Lawyer and MP John Barritt has claimed his fears about the lack of strength in the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) were confirmed in the House of Assembly yesterday Attorney General Dame Lois Brown Evans answered six Parliamentary questions tabled by the United Bermuda Party based on the current staffing position at the DPP and the experience of those in post.

MPs heard that out of six counsel currently employed at the DPP, only two have five years or more experience of working on the Bermuda Bar.

Two of the six are in their first year of practice.

Mr. Barritt has voiced serious concerns about the ability of the present prosecuting team following the departure of several senior members of staff in recent months.

He said he believed defence lawyers were "rubbing their hands with glee'' in the knowledge that only the department's Director Khamisi Tokunbo and prosecutor Patrick Doherty had a number of years experience working in Supreme Court.

There are two others who are learning the ropes of Supreme Court, Larry Mussenden and Charlene Scott, and an additional prosecutor, Juan Wolffe, who is joining the team next week.

And, although Mr. Tokunbo is now recruiting overseas to fill two senior roles, including his second in command -- Principal Crown counsel, it will be some weeks before staffing is back up to strength.

Mr. Barritt said: "The facts back up the concerns that are being expressed.

"Only two people have five years experience and four have less than four years experience.

"We have now allowed ourselves to let it get to this situation -- where we are only now looking overseas for experienced counsel.

"One would have thought with a little bit of planning, this could have been managed a great deal better.

"It highlights the difficulty we have had in levering people away from private practices to go back to work in prosecution.

"The time has come to review salaries in the DPP so we can get people in there.'' And he said concern about the lack of experienced staff in the DPP was beginning to escalate to a point where Police officers were seriously worried about whether their cases would be successfully prosecuted.

Mr. Barritt added: "It can become a very serious situation if there is any erosion of confidence. It's something that will spread out and down.'' A spokesman for the Police declined to comment on the current staffing situation at the DPP.

But one officer, who did not wish to be named, said: "There are serious concerns. People are concerned that cases will be lost.'' Another said: "Of course, there are concerns. We are working hard. We want results.'' Mr. Tokunbo has denied there is a crisis within his department and accused both the media and some members of the legal profession of being "malicious and dangerous'' in their comments.

He said: "What exodus are people talking about? Three people leaving is not a mass exodus.

"How do you make it a crisis when two of the senior people up here have not yet been replaced? I think it's dangerous and malicious. Obviously, nobody has spoken to people in this department.

"I have to question how genuine this concern is. I'm disappointed that things are being distorted.'' Staff have left the DPP in quick succession since February this year. The first to go was Leighton Rochester, who transferred to civil law in the Attorney General's Chambers in February.

A month later, Principal Crown counsel Peter Eccles left and his post is still outstanding.

Sandra Bacchus left in June, and last Friday, Senior Crown counsel Brian Calhoun left the department.

And in April, prosecutor Veronica Daley quit the department.

The UBP asked Government to explain what vacancies were still outstanding in the DPP, what was being done to fill them, how many counsel were left and what experience they had.

It was told that Mr. Tokunbo was recruiting overseas and consideration may be given to the temporary use of civil and defence lawyers to prosecute cases until the gaps are filled.

As of July 1, it was stated there were six counsel working the DPP, five of them suitably qualified to prosecute in the Supreme Court and four capable of arguing cases in the Court of Appeal.

No captions -- John Barritt and Khamisi Tokunbo