Nandlall’s Law Books trial set to begin on June 8, 2017

On Monday, Nandlall asked that his trial in relation to the alleged larceny of over $2 million worth of law books from the Ministry of Legal Affairs, be tried in the Magistrates' Court instead of the High Court, before a Jury and a Judge.

Nandlall’s Law Books trial set to begin on June 8, 2017

A date has been set for the commencement of the trial involving Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall.

On Monday, Nandlall asked that his trial in relation to the alleged larceny of over $2 million worth of law books from the Ministry of Legal Affairs, be tried in the Magistrates’ Court instead of the High Court, before a Jury and a Judge.

Nandlall made the decision just two weeks after he said he was considering moves to the High Court to quash the charge instituted against him.

When Nandlall made his third appearance before Magistrate Fabayo Azore on Monday, he was asked whether he wanted the matter to be tried in the High Court or in the Magistrate’s Court.

The former Attorney General chose the latter and the trial has been set to commence on June 8th, 2017.

The charge of fraudulently converting the 14 Commonwealth Law Reports, worth some $2.3million, to his own use, was read again to Nandlall by Magistrate Azore, to which he pleaded not guilty.

The Prosecution reported that it was in possession of most of the statements with four other statements still outstanding.

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

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 capricious and whimsical and was instituted on some other ground which the law does not recognize.

Nandlall told reporters 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.

In budget documents, it was revealed that the books were bought for the Legal Affairs Ministry.

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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