Prove you revealed meeting with Gordon

Anand vows to return $12,000, challenges Rowley:

Attorney General Anand Ramlogan yesterday said he was willing to return the $12,000 cheque paid to him by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley, once Rowley proved he disclosed the meeting with Integrity Commission chairman Ken Gordon at last  month’s no-confidence motion.

“Dr Rowley is lying to the nation,” Ramlogan said.

The AG made the statement on TV6’s Morning Edition while being interviewed by host Fazeer Mohammed.

When told by Mohammed that that was a “serious accusation”, Ramlogan said he was not speaking under parliamentary cover but in public.

“If Dr Rowley could find the clip from his contribution in Parliament, where he said that to the Government in one sentence or two sentences, I would be happy to return the cheque I received from Dr Rowley last week,” said Ramlogan, referring to the cheque from the People’s National Movement (PNM) leader as the final settlement of cost ordered by Justice Andre des Vignes arising out of a defamation claim against Rowley for statements he made on November 1, 2011.

Ramlogan reiterated his previous issues with the meeting at the home of Integrity Commission chairman Gordon, including why Gordon felt it necessary to seek legal advice.

“There is no Commission, so you can’t seek it on behalf of the Commission, but why seek legal advice on an issue over which there was never any dispute.

“No one had ever disputed that the Commission has the jurisdiction, when it is duly constituted, to investigate that matter. No one ever raised that issue.”

Ramlogan refused to correct his previous vocal speculation that Gordon sought legal advice from a PNM lawyer.

“Not at all. If there was no basis for making such speculation then that would be so, but there is basis.”

Ramlogan said he based his previous speculation on the fact that Gordon had, in the past, sought legal advice from known PNM lawyers, who represented Rowley in court.

He recalled that when he was a lawyer, his counsel was not sought by the Integrity Commission because he was a known United National Congress lawyer and had defended then party leader, Basdeo Panday.

“This might give the appearance or the perception that all is not well and may give good grounds for bias,” Ramlogan said.

Express