UNC deputy political leader Dr Roodal Moonilal has called for Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to appear before the Joint Select Committee on National Security.
This as he called on the Government to clear the air on whether a person who had been installing CCTV cameras for the Strategic Services Agency (SSA, also had a link to elements in T&T who may have been linked to an international terrorist group.
He wants to know if this is what led to Cabinet’s late-night emergency meeting on the SSA three weeks ago.
Moonilal raised concerns about the “collapse” of the SSA and alleged interference at the Research and Analytical Unit of the TTPS during a UNC media briefing in Chaguanas yesterday. He said Rowley, as head of the National Security Council, should appear before Parliament’s JSC on National Security to answer questions.
On the SSA issue, Moonilal queried the late-night March 2 Cabinet meeting, following which SSA director Roger Best was sent on leave.
He said, “If they want to hire somebody or fire somebody, every Thursday when they hold Cabinet normally they can do that. Why meet Saturday night? It has come to our attention a serious issue arises from that matter.
“The Government has undermined the intelligence establishment in T&T with dire consequences, not only for national security locally but, there are consequences for national security in the United States and the region.”
Moonilal cited the situation of an alleged SSA operative who was murdered on the highway last November.
“That person, we’re told, undertook work for the SSA, including CCTV camera installation. We’re asking: did that operative also install cameras for two senior Cabinet ministers in their personal residence?
“We’re also told that person installing CCTV cameras also had some link, whether directly or indirectly, whether by salary, whether by wage, whether by payment, to elements in T&T that have been deemed to have been linked to an international terrorist group,” Moonilal claimed.
He added, “The Prime Minister returned from the US, where he said he met CIA officials. Then, ten o’clock Saturday night you have a Cabinet meeting and four o’clock in the morning Sunday, you surround SSA’s building with police — and now we’re collecting information that the person had some link to known persons in T&T who themselves were either involved or alleged to be involved in financing international terrorism.
“Years ago in Parliament, I spoke about T&T fighters going to the Middle East, the ISIS fighters. We had a big problem with that. But also, at that time, recall, the security agencies had information on persons that they alleged to be financing that group.”
He called on the Prime Minister to bring clarity to the issue.
“Dr Rowley, you have to clear the air, you have to speak on this matter, whether under your watch, an international terrorist organisation undermined the security, its establishment and the intelligence community in T&T and put the entire country, possibly the region, as a hostage to international terrorists.
“Is that the reason you had to act like that? Why there was a ten o’clock Cabinet meeting? Why four o’clock you surround a building? Why could you not wait for Thursday and send Roger Best on holiday? We suspect there is something deeper here,” Moonilal said.
Aside from wanting the Prime Minister to appear before the JSC, he said queries will be filed in Parliament on the TTPS’ RAU, and any alleged conflict between both agencies that may have led to the SSA director’s removal.
He called for the Police Commissioner to say if she authorised the RAU to do interceptions.
He added, “When we hired (SSA) persons, some girl named (Reshmi) Ramnarine stayed four hours at a desk and was fired. Today, their entire intelligence community has collapsed.
“They hired people who they now claim were involved in criminal conduct and because of that, they have cause now for investigations, audits, firings and suspensions.”