Nelson conviction, the largest money laundering case in TT

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi has described the recently concluded Vincent Nelson case as the largest money laundering case in the history of TT. He was piloting The Miscellaneous Provisions (Age of Retirement of Judges, Interpretation and Chief Judicial Officers) Bill in the House Wednesday.

He said plea bargaining was introduced to this country under this administration.

“We made history as a country in a concluded case right now, the case of Vincent Nelson Queen’s Counsel, who admitted to guilt, was sentenced and that matter has come to an end this week.

“Landmark decision of money laundering, the largest money laundering case in the history of TT completed by plea bargaining.”

The Jamaican-born QC was fined $2.25 million in a legal kickbacks case and for his role in an alleged conspiracy involving former attorney general Anand Ramlogan and former UNC senator Gerald Ramdeen.

Al-Rawi said the bill was short in measure but deep in impact and addressed judicial resources and to increase the age of retirement of judges from 65 to 75.

He reported that the ministry looked at jurisdictions around the Commonwealth and found on average the more developed jurisdictions the ages of retirement were between 70 and 75 years.

He pointed out that local judges after they retire at 65 go to work in the Caribbean including Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Belize, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and Jamaica.

“Our judges, viewed to be the most robust of judges in the Caribbean, the most experienced because of our case loads, our judges go to the other islands and we lose judicial capacity.”

He also said that he will recommend to Parliament that the ten year restriction before judges who retire can return to private practice be reduced to three years.

He reported that by April, Government will have opened 125 new courtrooms in the International Waterfront Centre civil courts after moving them from the Hall of Justice.

He also reported Government hired more than 500 people to work in the respective divisions of the Judiciary including the Family Division and the Criminal Division. Al-Rawi said the previous administration “operationalised nothing” but were only about “old talk” while this administration has provided plant, machinery and personnel.