Rowley wants to know where are the SIA files; afraid files will reach 'wrong hands'

Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley wants to know where the SIA files are and has rejected the Prime Minister's refusal to say more about them.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar has declined to answer further questions about the SIA, saying she had already made her statements on that subject and it would be inappropriate to comment further.

However Rowley, who was one of the 'victims' of the illegal spying, is uncomfortable with that. 

He told reporters on Saturday Persad-Bissessar's silence on the SIA matter is of great concern to those listed as having been spied on.

Rowley said the Opposition is not satisfied with the way the government is treating the SIA issue and has rejected the Prime Minister's response, "The fact that the (matter) falls under the rubric of national security does not mean that the country does not have a right to know how it is being handled."

Rowley said the way the Prime Minister is handling the matter "leaves us to believe that we can get up one day and discover that information had ended up in the wrong hands, maybe even criminal hands."

He added, "We are not calling on the Prime Minister to reveal the contents of the files but to say how it was handled. The government is now behaving as though they have a bonanza from which they can pick whenever they want."

Rowley also spoke about the impasse involving the board of state-owned Caribbean Airlines (CAL) and Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner. The minister has accused the airline of "doing its own thing" and not reporting to him.

Rowley said no state enterprise should operate independently of the line minister. “We are refusing to accept that this country could have spent $50 million on the UFF Enquiry to ensure that we understood what should happen with the management of state enterprises and we have a situation where a minister of government is telling the country that a state enterprise is operating without the supervision of the minister who carries that portfolio,” he said.

Rowley said the PNM will not accept that a state enterprise could operate independently of the line minister, whoever that line minister may be. “Whether it is Caribbean Airlines, Wasa, T&TEC or NGC we are talking about a governance structure. So, this is not a personal thing,” he said.