Ramesh challenges PM, AG to end court action against UDeCOTT; will file private charges

Former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj is compiling a dossier on UDeCOTT for the Director of Public Prosecutions and he says he is willing to file private criminal charges against UDeCOTT.

The opposition MP told reporters Sunday he would do it if the Government fails to intervene in a lawsuit which stalled the Commission of Enquiry into the State-owed company.
"If the Government does not act, I intend to act," Maharaj said. He said he has such an option because the acting DPP has so far failed to act on any of the evidence submitted to the Uff Enquiry.

Maharaj also called on Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Attorney General John Jeremie to end UDeCOTT's legal challenge of the Uff probe.

He noted that all state enterprises are obliged to follow the directions of the cabinet.

Maharaj's statements follow Friday's high court decision to hear UDeCOTT's case of alleged bias by the commission. That matter is scheduled for February 2010, which means that the commission has been shut down for four months.

But it could also mean that the commission would be shut down forever. That is an issue that Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner has raised in a letter to President Max Richards.

In his letter Warner told the president that according to reports in the media the life of the commission will expire soon and has urged the head of state to act immediately to renew the commission's mandate.

Read the story: Jack asks president to extend life of Uff commission

Maharaj said if Manning and Jeremie are genuinely concerned about the public interest they would go to court immediately to end UDeCOTT's judicial review action and allow the enquiry to resume its work.

"The Attorney General always has the right of audience in any court to place before the court the consideration of the public interest," Maharaj said.

And he said he is not afraid to air his views.

"Some people are afraid they will be killed, they will be murdered, they will be assassinated...This is a risk that everyone who fights this battle will have to face. I cannot keep looking around my back every time I have a battle but if that is how it is going to end then that is how it will end but the issue will not end," Maharaj said.