Nandlall considering move to High Court to dismiss law books larceny charges

Mr. Nandlall was charged with Larceny in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court last month, but during his second appearance before Magistrate Fabayo Azore on Tuesday, the Prosecution asked the Magistrate for more time to complete the investigation and provide the Court with statements.

Nandlall considering move to High Court to dismiss law books larceny charges

Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall is considering moves to the High Court to quash the recent charge instituted against him in relation to his alleged larceny of over $2 million worth of law books from the Ministry of Legal Affairs.

Mr. Nandlall was charged with Larceny in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court last month, but during his second appearance before Magistrate Fabayo Azore on Tuesday, the Prosecution asked the Magistrate for more time to complete the investigation and provide the Court with statements.

Prosecutor Patrice Henry told the Court that investigators needed more time to secure the statements and asked that the matter be adjourned until May 29.

Nandlall’s Attorney, Sanjeev Datadin objected and instead asked the Magistrate to have the charge dismissed.

He reasoned that if there were no statements then the charge could not have been properly instituted and it was a violation of his client’s constitutional right.

Magistrate Azore heeded the request of the prosecution and adjourned the matter until May 29 for statements.

Datadin now wants to know the basis on which his client was charged.

“What if the investigation now being conducted should disclose that he [Nandlall] has not committed a criminal offence?” Datadin questioned.

On these grounds Nandlall said he is considering moving to the High Court to have the charges quashed on the grounds that the prosecution has no evidence on which charges were filed.

Mr. Nandlall maintains that he was given permission by former President Donald Ramotar to take the books as a condition of his employment under the last government.

He believes the charge is capriciously and whimsical and was instituted on some other ground which the law does not recognize.

Nandlall told reporters recently that when he was contacted for the job of Attorney General, he asked that the government took over the cost of his personal subscription to the annual release of the law books.

The books were bought over the three year period using state funds, that Nandlall said would have been approved by the then President.

When the PPP lost the elections, Nandlall took the books with him as he left office.  The new Government believes that since the books were bought using state funds, they should have remained behind as property of the state.

 

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