Kamla: Faris must go or be fired

OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar called for the resignation of Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, citing an alleged offer of indemnity to attorney Vincent Nelson, QC, when he was a Statge witness in the case against former AG Anand Ramlogan, SC.

And if he does not go of his own volition, she is challenging the Prime Minister to fire Al Rawi.

She made her call at a post-budget briefing at her office at Charles Street, Port of Spain on Monday. The matter, she said, involved Nelson apparently getting indemnity plus legal fees.

Newsday was unable to contact Al-Rawi for a comment in reply. Persad-Bissessar described the case as "an unprecedented development," of "alarming revelations."

Recalling an incident in Parliament where Al-Rawi had once called then senator and now Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein a "little boy," she said Hosein was an expert attorney who is now going to move a no-confidence motion against the AG.

Persad-Bissessar called for an investigation to be launched. She accused Al-Rawi of bringing his office into "shame, ridicule, odium and disrepute." She also claimed that the separation of powers is being eroded in the country.

She said some commentators in some jurisdictions might dub certain allegations being ventilated in the public domain as acts of treason.

On the issue of alleged promises of indemnity, Persad-Bissessar said the offices of AG and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) were in fact two separate offices with the former having no control over the latter.