The job of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) will be re-advertised after not one local applicant applied for it, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

It raises the stakes in the threatened lawsuit by current incumbent Khamisi Tokunbo who is suing the Attorney General after it was announced his three-year contract won't be automatically renewed when it ends next month.

Deputy Governor Tim Gurney would not be drawn on Mr. Tokunbo's situation but he said only a handful of people applied - all were from overseas, even though the post was only advertised locally.

Mr. Gurney said: "We had insufficient people apply. We will be advertising it again - I am not absolutely sure when - in the not too distant future. No one from the island applied. It was essentially an on-island competition. We only advertised in the local newspapers. It is the powers of the Internet. We are now considering the next move."

The advert for the $127,000-a-year three-year post did not stipulate applicants had to be local.

Applicants had to be a barrister or solicitor with ten year's experience as an advocate or solicitor in a Commonwealth jurisdiction and with experience in managing staff.

Yesterday, Government backbencher Wayne Perinchief said the Department of Public Prosecutions had leached experienced staff and needed a helping hand.

And he appeared to question whether Mr. Tokunbo was the man for the job as he criticised failed prosecutions in important court cases. Mr. Perinchief said: "The position of the DPP is up for review right now, it's being advertised. We might need to look at that office and fill it."

Last month Governor Sir John Vereker said people in such senior posts should be tested against a potential peer group to see whether they remained the best person qualified for the job.

Mr. Tokunbo's lawyer Saul Froomkin is set to challenge the constitutionality of the decision to have the post on a short-term contract.

Last night Mr. Tokunbo said he could not comment on the DPP's position but he confirmed the legal action was continuing.