Anand: The truth shall set me free

Former attorney general Anand Ramlogan says he is confident of being cleared of “scurrilous allegations” of obstruction of justice and misbehaviour in public office. He was speaking with reporters outside the Port-of-Spain Magistrates Court yesterday minutes after appearing before Senior Magistrate Nanette Forde-John. His matter has been adjourned to January 11, 2018.

Forde-John read to Ramlogan, the charges relating to allegations of witness tampering in 2014. Ramlogan was not called on to plead. The charges stem from an allegation made by director of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), David West that he (West) was asked to withdraw his witness statement in a defamation lawsuit Ramlogan had filed against then opposition leader Dr Keith Rowley for comments made about Section 34 and extradition proceedings involving businessmen Ishwar Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson. West is alleging that Ramlogan, in a telephone interview on October 31, 2014, promised him he would be appointed PCA director if he withdrew from the lawsuit.

Ramlogan was detained by police on Tuesday morning at his home at Palmiste, San Fernando, taken to Police Headquarters in Port-of-Spain for questioning and released on Wednesday night after being charged and granted bail in the sum of $750,000.

Yesterday, Ramlogan’s attorney Pamela Elder SC asked to see the search warrant. The police prosecutor agreed to provide her with it at the next hearing.

Ramlogan left the court accompanied by his wife Nalini and attorneys including Gerald Ramdeen and Wayne Sturge.

“It took a very long time to have my day in court,” Ramlogan said.

“I remain confident that the truth shall set me free. I have no doubt that justice will prevail in this matter and that I will emerge victorious. I have every confidence in my legal team headed by Pamela Elder Senior Counsel, and we anxiously await the day in court when the people that laid these scurrilous allegations will enter the witness box and subject themselves to the cross-examination that will prevail.

“I was a bit flattered when I saw the extreme security measures this morning. Happily it wasn’t for me. I understand that another matter is in the court.

“It has been a very harrowing and distressing experience to be subjected to the execution of a search warrant by such a large contingent of police officers at my home. My primary concern now is for my young children and my family, and I intend to protect them and to ensure that this trial does not affect them.

“Other than that I intend to continue doing what I’ve always done, that is to fight for justice for the downtrodden and the underprivileged in Trinidad and Tobago. I expect to be back out to work at my law firm come Monday morning.”