Almost one year after a City Magistrate found sufficient evidence against Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall in relation to him converting $2.3M in law books that were the property of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, he is yet to lead his defence.
This afternoon, when the matter was called in the courtroom of Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore, Nandlall, who showed up late and was perspiring profusely, asked the court for yet another adjournment in the matter.
This was in order to facilitate the ruling of the Appeal Court in regards to an interim stay.
Nandlall and his lawyers had approached the Appeal Court with the hope of the Judge quashing the charge.
In court this afternoon, Nandlall stated, “ Is not my fault your worship that the Appeal is not ready. I don’t want to convey the impression that I am delaying the hearing of these proceedings. I am asking your worship to hold your hand because if the superior court rules in a particular way then the matter will be out your worship hands.”
However, Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) Prosecutor, Patrice Henry argued that Nandlall should lead his defence in the matter citing that the time of the stay as already been elapsed since October 1, 2019.
Magistrate Azore then adjourned the matter until November 29, pending the ruling of the appeal court.
It is alleged that between May 8 and May 29, 2015, at Georgetown, Nandlall fraudulently took or converted 14 laws reports to his own use and benefit, while being a bailee, Attorney General, and Minister of Legal Affairs.
The reports were valued at $2,313,853 and were the property of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, the charge states.
Nandlall had pleaded not guilty to the charge and the prosecution has already closed its case. Magistrate Azore had called on Nandlall to lead a defence after ruling that there was prima facie evidence against him.
But Nandlall moved to the High Court to challenge the magistrate’s decision to overrule a no-case submission by his lawyers.
However, Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire dismissed the challenge and now Nandlall has taken his fight to the Court of Appeal.
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 the 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.
