AG calls NRF legal challenge a ‘political stunt’; slams judicial misuse by politicians

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall has registered his concern over the use of the judiciary by politicians to prosecute their political agendas and expressed hope that the courts will take appropriate action on these matters.
His comments come in light of a judicial review application challenging the Government of Guyana’s management and transparency of Natural Resource Fund (NRF), filed by businessman Terrence Campbell, a NRF Investment Committee member.
“These proceedings are not designed to address any serious legal issues…they are of nuisance value. They cannot succeed, but are intended to make political mileage, they are intended to gain public acclaim, they are intended to advance political causes, and the courts do not exist for the advancements of those objectives,” the AG said during his weekly programme “Issues in the News” on Tuesday.
Among other things, the legal challenge seeks declarations that all withdrawals from the Fund must be exclusively used to finance national development priorities, including green economy initiatives, and essential projects directly linked to alleviating the effects of major natural disasters.
Campbell is contending that the withdrawals are being used to finance regular government operations and that this should not be the case.
Campbell is also requesting that the court orders the Minister of Finance to provide a detailed breakdown of all expenditures from prior withdrawals and to set up proper procedures for documenting future withdrawals from the fund.
The attorney general argues that the courts are funded by public funds and should only be used to adjudicate and determine genuine legal issues.
“They’re not to feather people’s political nests and that is what these proceedings are about,” he asserted.
The Attorney General contended that the proceedings do no allege any violation of law and do not raise any genuine matters of contention. He posited that the applicant only has a political dissenting view.
Nandlall also argued that the application is inviting the court to make orders that will put it in breach of the separation of powers doctrine.
“They’re asking the court to interfere with and worse yet, usurp the functions of both the executive and the legislative…they are asking the court to direct the executive on matters of national priority, those are matters within the domain of the executive…The court has no business in giving such directions.”
As such, Nandlall said he hopes the court makes appropriate decisions on these matters, contending that “politicians must not use the court or the judiciary or any institution of the state to prosecute their political agendas.”
The application names the Attorney General of Guyana, Anil Nandlall SC and the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh as respondents while Campbell is represented by attorneys Roysdale Forde and Seenath Jairam.
Duplicitous positions
In recent months, Campbell, who is the Church’s Chicken franchise owner, and several senior government officials have had public clashes on various issues.
Campbell has recently been at the centre of a controversary where he was given over a $100 million tax write-off by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).
Campbell’s tax information was leaked to the media, exposing a tax waiver granted to him by GRA to the tune of $138, 835, 578.
In fact, back in January, he was called out by Vice President (VP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo over his duplicitous positions and criticisms of the PPP/C Administration.
During a January 30, 2025, press conference, Jagdeo said that Campbell is “looking for relevance” with his constant criticisms of the PPP/C Government.
According to the leaked GRA document, Campbell wrote a letter of request to GRA on September 11, 2020 asking for a waiver of penalty/interest allegedly “accrued on the late submission of returns and late payments principal taxes, respectively.”