(Trinidad Guardian) Former head of the Law Association Dana Seetahal, SC, says it’s obvious an independent probe into the allegations against Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, Works and Local Government Minister Suruj Rambachan and national security adviser Gary Griffith is the way to go. Seetahal, a former Independent senator, was speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday afternoon.
“I think everything suggests an independent probe. It affects the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary,” Seetahal said. She explained that assistance also ought to be sought from foreign law enforcement agents since “if we have the local police investigating, there will be cries of possible partisanship.” Seetahal said it would be in the best interest of the country if foreign experts handled the allegations.
On Monday, Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley presented e-mails to the Parliament which spoke of plots to interfere in the Judiciary, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the media. The e-mail addresses implicated Ramlogan, Persad-Bissessar, Rambachan and Griffith. Former head of the Central Authority David West said yesterday the ball was now in Ramlogan’s court.
“He is the best person to investigate the veracity of the e-mails by invoking the (Mutual Assistance in) Criminal Matters Act. He has all the powers for this to occur.” West said Ramlogan could seek assistance through the Central Authority in having the matter investigated. The Central Authority Unit is part of the Office of the Attorney General.
The act, which provides for co-operation with the law-enforcement authorities of other countries, says: “The contracting parties shall in accordance with this treaty, provide each other with the widest measure of mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.”
An expert in computer technology agreed the best course of action would be to contact foreign investigative authorities to have the matter probed. The source said e-mail giants—Google, Hotmail and Yahoo — if approached by Government were not obligated to assist T&T. However, if they were approached by US authorities, information would be forthcoming.
The source said: “Google, Hotmail and Yahoo don’t get involved in politics. Even if the e-mails have to be certified, Google and the others will not give access to their servers and they will not verify e-mails out of their jurisdiction. “One of the ways to get co-operation is if the US law enforcement are involved.” After the e-mails were made public, Persad-Bissessar wrote to acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams asking him to launch an investigation.
