Imbert says fuss over spy agency is a distraction

Colm Imbert told the Trinidad Express Thursday the expose about the operations of the Special Intelligence Agency (SIA) is a distraction to shift the national debate away from the controversy over the removal of Fazeer Mohammed from the state media's morning show.

He also said he doubts that the Prime Minister did not know about the "spy agency".

Imbert said, "It is not believable that an agency of this nature would have been operating as an arm of the Ministry of National Security for the last five months without the knowledge of the Prime Minister or the Minister of National Security or the Attorney General, or any other person in authority."

He insisted that the matter is getting prominence to distract citizens from other issues, including the CLICO matter, the billion-dollar debt to contractors and wage negotiations with the Public Services Association (PSA).

Former President Arthur NR Robinson has expressed shock on learning of the SIA's illegal wiretapping and believes it undermines the country's democracy.

"I was alarmed and amazed. I didn't think it was possible in Trinidad," he told reporters following a visit to his home in Maraval by the pupils, parents and staff from the Castara Early Childhood Centre.

Former President Robinson with kids from Tobago who visited him at his home in Maraval