00:00Three former state-of-emergency detainees have written to several of the country's top constitutional office holders,
00:07raising concerns over what they described as apparent non-compliance with statutory reporting requirements governing the Strategic Services Agency, or
00:17SSA.
00:18The correspondence sent by Quantum Legal on behalf of Earl Richards, Rajai Ali and Christopher Hughes
00:24has been addressed to the Speaker of the House, the Commissioner of Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions,
00:30as well as the head of the Special Investigations Unit.
00:34The attorneys argue that annual reports required under both the Strategic Service Agency Act
00:40and the Interception of Communications Act for the years 2022, 2024 and 2025 do not appear to have been laid
00:49before Parliament.
00:50According to the legal team, those reports are not simply administrative documents.
00:56They say Parliament relies on them to oversee the exercise of intelligence gathering, surveillance and interception powers by the state.
01:04The attorneys led by C.J. Williams also argue,
01:07Intelligence information was publicly relied upon as a basis for decisions resulting in their transfer from the maximum security prison,
01:17their detention at Tetran Barracks, and the subsequent issuance of preventive detention orders during the state of emergency.
01:24The letter notes that repeated efforts have been made since late 2024 to obtain clarification
01:30from successive Ministers of National Security, the SSA, and Parliament regarding the reports.
01:37While the 2023 SSA annual report was eventually laid before Parliament,
01:42the attorneys say questions remain over how that document was prepared and authenticated.
01:48They point out that the report contains an opening statement attributed to former SSA director,
01:54retired Major Roger Best, despite him reportedly leaving office before the report was tabled.
01:59The correspondent says,
02:01The copy of the report available for review does not appear to bear Major Best's signature
02:07or any other apparent form of authentication confirming his approval, adoption or certification of its contents.
02:15The attorneys further contend that these issues take on added significance
02:20following allegations made in Parliament in 2024 by then Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley
02:25concerning governance failures within the SSA.
02:29While they make no findings on those allegations,
02:32they argue that they heighten the need for proper parliamentary oversight.
02:37The legal team is now asking the speaker to determine whether Parliament's oversight's role
02:42has been impaired and whether the matter should be raised before the House.
02:46At the same time, they have requested that the Commissioner of Police
02:49and the Director of Public Prosecutions consider whether the circumstances warrant criminal investigation
02:56or prosecutorial action.
02:58The attorneys have requested a response by Monday, July 27th.
03:03Arvishita Wari Rubnarain, TV6 News.
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