The Legal Affairs Ministry and Attorney General’s Chambers has defended its decision to fire the Deputy Solicitor, Prithima Kissoon, and claims she mishandled a number of key Government cases, including a case related to Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.
Former Deputy Solicitor General, Prithima Kissoon
She was the subject of a 15-month long investigation by the Legal Affairs Ministry. Kissoon broke her silence and accused Attorney General Basil Williams of a whole host of workplace atrocities, causing her to lodge a formal complaint with the Public Service Commission (PSC) in January of this year.
She was handed a termination letter six hours before the life of the Commission came to an end on August 31, without that constitutional body looking into the complaint.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, in his defence of the firing of Kissoon in a public missive, has since accused her of bungling numerous high profile cases, in addition to other acts of dereliction of duty and insubordination.
Attorney General, Basil Williams
The Ministry confirmed that the Deputy Solicitor was targeted in an investigation from November 2015 to January 2017, “after it was discovered that Ms Kissoon, who was tasked with the responsibility of conducting cases of grave importance to the State’s interest, had committed several breaches and violations under the rules and regulations of the Public Service Commission.”
The Ministry contends the breaches include improper preparation and drafting of legal documents, disobeying instructions, failing to attend court in several critical matters, gross dishonesty in official dealings, improper conduct and dereliction of duties.
The Attorney General’s Chambers in the statement on Friday said that Minister Williams blames Kissoon for not being present in court for key cases as well as misleading himself and others over the matter.
Kissoon broke her silence this week, as the very public spat between the Attorney General and her came to a crossroads on the August 31, 2017.
Lamenting the situation, the now former Deputy Solicitor General in her now public statement said, “A new PSC will convene and the complaint against the Attorney General, Mr Basil Williams, SC will never have been addressed.”
According to Kissoon, “my good name has been filched, my character assassinated, my career that I worked so hard to build in the public service for the past 10 years lays shattered at my feet but my integrity and ethics are rock solid.
