Mark Bassant
Lead Editor, Investigative Desk
A copy of Vincent Nelson's notarised statement in which he outlines details surrounding the legal fees kickback scheme allegedly involving Anand Ramlogan and Gerald Ramdeen was obtained by the Sunday Guardian.
This document was disclosed by the State to Ramlogan and Ramdeen's legal team.
We reached out to both Ramlogan and Ramdeen on Thursday and Friday via WhatsApp and text messaging asking for a comment on the allegations contained in the four-page document.
Ramdeen called on Thursday confirming he and Ramlogan had the document being referenced and that they would confer before responding.
Ramlogan read WhatsApp messages sent twice on Thursday morning and evening and another text message was also sent to Ramdeen asking if they had any feedback concerning the document, but they never answered. Attempts were also made on Friday via WhatsApp and text messaging, but there was still no response.
Both Ramlogan and Ramdeen, who were arrested and charged with the offences in May 2019, denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the conspiracy and misbehaviour in public office charges. The matter has now been discontinued against both men.
This is the notarised statement signed by Vincent Nelson on October 26, 2017:
1. The demand by Ramlogan for payment: In late 2010 I was invited to meet Anand Ramlogan to discuss undertaking legal work on behalf of the Government. The invitation was made via my Chambers, 39, Essex Chambers, London. Prior to this invitation, I did not know of, nor met, Anand Ramlogan.
2. I cannot recall the precise date I met Anand Ramlogan. However, it was in the last quarter of 2010. In that meeting, he informed me of "forensic probes" he was undertaking and asked me to lead the Petrotrin "probe". I accepted, subject to the agreement of fees by his Chambers' director. There was no discussion of the quantum of fees, nor any suggestion, at this stage, by Ramlogan that I should pay him any part of the fees to be paid to me.
3. I returned to Trinidad on 5 November 2011 to commence work on the "forensic probe". I was scheduled to leave on 13 November. During that visit, Gerald Ramdeen informed me that Anand Ramlogan wished to have a meeting with me concerning the "probes". The meeting took place in the Attorney General's office. In attendance was (sic) Ramlogan, Ramdeen, and myself. The only subject of conversation at the meeting "raised for the first time", was the demand by Ramlogan for payment by me to Ramlogan of a percentage of the fees I was to receive from engagement "probes". It was made clear that this was not a request but a requirement.
4. After some discussion I agreed to pay Ramlogan ten per cent of the gross fees received by me from any work undertaken by him for the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. Ramlogan wanted the funds to be paid to Ramdeen who would then "make available" the funds to Ramlogan. In our discussion, I raised the fact that this could cause problems for all involved if it was discovered. Ramlogan said that to disguise the fact that the funds were being paid to him, Ramdeen and I should agree to the "fiction" that the payments were being made to Ramdeen as part of an agreement whereby I was part of Ramdeen's chambers. Notwithstanding this "fiction", it should be emphasised that at no time was I ever part of Ramdeen's chambers. I never used any of the facilities of his chambers and visited it no more than five times during the entire period I worked in Trinidad over a period of four years. The "fiction", was purely to disguise the real reason for payment to Ramdeen.
5. Payment to Ramdeen's bank account: All payments by me were made to the following account: (Listed is the bank account number of Gerald Ramdeen and other pertinent details).
6. The payments made. Payments were made from my Natwest Bank UK account and Sagicor Jamaican Bank accounts. The payments were made as follows:
Natwest 21/12/11-£ 32,527.00
Natwest 30/07/12- £ 10,000.00 (inclusive of a transfer fee of £20–deducted by Natwest Bank–net paid £9,980.00)
Natwest 01/08/12- £ 10,000.00 (inclusive of a transfer fee of £20–deducted by Natwest Bank–net paid £9,980.00)
Natwest 08/08/12- £9,039.50 (inclusive of a transfer fee of £39.50 deducted by Natwest Bank–net paid £9,000.00)
Natwest 07/11/12 - £5,032.50 (inclusive of a transfer fee of £32.50 deducted by Natwest Bank–net paid £5,000.00)
Natwest 12/11/12 - £4,039.50 (inclusive of a transfer fee of £39.50 deducted by Natwest Bank–net paid £4000.00)
Natwest 12/06/13 - £10,000.00 (inclusive of a transfer fee of £30.00 deducted by Natwest Bank–net paid £9,970.00)
Natwest 13/06/13 - £10,000.00 (inclusive of a transfer fee of £30.00 deducted by Natwest Bank–net paid £9,970.00)
Natwest 14/06/13 - £10,000.00 (inclusive of a transfer fee of £30.00 deducted by Natwest Bank–net paid £9,970.00)
Natwest 18/06/13 - £10,000.00 (inclusive of a transfer fee of £30.00 deducted by Natwest Bank–net paid £9,970.00)
Sagicor Bank Jamaica 05/09/14–£50,000.00
Sagicor Bank Jamaica 25/09/14–£40,000.00
TOTAL £200,367.00 (Excluding bank charges)
7. How were the funds "made available" to Ramlogan?
I was informed by Ramdeen that the funds were withdrawn in cash from Ramdeen's recipient bank account above and given to Ramlogan in cash. I recall that Ramdeen once told me that Ramlogan had so much cash that when Ramlogan was restoring his house in the south of Trinidad he thought nothing of instructing builders to pull down newly installed structures and start with a different design because Ramlogan did not like it or because he had changed his mind as to how we would like the restored building to look.
8. Who else paid money to Ramlogan?
Name called (of King's Counsel attorney 1), to my knowledge, paid monies which were received by Ramlogan. As far as I am aware, (name called of King's Counsel attorney 1) brought the funds into Trinidad by means of Bankers' Drafts when he arrived in Trinidad so that the funds could not be traced back to him. I also remember that (name called of King's Counsel attorney 1) was particularly insistent that he was met by VIP protocol on arrival because he had these drafts with him. As far as I am aware these drafts were given to Ramdeen for deposit in his account and for him to make onward payments to Ramlogan in cash. The sums paid by (name called of King's Counsel attorney 1) were 10 per cent of fees received after the deduction of (name called of King's Counsel attorney 1) costs.
9. I was informed by Ramdeen that (name called of King's Counsel attorney 2) also agreed to make payments to Ramlogan. In 2013/2014 there was some falling out between (name called of King's Counsel attorney 2) and Ramlogan due to the fact that (name called of King's Counsel attorney 2) had not paid the entire sum that was agreed by him as payable to Ramlogan from fees received. I am not aware how the sums that were paid by (name called of King's Counsel attorney 2) were paid to Ramlogan whether through Ramdeen or otherwise.
10. I was also informed by Ramdeen that (name called of local attorney) also agreed to make payments. However, I am not aware of how or when such payments were made.
Signed by me:
Vincent Nelson
Also attached to the notarised statement were several wire transfers of the banking transactions as outlined by Vincent Nelson.