Griffith: I have no credible info on SSA set up plot

As investigations into the assassination plot on the lives of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and members of her Cabinet continues, new information surfacing has revealed that the Government has been allegedly mislead by “PNM operatives” within the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) and Police Service. Information obtained by Sunday Guardian revealed that security adviser Captain Gary Griffith expressed concerns over the credibility of the information which indicated that a threat was being made on the lives of Persad-Bissessar, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan and Housing Minister Dr Roodlal Moonilal. The information stated that Griffith raised issue with respect to Government being “set up” by the SSA, formerly the Security Intelligence Agency (SIA), as several operatives were hired under the former People’s National Movement (PNM) administration.

A Government official noted that SSA gave “this great assassination plot and embarrassed us,” whereby up to now they cannot show what evidence or intelligence they had that this plot was credible.  The official noted that he was advised that the Government was indeed set up by operatives in SSA and TTPS (Trinidad and Tobago Police Service). The official also warned that any move to shift the National Security Operatives Centre (NSOC) back to the Ministry of National Security would result in the Government losing an opportunity to purge the agency of PNM operatives. Sunday Guardian understands the official claimed they would simply be transferring PNM operatives “just as we erroneous did from SIA to SSA.” The SIA, the official noted, comprised less than 170 people. However, he noted, the move was to ensure “that the PNM boys would keep their jobs and have access to work against us (PP).”  Plans to have the SSA “established to over 500”, the official claimed, “is really to absorb the PNM Special Anti Unit T&T (Sautt) people”.

“The reason for this hostility, is because it was hoped that the hundreds of PNM operatives who were in SAUTT would simply be rolled over to NSOC, such as what happened with SIA to SSA,” the official claimed. However, when contacted yesterday Griffith denied that he had information indicating that SSA operatives allegedly “set up” the plot. “No, no, I have absolutely no such information. What I did was to bring the accusations that were brought to me to some people pertaining to the issue. It was all hear say, so to speak. I have not seen any credible information to verify that this was true. I would have brought to the attention of people that these claims were made but there is no information to verify the claims. People claimed that the assassination plot was set up to make the Government look bad but there is no credible evidence,” Griffith stated. Meanwhile, Sunday Guardian understands that Minister of National Security met with various heads of law enforcement units regarding the move of the NSOC on Thursday, shortly after publicly condemning Rear Admiral Richard Kelshall.

Griffith, Sunday Guardian understands, also took issue with this, deeming it as disregarding directives from the Prime Minister. Information obtained by Sunday Guardian revealed a Government official stated: “This has put us in a delicate situation, as the PM and Cabinet agreed on something, and the PM from India, authorised a media release on such yet it is being questioned in public by a minister.” Attempts to reach Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs proved futile.