AG: Over 1,000 charged by ACIB since 2015

THE Anti-Corruption Investigation Bureau (ACIB) charged 1,093 people from September 2015 to April 30, 2019 including politicians, reported Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi.

He was responding to a question in the House on Wednesday. Al-Rawi reported, from 2015 to 2016 there were no prosecutions or convictions; for 144 charges were were laid and two people charged with no convictions in 2017; 939 charges of money laundering were laid in 2018 and one person convicted; and for 2019, ten charges were laid and there were no convictions.

“Having passed the ACIB over to the TT Police Service, what is important to note in this regard is that some of these money laundering charges include past senior members of the UNC including a former attorney general and also a former senator sitting in the 11th Republican Parliament. So contrary to the exhortations coming from Naparima (MP Rodney Charles) in particular the ACIB is doing phenomenally well in tracking down high level corruption including corruption amongst politicians.

He reported the total amount spent on the ACIB from September 2015 to April 30, 2019 was $6,418,171.76.

Al-Rawi said he was appointed on September 9, 2015 and assigned the Ministry of Attorney General and Legal Affairs and absorbed a large part of the Ministry of Justice. He said under the UNC administration the combined expenditure for the period 2010-2015 inclusive of the Ministries of the Attorney General, Legal Affairs and Justice was $4.585 billion and under the Ministry of the Attorney General alone was $1.222 billion. He said under the present Government the combined expenditure for the period 2015-2019 for the combined Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs was $1.014 billion.

He reported under the UNC administration, legal fees at the Ministry of the Attorney General was $444,444,197, nearly half a billion.

“Accumulated debts left on top of that for this administration was $137,128,742.”

Al-Rawi reported under the current administration legal fees has been $224,297,888.48 and this includes $140.5 million for the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and $83.7 million for the liquidation of arrears and current expenses.

He said a year on year comparison showed the current administration was 42.3 per cent lower than the previous administration.

“The Attorney General’s office has conducted a comprehensive value-for-money audit on all legal fees and expenditure and has referred several matters to the...police...and the office of the DPP for consideration and such action as they may consider in their respective constitutionally independent offices as appropriate.”

National Security Minister Stuart Young also reported that the investigation by Justice Rolston Nelson into the procurement of automated passport kiosks by the Airports Authority of TT was currently ongoing. He said Nelson was asked to complete the investigation within a period of two months and he has made no request for any extension.

Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan reported no legal action has been taken by Novo Technology Incorporation in relation to the kiosks, but attorneys for the company have served a pre-action protocol letter on the State in connection with the Government’s decision to investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding the award of the contract.