Diego Martin Central MP Dr Amery Browne defended the Security Intelligence Agency (SIA) on Friday, telling legislators that the agency had been involved in investigating high profile murder cases and in the arrest of members of international terrorist Islamic organisations in this country.
Browne was speaking in the House of Representatives on a private motion brought by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley, calling for Government to immediately report on its handling of the SIA files and data.
However, Government member, Dr Tim Gopeesingh presented a different picture of the SIA describing it as a Gestapo style unit that was harassing people and even trying to kill them.
Browne insisted that the SIA had successes in collaboration with other international and local agencies, including one case where members arrested persons who had planned to blow up a cinema in the U.S., adding that three of the members were Trinidadians, who were deported.
He said up to October 15 last year, SIA officials had been inviting the Government to review their work but the government didn't bother. And he claimed that disbanding the SIA has caused the escalation of murders.
In his contribution to the debate Gopeesingh painted a different picture of the agency that had been illegally spying on citizens, including MPs, journalists and even the President.
"Colleagues would meet you on the corridors of the Parliament and tell you where you went. How did they know that? Because that administration, from 2003 to 2010, went mercilessly against individuals who dared to oppose them," Gopeesingh said.
Gopeesingh charged that people "were being followed by black, heavily tinted vehicles after their phones were tapped."
He said, "They got harassing calls in the middle of the night by people set up by the SIA at that time. People were being run off the road. There were journalists being run off the road—on two occasions, and they tried to kill them.
"They went into the e-mails of children and spouses...(in a) Gestapo state with a Mugabe style of leadership", the Caroni East MP stated.
He said people could not report these things to the police because the police were under the control of SAUTT, which was an illegal arm of the State that was reporting to the Attorney General.
"People were blackmailed, their phones tapped and yet they had no ability to go to anybody to complain. Who were the real police? Who were the secret police? And who were the troops of the former administration? Citizens were left dumbfounded. They were confused as to who were the real police and who were the police operating under the arm of the former administration," Gopeesingh said.
Gopeesingh said the SIA had access to large amounts of "unaccountable" cash, noting that in the police raid on the SIA last year officer found $5.9 million. "They were paying friends and family with the slush fund to spy on other people and some of their own people," he said.
"There was money-laundering taking place in the SIA at that time. This country must know what was happening from 2003 to 2010. It was criminal acts that were perpetuated in the SIA between 2003 and 2010 by the last administration.
"Guns were there, money-laundering. Money was being given to people for spying on other people...A few of us whose names where on the spy list met at my office to discuss evidence and information which could have shown the former prime minister's involvement in the Guanapo church. We were followed," Gopeesingh said.
He charged that it was business as usual for the drug lords while the PNM Government was using the wire-tapping equipment to follow the activities of Opposition MPs.
Browne was speaking in the House of Representatives on a private motion brought by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley, calling for Government to immediately report on its handling of the SIA files and data.
However, Government member, Dr Tim Gopeesingh presented a different picture of the SIA describing it as a Gestapo style unit that was harassing people and even trying to kill them.
Browne insisted that the SIA had successes in collaboration with other international and local agencies, including one case where members arrested persons who had planned to blow up a cinema in the U.S., adding that three of the members were Trinidadians, who were deported.
He said up to October 15 last year, SIA officials had been inviting the Government to review their work but the government didn't bother. And he claimed that disbanding the SIA has caused the escalation of murders.
In his contribution to the debate Gopeesingh painted a different picture of the agency that had been illegally spying on citizens, including MPs, journalists and even the President.
"Colleagues would meet you on the corridors of the Parliament and tell you where you went. How did they know that? Because that administration, from 2003 to 2010, went mercilessly against individuals who dared to oppose them," Gopeesingh said.
Gopeesingh charged that people "were being followed by black, heavily tinted vehicles after their phones were tapped."
He said, "They got harassing calls in the middle of the night by people set up by the SIA at that time. People were being run off the road. There were journalists being run off the road—on two occasions, and they tried to kill them.
"They went into the e-mails of children and spouses...(in a) Gestapo state with a Mugabe style of leadership", the Caroni East MP stated.
He said people could not report these things to the police because the police were under the control of SAUTT, which was an illegal arm of the State that was reporting to the Attorney General.
"People were blackmailed, their phones tapped and yet they had no ability to go to anybody to complain. Who were the real police? Who were the secret police? And who were the troops of the former administration? Citizens were left dumbfounded. They were confused as to who were the real police and who were the police operating under the arm of the former administration," Gopeesingh said.
Gopeesingh said the SIA had access to large amounts of "unaccountable" cash, noting that in the police raid on the SIA last year officer found $5.9 million. "They were paying friends and family with the slush fund to spy on other people and some of their own people," he said.
"There was money-laundering taking place in the SIA at that time. This country must know what was happening from 2003 to 2010. It was criminal acts that were perpetuated in the SIA between 2003 and 2010 by the last administration.
"Guns were there, money-laundering. Money was being given to people for spying on other people...A few of us whose names where on the spy list met at my office to discuss evidence and information which could have shown the former prime minister's involvement in the Guanapo church. We were followed," Gopeesingh said.
He charged that it was business as usual for the drug lords while the PNM Government was using the wire-tapping equipment to follow the activities of Opposition MPs.
No comments:
Post a Comment