Trinidad’s Director of Public Prosecutions, Roger Gaspard, SC, Monday announced that he was discounting the case against former attorney general, Anand Ramlogan and former opposition legislator and attorney, Gerald Ramdeen, because the state’s main witness has indicated he is not willing to give evidence until a civil claim against the state is concluded.
Gaspard told Chief Magistrate Maria Busby-Earle Caddle, that the state’s main witness, Jamaica-born British King’s Counsel, Vincent Nelson, had indicated that while he is willing to give evidence, he was not willing to do so until a civil-claim case against the state is concluded.
In that matter, Nelson is seeking damages for breach of indemnity between himself and the former attorney general Faris Al-Rawi. Nelson alleges the indemnity was promised to him.
Roger Gaspard said it would not be fair to have the duo “in limbo” while Nelson is pursuing his litigation adding that the charges may be reinstated once it is completed.
The Chief Magistrate then discharged the duo.
In 2019, Ramdeen and Ramlogan were charged with conspiring with Nelson for Ramlogan to misuse public office, by accepting money from Nelson as a reward for giving him state briefs.
The state had also alleged that the men conspired for Ramdeen to receive, conceal, and transfer criminal property, which represented corrupt rewards Nelson gave him for the state briefs.
The third allegation against the two was that they conspired for Nelson to give ten percent of the legal fees to Ramlogan as a “gift” or “reward” for being granted state briefs.
In March 2020, Nelson, who pleaded guilty in June 2019 for his part in the alleged kickback scheme, was ordered to pay TT$2.25 million (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) in restitution as part of a plea-bargain arrangement with the State. As part of the deal, he agreed to turn state witness and testify against Ramlogan and Ramdeen.
Under his plea agreement, the conspiracy to commit misbehavior in public office charge was dropped against Nelson and the judge, Justice Malcolm Holdip said Nelson was free to return to the United Kingdom while he cleared the fines under a ten-month court-approved payment plan.
He was also placed on a TT$250,000 bond to keep the peace for three years.
CMC/
