Privy Council allows Auditor General Ramdass to continue lawsuit against cabinet over revenue misreporting probe.
Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago – Auditor General Jaiwantie Ramdass can now move forward with her lawsuit challenging a Cabinet-ordered investigation into revenue misreporting in the national accounts. The Privy Council in London dismissed an appeal from Finance Minister Colm Imbert and the Cabinet, allowing Ramdass’s case to proceed.
The five Law Lords, led by UK Supreme Court Deputy President Lord Patrick Hodge, questioned State attorney Douglas Mendes for almost two hours before delivering their decision. The dispute began when the Ministry of Finance sent amended accounts with overstated revenue figures by $3.4 billion, which Ramdass initially resisted accepting. Ramdass claims she was pressured into accepting the revised accounts, and her audit team could not reconcile the new revenue figures.
In May, the Cabinet appointed a team to investigate her conduct, which she argued was unconstitutional. The Privy Council’s immediate ruling marks a significant moment in the legal challenge, with written reasons for their decision to follow.
