Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro Monday said he had ‘ordered an immediate investigation’ into the circulation on social media of an audio recording alleging intercepted communication purportedly featuring Syrian businesswoman Star Sabga.
The recording allegedly contains comments described as a threat against Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. However, Sabga, who has been detained under a preventative detention order (PDO) under the existing state of emergency (SoE) has not been charged with any offence arising from the audio. A High Court judge is expected to rule Monday on whether the 70 year-old Sabga will be granted an interim release after lawyers representing the state was granted additional time to respond to her application last weekend.
Sabga is believed to be a relative of Genevieve Hadeed, who along with her businessman husband, Dominic, were released after the Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander revoked a preventative detention order (PDO) that kept them behind bars for a month.
The Hadeeds had been detained amid allegations that they were conspiring to assassinate Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Attorney General John Jeremie and other members of her government.
The recording and its contents were first published by the Sunshine Newspaper owned by former government minister Jack Warner over the last weekend and since then there have been calls for an independent inquiry into the matter.
Former police commissioner Gary Griffith called for an immediate independent investigation into the matter saying the apparent breach of the Strategic Services Agency’s (SSA) intelligence systems is a greater national security concern than the contents of the recording itself.
In a statement, Guevarro said that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) ‘acknowledges the circulation on social media, of an audio recording which is alleged to be intercepted communication,’ reminding that under the Interception of Communications Act, communications may only be lawfully intercepted pursuant to the legislation.
He said that the public is further reminded that ‘the Act expressly forbids the unauthorised disclosure of intercepted communications’ and that it provides that ‘a person who discloses the existence of a warrant or an application for a warrant… commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of fifty thousand dollars (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents)and to imprisonment for three years.’
Guevarro said in light of the seriousness of this matter, and its direct implications for national security, he has ‘ordered an immediate investigation to be spearheaded by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Andy Teewarie, to determine the authenticity of the recording, whether it constitutes any communication lawfully intercepted under the Act, and if authentic, the circumstances under which it entered the public domain.
‘The investigation will also determine whether any person unlawfully disclosed protected information and whether any breach of operational security, data handling protocols, or statutory obligations has occurred.’
Guevarro said he wanted to assure the public ‘that this matter is being treated with the highest level of urgency and confidentiality.
‘No further comment will be made while the investigation is active, however updates will be provided only when it is appropriate to do so in the interest of national security,’ Guevarro added.