Former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj SC is calling on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to remove Attorney General Anand Ramlogan from office while the criminal investigation into the prison litigation allegations is going on. He made the call on the heels of an announcement by Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard that a criminal investigation had been launched into the allegations.
In a statement on Thursday, Maharaj said the Prime Minister also had a duty to announce that the investigation she ordered into the allegations involving the Attorney General, which was met with strong opposition and criticism by various quarters, had been revoked.
Maharaj said: “The DPP in his statements made yesterday (Wednesday) made it clear that he was of the firm opinion that there was sufficient material to investigate whether criminal offences, including conspiracy to pervert the course of public justice and also conspiracy to defraud the state of T&T, were committed.
“The Prime Minister must take steps immediately to remove the Attorney General from office whilst the investigation is being conducted by the acting Commissioner of Police in order to deliver to the population an open and transparent investigation and one that is fair, independent and impartial. The public interest demands that decision from the Prime Minister.”
Maharaj also urged the DPP to ask acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams to complete the investigation and present a report to him within a specific period. Maharaj suggested four weeks.