Governor Sir John Vereker has appointed Kulandra Ratneser to act as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) from March 8 when the contract of current post-holder Khamisi Tokunbo expires.

The appointment has been made to bridge the gap as Government House continues its search for a permanent DPP.

"It is a well known fact that we have not renewed the contract and I'm appointing an acting Director of Public Prosecutions until we find a permanent one," was all Sir John was prepared to say yesterday.

Mr. Tokunbo comes to the end of his three year contract Friday. He has initiated legal proceedings against Government challenging the constitutionality of the decision to require him to apply for a second three-year contract.

Mr. Ratneser, 70, was born in Sri Lanka and has served as Director of Public Prosecutions in Fiji and Belize.

He has also worked in South Australia as a director of the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement and as a senior crown prosecutor in Western Australia.

And Mr. Ratneser was at one time a legal officer in the Crown Law Department in Western Australia, director of the litigation division of the Australian Companies and Securities Commission and principal legal officer and regional general counsel to the regional office of the Australian Securities Commission.

He was called to the Bermuda Bar in 2000 and worked as Senior Counsel for law firm Milligan-Whyte and Smith.

Mr. Tokunbo could not be reached for comment last night.