Yet another adjournment has been granted in the trial of Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, who is accused of fraudulently converting Commonwealth Law Reports belonging to the State to his own use and benefit.
Nandlall, who was scheduled to lead a defense in the matter, was granted an interim stay by the Court of Appeal.
This afternoon when the matter was called in the courtroom of Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore, another date was given for continuation.
Glenn Hanoman, the lawyer representing Nandlall, told the court that his client’s appeal against the Magistrate’s decision to overrule a no-case submission is yet to be heard by the appellate court.
The matter was adjourned to May 24, 2019 when he is expected to lead his defence.
Nandlall recently, through one of his attorney, is asking the Court of Appeal to set aside and/or vary a decision by Chief Justice Roxane George, who two months ago at the High Court, dismissed an appeal against a no-case submission that was overruled by Magistrate Fabayo Azore in the trial.
The no-case submission was presented by Nandlall’s lawyer after the close of the prosecution’s case.
The charge Nandlall faces alleges that between May 18, 2015 and May 29, 2015, being a bailee, in the then capacity of Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, he fraudulently converted 14 Commonwealth Law Reports valued at $2,313,853, property of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, to his own use and benefit.
Nandlall was previously reported as saying that when he took up the post of Attorney General, he did so at a loss, and it was for that reason he agitated for the State to pay for the Law Reports.
He had said that the arrangement received the blessings of then Head of State, Donald Ramotar. However, investigators are contending that because the books were bought with State funds, they cannot be the property of Nandlall and, in fact, the State should not have entered into such an arrangement in the first place.
The Ministry of Legal Affairs is further contending that there is no evidence of an agreement between Nandlall and Ramotar, and even assuming that there was such an agreement, the use of public funds in this manner is a flagrant violation of the Financial Management and Accountability Act.
Nandlall was charged after SOCU, an arm of the Guyana Police Force, completed investigations.
