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THE_FUGITIVES wrote:K74T wrote:If only Siparia had an MP that lived in the area and visited the constituents occasionally at least
Yes but I still respect the achievements done in the Last 5 Years VS Pre 2010:
1-Construction of Play Park at Powergen Recreational Ground https://www.facebook.com/media/set/…
2-Distribution of School Supplies for Children in the Siparia Constituency https://www.facebook.com/media/set/…
3-The Daisy Voisin Statue Unveiling at Siparia , Car Park and Vending Stalls https://www.facebook.com/media/set/…
4-Roadworks at Gonzales Branch Trace, Syne Village, Penal. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/…
5-Public Lighting at Mendez Recreational Ground https://www.facebook.com/profile.php…
6-New Siparia Market Facilities at the corner of La Pastora Street and High Street, Siparia. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/…
7-Early Childhood and Daycare Centre
Siparia Savannah Upgrade with Cycling Ring
8-Road Paving High Street Siparia
9-Road Paving Quarry Village
10-Road Paving Santa Flora
11-Drainage Works Quarry then Road Repairs After
THE_FUGITIVES wrote:10-Road Paving Santa Flora
Shango_13 wrote::shock:
Shango_13 wrote::shock:
RASC wrote:There is an internal cabal plotting against kamala as I type.
Moonilal is head of this chair- I'm not sure who else is plotting. Will divulge information as it can be verified.
rfari wrote:U voting zr?
Side note. Kamala called my grandmom 3 times for the week so far. The last time she voted was in 86 for the nar. Since then she never stained her finger for any political party.
But the constant harassment has changed her mind and she intends to cast her vote come sept 7th. The harassing calls were the proverbial straw. Well done kamala.
rfari wrote:U voting zr?
Side note. Kamala called my grandmom 3 times for the week so far. The last time she voted was in 86 for the nar. Since then she never stained her finger for any political party.
But the constant harassment has changed her mind and she intends to cast her vote come sept 7th. The harassing calls were the proverbial straw. Well done kamala.
UML wrote:rfari wrote:U voting zr?
Side note. Kamala called my grandmom 3 times for the week so far. The last time she voted was in 86 for the nar. Since then she never stained her finger for any political party.
But the constant harassment has changed her mind and she intends to cast her vote come sept 7th. The harassing calls were the proverbial straw. Well done kamala.
Please remind her that emails and calls could never compare to the PNM parallel illegal SIA which spied on the citizens for mischievous gains.
UML wrote:UML wrote:UML wrote:
BTW his name is Shane Aleong
#emailgate10
RASC wrote:UML wrote:rfari wrote:U voting zr?
Side note. Kamala called my grandmom 3 times for the week so far. The last time she voted was in 86 for the nar. Since then she never stained her finger for any political party.
But the constant harassment has changed her mind and she intends to cast her vote come sept 7th. The harassing calls were the proverbial straw. Well done kamala.
Please remind her that emails and calls could never compare to the PNM parallel illegal SIA which spied on the citizens for mischievous gains.
For real eh...that's why the population voted them out. Seems history repeating itself. Thanks for reminding us!
rfari wrote:The spying allegations seem to be just that uml. My grandmom was disappointed with this govt but the calls pushed her over the edge
UML wrote:rfari wrote:The spying allegations seem to be just that uml. My grandmom was disappointed with this govt but the calls pushed her over the edge
Ask her what's her views on an illegal parallel PNM initiated spying agency listening to her conversations without her knowledge?
UML wrote:rfari wrote:The spying allegations seem to be just that uml. My grandmom was disappointed with this govt but the calls pushed her over the edge
Ask her what's her views on an illegal parallel PNM initiated spying agency listening to her conversations without her knowledge?
RASC wrote:Whistle blower legislation ...Have certain PP cronies already packing up shop and shredding papers like CRAZY in their respective state boards!
When the PNM wins, ordi go be bouncing dawg. AMG taking short drop and all...
rfari wrote:UML wrote:rfari wrote:The spying allegations seem to be just that uml. My grandmom was disappointed with this govt but the calls pushed her over the edge
Ask her what's her views on an illegal parallel PNM initiated spying agency listening to her conversations without her knowledge?
I don't want to look foolish and uninformed by asking her that. What will help is if you post news stories to support your claim. Preferably the guardian newspaper because that's the only newspaper she reads
UML wrote:Spy list reveals: Pres’ phone tapped
Gail Alexander
Published: 13 Nov 2010
http://guardian.co.tt/news/general/2010 ... one-tapped
Gail Alexander
The telephones of President George Maxwell Richards, former police commissioner James Philbert, PNM MP Keith Rowley, businessman Gary Aboud and comedian Rachael Price were among those tapped by the Security Intelligence Agency (SIA) under the previous administration, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has claimed. In a statement to Parliament yesterday, Persad-Bissessar read out a list of people whose phones, she said, were tapped by the SIA. Persad- Bissessar said: “Under the former government, Big Brother seems to have taken a very keen interest in ordinary citizen’s private lives and affairs.”
The PM presented legislation that provides the legal framework within which public or private communications, which are being transmitted by means of a public or private telecommunications network, can be lawfully intercepted. “It is our view that wire-tapping is an important tool that can greatly assist the police in the fight against crime and protect national security,” she said.
“It must, however, be carefully regulated and justified on the basis of necessary criminal intelligence or a potential threat to national security.” She said governments worldwide have found it necessary to embrace the use of communications interception to collect the vital intelligence needed to gain the advantage to fight domestic and international crime and terrorism.
Persad-Bissessar, however, said she was shocked to have received a recent report, which suggested that the SIA may have been involved in political wire-tapping along with the Special Anti Crime Unit (Sautt). She said information “suggested” that sensitive information obtained via illegal wire-tapping of government ministers’ phones was being supplied to a certain MP from the Opposition bench. “That MP now sits in this honourable House and served the highest level in government under the previous administration,” the PM said. “I asked Police Commissioner Gibbs to investigate the matter.” Persad-Bissessar said experts were flown in from Canada and a “high-level” team from Special Branch took control of the SIA’s operation on October 23.
She claimed: “The investigation conducted revealed a frightening picture involving and financial impropriety and illegal wire-tapping of a wide cross-section of civil society.” She said the agencies reported directly to the Minister of National Security and the Prime Minister, as head of the country’s National Security Council. “In some cases, this power was misused to spy on political opponents and perceived political enemies,” she said.
Persad -Bissessar said subjects who were tapped included:
• Members of the judiciary;
• trade unionists;
• editors and journalists;
• media houses;
• radio talk show hosts;
• comedians;
• people in the entertainment industry;
• former Opposition MPs;
• government ministers;
• sports personalities;
• businessmen;
• newspaper columnists;
• advertising executives;
• county councillors;
• lawyers; and
• in some cases, the children of such people.
Persad-Bissessar claimed a “covert project,” code-named “OPPORATION NEWS” commenced in March 2005, and has been ongoing since. She claimed interception included the monitoring of people’s e-mail also. “One list provided by the Commissioner of Police contains the name of every single government minister in the People’s Partnership,” she said. “Sadly, Mr Speaker, the names of our children are also included on this list. “There are many others whose names I have not disclosed to this Parliament. The ones that I have mentioned are persons involved in public life in one form or the other.”
She said she did not intend to move from Big Brother to “Big Sister.”
Persad-Bissessar said Special Branch reports were that the SIA “was a virtual law unto itself.” She said Special Branch officers found $5.9 million in cash and an undisclosed quantity of firearm and ammunition was seized. Initial audit reports reveal that $15 million cannot be accounted for, she said. “Evidence suggests that a massive sanitisation operation took place after the general election,” the PM said. “Empty folders carrying the name of the individuals who were the subject of interception were found. “Other records of taped conversations and transcription of conversations have been removed and/or destroyed.”
Persad-Bissessar said the wire-tapping continued after the results of the last general election. “It is alleged that information gathered by the SIA was secretly being siphoned to a certain opposition,” she claimed. She said recently, she indicated that she believed the former administration was intercepting private conversations of citizens, including her own. “I now know this to be true,” she added. She said her suspicions were aroused by a Parliament contribution by her predecessor during the September 2008 budget debate. She noted former prime minister Patrick Manning’s remarks then when he had claimed Persad-Bissessar had links with someone from the Integrity Commission.
Persad-Bissessar noted Manning had said he had called “one of the security agencies to check it.” Of the alleged overall wire-tapping, Persad- Bissessar said: “That such illegal activity was sanctioned by the executive arm of the State without reference to the elected representatives of the people and the Parliament is a tragedy and an extremely dangerous precedent...the country was being run by executive decree instead of parliamentary approval.”
Spouses As Spies
SIA hired friends and relatives to be 'informants' at $20,000 a month
By Akile Simon akile.simon@trinidadexpress.com
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Spo ... 38509.html
Story Created: Nov 13, 2010 at 11:45 PM ECT
Story Updated: Nov 13, 2010 at 11:45 PM ECT
THE Security Intelligence Agency (SIA) which was financed by the Ministry of National Security with no level of accountability, paid as much as $20,000 a month to "informants", who supplied no creditable information in the fight against crime.
The unit, which was not known to citizens or even police officers, consisted of close to 200 civilians and personnel from the Army and the Coast Guard. According to a reliable source close to the Canadian team hired by the Police Service to conduct a forensic audit on the SIA, allegations of corruption within the unit, "smell to the high heavens".
Speaking with the Sunday Express on condition of strict anonymity, the source said many of the agency's "informants" were friends, relatives and spouses of SIA personnel. These "informants" were paid in cash so that their identities would not be compromised by the tracing of bank records. The SIA had several bank accounts which were concealed as company accounts to avoid the exposure of the secret agency.
The source said: "That was a major cause for concern and that was one of the things the international auditors picked up on. They hired their own spouses to work in the unit. They were paying informants between $15,000 and $20,000 a month and there are allegations that kick-backs used to occur.
"Many of them weren't informants at all. It was ah partner and friend thing taking place. That's what some of the allegations have revealed. The system itself was corrupt and there were no financial audits being conducted to hold persons accountable for millions of taxpayers' money that was being spent at this unit," the source said.
A senior military source yesterday condemned Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for making such information about the agency public.
"As head of a Government you don't do these things because it compromises the security of the country. She was wrong to do what she did, because in all the developed countries you have agencies just as the SIA which the public never knows about.
"It's in the public's own best interest that they do not know about these agencies," a senior military officer told the Sunday Express.
The SIA was established as a direct result of a review of the intelligence services after the 1990 coup attempt. In addition to the SIA, the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) was reintroduced under the Office of the Prime Minister.
Nigel Clement, the last director of the director of the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) and SIA, was last week dismissed from both positions and has refused to comment on the matter.
The SSA is a legitimate central co-ordinating entity authorised by Act No 24 of 1995 for the suppression of illicit drug traffic.
UML wrote:Ex-PM secured HDC house for Pena's brother, says Roodal
By Joel Julien joel.julien@trinidadexpress.com
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Ex- ... 55644.html
Story Created: Nov 19, 2010 at 11:49 PM ECT
Story Updated: Nov 20, 2010 at 10:46 PM ECT
FORMER prime minister Patrick Manning used his office to secure an HDC house for the brother of his spiritual adviser, Rev Juliana Pena, Leader of Government Business Dr Roodal Moonilal said last evening.
"He facilitated the brother of Mrs Pena to obtain a house from the Housing Development Corporation, Mr Speaker. The former prime minister commanded and demanded that the HDC provide a house to brother of Juliana Pena. We are not malicious, we are not an administration that is vindictive, nobody going to take back nobody house and so on," Moonilal said during his contribution in Parliament last night.
Moonilal said he had made the discovery in his capacity as Minister of Housing.
His comment came as he responded to an earlier claim by Manning that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is building a $150 million mansion and that the media should have full access to the house, during the debate on the Interception of Communications Bill.
"The member (Manning) sought to impute improper motives on the Member for Siparia and indeed her family over the construction of a private dwelling of someone who has been in public life for 24 years, and an attorney of law for decades, a professional, and whose spouse, Mr Speaker, with great respect, is a medical doctor, professional practising for decades."
Moonilal said Manning's claims were "fabricated and false", and he (Manning) was exhibiting "some portrait of delusion".
Moonilal claimed that Persad-Bissessar's private home has been under construction for the past seven years on land purchased over 20 years ago.
He said Manning "sought in the most incredible manner to suggest the Member of Parliament for Siparia should open their private residence to the media, but when he was prime minister he never opened a house built by the taxpayers to the media".
Moonilal was referring to the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann's, the Prime Minister's residence which Manning had occupied during his term in office.
He described Manning, the Member of Parliament for San Fernando East, as a "delusional" and "hypocrite".
Never again, says Sandy
SIA spying revealed
By by Ria Taitt Political Editor
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Nev ... 55639.html
Story Created: Nov 19, 2010 at 11:49 PM ECT
Story Updated: Nov 19, 2010 at 11:49 PM ECT
There was no audit of the accounts of the Strategic Intelligence Agency (SIA) for the last decade, 2001 to the present, National Security Minister Brigadier John Sandy revealed yesterday.
Piloting the Interception of Communication Bill in the House of Representatives, Sandy said a forensic audit would now be conducted. He noted, however, that the failure to audit the accounts from 2001 was "quite an alarming discovery" and it was "all engineered and overseen by a sick mind; a manic mind; a manic man".
Sandy said "those intent on being mischievous" were suggesting that Government was dismantling or undermining national security agencies, systems and strategies. He said nothing was further from the truth.
"What we are attempting to dismantle is the dictatorial power of a sick mind; a manic mind; a manic man. Never again in this country must citizens be exposed to that manifestation of tyranny. Never again," Sandy said.
He said privacy issues could not be ignored, especially as this Government advocates the protection of human rights and transparency of operations. However, he said this Government remained insistent that the security of the nation will not be compromised in order to protect the privacy of criminals.
He said Government hoped that the legislation would assist in accomplishing the security goals.
"We support interception because if used as envisaged and authorised, it will prove an effective investigative technique for law enforcement and intelligence agencies," he said.
He added that this tool was necessary for the common good of the society.
"But Mr Speaker, we cannot and must not subject our innocent, law abiding citizens, especially of the stature revealed in this Honourable House, to the invasion of their privacy."
He said the interception of communication was a remarkable law enforcement mechanism that contributed to a safer nation, region and world and had been successfully used to gather intelligence to deal with drug trafficking, gang activity and prevention of organised crime and corruption. He said Government was adamant that it would not allow criminal activity to run rampant and unharnessed.
"We are aware that criminals are using technology to perpetrate crime. As such, our national security agencies must be equally responsive, well trained and equipped to prevent this level of lawlessness," he said.
Sandy called on his colleagues on the other side, some of whom had been the victims of this "manic mind', to join us in ridding our national community of the possibility of a recurrence of this horrendous infringement of our constitutional rights, by supporting the passage of this legislation".
Sandy also congratulated Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs and his investigating officers for the professional job done "in unearthing the apparent inconsistencies that were occurring at the SIA".
UML wrote:Scandal at regional 'spy' agency
By Akile Simon
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Sca ... 90179.html
Story Created: Apr 16, 2011 at 11:54 PM ECT
Story Updated: Apr 17, 2011 at 8:07 PM ECT
Allegations of corruption are being levelled at yet another security agency, this one headed by a woman who was once at the helm of the controversial Special Intelligence Agency (SIA).
Misappropriation of funds, hiring of unqualified staff and fraudulent accounting practices are said to be the order of the day at Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (Impacs) which is headed by Lynne Anne Williams who was director of the SIA for 14 years.
Impacs has never been audited nor submitted prepared financial statements since its inception in 2006.
Ten former SIA employees are now employed at Impacs, raking in huge salaries and allowances at taxpayers' expense. Family and friends have also found employment at Impacs, also enjoying significant monetary rewards. One such employee, hired as a project officer for the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup in 2007, takes home $15,750 a month. She has no portfolio within the organisational structure of Impacs, sources say.
Williams was appointed executive director of Impacs with effect from September 1, 2009 at the Twentieth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government held in Belize in March of that year.
She is responsible for the general leadership, oversight, administrative and financial management of Impacs and its sub-agencies, the Joint Regional Communications Centre (Barbados) and the Regional Intelligence Fusion Centre (Trinidad and Tobago).
Williams herself has been identified as being involved in ripping off the agency to the tune of thousands of dollars.
She receives a salary of US$11,300 (TT$67,800), inclusive of allowances. She maintains a residence in Barbados and in T&T, and collects a monthly housing allowance of US$2,500.
However, for 2010, Williams submitted several invoices for hotel accommodation at a particular location in Barbados. Checks with the Barbadian authorities and other sources in that country revealed that the hotel identified in invoices submitted by Williams for payment, — Darreyl's Bungalow Short Term Accommodation — does not exist.
Several of the invoices, copies of which were obtained by the Sunday Express, also contained inconsistencies and carried no contact information nor address for the "hotel".
The only contact information appearing on the invoices were that of Williams and her address is listed as Impacs' head office at Sagicor Building, Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain.
Reliable sources at the agency said the invoices were prepared by an employee.
"Most of her invoices for travel are submitted before she leaves for her intended destination and that's wrong," said an employee.
In one particular instance, Williams submitted an invoice for two bookings — July 11, 2010 to May 19, 2010 and also for August 29, 2010 to September 1, 2010. However, the amount claimed for on the invoice was for only one period. (See invoice on Page 4) The date of one of the bookings on this particular invoice was also changed and initialed by Williams — and not the 'hotel's management.
At the end of each invoice from "Darreyl's Accommodation', the name Phillip Brennan appears as the person who prepared and checked the invoices.
Employees also say that they have seen vouchers sent to Impacs' financial department for payment, and which were approved by Williams, but about which transactions they knew nothing.
They point out, in particular, several invoices submitted by Trincargo International Services Company Ltd to Impacs for the payment of thousands of dollars, for shipping personal effects for staff.
"Nobody knows who the personal effects belonged to, what it was, where it went, but it was paid for and cleared at the expense of Impacs," said one employee.
On July 13, last year, Williams submitted an invoice for payment in the sum of $USD5,740, mere days before she left to attend a meeting in Barbados regarding the Caricom Travel Card System, Caripass, project.
The invoice that was prepared and approved gave Williams purpose of a 20-day visit in Barbados as being to coordinate activities relating to the Caripass project. The project has its co-ordinating team.
Sources said staff assigned to the Caripass project had no knowledge on any such meeting in Barbados around the time of the annual Crop Over festivities.
"If there was in fact a meeting regarding the Caripass project, then why wasn't the staff aware of such and why representatives for that section were not set to attend?
"And furthermore, there was no need for anyone to travel at such expense when the meeting, if it in fact took place, could have been done by video conferencing, a facility available to us," said a source.
Said one employee, "Impacs is rampant with corruption. Caricom member states are not getting their monies worth when it comes to 'implementation of policies for crime and security' for the region.
"Employees are too busy enjoying the 'fat' of the Caricom pot to achieve its mandates"
"They talk about Caricom Security and is ah bunch ah Caricom crooks inside.
"Three hours of polygraph testing before you could get a job but at the end of the day is a bunch of thieves I'm working with," the employee charged.
Another staff member had some questions for Williams. She asked:
* Why is it that the Executive Director:
— Does not travel using the most economical route? Always business class!
— Stays over in Barbados when returning from travel, particularly on weekends, and claims per diem.
* Why was the refurbished Executive Suite Office, alleged to have exceeded TTD$1M, never questioned by the Management Committee?
* Why were invoices submitted by a fictitious hotel called 'Darreyls Bungalow Short Term Accommodation' as supporting documents for business travels.
*Why are those invoices generated in Impacs' office before she travels, and why are they signed off by the Executive Director?
Employees also questioned Williams' reluctance to repay per diems when her travel arrangements are cancelled.
THE TAPPED LIST
Permit me to cite a few examples Mr. Speaker. A covert project code named “OPPORATION NEWS” commenced in March 2005 and has been ongoing since then. Among the targets in this operation were:
POLITICIANS
The UNC’s head office
Constituencies offices of UNC members of parliament
Kamla Persad Bissessar
Anand Ramlogan
Suruj Rambachan
Gerald Yetming
Wade Mark
Manohar Ramsaran
Roodal Moonilal
Roy Augustus
Winston Peters
Robin Montano
Jack Warner
Fuad Khan
Carolyn Seepersad Bachan
Winston Dookeran
Gary Griffith
Anil Roberts
Ashworth Jack
Keith Rowley
JUDICIARY
Members of the judiciary who were targeted included:
Then Chief Justice Sat Sharma, his wife Kalawati Sharma and his son Shiv Sharma
Justice Herbert Volney
Justice Narine
Madam Justice Carol Gobin
MEDIA PERSONNEL
Mr. Speaker, freedom of the press is enshrined in our constitution and the widespread wire tapping of journalists and the media houses undermines this important pillar in our democracy.
Targets included:
Dale Enoch
Sasha Mohammed
Shelly Dass
Francis Jospeph
Ian Alleyene
Inshan Ishmael
Ken Ali
Devant Maharaj
Peter O’Conor
Camini Marajh
TRADE UNION MOVEMENT
Member of the trade union movement whose phones were tapped included:
Mr. Errol Mcleod
Clyde Weatherhead
Mr. Rudy Indarsingh
David Abdullah
Robert Guiseppi
Lyle Townsend
OTHER PROMINENT PERSONALITIES
Mr. Speaker the list, as you could imagine is a very long one but permit me to cite a few more examples. Other prominent persons who phones were tapped included:
Former Commissioner of Police James Philbert
Former CEO of the San-Fernando city corporation Marlene Coudrey
Comedian Racheal Price
Former Security Chief Mr. Richard Kelshall
President George Maxwell Richards
Sat Maharaj
Ato Boldon
Emile Elias
Former Chief of Defence John Sandy
Gary Aboud
PNM OFFICIALS
The dictator was not content to spy on opposition MP’s and the aforementioned list of persons. Former Government Ministers were also the subject of wire tapping, targets included:
Colm Imbert
Pennelope Beckles-Robinson
Donna Cox
Faris Al Rawi
Keith Rowley
EMAILS MONITORED
The interception was not limited to telephone calls but included the monitoring of peoples email as well. One list provided by the Commissioner of Police contains the name of every single government Minister in the People’s Partnership. Sadly, Mr. Speaker the names of our children are also included on this list.
PRIVATE CITIZENS
Mr Speaker I have given today, a sample of some of the persons whose telephones were tapped and whose emails were being intercepted by the SIA since 2005.
I did so with a heavy heart. I regret the further intrusion into the private lives by virtue of this disclosure but I felt it necessary to do so to demonstrate by reference to hard evidence the depth and extent of the dictatorial operations of the former administrations.
Under the former Government, Big Brother seems to have taken a very keen interest in ordinary citizen’s private lives and affairs.
I want to reassure you that I do not intend to move from Big Brother tom Big Sister.
There are many others whose names I have not disclosed to this Parliament. The ones that I have mentioned are persons involved in public life in one form or the other.
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