No death threat against Kamla, but police did not tell Manning that

Kamla Persad-Bissessar demanded Friday night that Patrick Manning reveal what the police told him about an alleged plot to assassinate her.

"How does the Prime Minister know the findings of an ongoing police investigation?" she asked as she called on the police chief to explain. "Tonight I call upon the Police Commissioner to answer," Persad-Bissessar said

Speaking at a political meeting in Diego Martin, the leader of the opposition referred to a statement made by the Prime Minister that the death threat against Persad-Bissessar was a hoax and that police had advised him that they knew the phone number from where the call was made.

Manning told a political meeting in Chaguanas Thursday that when he heard about the alleged plot to kill his chief opponent he decided that he would contact the police.

"I am now in a position to tell you that they have reported to me tonight (Thursday) that the entire matter is a hoax. Indeed, they have the telephone number of the telephone from which the call was made, and they have a good idea of who made that call," he said.

Read the story: Manning says Kamla death threat a hoax

Earlier in the day, cabinet minister Colm Imbert scoffed at the report, saying no one would want to kill the opposition leader, whom he described as the weakest leader the UNC has ever had.

Persad-Bissessar said Manning should explain how he knew these details and asked why police did not tell her about it. She said as far as she knew the investigation into the matter was still going on.

But it turns out that policed never told Manning any such thing.

Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Gilbert Reyes has denied Manning's statement that police have traced the call, which was made to the United National Congress’ (UNC) Rienzi Complex, Couva, headquarters.

UNC officials reported to police that the caller said there was a $5 million hit on Persad-Bissessar's head and that three persons had taken up the contract.

Reyes told the local media police have no information regarding the telephone number. However, he confirmed that police conducted a "threat assessment" and concluded that there was no truth to the report.

Reyes told the Trinidad Express, "What I could say at this point in time is that based on the investigations we have conducted, there is no evidence to substantiate the report at this time." And he warned that making such false reports is a criminal offence.

The Express said a senior police officer who wished to remain anonymous advised that police are still checking phone records and questioning individuals.

Manning has made several claims in the past about deaths threats against him. In July last year he spoke of a dramatic encounter that took place at 3:30 in the morning as he and his wife were travelling to the gym.

"We had one unmarked car in which we were travelling and there were two jeeps behind us, so everybody knew it was the Prime Minister’s detail…all kinds of scuffles ensued, which caused us to abort our mission that morning and to return home very quickly.”

He also stated that two days before that "someone walked into the office of the Minister of Local Government and told her that a certain organisation in this country was about to make an attempt to assassinate the Prime Minister."

There was no evidence that the matter was reported to the police at the time. Acting Police commissioner James Philbert said he was unaware of the death threat and mandated ACP Raymond Craig to investigate the matter.

Manning reported a death threat against him in 2003 as well. At that time he increased his security detail but did not report the threat to police.

And in February this year he claimed that he pre-empted an attempt on his life by not going to Laventille, but did not report the matter to the police.