The National Security Minister made the charge during his contribution to the debate on the Defence Amendment Bill 2013 in Parliament.
He spoke about two meetings he said were held by PNM agents last month at two different locations. Warner explained that he learned about the meetings through notes he received in his mailbox.
He said one meeting was held in Maraval and chaired by a former minister of finance; the venue for the other was St Joseph and the person chairing that one was a former pilot and CEO, he stated. He added that "high level politicians including a mayor and failed ministers" attended the Maraval meeting. However, he said he was more worried about what transpired at the other meeting.
He charged that a "top class lawyer" who was a former member of one of the PP’s partners attended, along with 14 others. He said the group met at the home of George Bell and agreed to advertise the country’s murder rate abroad through the PNM overseas.
"What worries me is the report of the meeting at Maracas, St Joseph, and that is why I am saying in the Parliament we need more police and soldiers and army joint patrols," said Warner.
"At the meeting of the 15 persons who were present, you had one fella called Soldier Barry. Who is Soldier Barry? He was one of 16 persons in an alleged plot to kill the Prime Minister...
"For eight years they (Opposition) used the army in ways unimaginable, in fact Mr Speaker, they even used something called the New Flying Squad as well," Warner charged.
He said one meeting was held in Maraval and chaired by a former minister of finance; the venue for the other was St Joseph and the person chairing that one was a former pilot and CEO, he stated. He added that "high level politicians including a mayor and failed ministers" attended the Maraval meeting. However, he said he was more worried about what transpired at the other meeting.
He charged that a "top class lawyer" who was a former member of one of the PP’s partners attended, along with 14 others. He said the group met at the home of George Bell and agreed to advertise the country’s murder rate abroad through the PNM overseas.
"What worries me is the report of the meeting at Maracas, St Joseph, and that is why I am saying in the Parliament we need more police and soldiers and army joint patrols," said Warner.
"At the meeting of the 15 persons who were present, you had one fella called Soldier Barry. Who is Soldier Barry? He was one of 16 persons in an alleged plot to kill the Prime Minister...
"At that meeting they had to, of course, take all the murders that take place in the country, especially the gory ones, put ads and so on, make CDs and send it out to people and so and also to the PM overseas...
"This Soldier Barry had been incarcerated for about eight years on trial for several murders but at the meeting at which he was present... he (Barry) says it's time to destabilise the country and they discussed ways and means of doing so, and one or two asked where the money coming from and they identified the money, Mr Speaker," he said.
Warner was adamant that with all this happening it is imperative that the Police Service be strengthened. In his defence of giving soldiers precept powers, he noted that the result of joint patrols in Laventille is that for five days there were no murders.
"When you contain the murders in one hotspot, it has a spin-off effect in other areas, as advised to us by members in the Police Service," he said, adding that 41 per cent of the murders "come from one particular area".
Warner wondered why the opposition is angry about giving arrest powers to soldiers. "The police are also asking for help from the soldiers but the politicians for reasons known best to them, don't want the soldiers...
"This Soldier Barry had been incarcerated for about eight years on trial for several murders but at the meeting at which he was present... he (Barry) says it's time to destabilise the country and they discussed ways and means of doing so, and one or two asked where the money coming from and they identified the money, Mr Speaker," he said.
Warner was adamant that with all this happening it is imperative that the Police Service be strengthened. In his defence of giving soldiers precept powers, he noted that the result of joint patrols in Laventille is that for five days there were no murders.
"When you contain the murders in one hotspot, it has a spin-off effect in other areas, as advised to us by members in the Police Service," he said, adding that 41 per cent of the murders "come from one particular area".
Warner wondered why the opposition is angry about giving arrest powers to soldiers. "The police are also asking for help from the soldiers but the politicians for reasons known best to them, don't want the soldiers...
"For eight years they (Opposition) used the army in ways unimaginable, in fact Mr Speaker, they even used something called the New Flying Squad as well," Warner charged.
No comments:
Post a Comment