BAR Association president Trevor Moniz yesterday accused Government Senate Leader David Burch of making a "contemptible" attack against him under the cover of Senate privilege in the ongoing row over the departure of Khamisi Tokunbo as Director of Public Prosecutions.

And Mr. Moniz stood by the comments made in this newspaper last week - including that Mr. Tokunbo had lacked the experience necessary for the DPP job - that provoked a nine-point criticism of him from Sen. Burch in the Senate on Wednesday.

Sen. Burch said the appointment of the DPP had been "entirely in the hands of the Governor and not the Government and to suggest otherwise was discourteous".

He added it was a blatant lie to suggest the PLP had influenced the appointment of Mr. Tokunbo because it wanted a black DPP, adding that "this Government is no gravy train" and "grace and favour is dead".

Mr. Moniz responded yesterday: "The justice system is in crisis, the Government is in denial and needs a reality check.

"Sen. Burch made a cowardly and scurrilous attack on me under the cover of Senate privilege.

"I stand firm by my position that Mr. Tokunbo was the favourite candidate of the PLP. He did not have the experience necessary to head up the department.

"And for Sen. Burch to say that grace and favour is dead - that's not how the public perceives it. The PLP have appointed their friends into numerous positions and the public perceives that the Government is a gravy train.

"I am just trying to do my job as an elected representative of the Bar Council and as MP for Smith's South."

He added that Sen. Burch had left out an important point in his speech.

"He very carefully omitted to say whether or not the Government supports replacing Mr. Tokunbo," said Mr. Moniz.

"There has been silence from the Government and they have shown no support for him and that leads one to conclude to they do not support Mr. Tokunbo."

Sen. Burch's remark that Mr. Tokunbo had not been "removed", but that his contract had expired and not been replaced, was dismissed as "doublespeak" by Mr. Moniz.

Mr. Tokunbo is suing the Government for its decision to re-advertise, rather than to automatically renew his contract, which expired at the beginning of this month. Kulandra Ratneser has been appointed as acting DPP.

According to Governor Sir John Vereker, the decision to re-advertise was made to ensure that the best person available held the position.