By SEAN DOUGLAS Monday, September 28 2009

ATTORNEY-GENERAL John Jeremie declined to name the Chief Legal Officer whom he had previously claimed had ignored legal advice to prosecute “prominent persons”, in a supposed failure that had allegedly cost the State $1 billion.

Jeremie was invited to make an intervention by Opposition Senator Dr Adesh Nanan who was speaking in the Budget debate late Friday.

Jeremie said: “That I will not say... I am not going to abuse parliamentary privilege. I went as far as I could have gone in this House and I will go no further. You won’t bait me...”

Jeremie disavowed any knowledge of a Friday news report that offered the name of the person to whom Jeremie referred in the Senate, last week.

“You didn’t see anywhere in my Hansard where I attacked Henderson,” he said.

Nanan then alleged a plot by the Government and Udecott to stifle the Commission of Inquiry into Udecott. “We want the Attorney General to investigate that,” said Nanan.

He asked the AG about a proposed special court for guns and kidnapping.

Jeremie replied, “We do have plans to bring legislation for special courts, and I said so during the course of my contribution.”

Jeremie said Cabinet had approved plans for court to operate with just a judge and no jury, while doing away with the preliminary inquiry.

He said the Government had a special criminal court committee to address kidnappings which were once as prevalent as one per week.

“There is a Gun and Kidnapping Court Committee which is looking at setting up Criminal Rules, similar to the rules which we have on the civil side, to expedite trials in respect of criminal matters. If you abolish the preliminary inquiry, that is going to allow fo speedy criminal trials,” said Jeremie.