Publisher’s letter proves gov’t was never subscriber to Commonwealth law reports
– Nandlall
Former Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall has said that correspondence received earlier this month from publisher Lexis Nexis (UK) corroborates his position that the company never sold or delivered any law reports to the Government of Guyana.
Nandlall, who has been charged with converting over $2 million in law reports that were the property of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, last Saturday released a letter, dated May 3, 2017, with the company’s letterhead and the signature of Criselda Cruz, who is responsible for key accounts/trade, export and academic customer services. In the correspondence, she said that the company was “unable to find any subscription for Law Reports of the Commonwealth for the Government of Guyana or the Attorney General’s Chamber and the Ministry of Legal Affairs from 2012 to 2015 and even up to present.”
Nandlall was charged by the Special Organised Crime Unit last month with fraudulently converting the law reports although he has maintained that their purchase by the ministry was the result of an arrangement he had with then president Donald Ramotar and as a result they belonged to him. He has made it clear that he will not pay for or return the reports to the ministry or the government.
Nandlall said in a statement to the media that the correspondence from Lexis Nexis (UK) “corroborates every material detail I disclosed about this transaction over a year ago”.
He said that he wished to highlight the company’s assertion that “they never sold and delivered these books to the Government of Guyana, nor the Attorney General Chambers, nor the Ministry of Legal Affairs between the period 2012-2015, or even to date.” He said that all times the reports were sold and delivered to him and it was he who had directed the delivery to the ministry during his tenure as Attorney General.
It would appear that it was Nandlall who wrote the company requesting the information. The correspondence he shared with the media was in response to an email, dated April 30, which was sent to the company.
The correspondence, while confirming that Nandlall was an account holder, said that the company was unable to state when the account was established as the system data was recently updated and the date when the account was created was no longer available. However, the correspondence said, the account is over ten years old and is still active as Law Reports are still being sent to Nandlall at 217 South Road, Lacytown and subscriptions are being paid.
It was stated that during the year 2012, Nandlall instructed the company to deliver the law reports to the Attorney General’s Chambers at 95 Carmichael Street.
Between the period 2012 and mid 2015 this directive was adhered to.
“This correspondence should finally put to rest the issue of ownership of those books. It is not legally possible for a person to steal his own property. The charge instituted against me, therefore, is not only bad in law but it is an expression of malice and incompetence by those who instituted it and by those who inspired its institution,” he said, while reminding that from the inception he had said that the charge had nothing to do with law but more to do with political witch-hunting and political vendetta. “I am being vindicated with each passing day. A professional worth his salt, would do the honourable thing and withdraw the charge. But I doubt this will happen in this instance,” he added.