AG: Lawyers looking into Kamla’s ‘vicious lies’

ATTORNEY General Faris Al-Rawi says his lawyers will be looking into “vicious lies” made against him by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

“We will deal with Mrs Persad-Bissessar in the courts of TT. I will happily take her damages and send my children to school with them.”

He was speaking during a media conference in the foyer of the Parliament building.

“The Leader of the Opposition, you will note, has been in a very pointed form of attack against me in particular. I’d like to say that that attack is against the holder of the Office of Attorney General. It is clear to me now that the Leader of the Opposition is aware that there are matters in the pipeline concerning criminal conduct and activity that will cause great difficulties for people in the UNC.”

He said because of this, Persad-Bissessar was “compelled” on Monday night (at the UNC Monday Night Forum in Moruga) “to tell a series of lies on a public platform.”

Al-Rawi said she raised two issues: firstly calling him a liar with respect to the rental of property at Alexandra Street in St Clair; and secondly an allegation that there was a public call via a real estate agent and a property was advertised at a ridiculously low figure “which is obviously not the figure.”

He said Persad-Bissessar was not telling the country that the methodology for the calculation of square footage changed. He stressed there is no discrepancy, that the rental at Alexandra Street is value for money, and he recused himself from the process.

Al-Rawi said he comes from a family that has significant business interests and all of his properties and acquisitions happened prior to coming into public life, and long before the general elections of 2015 he had built his enterprises and constructed his properties.

“I don’t see, respectfully, that someone who has come from a declared and open and successful family background is to be harassed by the Leader of the Opposition in this fashion.” He said people in the private sector have complained to him that he has reduced the rental value in TT significantly by offering an A-class property at almost warehouse rates but he rents no properties to any lawyers.

“That is a complete lie and fabrication on Mrs Persad-Bissessar’s part. And she will be dealt with appropriately.”

Al-Rawi said there were allegations about a property which he owns a part of at Abercromby Street.

He explained he built legal chambers with other people and he owns a floor in a building.

“What I can tell you is that my attorneys are looking into this matter and we intend to act upon her vicious lies.”