National Security Minister Gary Griffith confided in a Cabinet colleague on Thursday he was approached by Attorney General Anand Ramlogan to use his friendship with Police Complaints Authority head David West in order to confirm "if West recalled the documents" in the Section 34 defamation lawsuit against Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley.
However, Griffith appears ready to provide statements in the ongoing police probe in the allegations against the AG to clear his name in the matter. The colleague yesterday said Griffith had informed them he was not aware of exactly what the “documents” in questions were but was just delivering a message on Ramlogan's behalf when he approached West in the matter. It was only later on that Griffith in fact realised it was the Section 34 lawsuit.
"It was only when he (Griffith) contacted West that he was told to leave that situation alone because the matter was before the court that he realised what was going on," Griffith;s colleague told the T&T Guardian yesterday.
Ramlogan had initially denied media reports he had contacted West before his appointment to the PCA, asking him to withdraw his witness statement in a defamation lawsuit relating to the failed extradition involving Section 34 applicants Steve Ferguson and Ishwar Galbaransingh in exchange for him being selected for the PCA job. But West on Thursday refuted Ramlogan's denial, saying his recollection of the events were "diametrically opposed" to the Attorney General's.
West was also reported to have delivered a statement to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) but the T&T Guardian has learnt that while a detailed, signed report was delivered to the acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams, nothing has been delivered to the DPP yet.
The T&T Guardian was informed that the timeline of the alleged discussions between Ramlogan, Griffith and West was the crux of the growing discord between the three, as Griffith has informed his colleagues that he was only passing a message on to West.
Cabinet interference
When contacted yesterday, Griffith said he was not speaking on the matter. "I have to be careful because the matter is before the court but I can say that I am in no way implicated," Griffith said. The T&T Guardian also learned that Griffith was refusing to back down or be cowed by his Cabinet colleagues. When asked how that was affecting the climate inside Cabinet, the insider said: "Griffith not too worried about that.
"He does not intend to retract or back down or not make that witness statement because his Cabinet colleagues are trying to get him to back down." Griffith, the T&T Guardian learned, was "willing and ready to testify." Meanwhile, West himself yesterday said he hoped the matter would be investigated swiftly and said he stood ready to play his part in the investigation.
West, who was in Tobago for a meeting in Plymouth, also dispelled the AG’s claim that there was a political conspiracy against him saying: “I don’t agree with his words. I gave a statement to the commissioner of Police and that statement will be investigated by the Deputy Commissioner of Police.”
Cabinet interference
When contacted yesterday, Griffith said he was not speaking on the matter. "I have to be careful because the matter is before the court but I can say that I am in no way implicated," Griffith said. The T&T Guardian also learned that Griffith was refusing to back down or be cowed by his Cabinet colleagues. When asked how that was affecting the climate inside Cabinet, the insider said: "Griffith not too worried about that.
"He does not intend to retract or back down or not make that witness statement because his Cabinet colleagues are trying to get him to back down." Griffith, the T&T Guardian learned, was "willing and ready to testify." Meanwhile, West himself yesterday said he hoped the matter would be investigated swiftly and said he stood ready to play his part in the investigation.
West, who was in Tobago for a meeting in Plymouth, also dispelled the AG’s claim that there was a political conspiracy against him saying: “I don’t agree with his words. I gave a statement to the commissioner of Police and that statement will be investigated by the Deputy Commissioner of Police.”