After spending in excess of $55million dollars on the North Park Street building which was supposed to house the DPP’s Office, government was left with no other option but to terminate the lease agreement, due to the DPP’s refusal to occupy the building over security concerns.

In the House of Representatives yesterday, Attorney General Reginald Armour revealed the lease was terminated at the end of September.

“At the end of September 2023, the Government terminated that lease after having spent a total—in rent, electricity bills and renovations to introduce bullet-proofing along the entire northeastern wall of the property at the request of the DPP—…of $55,551.443.93. The lease on that building has been terminated because the DPP has refused to move into the building,” AG Armour said. 

He noted that in 2014, the DPP had agreed to move into the North Park Street Building.

“In fact, I would read for the record the letter which the DPP wrote to the office of the Attorney General on September 22, 2014. The letter stated: ‘Accommodation for POS office: Please be advised that consequent upon an invitation by Mr Nicolas Subran, Research, Planning and Development Coordinator, Ministry of the Attorney General, Members of my planning committee and I viewed the RBTT premises at the corner of Park and Henry Street, Port of Spain on July 28, 2014, on August 12, 2014 and after due consideration, I am of the view that the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions could and should be accommodated at those premises. Accordingly, I urge you to kindly take steps to actualise my interests,” the AG said.

Armour added that attempts were made for the move to be made, though unsuccessful.

“As recently with the assent of the Administration of Justice Indictable Proceedings Act—at July 25, 2023, I wrote to the DPP to ask him, because we are now bringing that Act into force and we need a fully fledged DPP Department to please move in because the Government was prepared to continue to rent on a month-to-month basis and to negotiate a new lease once the DPP moved (in). But he refused to move, so we have terminated the lease,” the Attorney General stated.