“It’s a distraction.”
So said Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi in response to the Opposition’s filing of a no-confidence motion against him.
He said the Opposition has little to say and was trying to deflect attention from “a most egregious attack” against an Independent senator, and that, in his view, reeked of everything that was wrong in life.
“Unfortunately, they wish to make sure attention is put somewhere else because for a government senator to come out and attack the independence of someone’s mind, when that person has been appointed by the President of the Republic, is a first.”
Al-Rawi said the argument by Opposition Senator and attorney Gerald Ramdeen that there was a conflict of interest by temporary Independent Senator Justin Junkere because he received a brief from the Attorney General implied that he was bribed.
“Ramdeen said further that he (Junkere) should have declared the fact that he was earning money from the State but Senator Ramdeen himself is the recipient of close to $26 million worth of briefs, ongoing, and he is, in fact, an ongoing attorney hired by me, as Attorney General in continuing briefs.
“Senator (Wayne) Sturge is also in the tens of millions of dollars and he too has not put forward his position, so even if you accept their argument at its highest, which I don’t, and their argument is that there is a conflict of interest, they are shot by their own argument as a starting point.”
The AG was speaking to reporters after a career day address to parents and Form Two and Three students at St Mary’s College in Port-of-Spain yesterday.
To Persad-Bissessar on getting her motion passed, the AG said, “Bring it on!”
He said he will deal with it in the Parliament and that he was absolutely confident of the merit of the positions that have been advanced in the Government on the constitutionality of the SSA (Amendment) Bill and in relation to Ramdeen’s management of the Malcolm Jones’ case.
“He was the lawyer for Malcolm Jones which resulted in that case collapsing, so that is a very curious thing for them to raise as well and we will bring all of the material out for the population to judge.”
Al-Rawi said the population should pour scorn on the insidious attack against Junkere.
He also said he did not know whether Junkere was offered a position as director on the Airports Authority of T&T board.