Strategic Security Consultant Garvin Heerah has asserted that the State must act to restore and secure the integrity of the Strategic Services Agency (SSA). The agency has been in operation for over two decades and its primary purpose, as outlined by the governing act, the Strategic Services Agency Act, speaks to intelligence gathering as it pertains to drugs.
The SSA is considered the sole custodian of all known interception of communication software and hardware procured by the Government of the Republic of T&T or any other state agency and uses its intercept technology to conduct legal intercepts.
Heerah’s comment during an interview with Guardian Media yesterday followed reports that the agency’s former members had signalled their intention to sue the state over their dismissal.
“I must caution and advise that when these types of things start happening, it chips away at the integrity, chips away at the confidentiality and brand of the SSA, so these things happen, with the court issue and suing the state, wrongful dismissals, but I think at this time the decision makers have to ensure strategically that they insulate the integrity of the SSA from all of these issues so the products and excellence that comes out of that shop could be maintained.”
Heerah, the former executive director of the National Operations Centre (NOC), further stated that the developments had been weakening the institution, which played a critical role in national security.
He also noted that it was not the first time that former agents from arms of the State’s security apparatus had challenged the State over their termination. “There were situations and occasions before, even as far back as the special anti-crime unit, former SSA members and even the pilots at one time from the NOC were going through issues regarding suing of the State, wrongful dismissals and now have matters before the court.” —Jesse Ramdeo