By Sue-Ann Wayow
GOVERNMENT is illegally spying on people.
These include members of the several groups of citizens in Trinidad and Tobago, members of Parliament and anyone who may be a threat to the leadership.
This is the allegation being made by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
On Monday, during the United National Congress (UNC) virtual forum, the Opposition Leader mentioned the Israeli Pegasus software programme.
Persad-Bissessar claimed that a whistle-blower has provided her with information that Government was indeed spying on selected citizens.
She said, “Tonight, I can confirm that Government did, in fact, acquire this software and they’ve been illegally spying on citizens, various social media platforms, WhatsApps, e-mails and so on.
“A whistle-blower has provided me with information on this widespread electronic spying. I’ve also been provided with the names of people who’ve been spied upon. However, we’ve been alerting persons privately because of safety concerns.”
Persad-Bissessar alleged, “The list of people being spied on include members of the media, reporters and editors, members of the senior judiciary and magistrates, state agencies, spying on their own board appointees, trade unions, members of Government, yes, they are spying on their own MPs and senators, and, of course, they must be spying on the Opposition. We know that, it is not the first time.”
She said, “Also being illegally monitored are members of the business community from the chambers of commerce, lawyers associated both with the PNM and UNC and of course persons in other political parties. They are also accessing the media, emails and text messages for these persons and storing it.”
Persad-Bissessar claimed that the Government accessed WhatsApp by sending someone a message and when clicked on, the software infects the phone.
“They can read your WhatsApp messages in real-time as you’re sending and receiving them. Therefore, I’m advising, all of you always delete your WhatsApp messages. Once you are done, delete.” she said.
Persad-Bissessar further alleged, “This is being done with the assistance of police officers.”
Saying that there were many good officers, there were also those closely affiliated with certain government officials and some were especially handpicked to do the spying adding that a “police constable who is the friend with a minister has been put to monitor WhatsApp messages.”
Persad-Bissessar said, “They’re spying on the WhatsApp messages of their own members, anyone they think will be a threat to Rowley’s leadership is also being spied upon.
“They’re also monitoring the phones of the spouses of certain PNM persons. Certain members of this Government are suffering from paranoia and they are desperate to find anyone they believe are against them.
“Faris Al-Rawi has already become a victim of this illegal monitoring of WhatsApp messages and there are others from within the government who may become future victims of this illegal activity. Many tell us Rowley doesn’t have control of his MPs due to infighting within the PNM and now the Government has resorted to Gestapo tactics.”
Trinidad and Tobago was in a dictatorship where judicial officers, business people, trade unions and political parties, “not associated with criminal activity but they are being illegally spied on because of the paranoia of this Government,” the Opposition Leader added.
She called for answers.
“We need answers on this illegal spying and other matters but Rowley and his Government have not convened Parliament yet again. Why is this? We are not on vacation…We have questions to ask. Their answers must be placed on the record. That’s what Parliament is for,” Persad-Bissessar.
