Duprey should apologise to T&T: AG Ramlogan

Attorney General Anand Ramlogan issued a media release Thursday stating that Lawrence Duprey is the one who should apologise - and the apology should be to the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

Ramlogan was responding to a call by the former Clico Executive Chairman for him to apologise for statements he made about Duprey.

Duprey's lawyer was quoted in the Guardian media as saying that Ramlogan should apolgise for suggesting through his lawyer Donna Prowell that there were rumours about Duprey visiting T&T on a yacht with friends. Duprey denied that and said he has never been to the country since he left in 2009.

In his media release the AG said: “It is ironic that such an appeal should come from the chief protagonist and central figure in the Clico commission of enquiry in circumstances where he chose to absent himself and not take advantage of the opportunity to give his side of the story and clear his name. 

“Duprey’s financial empire crashed in the most distressing and humiliating manner amidst a quagmire of allegations of insider trading, mismanagement and improper financial dealings.” 

Ramlogan added, “It is a pity that Mr Duprey did not see it fit to return and assist in the necessary efforts caused by the Clico fiasco. This, after all, is the country in which he amassed his fortune and created the wealth that financed his billion-dollar empire.” 

The AG noted that the collapse of Clico left a trail of despair, depression, destruction and financial ruin. "Words cannot express the frustration and anguish experienced by citizens who lost their retirement savings and were forced to live on the limited charity of friends and relatives,” he said.

“To date, no one from the Clico empire, including Mr Duprey, has apologised to the thousands of grieving citizens whose hard-earned savings have been compromised...

"Perhaps I will consider apologising to Mr Duprey for querying his whereabouts after he apologises to the thousands of loyal Clico customers and taxpayers who must now finance the expensive bailout,” Ramlogan said.