Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has failed to display proper decisive leadership by not firing Attorney General Anand Ramlogan sooner.
This was the view of political leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) David Abdulah who spoke to members of the media outside the Attorney General’s office at Cabildo Chambers, St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain yesterday.
“The prime minister herself said the allegations made against Ramlogan were troubling and disturbing but they are more than troubling and disturbing.
“They go to the very root of governance in T&T and the justice system because the attorney general, according to the Constitution is the person to ensure the public interest is upheld,” Abdulah said.
He said this came “well before” any political consideration as a member of the Cabinet or as a member of the party.
Abdulah also demanded that Ramlogan to be stripped his title of Senior Counsel.
“There were question marks as to how he got that title. He needs to be stripped of that. It will be horrendous if he leaves the Attorney General’s office and return to private practice as a Senior Counsel,” Abdulah said.
He also called on acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams to widen the probe into the issue involving Ramlogan.
National Security Minister Gary Griffith reportedly said he was pressured by his Cabinet colleagues to withhold information on a criminal complaint made by Police Complaints Authority (PCA) director David West against Ramlogan.
“We want to say and we stand on good legal position that anyone caught attempting to get Minister Griffith to recant from his position and not to tell the truth is equally guilty as anyone else of perversion of justice or conspiracy to pervert the course of justice which are criminal offenses.
“If that matter was discussed in Cabinet, by the caucus of Cabinet, or amongst Ministers of Government or by public relations then all of them are subject to criminal investigation,” Abdulah said.
Saying this was not the first issue that Mr Ramlogan has been involved in Abdulah cited the was Section 34 controversy.
Communication Minister Vasant Bharath, on Sunday, denied suggestions that anyone in Cabinet tried to pressure Griffith to withdraw his support of West’s complaint.