Missing law books… AG not ruling out criminal charges

…against former PS, Nandlall, Ramotar

ATTORNEY General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams has said that he is not ruling out filing criminal proceedings against former Permanent Secretary Indira Anandjit, former AG Anil Nandlall and former President Donald Ramotar over the disappearance of a set of law books and computer parts from the ministry.Williams told the Guyana Chronicle recently that Anandjit whose contract was not renewed as permanent secretary for the ministry could be charged with conspiracy to commit fraud, malfeasance in public office as well as embezzlement. He said the former AG and Ramotar could also be charged for malfeasance in public office as well as conspiracy to commit fraud.
The ministry in a statement on Sunday had said that the non-renewal of the contract of Anandjit was a result of questionable practices. The statement came days after Anandjit had raised several issues regarding the non-renewal of her contract. Anandjit had decried the manner in which her contract was not renewed. In a letter to the press, Anandjit said she was informed of the non-renewal of her contract by virtue of a newspaper article carried by the Stabroek News on August 31. She was sent on 52 days administrative leave by Williams to facilitate an investigation by the Auditor General into the disappearance of approximately $2.5M worth of Commonwealth law books and computer parts costing almost the same amount from the ministry.
It is believed that the law books went missing between 2013 and 2015. But Anandjit maintained that the books have not disappeared and moreover, the Minister of Legal Affairs is more than aware of where the books were located. “What is disturbing is that Minister Williams feigned ignorance of these books when at a meeting he was told about them. It was even followed up with other discussions on procurement of books for the ministry. She noted too that while she had approved payment for the books, they were used by former Attorney General Nandlall and were kept in the chambers. However, the ministry in response said one day after the former permanent secretary proceeded on annual leave, “incriminating documents” were taken to Minister Williams. According to the statement, the former permanent secretary was accused of oppressing, marginalising and discriminating against staff of the ministry. “The staff advised the newly appointed minister of the Public Service procedures which required the matter and documents being sent to the Auditor General.”
The ministry said too that documents have shown that Anandjit had approved the payment of over $2.5M for Commonwealth Law Reports which went missing along with over $2M in computer parts. “…but those purchases could not be found as having been received in any of the records of the ministry,” the statement added. The Auditor General was asked to investigate that matter and months after that investigation purportedly began, the ministry received a report from the Auditor General’s office.
That report was challenged by virtue of the Audit Act. “The Report could be interpreted to mean that former President Donald Ramotar and former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, conspired to spend taxpayers’ money in the custody of the ministry to purchase the law books for Nandlall’s benefit,” the statement added. In May, Williams had said that Auditor General Deodat Sharma informed him of a secret arrangement between former President Donald Ramotar and former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall relative to the missing law books. According to a document written by Ramotar and addressed to the Auditor General, and seen by Williams, the former President admitted to having a private arrangement with Nandlall to spend money voted for under the Ministry of Legal Affairs to acquire the law books for his [Nandlall’s] private use.
“These books would have been voted for in the budget of the ministry, but they would not have been within the curtilage of the ministry…not in the library and could not be found anywhere,” said Minister Williams. The ministry said the former permanent secretary had written Minister of State Joseph Harmon, indicating that she did not wish to return to the Ministry of Legal Affairs, but would like to be transferred to another ministry. “She never sought to return to the Ministry of Legal Affairs and for good reason; she was afraid of being charged for a criminal offence.” The ministry also called on the former permanent secretary “to tell the nation whether she left the Ministry of Tourism, GECOM and the NCN under similar circumstances.”