Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall has come to the defence of the judiciary, saying that a recent request for judicial review of the country’s oil fund management is tantamount to “playing political football”.
Businessman and Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Investment Committee member, Terrence Campbell filed the request last month, challenging the transparency and accountability of major withdrawals from the Fund, which have amounted to approximately US$2.61 billion or more than half a trillion Guyana Dollars over the past three years.
According to the application, withdrawals totalled US$607.65 million in 2022, followed by US$1,002.13 million in 2023. In 2024, withdrawals reached US$850 million from January to September, with an additional US$153.456 million withdrawn during the year’s final quarter.
Both Nandlall, as the Attorney General and Ashni Singh, the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, have been listed as respondents in the matter.
But Nandlall, during his recent “Issues in the News” programme, poured cold water Campbell’s requesting, arguing that the move is political.
He said that the action is designed to gain public attention and achieve political mileage, solely because Campbell and others are opposed to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s manner of governance.
“The courts do not exist for the advancement of those objectives,” he said, before adding, “The courts are funded by taxpayers’ money to adjudicate and determine genuine legal issues between the citizens of this country and between the citizens and the state. They are not to feather people’s political nests and that is what these proceedings are about.”
Nandlall further noted that Campbell’s request could potentially harm the separation of powers doctrine.
The separation of powers doctrine divides governmental authority into three distinct branches – legislative, executive, and judicial – to prevent any branch from wielding excessive power and to ensure accountability and freedom.
“They are asking the court to interfere with and worse yet usurp the functions of both the executive and the legislature. They are asking the court to direct the judiciary, to direct the executive on matters such as what is national priority and what are matters of national development priority. Those are matters within the domain of the executive,” the AG explained.
He went on to add that Campbell’s application fails to establish any violation of the NRF Act.
“These are people who have problems with the manner of governance. They have problems with the manner in which parliament is functioning. In other words, they have political grievances…And they want the court to adjudicate upon them,” he said.
Minister Nandlall reminded that politicians must not abuse the judiciary or any institution of state to prosecute their political opponents.
“It’s not a place where politicians play political football. And I hope that the courts will take an appropriate position on these matters,” Minister Nandlall stated.
