any individual with interest in this particular matter would have been privy to the list of witnesses and would have known that I am a witness in this matter. I stand by my witness statement and I am ready to defend it under oath.