$109 million Clico inquiry bill

The breakdown of the expenses for the CoE were laid in the House of Representatives yesterday by Leader of Government Business, Camille Robinson-Regis, on behalf of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley who was absent from the sitting. Within the total bill, foreign attorneys who appeared before the CoE were paid a total of $62,056,877.90. Inquiry chairman, Sir Anthony Colman, was paid a total of 1,258,343.51 (Pounds Sterling).

Local attorneys involved in the inquiry were paid a total of $24,872,250. Within this group of four lawyers, Gerald Ramdeen (now a UNC senator) was paid a total of $5,854,000 in legal fees. Varun Debideen was paid $6,155,000 in legal fees while Shankar Bidaisee received the highest in the quartet, of $9,532,000 in legal fees. The fourth attorney, Celeste Jules, was paid $3,331,250.

A total of $1,806,600 was paid in criminal prosecution proceedings fees were paid in 2013 to three attorneys.

Among them was Wayne Sturge (now also a UNC senator), who was paid $567,600.

Other attorneys Israel Khan SC and Lemuel Murphy were paid fees of $989,000 and $250,000 respectively.

Another attorney, Avory Sinanan, was paid $254,250. The total combined fees for criminal prosecution and threatened judicial review proceedings was $2,060,850.

The total combined fees for criminal prosecution, threatened judicial review proceedings professional fees for English and local counsel was $88,989,977.90.