Al-Rawi pilots preliminary inquiry bill

Al-Rawi said the documents also listed his predecessor Anand Ramlogan, Dr Tim Gopeesingh, Dr Roodal Moonilal, Dr Fuad Khan and Prakash Ramadhar as other ministers attending those meetings.

“When Section 34 was proclaimed by the Cabinet then, it came by way of a specific Cabinet note,” he added.

Identifying this document as Cabinet Note 2119 of August 6, 2012, Al-Rawi said that document showed that then justice minister Herbert Volney recommended that Section 32, Section 34, and Schedule Six of the 2011 Act,”be proclaimed with effect from August 31, 2012 in order to facilitate the introduction of delayed provisions and the early saving of rules.” Based on the information in these documents, Al Rawi said, “Now TT understands that the Siparia (MP Persad-Bissessar) led Cabinet consciously, unilaterally, by itself with all members present, proclaimed Section 34.” Government MPs thumped their desks as the AG quipped, “It wasn’t an act of the Parliament, it was an act of the Cabinet alone.” He said once that decision was taken, one saw the proximity of former members of the 1995-2001 United National Congress (UNC) regime and some of their known financiers, “the clock having started by the action of the Cabinet under the UNC, approach the courts for discharge.” Stating that 42 persons made those applications, Al-Rawi said the cost and consequence of Section 34 are still being felt by the country’s taxpayers, even though the PP eventually repealed it.

The AG said this saw a sum of $13,660,748 being spread across eight lawyers, who dealt with the multiple cases under the Piarco Airport matter. He said some are well-known such as Opposition Senator Gerald Ramdeen and Alan Newman QC were amongst those lawyers.