Dear Editor
I REFER to a letter authored by Clement Rohee, captioned, “Judge exercised enormous amount of patience with Mr. Williams” and an article with the headline “Jagdeo laments sloth in hearing of no-confidence appeals,” both appearing in the Monday, February 25, 2019 edition of Stabroek News and an article of this ilk in Tuesday, February 26, 2019 edition of Stabroek News, headed, “Hearing of the AG’s confidence ruling stay applications set for Thursday.”

For some time now the casual observer would have witnessed attacks, some nuanced, some  overt, against a man who President Granger enlisted  to  carry  the fight against  Anti Money Laundering, Countering Terrorist Financing  and Countering the financing  of  Weapons of  Mass Destruction  (AMLCFT/CWMD),  the Honourable Basil Williams S.C.M.P Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs.

Williams removed Guyana from blacklisting by both the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and   the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) within a year in office. He even took up the helm of Chairman of the CFATF, lifting Guyana’s profile regionally and internationally.

Williams’ efforts severely undermined the dirty money dealers nurtured  under the PPP’s time in office  and the European Union (EU) only recently removed Guyana  from its blacklist in  recognition  of the government ‘s effort  to combat money laundering.
Williams’ anti-corruption measures also sensitised Guyanese about chronic stealing of state assets, bribery and how to strike a blow against corrupt government officials.
His efforts again led to Guyana being rated by Transparency International (TI) as one of the countries making progress in this area.

Despite the foregoing, Stabroek News refuses to report favourable news of Williams, publishes lies and insinuations about him, while holding up proven bandits as icons.
Rohee’s letter and Jagdeo’s fulminations again illustrate this unholy alliance between them in yet another attack against Williams.

Insinuating disrespect by Williams for the Learned Judge of the Court of Appeal, Rishi Persaud, and dubious behaviour in the court is reminiscent of his cohort Nandlall’s fake allegation that Williams had threatened Justice Holder.
Like Oscar Ramjeet and Nandlall, Rohee will also fall by the wayside for bearing false witness against Williams, in the practice of his profession as a lawyer, and office of Minister and Attorney-General.

Stabroek News in turn is doing a great disservice to the memory of the late David De Caires, its founder.
In the Court of Appeal there was no discourtesy towards Justice Persaud. Williams did as most experienced lawyers would– argued until stopped by the court.

In addition, there were healthy exchanges on the law between him and Messrs Rafiq Khan and Neil Boston; and it was to those two he said he had disagreed with, not the Judge.
Williams in the result won the argument because Justice Persaud confirmed that the procedure followed by the state solicitor, the filing of the second notice of appeal without leave to amend was lawful; it was in consonance with Order II Rule 6 (1) (b) which provides:-

“Without such leave, by, supplementary notice served, before the date on which the appeal appears in the cause list published in accordance with order 1, rule 5 upon each of the parties upon whom the notice to be amended was served.”
Stabroek News contention of glaring errors was fake news.

Justice Persaud simply asked Williams to update the application for a stay of the effect of the Judgment, and a Conservatory Order preserving the status quo ante as it was overtaken by the second or supplementary Notice of Appeal.

What was even more mind boggling was the astonishing, malicious attack by Stabroek News against Williams and the recently appointed solicitor general, a total fabrication.  They even lacked the class to make a proper apology to the solicitor general. Of course, they must face the full force of the law.

Stabroek News is now the garbage disposal bin for the PPP.
Hence, Rohee’s incoherent attempt to misrepresent the proceedings in court that day.

Regards,
Ministry of Legal Affairs