On his first official day, newly-appointed Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi was busy meeting with head of the Central Authority Netram Kowlessar and acting permanent secretary Joycelyn Hunte.
Al-Rawi, who already had several stacks of files on his desk, spoke to the T&T Guardian about his first day on the job. Saying he was already getting into the business that was at hand Al-Rawi said he had and would continue to have a packed agenda at the ministry, adding that one of the key issues was the extradition matter of corruption-accused Jack Warner.
Saying the matter was expected to be heard in court next Wednesday, Al-Rawi, however, could not say when he was expected to sign the warrant.
“I must act from a position of fact. During the course of today (yesterday) I will ascertain the status of that particular matter and then to deal with what is on the agenda. I have to meet with all persons on that matter. “I must act within the propriety of the Constitution and as an attorney I am obliged to make sure I am properly and fully informed. As it is I am operating in a vacuum and I must first fill that vacuum,”Al-Rawi said.
Pressed when he was expected to sign the warrant, the AG said he would not yet give a particular time frame, adding to do so would be speculating. There have been reports that attorneys seeking the interest of the Central Authority had already billed the State more than $12 million in the extradition matter.
Asked if the AG’s office would be seeking to retrieve the monies Al-Rawi said he still needed to have all the facts. “What has been put in the public domain... I am not quite sure. So I still need to have all the particulars and then look at it from an informed perspective,” Al-Rawi said.
On the outstanding prisongate matter, he said the office of the Attorney General must be segregated from those matters which involved the police.
“Anything that is in the hands of the police is obviously not in my domain and so it would be improper of me to intrude in that. My obligation is to act within the constitutional perimeters,” Al-Rawi said.
On the operations of the Solicitors General’s office and in particular the office of the Attorney General Al-Rawi said one of the concerns has been the efficiency of that office.
“One of the general concerns, publically and over the last five years, has been the operationality and efficiency of office of the Attorney General as it relates to the out sourcing of matters. “It is an immediate and urgent priority for me and certainly for my Government that we get into improving the efficiency of this ministry... inside out,” Al-Rawi added. Saying his first order of business was getting to meet the people and the structure of his organisation Al-Rawi said the budget was another key factor.
Regarding his first day as AG Al-Rawi described it as “hit the ground running saying: “There is no rest in this kind of job. I am very fortunate that I have had five years of prior experience... seeing what an Attorney General does or does not do at least from an outside perspective... so I am no stranger to this particular aspect. “I am looking forward to leaving a mark of responsibility and efficiency and certainly hoping to leave this ministry in a better condition that it is now... of course there always being room for improvement.
Al-Rawi, who resigned from the post of public relations officer of the PNM, said he was unaware of who would replace him adding that it was up to the party to decide.