AG: Discussions ongoing with DPP

Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC, said there is no ongoing dispute with the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions with respect to the issue of resources and performance of the office of the director.

He was responding to a question on the matter from Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal on Friday in the House of Representatives.

The AG said, “My meeting with the director on March 15 at my office discussed a number of matters, relevant to the respective mandates of the office of the AG and Ministry of Legal Affairs and the DPP’s offices, and my office’s support of the independent remit of the DPP. At the end of a fruitful meeting, the director and myself agreed then that the subject of our discussions will not be conducted in the public domain. Those discussions are not concluded.”

Asked by Moonilal if he thought the public should not be updated about the rental of the proposed site of the DPP’s office on Park and Henry Streets, which has not been occupied for the last three years, Armour repeated that he and the DPP had agreed that the discussions should not be conducted in the public domain.

“The discussions are not completed, and I am not speaking on behalf of the DPP.”

On March 8, the DPP said his office was undergoing a staff shortage and he could not fulfil the expectations of the Chief Justice to man all courts with prosecutors. The AG said the DPP’s office had enough staff, but they were underperforming. The Criminal Bar Association and the UNC have asked the AG to apologise.