Trinidad Attorney General Forced Out Of Office, Say Sources

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad -- Trinidad and Tobago Attorney General Bridgid Annisette-George was reportedly forced out of government, sources close to her said this week.

Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Patrick Manning. AFP PHOTO

The Guardian newspaper reported that the AG was asked to relinquish office because she did not approve the Robert Lindquist investigation into the controversial Cleaver Heights Housing Project in Arima, and also because she appeared "soft" in dealing with certain legal matters against the Jamaat at Muslimeen.

But Prime Minister Patrick Manning, in a ministerial statement in Parliament on Wednesday, said that Annisette-George submitted her resignation on Tuesday because of an imminent conflict of interest in the CLICO matter. The government has commenced forensic audit of CLICO after it approved a billion dollar bail out of the financially-troubled insurance company.

Manning told Parliament that the Attorney General had indicated to him that she anticipated that there will be a conflict of interest in the CLICO matter.

The Prime Minister told Parliament, "Mr Speaker, the Attorney General decided to do the honorable thing. Yesterday she submitted her resignation to the Prime Minister."

Manning expressed gratitude to Annisette-George for her contributions to the People's National Movement and the government of Trinidad and Tobago.