Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal has accused attorney Vincent Nelson – main witness in the collapsed corruption case against Anand Ramlogan and Gerald Ramdeen – of "selling his soul" in an indemnity deal to recover money owed to him by the People's Partnership.
Nelson signed a document with former AG Faris Al-Rawi in October 2017 in exchange for evidence against former UNC senator Ramdeen and Ramlogan, a former UNC AG.
At the UNC’s Monday night Virtual Report, Moonilal explained, “This matter has its genesis when the same Nelson was working under the (People's) Partnership administration. And there were outstanding monies owed to him when we left office. So he took the government to court for his money."
He claimed a PNM official approached Nelson with the deal.
“When he gone to court, somebody gone to him and say, ‘Don't worry, you could get your money, you have to fabricate something.' This thing began with him saying, ‘Don’t call my name. Don't show my face. Don't tell nobody is me.”
Moonilal said there was no virtue in that agreement, hence the fallout, of the court case and criminal charges.
The corruption case collapsed after Nelson said was no longer willing to give evidence, until the civil case he has brought against Government, for breach of the indemnity deal, is determined.
“When you sleep with the devil, you cannot roll off the bed. When you sell your soul you cannot buy it back. And this is what happened: this man is trying to buy back his soul. So he made a deal that he will make false accusations and statements and then that led to indemnity.”
After the DPP dropped the case on October 10, Al-Rawi publicly admitted to discussing it with the prime minister and four other ministers, including Attorney General Reginald Armour.
At a political meeting in Diego Martin on October 12, Dr Rowley told the audience the Nelson matter is not Cabinet’s business. He further distanced himself from claims he was involved in the case, saying, “The PM of TT has no involvement and no role in the prosecution of any person in this country.”
The government had already paid Vincent almost $1 million as part of the purported indemnity agreement.
Moonilal described the situation as a scene out of an Agatha Christie novel, Murder on the Orient Express.
“There are 12 suspects and all 12 were guilty. In this matter, Al-Rawi guilty, Stuart Young guilty, Keith Rowley guilty and Fitzgerald Hinds guilty. This is a matter where the Cabinet is guilty, all the suspects. They are guilty.
“This is inducing a witness to give testimony against your political opponents, clear and simple. Anyone can see that.”
Moonilal asked, “How you could pay millions of dollars without Cabinet or Minister of Finance involvement?
“Al-Rawi said he filed as my attorney general on behalf of the Government of TT, but the head of government don't know anything.”
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