Attorney General, Basil Williams was on Wednesday (March 29, 2017) questioned about his intention to apologise to High Court Judge, Justice Franklin Holder for a series of events which occurred in the courtroom on March 23, 2017. He was at the time engaging media operatives at the Ministry of Legal Affairs Boardroom.
Williams in response said, “we wouldn’t discuss that now, we will deal with it at the right time.”
On Tuesday (March 28, 2017) newly appointed Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, told media operatives that a letter of complaint concerning the matter was sent by Justice Holder.
Holder in his letter stated that he left the bench on Thursday (March 23, 2017) without adjourning the matter, after Williams allegedly stated that “I could say what I want to say and however I want to say it, I have always been like that.”
Justice Holder, therefore, called for an apology in open court on the matter.
Though Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall alleged that Williams threatened the life of the Judge when he blurted out “I will speak how I want and say what I want anywhere I want… furthermore, the last Magistrate who did that to me was later found dead… and I am saying so… that the last Magistrate who did this to me was found dead,” last Thursday, Holder’s statement did not allude to any threat.
Williams on Wednesday said “I, in fact, have to write a statement in response to that, and I actually have three statements from the ladies who were with me the day. The Judge and I will resolve the issue.”
However, he added “I don’t know about apology” before he walked out of the Ministry’s Boardroom on Wednesday.
The Attorney General provided a written statement to the media in which he continued blaming Nandlall for what transpired in court on the said day.
Williams said during a Press conference on Friday last, that Nandlall frequently interrupted the morning session.
As such, he believes that he was a victim of transferred frustration.
“The Attorney General believes that, after nearly three hours of ‘barracking’ by Nandlall, any reasonable person could fall prey to ‘transferred frustration,'” he noted in his written statement to the media.
The incident which has been in the media since March 24, 2017, occurred during the cross-examination of Carvil Duncan’s Confidential Secretary, Diana Persaud in a case filed by Duncan against the attempt to remove him as Chairman of the Public Service Commission, a member of the Police Service Commission and a member of the Judicial Service Commission.
