Attorney General John Jeremie told the Senate last night that he is ’not going to abuse Parliamentary privilege’ by naming the former chief legal officer whose error he claimed had cost the country $1 billion.

Jeremie did so as he also declared he never attacked former director of public prosecutions Geoffrey Henderson, who is now a High Court judge, during his contribution in the Senate’s 2009/2010 Budget debate at the Red House, Port of Spain, on Wednesday, when he raised his claim about the former chief legal officer.

Jeremie was responding to several questions raised by Opposition Senator Dr Adesh Nanan about the matter during his contribution to the Senate’s budget debate last night.

’Did you see anywhere in my Hansard where I attacked Henderson?’ Jeremie said, in reference to the Parliament’s record of his contribution in the Senate on Wednesday.

Nanan asked Jeremie to state the name of the former chief legal officer who the Attorney General said hid an opinion from a Queen’s Counsel which advised on the laying of a criminal charge against prominent persons.

’That, I will not say. I said it, 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 to do it,’ Jeremie said.

The budget was passed last night. -Juhel Browne