Prime Minister Patrick Manning still owes the State half a million dollars resulting from a failed High Court action in 1997, Attorney General John Jeremie said yesterday.

Jeremie was responding to a question from Opposition Senator Wade Mark in the Senate.

Mark asked what was the debt incurred when Manning, who was then opposition leader when he sought the High Court’s intervention for an interpretation of the Crossing of the Floor Act, following the decision of former MPs Vincent Lasse and Rupert Griffith to cross the floor and join the UNC.

Jeremie said the original costs figure awarded to the State was $1,153,811 which carried an interest rate of six per cent from the date of judgment, April 28, 1997.

’A sum of $555,000 was paid on account of the award on December 27,2002. In 1997 there was no other matter in which a sum of money even remotely similar to this has been either awarded or collected by the State as costs. No equivalent sum has ever been received by the State as costs in any action ever,’ said Jeremie.

Jeremie added that the average quantum of costs awarded to the State in any one matter, which has gone to trial is normally in the vicinity of $12,000 to $15,000 and very often it is presumed that the recovery may outweigh the costs awarded.

’Matters such as the consolidated matters involving the then leader of the opposition therefore, where joint costs awarded amounted to just over one million are extremely rare and considered an aberration in practice,’ said Jeremie.

He added at present the State has no official policy position with respect to recovery of costs owed to it. He said in practice the State through the Chief State Solicitor would pursue costs by written demands to the other side upon an award to the State.

Jeremie, when questioned by Mark, said his office will pursue a general policy with respect to cost recovery and would take into consideration a policy created by former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj during his tenure.

Pressed for a time frame, Jeremie responded, ’the matter is not one that is pressing ... there are other issues on my desk which are much more pressing’.

Jeremie pointed out that there are other matters in which outstanding costs are owed to the State.

He cited the case of Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday against the Attorney General in which the amount owed to the State is $205,043, attracting 12 per cent per annum from April 22, 2005 (date of judgment) to the date of payment.

Jeremie said Panday’s appeal in this matter also incurred additional costs which were agreed to between parties at £12,000 for the Privy Council hearing. He said the State attorneys in England wrote to Panday’s attorneys requesting payment and none had been made to date.

Jeremie also cited the matter between businessmen Steve Ferguson and Ishwar Galbaransingh against the Attorney General and Chief Magistrate in which the amount owed to the state is $1,095,292.

In addition, he pointed out that in the matter between Opposition MP Chandresh Sharma against the Attorney General some $160,000 was owed to the State and no payments had been made to date.