A Facebook video involving death threats against Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has been sent to the Police Commissioner for action, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan said yesterday. Speaking at yesterday's daily media briefing by security chiefs at the National Security Ministry, Ramlogan said he had seen the video and it was a matter of grave concern. Ramlogan said the video was immediately turned over to CoP Dwayne Gibbs. Ramlogan said he had noted a number of Facebook videos and postings which border on incitement, had obscene language and in some cases were abusive to security forces. Ramlogan noted one video with a female of about 14 or 15 years old, whom he said made profane comments. He said such types of videos would not be tolerated.
While freedom of expression was permitted in a state of emergency, Ramlogan said inciting and use of vulgar, abusive and obscene language was not permitted. Ramlogan said the Government had agencies examining the various social media sites to see if what is being put up was within the law. If it is not, it will be passed to the Police Commissioner for action, he added. National Security Minister John Sandy said if the law had been broken where the Facebook video of the female was concerned, the Police Commissioner would "take appropriate steps." On the other side of the coin, the social media may be used to assist current security operations.
Admitting that a sore point in the security exercise was the gathering of community-based intelligence, Ramlogan said the Government was thinking of using Facebook to obtain information via virtual command centre. He warned that people submitting false information could be charged with wasting police time and false leads on such a forum could be traced via the IP address. National Security Minister John Sandy said emergency vehicles like ambulances were available to transport the ill to hospitals or nursing homes. If people were going on their own to such places, he advised that the police station be notified.