KAMLA: I’LL SHARE PASSWORD

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has submitted a written statement to police on emails alleging a Government conspiracy on Section 34 which Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley first disclosed in Parliament twenty-two days ago.

On Monday afternoon, Supt Baldeo Nanan led a team of investigators to the Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain, office of attorney, Senior Counsel Israel Khan who handed them the Prime Minister’s statement on her behalf.

After leaving Khan’s office, the investigators met with Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Joan Honore Paul who is advising officers on the investigation.

Newsday understands in her statement, Persad-Bissessar made it clear the emails presented by Rowley in the House of Representatives on May 20 were a total fabrication and said she committed no wrong-doing.

Persad-Bissessar also assured she was willing to cooperate with investigators and would make available to them the password to her computer and any equipment which they may wish to examine.

When contacted yesterday, Persad-Bissessar confirmed to Newsday she had retained an attorney to look after her legal interest in the investigation but offered no further comment.

Khan, when reached for comment, said he did not wish to confirm or deny he was retained by the Prime Minister to represent her in the probe.

Attorney General Anand Ramlogan and Minister of Local Government and Works and Infrastructure Dr Suruj Rambachan have already presented statements to the police through their attorney, Senior Counsel Pamela Elder.

The police are yet to indicate when they will meet with Persad-Bissessar, Ramlogan and Rambachan to interview them.

In a Newsday interview on June 4, Persad-Bissessar disclosed she received a letter from lead investigator Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Mervyn Richardson in which he asked her for a statement and any equipment used to send emails between September 5 to September 30, last year.

It was the Prime Minister who referred the issue to the police after Rowley disclosed an email trail to the Lower House, during a no-confidence motion against Government. The alleged exchanges implied a conspiracy among Persad-Bissessar, Ramlogan, Rambachan to pervert the course of justice on the controversial Section 34 law.

In their replies to the Lower House, the senior Government officials hit the emails as fake, noting errors in email addresses and details in the contents. On conclusion of the debate, Persad- Bissessar moved a motion of abuse of privilege against Rowley, who was referred by Speaker Wade Mark to the Privileges Committee. Rowley went before the Committee yesterday.

Persons referred to in the emails included DPP Geoffrey Henderson (who has recused himself from the probe, delegating the task to Honore-Paul), Chief Justice Ivor Archie, Gary Griffith, the Prime Minister’s national security adviser and Guardian journalist Denyse Renne.

Newsday understands investigators met Renne, also on Monday, but after about 20 minutes the interview was cut short after the reporter asked for more time to put together her articles and promised to make herself available for the continuation of the interview before the end of the week.

To date, police have also interviewed Rowley, who met them with his attorney Faris Al-Rawi, and Griffith who not only gave a statement but also handed over a blackberry phone and computer hard-drive. The police have also obtained an email document Rowley had sent to former President George Maxwell Richards, who in turn referred it to the Integrity Commission for investigation.

The commission has not been able to carry out any probe since it only has a chairman, and no board of commissioners since their terms ended in March.

It is expected after all interviews are conducted by local investigators, an expert from the United States (US) will be contracted to examine equipment handed over by those interviewed. Newsday understands the police are finalising arrangements for a former Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) agent, a specialist in cyber crimes, to provide technical assistance with the email probe. The expert and his team, who reportedly own a private consultancy firm, are expected to arrive next week and Newsday understands the police are being assisted in negotiating the services of the ex-FBI agent through officials of the US Embassy in Port-of-Spain.

Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams has the authority under section 22 of the Police Service Act to hire on contract for a fixed period of a person or persons to assist the TTPS in any probe.

DCP Richardson yesterday said he was pleased with the progress and assured the public will be informed on the status of the investigations when the time is right.

He said Hansard records he requested from Parliament to assist in the probe have since been made available to him.

Yesterday, in its second statement on events surrounding the email investigation, the Law Association has urged the police to use the best resources available to it to expedite the investigation, as well as to ensure that such investigation is thorough, impartial, and comprehensive.

The Association said it noted the recent allegations relative to the email investigations, but said it wished to say nothing more on the issue since it was subject to an ongoing police investigation.

In a previous statement, the Association condemned the verbal abuse meted out to DCP Richardson and his wife at a supermarket in east Trinidad recently.

Newsday