Gafoor sues President and Integrity Commission

Gladys Gafoor

The Deputy Chair of the Integrity Commission filed a suit in the High Court Friday against President Max Richards and the Integrity Commission.

The President suspended Gladys Gafoor on February 9 and appointed a judicial tribunal to investigate allegations against Gafoor.

In her legal action Gafoor is seeking a stay of proceedings on the ground she was denied due process and protection of the law. 

The Express newspaper said its sources have said that Gafoor has sharply criticised the President for his failure to fully disclose the specific allegations made against her in three secret letters sent to him by Integrity Commission chairman Ken Gordon, and commissioners Neil Rolingson and Ann-Marie Bissessar.

The legal documents accuse Richards of “misfeasance in public office”, contends that his suspension of deputy chairman Gafoor and the appointment of a tribunal violated “the principles of natural justice, was an abuse of power and unreasonable”, the Express reported.

The paper said its sources have said the lawsuit details the exchange of hostilities between Gordon and Gafoor with respect to a complaint related to former attorney general John Jeremie and his demand that Gafoor commission member Seunarine Jokhoo recuse themselves from the deliberations.

Gafoor challenged Gordon’s failure to obtain legal advice prior to his December 19 resolution to exclude her from the Jeremie deliberations, the paper said.