Police search Newsday offices, question journalists and seize computers

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A team of police officers searched the offices of the Newsday newspaper on Thursday in search of information and evidence relating to a story concerning the Integrity Commission. 

Andre Bhagoo - (Newsday photo)

They searched the desk of senior political reporter Andre Bhagoo, who wrote the story, and seized the hard-drive of Bhagoo's computer. The officers also questioned the reporter about the source for his story. They also searched Bhagoo's home and took away three laptop computers.

Media reports said during the raid, police interviewed several members of staff.

Executive chairman and Editor-in-Chief Therese Mills, issued a a statement in which she “condemned in the stringiest possible language” the raid by officers of the Anti- Corruption Investigations Bureau (ACID).

She said police “left our newsroom taking with them two flash drives, one Newsday cellphone, issued to Mr Bhagoo, his personal cellphone and Newsday computer hard-drive on which Mr Bhagoo has stored confidential information relating to his duties.”

Mills said during the search of Bhagoo's home they “took possession of his three personal computers, two flash drives and even questioned the use of his sister’s personal computer.”

On January 20, police had written Bhagoo asking him to reveal the source for his story, which was aboutn a row among members of the Integrity Commission over a request by its chairman Ken Gordon for Gafoor and member Seunarine Jokhoo to recuse themselves from investigations into a matter involving former attorney John Jeremie.

Mills said: “Newsday stands by Mr Bhagoo's right to refuse to reveal his sources under any circumstances. If this offends the Integrity Commission, under its present chairman (or any other chairman), to the extent where the police raids are made on our newsroom and on the house of our reporter, so be it.”

Newsday's reporter attending the weekly post cabinet news conference asked Foreign Affairs and Communications Minister Dr Surujrattan Rambachan about the matter.

Rambachan said he was not aware of what had happened since he was in cabinet. however he stated, “The Government will always stand on that platform, freedom of the press and the right of the press to report in a fair and just manner.”

The Vice Presdent of the Media Association of Trinidad & Tobago, Judy Raymond, said: “We are very concerned and outraged at the way Andre is being treated, like a criminal.”

Raymond said Bhagoo's story did not not contain confidential information or any personal financial information. She called the confiscation of Bhagoo's computer an “extremely dangerous and worrying precedent.”