Rowley demands that the PM provide information on who has SIA files

Keith Rowley wants to know who has ownership of the data illegally collected by the Security Intelligence Agency (SIA) over the last five years.

Speaking with reporters Wednesday the Opposition Leader suggested that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar should reveal that to Parliament on Friday.

"I am demanding that the Prime Minister detail where this information was, who had it, who was detailed to secure it, who was detailed to destroy it, if it has been destroyed and if it has not been destroyed, who is detailed to destroy it," he said.

Last month, the Prime Minister exposed the illegal operation and told Parliament that law-abiding citizens, including President Max Richards, were victims of the operation. Government subsequently passed legislation to legalise wiretapping under very strict conditions, with the support of the opposition.

Rowley is one of the people whose phones was illegally tapped. 

Justice Minister Herbert Volney said on Monday two unnamed Israelis destroyed most of the data collected by the SIA and that what remains is a just some "empty files".
 
Rowley isn't satisfied with that. "Somewhere in some Government office, there is a body of data, the files, the actual files, separate apart from the list of names—where is that?" Rowley asked, noting that during the debate on the bill the government said the information collected by the SIA would be managed in such a way that it would not pose a threat to citizens.