00:00Attorney General John Jeremy appeared before the Parliament's Standing Finance Committee to request a budgetary supplementation of $75 million and
00:08a variation of $7 million for the Office of the Attorney General, which includes legal fees invoiced to that office
00:16and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
00:19This time last year, I made the point that when I first entered the doors of the Office of the
00:27Attorney General, I was met with an alarming quantum of outstanding legal fees somewhere in the vicinity of $150 million,
00:43with invoices continuing to come in daily.
00:50In response to questions from opposition leader Penelope Beckles, the Attorney General said he faces some challenges.
00:56I did not open this conversation. Some of the invoices which I have are invoices of persons who will publicly
01:10dismissed from the employee of the state,
01:15but retained some sort of arrangement which allowed them to be paid. I have to make a decision in respect
01:24of those.
01:25The opposition leader sought details from the Attorney General.
01:28There's a standing finance committee. If you are, all I'm asking you, if you're not able to provide it, that's
01:35fine.
01:35But it's only as it relates to what you have requested. I understand your position, you know, and I understand
01:41what you're sharing.
01:42You inherited a certain amount of persons and you, of debt, and you haven't been able to pay.
01:49Maybe you have more portion of that. And so you have a carryover. I understand all of that.
01:53But do you understand that that $50 million cannot be, I cannot say to you this afternoon, that that would
02:00be paid to X, Y, and Z?
02:02Okay. And you're not able to see that because?
02:06Because some of those claims are fraudulent.
02:09The AG said he would be willing to provide details in writing as he spoke about the invoices for state
02:14briefs since he took office.
02:16Thirty-four million dollars. That's it.
02:20This, in comparison to fees paid by the Office of the AG4, these periods, 2022 to 2023, approximately $246 million.
02:372023 to 2024, approximately $147 million.
02:45I think something is wrong with that.
02:47Opposition MP Keith Scotland posed the question today to the general about those fees under the former administration.
02:53Could you confirm to us how much of that, I think we use a figure of $200 million, $120 million,
03:00was used by the state to defend claims, COVID-related claims?
03:06The attorney general told the government a line.
03:08Billions of dollars have been wasted, taxpayers' dollars have been wasted on fattening lawyers.
03:15Billions of dollars have been wasted on fattening lawyers.
03:45The supplementary allocation for the attorney general's office for the 2026 budget was approved by the Standing Finance Committee.
03:52Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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