ALMOST $1 million in legal fees have been paid by the State to Vincent Nelson. KC, as part of the purported indemnity agreement signed by former attorney general Faris Al-Rawi.
Correspondence between Nelson’s attorneys in London and Al-Rawi, in December 2020, shows invoices for October and December 2018; January, February and April 2019, were paid, amounting to £85,759.61.
The firm BCL Solicitors, in that letter dated December 17, 2020, also said by paying the BCL invoices, the Government “has already unequivocally accepted liability under the indemnity for legal expenses.”
The firm also reminded Al-Rawi of earlier correspondence about payment of over $6 million in outstanding legal fees to the firm and Nelson’s attorney, Roger Kawalsingh.
On October 9, 2019, Kawalsingh sent an invoice for $4.5 million for several meetings, phone calls, Skype and phone conferences, overseas travel to Barbados and London, meetings at the airport, court appearances and attendance at the police station.
Nelson’s British attorneys, BCL Solicitors, also wrote to Al-Rawi on November 23, 2020, reminding him of the government’s obligations to honour its obligations under the indemnity agreement to pay legal fees, those already incurred up to that time and those that would become due for ongoing proceedings.
BCL said the fees for work for Nelson by the firm and fees for Tom Allen, KC, who came to Trinidad for Nelson’s plea deal hearing, were £275,859.47 and £450,000 for Kawalsingh.
BCL said for Nelson to “give evidence” in the criminal prosecution of former attorney general Anand Ramlogan and ex-UNC senator Gerald Ramdeen, it was “necessary for the GORTT to comply with its obligations under the indemnity” by paying its fees and Kawalsingh’s.
As part of the indemnity agreement, the Government “agreed to indemnify Mr Nelson against all actions, suits, proceedings, claims, demands, damages, costs, expenses and liabilities whatsoever which may be taken against him or be incurred or become payable or sustained by reason of the breach of any of the undertakings contained in the said agreement.”
Nelson has since sued the State for an alleged breach of the indemnity agreement and wants £12.1 million in damages. He also wants the State to pay the $2.25 million fines he was ordered to pay when he was sentenced in March 2020, according to AG Reginald Armour, SC.
He also wants the fees of his attorneys in his plea deal discussions and proceedings paid by the State.
In its December 2020 letter, BCL said the remaining legal fees had been outstanding for a “considerable period of time,” with the oldest invoice dating back to May 2019.
“We see no reason for any further delay in settlement of the outstanding invoices in accordance with the obligations under paragraph 5 of the indemnity.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we are now in the position that unless we receive immediate payment of our fees, this firm, and Mr Kawalsingh, will have no option but to commence debt recovery proceedings against our client.”
The firm warned that t
