“The information being requested by members of the media falls in the context of sensitive materials as it relates to criminal prosecution."
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Tiffany Scatliffe-Esprit has double down on the secrecy with regards to the legal bill tied to contracted prosecutor Sandip Patel, KC.
After mounting questions from the public and members of the media, Scatliffe-Esprit finally broke her silence on the matter which has been in the public domain for weeks. She defended the spending and stated that due to ‘principle of Public Interest Immunity’, the information cannot be made public.
“The information being requested by members of the media falls in the context of sensitive materials as it relates to criminal prosecution. Sensitive materials refer to any material that if disclosed, would give a real risk of serious prejudice to an important public interest, which includes the security of the individual prosecutors involved, the security of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and by extension, National Security,” she said in a statement issued Friday May 8.
The DPP added, “Considering the well-established principle of Public Interest Immunity, the details surrounding Mr. Patel’s renumeration and ongoing matters cannot be disclosed as requested.”
Governor Daniel Pruce and Premier Natalio Wheatley have also shielded the information from public scrutiny, stating that the DPP has cited law which prevents the information from going public. The Governor further argued that transparency concerns must be weighed against the integrity and safety of the prosecution process.
DPP Scatliffe-Esprit said that in 2022, Mr. Patel, KC was appointed as a Special Prosecutor in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in accordance with section 59 (3) of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007. She further stated, Mr. Patel is engaged to support the prosecution of various matters, many of which arise from the Commission of Inquiry and remain active before the courts, including appeals, which are a part of the prosecutorial process.
“As Director of Public Prosecutions, I assure the people of The Virgin Islands that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has always worked for the benefit of the Territory and will continue to do so with integrity in the preservation of the rule of law and justice,” the DPP said in her Friday’s statement.
After mounting questions from the public and members of the media, Scatliffe-Esprit finally broke her silence on the matter which has been in the public domain for weeks. She defended the spending and stated that due to ‘principle of Public Interest Immunity’, the information cannot be made public.
“The information being requested by members of the media falls in the context of sensitive materials as it relates to criminal prosecution. Sensitive materials refer to any material that if disclosed, would give a real risk of serious prejudice to an important public interest, which includes the security of the individual prosecutors involved, the security of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and by extension, National Security,” she said in a statement issued Friday May 8.
The DPP added, “Considering the well-established principle of Public Interest Immunity, the details surrounding Mr. Patel’s renumeration and ongoing matters cannot be disclosed as requested.”
Governor Daniel Pruce and Premier Natalio Wheatley have also shielded the information from public scrutiny, stating that the DPP has cited law which prevents the information from going public. The Governor further argued that transparency concerns must be weighed against the integrity and safety of the prosecution process.
DPP Scatliffe-Esprit said that in 2022, Mr. Patel, KC was appointed as a Special Prosecutor in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in accordance with section 59 (3) of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007. She further stated, Mr. Patel is engaged to support the prosecution of various matters, many of which arise from the Commission of Inquiry and remain active before the courts, including appeals, which are a part of the prosecutorial process.
“As Director of Public Prosecutions, I assure the people of The Virgin Islands that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has always worked for the benefit of the Territory and will continue to do so with integrity in the preservation of the rule of law and justice,” the DPP said in her Friday’s statement.
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