AG vs Deputy Solicitor General
Calls are now being made for Attorney General Basil Williams, SC, to be sacked in light of his alleged assault against his Deputy Solicitor General, Prithima Kissoon.
“It’s a tragedy; the AG has sought to publicly ridicule a public servant in such a manner.” – Berbice Bar member Adrian Anamayah
Adrian Anamayah, a Berbice Bar Association Member, told Guyana Times that the behaviour demonstrated by Williams was unbecoming of an Attorney General and of a Senior Counsel.
In this regard, Anamayah called for the AG to be removed.
“It’s a tragedy; the AG has sought to publicly ridicule a public servant in such a manner…Secondly, to blame everyone for his incompetence and refusing to accept any responsibility. At the end of the day, he is not only the head of the Bar, the buck stops at him, so anything that goes out of the Chambers, it has his blessing so he has to accept responsibility for it,” the lawyer explained, referring to the AG’s blame game regarding the case against former President Bharrat Jagdeo.
Williams had blamed the Deputy Solicitor General for the dismissal of a State-sponsored appeal, which led to the quashing of the case against Jagdeo.
The controversy, which has erupted over this matter, has dragged the credibility of the AG Chambers into disrepute, according to Guyana Bar Association Executive Member Teni Housty.
“When these things come out, it doesn’t fit (the entity’s repute). It weakens the confidence in the State machinery when it comes to the administration of justice. When these things happen, it is the administration of justice that suffers,” he stated.
When contacted for a comment, Berbice Bar Association President Deena Panday promised to issue a statement on the matter.
Guyana Association of Women’s Lawyers President Sadie Amin also promised to provide a comment on the matter.
Kissoon has since filed a detailed complaint to the Public Service Commission (PSC). In the complaint, Kissoon spoke about the AG failing to give instructions or examining documents prepared by her prior to being filed or presented to the court.
She also claimed that Williams, who was recently made a Senior Counsel by President David Granger, instructed his assistants to refuse to accept any documents or correspondence from her.
Meanwhile, in another section of the media, Solicitor General Sita Ramlall, in a letter to the editor, pointed out that Williams had insisted to Kissoon and herself, that he be named as the plaintiff in the appeal when he was not a party.
“I did not prepare nor approve the Appeal in this matter. The Deputy Solicitor General, Ms Prithima Kissoon at all material times and at all stages had conduct of the matter and she was aware that an Appeal was being prepared. When the Appeal was to be filed, Ms Kissoon could not be found to affix her signature to same. The pleadings were brought to me for signature, whereupon I declined to sign same. I then went to the Honourable Attorney General and advised that he could not be a party to the action for the very same reasons…but the Honourable Attorney General was adamant and instructed me to sign and file the Appeal. This was done,” Ramlall stated.
Defence
In his defence, the AG claimed that he could no longer sustain Kissoon’s undermining of his Chamber’s cases. He claimed that in cases where President David Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and the Attorney General were sued, Kissoon deliberately disobeyed the instructions of the Attorney General and the Solicitor General with regard to challenging the applications on lack of jurisdiction, thereby causing the matters to be protracted.
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon has since pledged to look into the issue and make recommendations on the way forward.
