Acting Police Commissioner Gilbert Reyes said last night he would offer a security detail to prime ministerial contender Kamla Persad-Bissessar in light of a reported threat to her life. "I would again offer to provide her with security," Reyes said, in response to reports of a $5 million contract to kill Persad-Bissessar. He revealed that the Police Service had previously offered to provide Persad-Bissessar with official security, "but she did not accept."
He said: "We were told she had her own security." Congress of the People (COP) leader Winston Dookeran accepted the offer, Reyes said.
The police policy is to offer security services to all political leaders during an election period. The acting Commissioner said the Police Special Branch was investigating reports that someone called the head offices of Persad-Bissessar's United National Congress (UNC) at Rienzi Complex, Couva, and told of the $5 million bounty.
The caller said two people had accepted the contract.
The Special Branch has since interviewed a number of people. UNC officials said last night they were concerned about Persad-Bissessar's welfare, but they declined to state whether she would be provided with increased security. Congress of the People member Gary Griffith, whose security firm was one of several providing services to the People's Partnership, declined to discuss the reported $5 million hit. Griffith said: "I won't want to reveal security operational plans, for obvious reasons."