CITING a breach of contract on part of the two-month-old APNU+AFC Government, Mr. Zulficar Mustapha, former Community Relations Liaison Officer for Region 6, and a candidate of the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) at the May 11, 2015 General and Regional Elections, has instituted legal proceedings against the Administration, claiming just over Gy$1.7M.In a writ initiated by Mustapha and filed in the High Court against Attorney General (AG) Basil Williams, it was revealed that Mustapha had served as Community Relations Liaison Officer for Region Six under a three-year contract with the PPP Government prior to that party’s defeat at General and Regional Elections held earlier this year. According to the writ, which was made available to this publication, Mustapha’s contract, which commenced on January 30, 2013, was expected to have expired on January 29, 2016. He was earning a monthly salary of $356,086.

However, on May 29, the contract ended prematurely after he received a letter from Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, informing him that his contract was being terminated with immediate effect. “The Office of the President has taken a decision for your contract to be terminated with effect from 2015-05-31”, the termination letter read in part.

The letter from Harmon further indicated that the PPP member would be entitled to “a pro-rated vacation allowance for the period 2015-01-30 to 2015-05-31; and a pro-rated gratuity for the period 2015-01-30 to 2015-05-31.”

Represented by Attorney Mohabir Anil Nandlall, the former Attorney General, and a battery of lawyers comprising attorneys Euclin Gomes, Sase Gunraj and Manoj Narayan, Mustapha is claiming “the sum of one million, two hundred and sixty-seven thousand, two hundred and sixty dollars ($1,267,260); damages in excess of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for breach of contract; interest at the rate of six percent (6%) per annum from the date of filing to the date of judgment, and thereafter at the rate of four percent (4%) per annum until fully paid; costs in the sum of three thousand, three hundred and fifty-five dollars ($3,355); and such further or other reliefs as the court may deem just.”

According to Nandlall, as was detailed in the writ, “It is obvious that my client’s contract was terminated with immediate effect, and therefore he has not been given the three (3) months’ notice to which he is contractually entitled, nor was he permitted to take his vacation, in accordance with clause five (5).”

Nandlall reasoned that, as a result, his client is entitled to the three (3) months’ salary in lieu of that notice, and pro-rated pay in lieu of his vacation.

Attorney General Basil Williams has ten days in which to enter an appearance and make a response. Efforts to contact both Williams and Harmon yesterday proved futile.

By Ravin Singh