OPPOSITION LEADER: AG Armour’s Incompetence Cost Taxpayers Over 60 Million Dollars

Opposition Leader Hon Kamla Persad-Bissessar

Just when citizens thought disgraced AG Armour had hit rock bottom of the lying barrel, the country has been hit with yet another mind-boggling scandal due to Armour’s incompetence.

According to the Trinidad Express, the disgraced AG Armour failed to file witness statements in another lawsuit which may cost taxpayers almost four million dollars. This comes on the heels of his failure to file a defence in the malicious prosecution case brought by the accused in the Naipaul-Coolman murder and kidnapping case. That resulted in a historic award of over twenty million dollars in damages. It also follows his and Sequor law’s disqualification in the Miami courts for lying on an affidavit which cost taxpayers about forty million dollars.

Armour’s incompetence and stupidity have cost taxpayers of this country almost sixty-four million dollars.

Prior to being appointed AG by Rowley, AG Armour represented the Deposit Insurance Corporation and failed to file witness statements on behalf of his client by the deadline fixed by the High Court.

The court then granted three extensions for the DIC to file its witness statements. After granting those extensions, the final deadline fixed by the court was 29th May 2019. This means that AG Armor had an entire year to file witness statements (from 10th May 2018 to 29th May 2019) and he failed to file the witness statements on time.

Incredibly AG Armour’s defence was that he could not comply because he was involved in another case in the Turks and Caicos and couldn’t find the time, despite being paid to do his job.

His junior Counsel Vanessa Gopaul, was also too busy because she was involved in another case. Shameless AG Armour went so far as to claim that his instructing Attorney Elena Araujo made a mistake and “mis-diarized” the deadline set by the court.

One would think that Armour being an internationally renowned and experienced note-taker, would have an accurate diary.

Armour’s excuses were roundly rejected by Justice Lambert-Peterson in the High Court. The DIC and by extension the Central Bank must tell the country how much AG Reginald Armour and Vanessa Gopaul have been paid in the case thus far.

The latest fiasco of AG Armour’s failure to file witness statements and the subsequent attempt by the DIC to cover up AG Armour’s negligence and incompetence by trying to settle this matter out of court on the condition that it must remain confidential and not be disclosed to anyone is scandalous and demands his resignation.

Taxpayer funds cannot be used for secret settlements to hide such gross negligence!

I once again call upon AG Reginald Armour to do the decent thing and resign. He has no other choice in light of this latest fiasco. Armour has compromised the office of the AG and has lost all credibility. His shameless conduct has done irreparable damage to the office of the Attorney General.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar, SC, MP
Leader of the Opposition

8th March 2023