00:00Defence Minister Wayne Sturge last week in Parliament suggested that intercepted communications may have indicated that Senior Counsel Dana Sieterha's
00:10life was in danger, raising concerns about whether law enforcement was aware of the threat beforehand.
00:16In response, Opposition MP Stuart Young noted that the murder occurred in 2014 under a UNC administration and not PNM.
00:27However, Gary Griffith, who was National Security Minister between 2012 and 2015, tells the morning edition,
00:35even if intelligence had existed at the time, it would not have been shared with the government.
00:40According to him, the National Security Council chaired by the Prime Minister comprises ordinary citizens and does not participate in
00:49operational matters.
00:51As such, he explains that the police commissioner would have been required to keep any sensitive intelligence closely guarded.
00:59So I'm not here to protect any government or support any government. I'm here to give the facts and it's
01:04based on policy.
01:05The commissioner would have been irresponsible to come to us and tell us the details as it pertains to a
01:12death threat on a specific individual.
01:14What they can do is, similar to 2010, if we see lots of different threats pertaining to assassination attempts,
01:20you can pass that on to the National Security Council for them to consider a state of emergency or whatever,
01:25but you do not give details.
01:27The former National Security Minister adds he cannot see whether the defence minister's claim is accurate or whether the previous
01:35administration had prior knowledge.
01:37However, he says, if intelligence did exist, it will eventually come to light.
01:42It remains to be seen if it is that the police actually had investigate, sorry, that they had such intelligence
01:49to verify.
01:50And all of this can only be dealt with and be exposed and come trial late.
01:56And that's why it is hoped that persons who are attorneys for the, for the, those based persons charged would
02:01not be bringing out information in advance that can actually prejudice the trial.
02:06Griffith tells the morning edition, the deeper problem lies within weaknesses in the criminal justice system.
02:13He says, while the current state of emergency targets crime, it amounts to a plaster on a saw unless systemic
02:21failures are addressed,
02:22pointing to cases such as the Vindra Naipaul-Kulman matter as examples where offenders evade the full weight of the
02:30law.
02:32Somebody made that call, and that is why after 12 years, through the officer of the DPP, the officer of
02:37the commissioner,
02:38there should have been plea bargaining that you could say, listen, try to get to any of these individuals.
02:42But now these individuals realise five years have passed, nothing could happen.
02:46In a few years, I'll be released anyway, similar to what we would have seen with the Naipaul situation.
02:51It is embarrassing.
02:53Nicole M. Romani, TV6 News.
02:56You can see the only one of these things.
02:57What is this?
02:57Is it going to be available to you?
03:01I don't need things to do anything.
03:02You just want to see them and see them from defective.
03:02And I'm going to just okay the exact same thing for you.
03:03I don't have to give up a few years.
03:03I don't want to make a mistake.
03:03If I don't have to give up a little bit, it's not catalogue.
03:04I don't need everything to go over there.
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