AG: $55m spent on empty office for DPP

ATTORNEY GENERAL (AG) Reginald Armour, SC, said on Thursday the Government had ended its leasing of a building in east Port of Spain on which it had spent $55 million in a plan to house the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), but which DPP Roger Gaspard had opted not to occupy.

Armour was replying to questions in the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives, which examined budget 2024 allocations.

Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein had cited a $10.5 million allocation for 2024 for rent/lease of accommodation in the Office of AG's recurrent expenditure, up from $10.35 million last year actually spent, and asked for an update on the intended relocation of the Office of DPP's accommodation.

Armour replied, "The Government has terminated the lease of the north Park Street building, which the DPP had agreed in 2014 to move to."

The AG read a letter from the DPP on September 22, 2014, recalling he had twice viewed the premises – on July 28 and August 12, 2014.

"After due consideration, I am of the view that the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions could and should be accommodated at those premises. Accordingly, I urge you to take steps to actualise my interest."

The AG remarked, "At the end of September 2023, the Government terminated that lease after having spent a total – in rent, electricity bills and renovations to introduce bullet-proofing along the entire north-eastern wall of the property at the request of the DPP – of $55,551.443.

"The lease on that building has been terminated because the DPP has refused to move into the building,”

Replying to further questions by Hosein, the AG said the lease had expired, and the building was then leased on a month-to-month basis.

Hosein asked, "Are there any plans for a new building?"

Armour replied, "Consideration is being given to temporary accommodation for some of the DPP's staff who are going to be allocated by the JSC.

"The DPP will remain at Winsure building, and additional staff will hopefully be relocated.

"Consideration is being given to a site on which a proper building will be built out for a number of legal staff, and hopefully, the DPP, if that is actualised, will agree to move there."

Replying to questions by Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal, the AG said the money had been spent at the request of the DPP as the Government thought it was important for the DPP's Office to have a functional office.

"To the extent that he declined to move in, it was terminated and brought to an end."

Moonilal asked if the AG or DPP was to blame for the dubbed "scandalous" waste of $55 million.

Armour replied, "I, first of all, am not prepared to answer the question on the premise of 'scandalous'.

"But I will say it is the Government of the Republic of TT that assumed the responsibility – at the invitation of the DPP in 2014 when he agreed to move into the building – to renovate it at the cost which I have explained."

Last April, Newsday reported Gaspard touring the building with Special Branch officers a month after the Prime Minister at a PNM rally had asked why the DPP had not moved in.

Newsday reported the Government had spent $20 million on security upgrades to the building plus $24 million to lease for the first three years at a rate of $600,000 per month.

Otherwise, Armour said the Government spent almost $1 million on legal fees for a probe into a missing file involved in a successful $20 million lawsuit by suspects in the 2006 murder of businesswoman Vindra Naipaul-Coolman.

He expected to receive an invoice for fees for Rolston Nelson to move to set aside the court's judgment.

"That is ongoing litigation.

"The court has just fixed October 31 for a hearing in this matter, which I believe is the date judgement will be handed down on the State's application to set aside the award of $20 million."