AG: Let’s get all the facts on emailgate

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi yesterday cautioned the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) against celebrating victory in the emailgate matter. Al-Rawi issued this caution in response to a statement from Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

In her statement, Persad-Bissessar referred to a report in which Acting Commissioner of Police (CoP) Stephen Williams said the police had found nothing of substance in their investigations. However Al-Rawi told Newsday, “Finding nothing of substance is different from finding nothing at all.

“The facts are yet to be disclosed. There is a lot more in the mortar than the pestle.” Al-Rawi said it would be important to know what was disclosed in the mutual legal assistance requests, as well as whether any material had been lost. He said it was also important to remember the UNC prematurely celebrated victory on emailgate before.

Al-Rawi recalled that Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Joan Honore Paul had to put out a statement to refute the UNC’s position. He said a similar situation happened in the case of former deputy Integrity Commission chairman Justice Sebastien Ventour. Al-Rawi said it is noteworthy that Government has been bringing to light instances of possible criminal conduct under the former People’s Partnership (PP) government. The AG said he was not going to speculate on this matter and prudence dictates that all the facts be known before a pronouncement is made one way or the other.

Williams, in the report, said it was for the DPP to make a pronouncement on this issue. In her statement, Persad-Bissessar said, “ I call on the DPP to take action in this matter.” She maintained that the allegations made by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley as opposition leader in 2013 were false, and a US computer forensic expert, Jon Berryhill, said the e-mails were of a fraudulent nature.

Persad-Bissessar also said Google Inc, in August 2014, by certified affidavit, said the e-mails did not exist. She also said the Integrity Commission cleared her in this matter in 2015.

In April 2015, the commission informed Persad-Bissessar’s lawyer, Israel Khan, SC, there were “no or insufficient grounds” to continue the probe. This prompted the resignation of deputy chairman Justice Sebastien Ventour and Anne Marie Lalchan from the commission. Ventour disagreed with the commission’s statement that the emailgate probe had been terminated. Persad-Bissessar charged, “His actions have now been proven to be nothing more than attempts to malign me during my term as prime minister, as well as members of the then PP administration.” She demanded that Prime Minister Rowley resign and a general election be held immediately.