G.O.B. to Appeal Supreme Court Ruling on Petrocaribe Challenge

Michael Peyrefitte

Prime Minister Barrow, in a terse response to a letter written by Opposition Leader John Briceño, has indicated that government will appeal the decision of the Supreme Court where Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin ruled that government illegally spent over a billion dollars in public funds.  This evening, Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte confirmed that instructions have already been put forward to have the decision challenged in the appellate court.  He says that government is prepared to go as far as the CCJ to prove that the constitution allows for government to proceed with supplemental budgets.

Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney General

“We have already given instructions for leave to appeal and for appeal of the matter because we believe that when the Chief Justice said that we needed to amend the constitution to all for retroactive spending in terms of supplementary budgets, we believe that the constitution clearly states that we are allowed to do that and we believe that he erred in that fashion and so we want to have the Court of Appeal rule in our favour and if not  then maybe even the apex court rule in our favour that the constitution does allow for supplemental budgets.”