Caption: Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles
By Alicia Chemely
IF Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has evidence of the People’s National Movement (PNM) and/or its financiers being involved in narcotics trafficking and paedophilia, then she should take it to the police.
This was the response of Opposition Leader Penelope Beckles regarding a post on X by Persad-Bissessar accusing the PNM of attacking her government’s cooperation with US forces to protect those within the PNM ranks who are involved in the narcotics trade and paedophilia.
On Monday, Persad-Bissessar posted, “It’s not surprising that the PNM, a party long suspected of being financed by the local drug mafia and connected to numerous allegations of paedophilia, will be against the government’s anti-drug and anti-human trafficking efforts.”
Responding to Persad-Bissessar at an Opposition press conference, held at the Office of Opposition Leader, Port of Spain, on Wednesday, Beckles said, “We will not accept this Honourable Prime Minister causing distractions and creating mischief by accusing us of supporting any narco government, and saying that we are involved in drug trafficking, and that there are financiers who are involved in drug trafficking.”
She added, “I close by saying to the Prime Minister, if you have the information, take it to the police.”
Beckles further stated she would be exploring her options as leader of the PNM “as it related to the issue of defamation,” noting Persad-Bissessar’s accusations of the PNM of spreading anti-American rhetoric was “absolutely false.”
The Opposition Leader accused Persad-Bissessar of making these allegations to distract from the US Military’s installation of a radar in Crowne Point, for reasons she said the Prime Minister had never clearly addressed.
Beckles said the Prime Minister’s position of the PNM not supporting anti-crime and anti-trafficking efforts was false.
She pointed out that during the PNM’s time in government, they brought forth several pieces of legislation to deal with these issues, adding the United National Congress (UNC) Opposition refused to support them.
@azpnews.com Opposition Leader Penelope Beckles dismisses the PMs claims of the PNM spreading anti-American rhetoric and calls for her to be transparent with the nation. Video: Alicia Chamely @pennelopebeckles @officialpnm.tt #dismissedclaims #antius #transparency #pnm #primeminister
Beckles said, “The honourable Prime Minister gives the impression that we are not supportive of addressing issues relating to drug trafficking, non-trafficking, that is absolutely false. I want to remind the country that during the period 2015 to 2025, we can boast about the several pieces of legislation that have been passed to address these very same issues.”
“If the media and the population recall that period and the multiplicity of pieces of legislation that came to deal with the issue of drug trafficking, money laundering, most of the legislation presented by the People’s National Movement was not supported by the UNC government,” she added.
Listing a series of legislation, such as the Proceeds of Crime Act and the SSA legislation, she said, “So to suggest to the public that we don’t want to address human trafficking, and we don’t want to address drug trafficking, and we don’t want to deal with narco trafficking. It is absolutely mischievous, and the evidence is there to show that when they had the opportunity to deal with pieces of legislation, they did not support it.”
Beckles said it was the opinion of the PNM, that the Prime Minister had adopted this rhetoric to distract the population for her lack of transparency regarding the military radar in Tobago and what was the extent of T&T’s involvement in the US’s campaign against the Venezuelan government.
Referencing Persad-Bissessar’s admission that she requested the radar, and she had to keep it a secret for national security purposes, only after being questioned repeatedly, Beckles asked, “What else is she keeping a secret from the people of Trinidad and Tobago?”
Adding, “The Prime Minister must tell the population, why did she request that radar?”
Demanding clarity, she said if Persad-Bissessar did request the radar she must inform the public about how much it cost, who installed it, where will the data collected from the radar be stored and had T&T citizens been trained to operate it.
Beckles said, “I am therefore calling on the honourable Prime Minister to come clean with the population and to tell us if there are any other secrets that you’re hiding in relation to the radar and in relation to the discussions you recently had with the US Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, General Dan Caine.”
“You told the public of Trinidad and Tobago that General Dan came in his discussions with you. Absolutely no mention was made about Venezuela. Isn’t it ironic that a day later, this mystery US military aircraft lands in Tobago, and shortly thereafter, the installation of the radar,” she said.
Beckles said, “So as members of the People’s National Movement, we await these answers.”
