Government sources are rescinding the release of a statement on the media from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) earlier this week which they said was issued without final scrutiny and approval. The statement from the Prime Minister's national security adviser, Gary Griffith, indicated there should be a new policy to limit media workers' access to the Prime Minister on the grounds they may be posing a security threat during interviews.
That earned Griffith criticism from the Media Association of T&T and COP leadership candidate Vernon de Lima who said the statement was "insulting, puerile and idiotic." Yesterday, a People's Partnership source explained the statement, which was sent out, should not have been issued since it was a rough draft and had not been seen or authorised either by Griffith or the Prime Minister.
They said a similar situation occurred in January concerning the SIA issue when incorrect information on that matter was issued in an OPM release, putting the Prime Minister on the spot. Griffith had distanced himself and the Prime Minister from that situation. Efforts to contact Griffith yesterday proved futile. The Prime Minister was in Cabinet.