T&T Law Association calls for AG to step down

(Trinidad Express) Even as calls continued for Attor­ney General Anand Ram­lo­gan to resign, the AG remained in the position yesterday.

But the question remains if he will be fired or resign shortly as Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is expected to make an announcement tomor­row.

The Law Association of Trini­dad and Tobago yesterday joined the cho­rus of calls for Ramlo­gan to resign.

The association, which has a ten­dency to remain reticent with respect to controversy, issued a brief, one-page release, following a meeting with its executive yesterday morning.

The meeting was chaired by LATT vice-chairman Gerry Brooks.

The Sunday Express understands LATT president Seenath Jairam is in Guyana.

The release stated: “It is the view of LATT that the police investigation into the conduct of the Attorney General has the ability to adversely affect and undermine the public per­ception of and confidence in the Office of the Attorney Gen­e­ral. In the circumstan­ces, it is LATT’s consi­d­ered view that Mr Ramlogan SC must forth­with step down as Attorney General.”

The probe by police officers arise out of allegations made by director of the Police Com­plaints Authority (PCA) David West that Ramlogan requested that he with­draw a wit­ness state­ment in a defamation matter involving Opposition Lead­er Dr Keith Rowley and Ramlogan.

West, on Thursday, made an offi­cial police complaint and sub­mitted a signed statement of his claims.

Shortly after the statement was delivered to police, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service issued a media statement, announcing the com­mence­ment of a probe.

Ramlogan, who is titular head of the Bar, then issued his own media release, calling on the inves­tigation to commence with haste, repeat­ing the allegations against him are untrue.

LATT, in its release, also ex­pressed concern over the allegations.

“The Law Association of Trinidad and Toba­go (LATT) notes with grave concern the recent allegations by Mr David West, director of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), and the launch of a criminal investigation by the Commissioner of Police (Ag) Mr Stephen Willi­ams. This investi­gation concerns the alle­gations of an attempt to pervert the course of justice made against the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago.

“To prevent erosion of confidence in the Office of the Attorney General, LATT urges that the investigations which have been embarked upon by the Police Service of Trinidad and Tobago be conducted thoroughly and expeditiously, in the interest of the national community.

“Once the investigations are com­pleted, any and all appropriate legal steps should be taken thereafter with due expediency. LATT makes no com­ment on the inno­cence or guilt of the Attorney General and awaits the outcome of the police investigation.”

This is not the first time that LATT has called on an AG to demit office.

On July 1, 2011, then AG John Jeremie was severely censured by members of the Bar who, at a spe­cially convened meeting at the Hall of Justice in Port of Spain, considered and passed a no-confidence motion against him.

The motion was proposed by head of the Criminal Bar Asso­ciation attorney Desmond Allum

SC (now deceased). The controversy arose following reports of corres­pondence between Jeremie and former Director of Public Prose­cu­tions (DPP) Geof­frey Henderson.

When the motion was proposed, it was supported by then Congress of the People (COP) deputy leader Pra­kash Ramadhar and then political leader of COP Winston Dookeran, both of whom had called on Jeremie to resign.

Following the motion, Jeremie offered his resignation to then prime minister Patrick Manning.

Manning refused to accept the offer by Jeremie and expressed his full confidence in Jeremie to perform his duties. Manning had also said he was satisfied the resolution was “poli­tically motivated”.

In 1983, then AG Russell Martin­eau SC tendered his resignation to then prime minister George Cham­bers, who refused to accept it after LATT passed a similar resolution.