High-ranking members of the United National Congress (UNC) are allegedly involved in talks with known criminals and locked-up gang-leaders.
That was the claim made by National Security Minister Stuart Young at last night’s People’s National Movement (PNM) post-Budget meeting at Piggott’s Corner, Belmont, Port-of-Spain.
Young said because of where he sits, he was privy to information and has found that a high ranking UNC member has been having conversations with gang leaders who are behind the prison walls.
Although he called no names, Young referred to at least two UNC members, one from “deep south” and another formerly affiliated with a state entity. He also referred to a gang affiliate whose name is “a day of the week.”
“I can say here tonight that persons at the highest level of the UNC had been engaging, the person who was engaging in that communication conversation is a member, an elected Member of Parliament ...,” Young said.
“That elected MP ... has been engaging in communication with gang-leaders not only in the Port-of-Spain area but also in Diego Martin. So he can’t say, that Member of Parliament cannot say that he is having discussions with community leaders in his community. Because you see, in deep south and in very deep south, they have nothing to do with Diego Martin. They have nothing to do with Port-of-Spain,” Young said.
The National Security Minister also said he received documents yesterday that the same MP and another UNC head had employed the known gang-leader.
“They employed this criminal at the Housing Development Corporation during their tenure in 2013,” he said.
Young also said that a sitting member of the Senate was also in communication with another gang-leader currently locked-up and facing murder charges.
“Persons within the prison walls are telling the Opposition who should be local government candidates in their party,” he said.
“I say this here tonight without fear of contradiction. There is also information to suggest that former MPs under the current UNC Opposition have also been engaging with other persons who are known to be engaged in criminal and gang activity,” he said.
Young described the development as “very, very disturbing.” He also questioned the context of those conversations.
“Why is the Opposition at such a high level engaging at such a high level with known criminal elements?” he asked.
He gave assurance that the National Security Ministry was providing support for all security bodies to enforce the law and go after the criminal element.