Former Director of Public Prosecutions Kirk Anderson worked his last day yesterday
and arrived at the airport today - set to leave the country, for good as he
heads to Jamaica to take up a job a prestigious firm in his home country. But
he had to put those grand plans on hold for a few hours, because before he could
board, Anderson was strung up at the airport by the police, acting on the instruction
of the Income Tax Department.
Apparently, Anderson had tax arrears and the department had so advised police
posted at the PGIA. So when he arrived at the airport today along with a party
of two, booked for a Miami bound American Airlines flight, the lawmen were waiting
for him. He was escorted away and detained in the VIP Lounge. The room was secured
by police officers. At one point, police loosely escorted him out to get some
food. He was held there for about an hour not released until his attorney Derek
Courtenay arrived.
Income Tax staff including Marilyn Ordonez, the Deputy Commissioner of the
department advised him that he owed $28,000 thousand dollars in tax arrears.
He agreed to pay them immediately and left the airport with his attorney, with
police and income tax personnel following behind in another vehicle. They met
at the Scotia Bank on the Northern Highway where he paid and the debt was settled
immediately. Anderson returned to the airport, but had already missed his flight
and was forced to catch the Continental Airlines flight to Houston.
According to our reports, over some years, Anderson had a lengthy back and
forth with the Income Tax Office over what portion of his salary was taxable.
The dispute was because under the terms of his contract, his allowances are
not taxable, but his $70,000 a year salary is. The dispute went on for years,
but no one could have expected that it would have culminated in today's embarrassing
scene, where the man, who was just yesterday one of the highest ranking officers
of the judiciary, constitutionally protected, would have been detained by an
only too willing Police Department for $28,000.
The truth is, if government was so eager for the money, they could have taken
it out of his gratuity payment.
7NEWS has obtained a letter from
Anderson to the Attorney General Francis Fonseca dated November 27th asking
for that payment.
In his letter Anderson demands payment of three sums: firstly, $69,000 - half
a year's salary and allowances; secondly, an $18,000 gratuity for all of next
year; and, thirdly $13,000 for just agreeing to go quietly. His letter says
that the Prime Minister and the Attorney General were,
"forcing him
to resign far earlier than his age of retirement." Considering his
constitutional standing; just agreeing to go quietly, he argues, is worth another
$13,000. Put together, those three payments add up to $100,000 which Anderson
asked that the government pay before December 31, 2006.
Of course, as we alluded to earlier, the police, whose high command he has
bitterly opposed, would have been only too willing to assist income tax with
such a high profile detention of a department adversary. Later on we'll show
you part of the reason why as we have in black and white that directive from
Anderson that Chester Williams should be charged with harm.