Anthony Astaphan *dominicanewsonline.com
An attorney hired by government to handle one of its civil cases has responded to suggestions he should not have been appointed the task.
Dominican Senior Counsel Anthony Astaphan is being paid $40,000 to represent the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) government in a case brought against past UWP members for their alleged misappropriation of Taiwanese funds. In this case, the government is seeking reclaim about $38, 000 from the suit.
Since it was revealed that Astaphan would be the one representing the government, there has been much public debate as to whether a local person should have been given the job instead.
But speaking on Radio Saint Lucia on Tuesday afternoon, Astaphan referred to the ongoing debate as a “petty argument.”
“I am a member of the OECS Bar. I have been admitted as a Queen’s Counsel and senior counsel to the OECS Bar. The last time I checked a map the OECS was not Dominica and I am entitled by law to practice in every single island in the OECS, as I have in most,” he said.
“I have specialized, for the larger part of my professional life, in public and constitutional law and I am not blowing my own trumpet but… there are very few people in the OECS that have the experience, the competence or training in public law that I have,” he added.
He argued that several governments in the Caribbean, particularly in the OECS, have contracted foreign senior and queen’s counsels to represent them in such matters, as have St. Lucia. He added that several St. Lucians, including its queens counsels, have gotten opportunities to work in other countries in the OECS.
He added that during the UWP’s reign, foreign attorneys were contracted for various cases.
Astaphan further implied that at the end of the day it is up to government to decide who it “think is best able and capable of handling matters” for it.
“ All of a sudden I’m hearing people in Saint Lucia asking why must the government bring this and bring that?”
With respect to the amount of money he is being paid, Astaphan said that $40,000 is a decent fee for the work requested and confirmed that he has not yet been paid.
“I sent in a deposit, I met the prime minister and the prime minister was very clear to me. [He said] Mr Astaphan, you cannot get any money now… we cannot afford to pay you now, period. Who am I to go and tell the man anything about that? He is the custodian of the public funds …I am hearing people asking me how much money I got, whether I paid tax or VAT. I ain’t get no money yet,” he said.
He was adamant that he does not over charge and any suggestion of such is a “red herring” hoped to distort the real issues.
He further stated, “It’s a petty argument and that’s all I can really say .. and if I was being hired and I was being paid, and I was consistently losing or doing a terrible job….then I can understand that. But boss, when is the last time that I lost so many cases? It just don’t happen and I’m beginning to wonder if there is a hidden madness to all of this. They just don’t want me to do the cases. They are giving the impression that St. Lucia alone is hiring me,” he added, stating that he has worked for the governments of St Kitts, St Vincent, the opposition in Antigua, the governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank among other organizations.
He brushed aside suggestions that he was only hired because he is a “friend of the prime minister” and noted that there is an element of trust between them.
Astaphan said that while he believes in his rights to freedom of speech he has never been on a SLP political platform or campaigned for the party. He however, admitted to being a guest on a few radio programs with SLP officials.
“That does not prejudice my mind or the court,” he said.
A civil suit has also been filed against UWP leader Allen Chastanet. This is in reference to $38,119 of public funds from the Soufriere Town Council which the SLP government claims Chastanet used for the unlawful purpose of political campaign and for personal use.