THE MINISTRY of Agriculture (former Ministry of Food Production) has agreed to release information requested by the Heliconia Foundation since 2014, as it is related to the termination of persons employed at the ministry for the period 2010 to 2014.

The Foundation and its vice-president of Finance Vyash Nandlal filed a judicial review claim against former minister Devant Maharaj, who they alleged failed to respond to their queries despite numerous Freedom of Information requests made by them for the information they sought. 

When the matter was called before Justice Robin Mohammed in the Port-of-Spain High Court yesterday, attorneys for the ministry said they were now ready to produce the information. 

The move by the State has brought an end to the matter, and it was ordered that the State pay the Foundation and its VP Finance legal costs. 

The Foundation and Nandlal filed the claim in August, after they received no response to 15 pre-action protocol letters,which they sent to former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar in May. 

They asked for the number of persons terminated from the ministry from the period June 2010 to November 2014, as well as those whose contracts were not renewed, and the number of new persons employed during that period. 

The Foundation was represented by attorneys Farid Scoon and Saeed Trotter. The Foundation also has a similar claim which is still before the courts against former Attorney General, Garvin Nicholas. 

From Carib Daily