Minister of Legal Affairs Saddam Hosein has slammed the former People’s National Movement (PNM), alleging that more than $1 billion in legal fees in the Attorney General’s Office was funnelled to friends, financiers and political allies of former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley’s party over their nearly 10 years in office.
His explosive claims came as he defended the Government’s $3.14 billion mid-year budget adjustment during yesterday’s parliamentary debate to adopt the report of the Standing Finance Committee.
Hosein dropped a political bombshell during his contribution, naming high-profile legal figures—including two former PNM attorneys general, two sitting independent senators, an opposition MP, and a personal associate of Rowley—as being among 44 attorneys who collectively received millions in state briefs.
He identified Reginald Armour SC and Russel Martineau as the former AGs, senators Simon de la Bastide and Anthony Vieira, Port-of-Spain South MP Keith Scotland, and Gilbert Peterson SC—whom he described as Rowley’s “golfing friend”—as beneficiaries of a billion-dollar legal payout under the PNM.
“This is where the money gone. So that when people come for a food card and when people come for a house and they can’t build a house, they were spending $1 billion feeding their friends, their families and their financiers in one ministry alone, excluding all of the state enterprises, excluding the other ministries. This is where they were feeding at the trough. They were making deals on the golf course,” he said.
He also slammed a proposed deal under the previous administration to relocate the Registrar General’s Department to Gulf City Mall, warning that it would burden taxpayers with $162,000 in monthly rent and an additional $6.2 million over five years—averaging $104,000 per month—for outfitting the space.
Hosein said 127 contracts were awarded under the national reforestation and watershed rehabilitation programme, and nearly 80 per cent of them contracts were renewed on the Friday before the April 28 General Election.
According to Hosein, several of the contractors have direct ties to the PNM. He also claimed a martial arts school was teaching kung fu at the Rural Development Corporation, where he said 147 contracts were awarded between former ministers Kazim Hosein and Faris Al-Rawi.
He claimed there were companies linked to Rowley, Hosein, Al-Rawi and former PNM senator Renuka Sagramsingh Sooklal.
Guardian Media contacted Rowley, Hosein, Al-Rawi and Sagramsingh Sooklal for a response but none was provided up to the time of publication.
Meanwhile, Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West MP Stuart Young strongly rejected claims of mismanagement and waste at the Attorney General’s Office made by Hosein.
“If there is any corruption with respect to any of those figures called, so be it. Let the chips fall where they may,” Young stated defiantly.
“One thing I stand here careful, cognisant of and fearlessly I can say, out of the PNM attorney general over that period of time between 2015 and 2025, there will be absolutely no kickback of legal fees from any attorney to any PNM attorney general.”
Young defended the legal fees as necessary costs to defend the state, recalling that over 30 claims during the COVID-19 pandemic had cost taxpayers more than $16 million adding to the staggering bills Hosein cited.
He also blamed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests filed by those linked to the ruling United National Congress for inflating legal fees.
He further questioned whether Attorney General John Jeremie’s remarks indicated his intention to discontinue the Piarco Airport matter and other cases aimed at recovering funds for the state.
On contract awards, Young emphasised that public procurement laws remain in effect, stressing, “Ministers do not award contracts, neither do boards as there is a process that is out of their hands.”
He concluded with a pointed message to the public: “To come here and make broad brushed allegations or suggestions of corruption when that legislation is very much and still in play, I tell the population let your hearts not be troubled. Let us see where it goes. If there is anything there whatsoever, then there is legal recourse.”
Lawyers and legal entities who earned State briefs
White & Case (US based firm) - $157M
Russel Martineau, SC (former PNM attorney general) - $38M
Fyard Hosein, SC - $33.9M
Gilbert Peterson, SC - $29.3M
Claude H Denbow, SC - $27.6M
Sequor Law (US based firm) - $23.2M
Edmonds Marshall McMahon - $20.7M
Ravi Rajcoomar, SC - $16.8M
Douglas Mendes, SC $15.7M
Michael Quamina, SC $15.4M
Kerwyn Garcia, SC (First Gentleman) - $14.6M
Deborah Peake, SC - $13.8Mj
Edward Jenkins, KC - $13.7M
Netram Kowlessar - $13.3 M
Reginald Armour ,SC (former PNM attorney general) - $13.2M
Dharmendra Punwasee - $11.3M
Vincent Nelson, KC - $10.9M
Vanessa Gopaul - $10.2M
Tamara Toolsie - $10.2M
Roger Kawalsingh - $9.3M
Amirah Rahaman - $9.2M
Terrence Bharath, SC (former Angostura chairman) - $7.7M
Raphael Adjodha - $7.6M
Elaine Greene, SC- $5.7M
Ian Benjamin, SC - $5.1M
Andrew Dalip - $4.9M
Jason Mootoo - $4.8M
Jerome Rajkumar - $4.1M
Keith Scotland, SC - $3.3M
Gregory Delzin, SC - $3.2M
Justin Phelps, SC - $2.77M
JD Sellier (Caribbean law firm) - $2.5M
Rolston Nelson, SC (PNM recommendation for President in 2013) - $2.3M
Martin Daly, SC - $2.2M
Anthony Bullock - $2.1M
M G Daly & Partners - $1.9M
Ravi Nanga, SC - $1.9M
Fitzwilliam, Stone, Furness-Smith & Morgan (local firm) - $1.7M
Pollonais, Blanc, de la Bastide & Jacelon (local firm) - $1.5M
Ravi Heffes-Doon - $1.5M
Christie-Anne Morris-Alleyne - $2.4M ($800K retainer each for three departments at AG’s office)
Simon de la Bastide, SC (Independent Senator) - $2M
Anthony Vieira, SC (Independent Senator) - $257,000