There is no let-up on Government from Devant Maharaj.
Now the UNC activist has released Communication/National Security Minister Stuart Young’s cell number and urged people to call Young.
And he intends to release all PNM government ministers’ numbers, “...Because they have to account to the public. People can’t wait ‘til election,” Maharaj told the Guardian yesterday.
This after Government blistered Maharaj with criticism last Saturday when he released Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s cell number, causing Rowley to change it. While Government has criticised Maharaj’s moves as potentially seditious, so far the only thing police are examining is the issue of someone having access to the Prime Minister’s cell number and using it to contact him with alleged threatening and abusive messages.
Last Saturday Minister Young, under cover of the Communication Ministry, said Maharaj’s publication of the Prime Minister’s personal contact information was worthy of “criminal investigation’. He accused Maharaj of continuing to incite the people to use the PM’s information to, “at a minimum, harass the Prime Minister and at a maximum, expose him to harm”. Young claimed Maharaj last Saturday circulated calls for protest action “in a way which is worthy of criminal investigation and may qualify as the serious crime of sedition”.
Rowley accused Maharaj of publishing his number widely on social media and encouraging/inciting people harass and threaten him. Rowley said he has been the subject not only of abuse but of threatening behaviour which warranted the involvement of the CoP. Rowley changed the number.
What the Sedition Act says
The Sedition Act, Chapter 11:04: Section 3(1a) states that a seditious intention is an intention to bring into hatred or contempt or excite disaffection against Government or Constitution.
Section 3(1c) states that a sedition intention is an intention to raise discontent or disaffection amongst T&T inhabitants.
Chapter 11:04, Section 4(1c) states that a person is guilty of an offence who publishes, sells, offers for sale or distributes any seditious publication.
A person guilty of an offence under the Sedition section is liable to, on summary conviction, to a fine of $3,000 and to imprisonment for two years.
Planning parang protest outside Stollmeyer’s Castle Friday
But a defiant Maharaj said yesterday, “Prime Minister Rowley has opted to be disconnected from the sufferings of the average citizen—caused directly by mismanagement of the economy—by terminating his cellular phone. Given that Minister Young accused me of sedition for calling for a lawful protest and sharing the PM’s cell number, I now call upon citizens to call Minister Young and speak out against the undemocratic pattern of behaviour of the Rowley administration on his phone at (number given).”
Young, also National Security Minister, said yesterday, “I am ignoring the Opposition and pressing on with my work for the citizens of the country.”
Maharaj told the Guardian he had noted Rowley’s reference to him as “low life” and PNM PRO Laurel Lezama-Lee Sing’s condemnation of his actions as “imbecilic and obnoxious”. She’s challenged UNC Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar to say if Persad-Bissesar is in on Maharaj’s actions. (See box)
Maharaj added, “If Minister Young believes I breached the law, my attorneys are also advising me on whether what the Prime Minister said about me was defamatory. I’d never incite anyone to use violence or abusive language to the PM or anyone. I only ask people to call and express their views. I can’t help it if the PNM’s scared of people now.”
“If the PM’s disconnected his number, Young, who’s the minister of everything, should be given an opportunity to answer the endless questions people have for Government on Petrotrin, Sandals, Galleons Passage, massive job loss from private to public sector, property tax, with WASA and T&TEC rate hike behind.”
Maharaj was concerned that “while Government members will be having ‘their ‘Cocktails At The Castle’ Christmas party at Stollmeyer’s Castle on Friday, the rest of T&T faces a bleak Christmas.”
“I have a ticket for the cocktails event, but I’ve organised a parang side and for anyone who can’t reach the Government and wants to express their views, we’re having a parang protest ‘Carols Against Corruption’ outside Stollmeyer’s’ Castle,” Maharaj said.
Yesterday, Maharaj also issued a note with a phone number alleging the PNM had released Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s number. There was no reply to that number save a recording saying to check the number being called.
Asked who in the PNM or what PNM social media site issued the number, Maharaj said he “hadn’t scrutinised” the material yet.
Persad-Bissessar didn’t immediately reply to her cell or home numbers.
Releasing number no crime, but police probing abuse—Gary
Police Commissioner Gary Griffith said he couldn't comment on the alleged sedition aspect of the Maharaj issue until he got more information.
But he said the aspect of Maharaj issuing the number wasn't being probed since that wasn't a criminal issue.
Griffith said police are, however, investigating the alleged case of someone having access to the Prime Minister's number and using it to contact the Prime Minister with abuse which could be conceived as threats. He said this could be deemed an offence, by virtue of being abusive/threatening messages to the PM.
Griffith added, "There's nothing that warrants a police probe if someone gives out a number to someone else. However as CoP I'd ask people to consider when they submit confidential information of another person without that person's approval. We need to be cognisant this may affect the safety, security, and well-being of that person."
Is Kamla in on
this?—PNM PRO
Is UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar in support of this “despicable type of action” by Devant Maharaj? PNM PRO Laurel Lezama-Lee Singh asked yesterday.
“Why is the UNC so silent on the most recent activities of its frontline member Devant Maharaj? The PNM is horrified and disgusted by the repulsive, reckless behaviour continuously exhibited by Maharaj.
“His most recent insidious action in which he published and widely circulated the telephone number of the country’s Prime Minister, compounded by his pathetic public call to intentionally harass and effectively torment the democratically elected leader of our country serves only to prove his imbecilic and obnoxious levels of thinking, and his malicious intent to attempt to destabilise the country.
“Devant Maharaj continues to be unpatriotic and ill-disciplined, both in and out of office...it’s expected that he would have the decency and basic common sense to understand that one cannot incite citizens to threaten the Prime Minister or any other citizen for that matter. However, for someone who has built a reputation of continuously attempting to undermine our multi-ethnic social fabric, this proves to be yet another plunge into the abyss of irrelevance for him.
“The PNM calls upon the national community to soundly reject the actions and efforts of Maharaj.”
PNM’s Women’s League chairman Camille Robinson-Regis also slammed Maharaj.
It’s encouraging the UNC to cause disruption to the system of government—Al-Rawi
Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said the matter “...isn’t an issue of privacy of the Prime Minister or not wanting to be available. He’s been in the public domain with this number for many years. It’s the irresponsible act and encouragement of the UNC to cause disruption to the system of government which is the issue.
“The Prime Minister as head of the National Security Council is definitely not the correct authority to be inundated with prank calls on a constant basis when he has to be available to government agencies that require his attention. Any prime minister ought not to be subject to any form of communication or cyber attack as this is designed to crash the system.”
Al-Rawi’s number was publicised by UNC MP Roodal Moonilal on an issue during the 2016 Budget debate.