PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Opposition Leader Dr. Keith Rowley Wednesday called for a Commission of Inquiry to probe allegations of a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar and senior members of her cabinet.
Police on Monday freed 17 men who had been detained in connection with the alleged plot on the grounds of insufficient evidence and the fact that the state of emergency (SOE) under which they were detained had expired on December 5.
Speaking at a news conference, Rowley, who had always been critical of the alleged plot to assassinate the government ministers, told reporters that the government should appoint the Commission of Inquiry and that its hearings be held in public.
“So the Prime Minister, if she is worthy of the of praise that she loves to get, I am calling on her today to appoint an independent enquirer into this matter of the assassination plot and the role of the security forces vis-a-vis her statement on November 24.
“The President (George Maxwell Richards) cannot act on his own in this matter because he has to be directed by the Cabinet. Let us see what the prime minister does.
“We need to know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth on the whole matter. This is not a matter that you walk away from and move on”.
On November 24, Prime Minister Persad Bissessar told the nation that she was not surprised that the authorities had uncovered the plot to assassinate her and members of her cabinet since the introduction of the SOE on August 21 had forced the criminal elements to seek reprisals.
“…I did anticipate their extreme displeasure,” she said, noting that nearly 7, 300 people had been detained with 463 arrested on gang related activities under the SOE.
She said in addition drugs with an estimated street value of TT$1.5 billion (US$250 million) had been seized and destroyed and that last Monday, there had been the “largest single drug bust” with a street value of TT$55 million (US$9.1 million).
“And so there are people who are hurting, hurting them where it hurts most, the criminal elements (and) that is in their pockets,” she said, adding “ I am not surprised that such elements would make good on threats to carry out reprisals.
“After all we have disrupted their illegal business,” she said, adding “I am advised by the law enforcement authorities that they have, through their intelligence resources uncovered an assassination plot against members of my government and myself.”
Earlier this week, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Roger Gaspard said he had not been informed by the police about their investigations into the plot.
“With respect to the widely circulated allegation of death threat against the Prime Minister and other members of her cabinet, and with respect to the prospect of the police preferring criminal charges against the alleged perpetrators of these threats, the police have not sought my advice and I have not been made privy to any evidence in these matters,” he said on radio.
Gaspard said while it is not necessary a stipulation that the police should confer with the DPP before laying charges, he felt that given the events which unfolded in the courts during the SOE it was felt that in some quarters that he should have been in the loop.
More than 200 people charged under the controversial Anti-Gang legislation were set free by the courts here for a lack of evidence with the Persad Bissessar government and the police coming under severe criticism over the matter.
Rowley told reporters that copies of an evaluation of the alleged plot would be sent to the relevant authorities as early as Thursday.
“I want to give the country the assurance that I contributed nothing to the text. I simply received it, read it and came to my own conclusion,” he said without disclosing how he had a obtained a copy of the evaluation report.
“And since the content of this document is so damning with respect to the conduct and behaviour of the Prime Minister, the National Security Minister (John Sandy) and the Commissioner of Police (Dwayne Gibbs) either by omission or commission, today I am going to send this document to the Office of the President and I am going to send it to the integrity Commission against the background of allegations made that it was produced by the Leader of the Opposition, so that they can use their good office to determine whether this document forms part of the official work of our security forces,” he said.
Rowley accused the three senior government ministers of misconduct in public office and called for the resignation of Sandy, the national security minister.