$20M budgeted in 2017 to purchase ‘proper vehicle’ for Attorney-General Williams

Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 December 2016, 14:29 by Derwayne Wills

Attorney-General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams preps for questions on budgetary allocations to his Ministry.

After some amount of dodging, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams told the Supply Committee of the National Assembly that a 2017 budgeted sum of $19.7M is for the purchase of a vehicle to be used by himself.

The Attorney General was, at the time, responding to questions raised by Opposition MP Anil Nandlall who questioned what type of vehicle would be purchased at that sum, and what would the vehicle be used for.

“It was for the purchase of a vehicle supposed to have been purchased in 2015,” Williams told the House, adding that the transaction by the former Permanent Secretary of the ministry resulted in the purchase of a second-hand vehicle, which was supposed to be a brand-new vehicle.

For some time, AG Williams had dodged questions on the type of vehicle to be purchased but later indicated the vehicle “should be a Toyota.” He said the Ministry “will determine what it [the money allocated] could by.”

Asked about the size of the vehicle, the Legal Affairs Minister responded he could not say but asserted “the honourable AG would be having a proper vehicle this time.”