(Trinidad Express) National Security Minister Jack Warner yesterday stated he was duped by Port of Spain Mayor Louis Lee Sing to meet with gang leaders.
Warner was reacting to yesterday’s lead story in the Express, headlined “Govt meets gang leaders”, at the post-Cabinet media conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s.
Warner had confirmed on Wednesday that he sent a representative from his ministry —chairman of the Office of Law Enforcement Policy Keith Renaud—to attend a meeting on that same day with gang leaders at the St Paul’s Street Multipurpose Facility.
Warner yesterday outlined the genesis of the meeting, saying he was a victim of entrapment by Lee Sing and questioned whether Wednesday’s meeting with the gang leaders was a People’s National Movement (PNM) plot.
He stated the People’s Partnership Government, led by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, would not negotiate with any criminals.
According to Warner, last week, he received a request from Lee Sing to meet at City Hall on August 15.
He said he “readily agreed” as he did not think the meeting to be one that was “wrongly inspired”.
Warner said upon entering the mayor’s office, he was “surprised” to see president of the Public Services Association (PSA) Watson Duke, another PSA member and “two unidentified individuals who, I gathered from statements made later, wished to leave behind them a life of crime”.
Lee Sing explained the meeting was convened by him (Lee Sing) in an effort to assist in the reduction of crime in the Laventille area, Warner said.
“I was taken aback by the nature of the meeting and asked what was expected of me. I was told by the Mayor, Louis Lee Sing, that a co-operative approach and consultation with those who sought peace in Laventille would be productive, and he proposed a larger meeting on Wednesday, August 22, at St Paul’s Street Community Centre at 10 a.m,” said Warner.
“I took the decision that the meeting of last Wednesday…I was in some ways duped into attending, and I felt that the one that was being planned for yesterday (Wednesday) should be one that should involve the law enforcement officers,” added Warner.
“I left the place of entrapment,which is the mayor’s office, which I believe had been intended for me, and I immediately called a meeting with the Commissioner of Police, Stephen Williams; the deputy Commissioner of Police, Mervyn Richardson; and the Chief of Defence Staff, Kenrick Maharaj,” Warner continued.
This meeting with law enforcement heads, he said, happened 20 minutes after he met with Lee Sing.
“I recounted to the heads of the protective services what took place at that meeting, and I shared my misgivings and deep concerns for what I construed to be an entrapment.
“I suggested to them and they readily agreed that the appropriate group to meet with those to be assembled at St Paul’s Street would be the law enforcement officials,” said Warner.
At Wednesday’s meeting on St Paul’s Street, Warner disclosed that five members of the Police Service attended, along with Duke and several members of the Laventille community.
He noted that Lee Sing was absent at Wednesday’s meeting.
“Interestingly enough, the Mayor of Port of Spain, who had agreed to the hosting of the meeting and had promised his attendance, reneged on his promise and did not attend yesterday’s (Wednesday) meeting.
“Yesterday’s meeting nevertheless took place without my presence, and I am further advised that on the list of issues raised by members in attendance were the need for peace in the Laventille community, sustainable jobs, security for the life sport programme and the rehabilita- tion of the St Paul’s Street playground,” said Warner.
“That, members of the media, is the true and fair statement of the alleged meeting with gangs as reported in today’s (Thursday’s) Express.
“What the real story should be is why was I called by the mayor into the meeting of last Wednesday? What is important should also be why didn’t he attend yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) meeting, or was he hoping that I would be stupid to have arrived there in the glare of the hidden cameras that were planted there by the media, contrary to the promise made by Mrs Persad-Bissessar of this Government not to negotiate with gang leaders?” said Warner.
He questioned whether this “plot” was part of the constant attack on him, which included “full-page ads in the Mirror (newspaper) placed by (Keith) Rowley”.
“Was the meeting idea a form of entrapment hatched at Balisier House? I ask the question also, who is using these members of the Laventille community to advance their political agenda? In fact, today’s (Thursday’s) Express headline should have read not ‘Govt meets gang leaders’, but it should have read ‘PNM plot unveiled’,” Warner said.
“I want the national community to know this Government of Mrs Persad-Bissessar, of which I’m the Minister of National Security, that Jack Warner and this Government will never negotiate law and order. Jack Warner imposes it,” he said.
Warner questioned further why would people go to such lengths to entrap him.
“The answer is simple, everyone who has a reason to fear is running scared that I will succeed in the fight against crime, and I want to say to you here today that I will succeed despite the best efforts and plots to stop me,” he said.
Following his 12-minute statement, Warner said he would not be fielding any questions from the media because of the “delicate nature of this matter”.
