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CCNTV6
  • 1 year ago
The AG refuses to budge on releasing the Stanley John report on what led a State file to go missing, costing the State twenty million dollars.
Transcript
00:00After a six-week break, the miscellaneous provisions, judicial and legal service bill
00:06hits the Senate again.
00:08Over that time, Independent Senator Anthony Vera had something in mind.
00:13He was unforgiving of Opposition Senator Wade Mark, who in early July called for a police
00:19probe of Master Christy Ann Morris-Alleen for her consultancy with the Legal Affairs
00:25Ministry on the bill as a sitting judge.
00:29He said it was a breach of the separation of powers.
00:32I have known Master Morris-Alleen since my days at university, we were in the same year.
00:38But having seen all that she has done in terms of developing our legal systems and processes,
00:45I have nothing but strong admiration and respect for her.
00:51What occurred on the last occasion is a matter of regret, both on public and personal grounds
00:57to a great many people.
01:00What occurred on the last occasion was uncalled for.
01:03It was disrespectful to the goal of a national award.
01:06And it is a shame on this Senate.
01:10Senator Vera demanded an apology from his longtime schoolmates, saying it was improper
01:15and an abuse of process to condemn a person who didn't have the opportunity to defend
01:21themselves.
01:23Vera told the Senate he went home that day embarrassed and disappointed with himself.
01:28A bit hypocritical, questions UNC Senator Jayanti Lachmadial.
01:52She called for the Attorney General to make public the genesis of the amendments proposed
02:12in the bill before the House.
02:14That is the Stanley John report.
02:17What is there in the report that you want to hide?
02:20Is there something?
02:21Is there something?
02:22Because you know what they don't realize, Mr. Vice President?
02:28They don't realize that by keeping these reports and opinions and so on from respected persons
02:33within our society secret, they are in fact inviting speculation.
02:39They are inviting people from the public to say that these people are getting jobs and
02:43being paid by the government to produce reports that the public cannot see.
02:48They foster that sense of distrust.
02:51She criticized the government for failing to meet with 31 state attorneys to be impacted
02:57by the passage of the bill, who penned a letter indicating their lack of support.
03:02Lachmadial Ramdial said the government was handpicking reports they want to make public.
03:08Any legal opinion, any report, any investigation that takes place that is paid for by the state
03:16of Trinidad and Tobago belongs to the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.
03:21If you want to take your report and your legal opinion and hide it, let Balize House pay
03:25for it.
03:26The Attorney General engaged retired Judge Stanley John and retired Justice Ralston Nelson
03:31to conduct the investigation following public outcry when nine men acquitted for the murder
03:37of businesswoman Vindra Naipaul-Coolman filed a lawsuit against the state and were awarded
03:44a $20 million judgment in their favor when the state's file went missing.
03:50The UNC Senator's call was echoed by two independent voices.
03:55I have a real disquiet because I don't know what's in the report.
04:05I don't know.
04:06Many persons have indicated that what happened could have happened because of neglect.
04:13I don't know if it's neglect.
04:15I don't know if it's dereliction of duty.
04:17I don't know if it goes beyond that to malfeasance or misbehavior in public office because we
04:26have not seen the report.
04:29And I think those are very, very serious considerations.
04:33It is difficult to proceed to this bill without asking the questions about the investigation
04:41into that incident.
04:43Let's remember that that default judgment has not been disposed of.
04:48And taxpayers have a right and a right to know what layer of accountability and you
04:56cannot discuss accountability in that incident without knowing the findings of that investigation.
05:03Not negotiable was the response of A.G.
05:07There are very serious remarks made in that report.
05:14The language that is used is that they are grave, but don't amount to justiciable material,
05:22but grave remarks that point at named persons in there.
05:27And I have taken the decision, and I stand on that decision, that I am looking to the
05:33future of improving the civil law department.
05:37And I am not going to be distracted by the media or the opposition going after named
05:46persons in that report if I were to make it public.
05:51The bill was passed with 22 votes for, five against and one abstention.
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