00:00The audio recording is being purported to be that of two people detained recently on preventative detention orders under the
00:07present state of emergency.
00:09In the recording, the speakers express anger over visa revocations tied to a so-called 1% list, alleging political
00:17targeting rather than any criminal basis.
00:20Much of the conversation is highly disparaging toward Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Bissessa, including remarks that are both racially and
00:28sexually charged.
00:29United States President Donald Trump is also criticized in similar harsh terms, alongside claims about his motives regarding regional and
00:38international affairs.
00:40Several local political and legal figures are referenced amid conspiracy-style claims.
00:46But perhaps most concerning is that a recording contains language that could be interpreted as veiled threats of violence toward
00:54political figures, including a reference to an MP's death.
00:58No reference was made to the Prime Minister in that regard.
01:02Former Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith believes the alleged leak of the audio points to a serious and worrying breach
01:09and brings the very intelligence apparatus in the country into question.
01:14Information obtained through private interception must be secured and disclosed only through local channels.
01:21So if this recording came from the state's intelligence apparatus, its release would represent one of the gravest breaches of
01:29national security and intelligence confidentiality in the history of Trinidad and Tobago.
01:34Every citizen should be concerned.
01:36According to Griffith, it would signal an abuse that could happen to anyone in relation to their calls, messages and
01:43emails.
01:44The former top cop says the contents of the voicemail are secondary to this and are a matter for the
01:51law enforcement and judicial systems to treat with,
01:54while he further questions what is deemed credible intelligence.
01:58But he is holding fast to this baseline.
02:02The breach remains the same.
02:05Intelligence material must never become political propaganda.
02:09Such a disclosure could compromise investigations.
02:12It could expose intelligence methods.
02:14It could damage cooperation with local and international partners and destroy confidence in the very same SSA and the wider
02:21national security system.
02:22And Griffith is calling for urgency in treating with the matter.
02:26There must be an independent, immediate and transparent investigation with immediate effect to determine things such as whether the recording
02:35is authentic,
02:36whether it came from a state intelligence agency, co-accessed it, copied it or distributed it,
02:42whether security and evidential procedures were followed, whether any political, official, public officer or intelligence officer authorized it, facilitated it
02:52or benefited from its release.
02:54This cannot be handled solely by the institution whose systems may have been compromised.
02:59The former top cop says, if found to be authentic, those responsible for the intelligence information must be removed pending
03:07the completion of such an investigation and accountability must follow.
03:12Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
