Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi has fired almost the entire legal team hired to represent the State in the extradition case of corruption accused former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner.
The T&T Guardian was reliably informed that Al-Rawi held a meeting at his Cabildo Chambers, St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain, offices yesterday afternoon, where he informed three lawyers from the eight-member team—Jagdeo Singh, Gerald Ramdeen and Brent Hallpike—that their services were no longer required. The other lawyers who were relieved from the case but were not present at the meeting were Allan Newman, QC; Israel Khan, SC; and Wayne Sturge. Though Singh had returned his brief for the case earlier this week he was still invited to the meeting.
British extradition expert James Lewis, QC, and local Senior Counsel Pamela Elder were the two kept on by the AG.
A source told the T&T Guardian that Al-Rawi told the lawyers the decision was taken because the team of private lawyers chosen by his predecessor Garvin Nicholas was too large and their duties could be handled by state attorneys working within his ministry.
Before assuming office after last week's general election, Al-Rawi was critical of Nicholas' selections after it was revealed the team had billed the State for a combined total of over $12 million for preliminary work in the case, which is yet to start before Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar. However, the source revealed the AG's office was yet to pay the invoices the lawyers had submitted.
The T&T Guardian attempted to contact the lawyers involved yesterday but they all refused to make a public statement.
In a brief telephone interview yesterday, Al-Rawi also refused to comment on any matter related to the case.
“I do not propose to conduct state litigation in the media. I must be guided by my constitutional and statutory remit and certainly intend to bring a measure of discipline and coordination to the Office of the AG,” Al-Rawi said.
The lawyers’ last work on this case was on Wednesday, when Hallpike wrote to Ayers-Caesar on Al-Rawi’s behalf seeking an extension of the deadline for him to sign off on the authority to proceed in the case. The authority to proceed is required to kick off the proceedings before Ayers-Caesar.
In asking for the deadline to be extended to next Monday, the next scheduled hearing, Hallpike said Al-Rawi needed additional time to consider the case file sent by United States authorities and to give Warner’s legal team an opportunity to make representations before he signed the document.
Nicholas, who was in charge of the case since Warner was indicted in May, repeatedly denied Warner that opportunity. Hallpike added that Al-Rawi reconsidered Nicholas’ decision because while it was within his discretion, it opened the door to a possible judicial review challenge from Warner.
Hallpike noted that Al-Rawi’s offer was being complicated by Warner’s attorneys, who refused to participate initially as they described the roundabout turn on the issue as an “attempt to barter with the liberty of one of its citizens.”
Ayers-Caesar is expected to pronounce on the request for an extension next week. In the event she refuses it, Warner will be discharged and the US will have to start the process afresh.