Khemraj Ramjattan accused of fraud by clients
BRILLIANT young Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir (Anil) Nandlall, has been constantly pilloried of recent times by his one-time friend, AFC’s (leader/presidential candidate/neither/cipher?) Khemraj Ramjattan, and one can only conjecture as to the reason for the latter’s constant vilification of the former; especially in light of the fact that if he had not coveted Bharrat Jagdeo’s position and popularity and allowed his vengeful vindictiveness to attempt to destroy the government led by his nemesis, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo he may today, because of seniority, have been the one with the portfolio of legal affairs of the nation. However, in light of all the revelations now emerging that are casting doubts about his professional integrity, perhaps it is a good thing that he fell foul of the executive directorate of the PPP before such an inappropriate appointment materialized and was expelled from the party after he became critical of his former comrades and publicly vilified the party and friends that had nurtured his political growth and given him an identity in the public arena.

Ramjattan and Nagamootoo fooled by AFC promises
Angry at Bharrat Jagdeo’s rapid elevation in the party, both Ramjattan and Nagamootoo became bitter to the point of ultimate betrayal of Dr. Cheddi Jagan and all that he stood and fought for. Rather than retreating with some degree of honour and dignity when they could not fulfill their personal ambitions, they chose a rancorous route that they hope will destroy Dr. Cheddi Jagan’s party, even if it meant lying in bed with those with the blood of the nation’s martyrs on their hands and the souls of the demons who once destroyed this nation, especially with their X-13 Plan, their “Slo’ fiah, mo’ fiah strategies, their “Buxton resistance” and their record of bringing this nation to the brink of self-destruct and pauperization.
Promised a rotational leadership of the AFC and “a high place” respectively by Trotman, who once challenged his own party for the leadership, like the PPP duo did, both Ramjattan and Nagamootoo have been left holding, in President Ramotar’s colourful language, “lowraah”, despite their face-saving utterances and even more bitter vilification of their one-time comrades in the PPP government.

Ramjattan’s representation of burnt teen has profit motive
Ramjattan has been relentlessly pursuing a court-ordered M$6.5 payout to the teenager who had been burnt in the genitals while being interrogated for the murder of retired Region 3 Vice-Chairman, Ramenaught Bisram.
The court and all the teenager’s supporters, including Ramjattan, have ignored the fact that, although a reprehensible and unforgivable act had been committed against him, the teen had been accused of an even more heinous act, that of being complicit in a murder of a very innocent man who had a track record of giving to society, and but for the mistaken zeal of two policemen he would have had to face dire consequences in court, instead of being rewarded with millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money.
What is so startling about the entire scenario is that Ramjattan, who is purportedly so concerned about taxpayers’ money has been harassing Nandlall for payout of the monies to himself, because his fees were included in the package, despite the fact that, both as a politician and a lawyer he is aware that Nandlall has to follow due process in the disbursement of public funds, especially in view of the fact that the government, as public trustees of the national treasury, has the right and responsibility of appealing the court’s award.
And one wonders what happened to Ramjattan’s public spiritedness and altruism when he supposedly pursued “justice” for the teenager and made the case into a vendetta against the government, along with his cronies in the opposition collective: Also everyone in Guyana is aware that decisions by the judiciary in Guyana is sometimes highly suspect because of political affiliations and “fraternity”.

Accusations of fraud by clients
Several instances where Ramjattan has been accused of malpractice, even fraud, by former clients have recently come to light, although these allegations have been ignored by the anti-government, anti-PPP media.
Prakash Persaud, brother of Justice Prem Persaud, alleges that he retained the services of Ramjattan in a case whereby the law firm of Trotman, Chapman and Associates had conspired to defraud him of millions of dollars in real estate. According to Persaud in an interview with the Chronicle and several letters to various media houses, despite Ramjattan collecting his fees his lack of representation caused Persaud to lose his case and consequently his properties. Persaud said that when he took Ramjattan before the Bar Association the latter lambasted him, saying that he owed allegiance to “fraternity”.
An elderly couple is accusing Ramjattan of fraud. Ms Veronica Da Silva and her spouse are claiming that he colluded with the other party and their lawyer against her wishes to sell her $80 million government-valuated property for just over half its value. He called the woman’s refusal to sell her property, which was her home and which had a legal dispute, for which she had retained his representation, “intransigence”, stating that she was “impecunious” because he could only get his fees, which amounted to several millions, if the property was sold. Whether the woman received justice and the true value of her property was immaterial to him, once he could close his case and retrieve his fees.
There have been instances in property disputes where lawyers have been known to accept monies from the other party, along with their percentage, so that property buyers are saved from paying the real market value. Whether this is so or not in this case is a question for the public to ask.
Now everyone is aware that Ramjattan did not take on the case out of the goodness of his heart, but because of the considerable sum he stood to gain as fees, and Veronica Da Silva did not qualify as being an “impecunious” person when she owned millions of dollars worth of real estate, the proceeds of which sale Ramjattan knew he would get a share; so he hurried the process along because, in his estimation, getting the right price for his client was taking too long and, like in the burnt teenager’s case, his fees needed extrication from the proceeds, and that was his primary consideration.

As presidential candidate, Ramjattan’s actions reprehensible
This self-professed “leader” is aware that he was constrained to provide the best representation for his client, not conspire, or if that is an inappropriate word, collaborate with the other party and their lawyer, against his client’s wishes, to “sellout” the property to the highest bidder at millions of dollars below market value, giving rise to Veronica Da Silva’s accusations of “sellout” of her case, which is absolutely repressible, especially since Ramjattan is an aspiring president who should display the highest moral integrity, which he constantly demands of government functionaries.
No client would agree to being robbed of such a huge amount, especially if they were going to lose their home in the process.
Government’s property valuation is known to be far less than market value, and one learned lawyer put the government valuation of $80M for Veronica’s property at an estimated $120M real market value for prime real estate in the heart of the city. As a lawyer who deals with such matters Ramjattan is aware that, because he disregarded the wishes of his client and agreed to sell out her property for an approximate half of the real market value he was not acting in her best interests, especially in his refusal to appeal the court’s decision, which can be construed as malpractice.
But he was in a hurry for his payout; as he is in a hurry for his payout in this instance of the award to the teenager. It seems that this aspiring president, who accuses everyone in the government, and those who join in nation-building imperatives, of corruption, has many fingers pointing right back at him for similar, and even worse offences, except that in his case his accusers provide what seems to be valid evidence to buttress their accusations.

Could Ramjattan be trusted to be charged with the national treasury?
Ramjattan, as a presidential candidate, who aspires to lead the nation and be in charge of the country’s treasury, need to let the public know why he is being accused of such nefarious activities and actions not conducive to inspiring public trust; and Veronica Da Silva and Prakash Persaud are certainly not interested in political office and have no axe to grind, so their accusations have basis of merit.
When the PPP executive warned Ramjattan that he was threatening his own credibility in his legal practice he became antagonistic to that party and his subsequent actions forced his expulsion.
He was responsible for his downfall, and for the fact that young Anil Nandlall is now holding a supreme position of trust in the governmental construct, because the current AG and Minister of Legal Affairs has proven his professional integrity beyond a shadow of a doubt. Could Ramjattan say the same of himself?