the legal profession of "malicious and dangerous'' scaremongering over claims that his department is in crisis.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said people who had claimed therewas a lack of experience and strength in his chambers were not being genuine.

The Royal Gazette reported yesterday how a number of attorneys, including defence barristers, feared criminals were being given the upper hand following the departure of several experienced key players in the DPP office.

Since February this year, five prosecutors have left the chambers and two of the posts are still outstanding -- one of them Mr. Tokunbo's second in command.

But the chief prosecutor, who is now recruiting new members of staff from overseas, denied there was a crisis and said there certainly had not been a "mass exodus'' as claimed.

"What exodus are people talking about -- three people leaving is not a mass exodus,'' Mr. Tokunbo said.

"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.

"If we are talking about a genuine concern about the DPP this is not helping -- all because one or two people have left.'' And Mr. Tokunbo hit back at comments made by a legal source that morale in his department was low.

He added: "What low morale? There is no low morale. If anything, these comments will be affecting morale.'' And yesterday a prosecutor from the DPP, who did not wish to be named, contacted The Royal Gazette and said morale was not low, but high.

At the end of June, Opposition MP and lawyer John Barritt, who is also the Shadow Minister for Legislative Affairs, joined members of his party in tabling 12 Parliamentary questions about why so many people had left the DPP and what was being done to rectify the shortfall.

The UBP hopes to have its questions answered in the House of Assembly today.

Mr. Barritt's concern stems from the departure of several very experienced, and successful, prosecutors from the DPP.

In February, Leighton Rochester transferred to civil law in the Attorney General's Chambers.

A month later, second-in-command Peter Eccles left and his post is still outstanding. Sandra Bacchus followed in June, and last Friday Brian Calhoun left the department.

And in April, prosecutor Veronica Daley quit the department.

It leaves experienced Supreme Court prosecutor Patrick Doherty and Mr. Tokunbo to head the DPP team.

They are assisted by Larry Mussenden and Charmaine Smith, who both have less experience in Supreme Court.

Mr. Tokunbo claimed the staff in place were able to run the department as normal and had sufficient experience to ensure criminals were not given an easy ride in court.

He also said there was no evidence to suggest that defence lawyers and their clients have the upper hand.

Mr. Barritt last night responded to Mr. Tokunbo's claims that concerns were malicious and said: "I am sorry, but I don't buy that.

"I am trying to be very responsible about this by asking Parliamentary questions to ascertain the status of what the plans are in dealing with the situation.

"My impression is that the department is under-manned and under-strength and this has come about because of the departure of some key and Senior Crown counsel.

"I'm not saying it's an easy thing to replace them, but one would have thought there would be some kind of overlap to ensure the department was kept at maximum strength.'' Last night, one of the Island's lawyers, who did not wish to be named, said some people may have been malicious in their comments, but most were genuine.