ROWLEY SWITCH OFF

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday revealed he has been the subject of “abuse and threatening behaviour” because of United National Congress (UNC) activist Devant Maharaj’s decision on Friday to circulate his personal contact information to citizens on a social networking site.

So grave were the threats, Rowley said, it warranted the involvement of Police Commissioner Gary Griffith.

Rowley said after Maharaj’s actions, he has had to discontinue the use of his personal number.

“As a result of this act of gross misconduct and in my desire to serve you in a sane and sober manner I regret that I will be discontinuing the use of the number that you might have known and used at some time in the past,” he said in statement from the Office of the Prime Minister.

“I am saddened by this because I always felt connected to you just as an ordinary citizen whose phone number was widely known and available to the responsible public but this being the times in which we live and the technology available to the lowlifes like Mr Maharaj, I have no choice but to access and use another number which you will become familiar with in the normal decent way.”

In his statement, the PM apologised to citizens for the “reckless and dangerous behaviour of former UNC Minister Devant Maharaj,” saying that for many years, he had maintained the same telephone number.

“Upon assuming office I continued to keep that same number and used it effectively for private and public business. Very many of you members of the public have used that number, appropriately, in your moments of need or simply to wish me well on a daily basis.”

He added: “As of Friday, December 7th 2018, Mr Devant Maharaj of the UNC, obtained my telephone number and has maliciously published it in the widest possible way on social media and further he has encouraged and incited persons to harass and threaten me."

Rowley said he hoped TT “never becomes so barren that there is an absence of leadership in all quarters, especially the political arena, where rogue elements who try to drag us down to their base levels can be roundly condemned. I so do.”

Rowley’s statement came a day after Maharaj, on his Twitter page, boasted about having shared the prime minister’s cell phone number, asking citizens to call with complaints about the Galleons Passage.

The former UNC minister, who has repeatedly criticised the Government’s acquisition of the Galleons Passage, claimed in his posts that Rowley has since been flooded with calls about the vessel from citizens.

He had urged citizens to “continue to make your calls to the prime minister with your complaints....”

The Galleons Passage resumed sailings on Thursday, a day after the vessel was forced to turn around while on route to Tobago on Wednesday because of rough seas.

Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan revealed in the Parliament on Friday that the vessel’s captain saw it fit to turn around the vessel as a a safety precaution as waves were over 3.5 metres.

He during the "unfortunate" sea conditions, two ceiling panels on the car deck were dislodged and in the interest of safety, the captain decided to return to Port of Spain to have the panels system fixed.

Sinanan told the Parliament this was successfully addressed and sailings resumed on Thursday.

Stuart calls for criminal probe

Communications Minister Stuart Young also weighed in on Maharaj’s actions, saying in a statement yesterday it warranted a criminal investigation.

Further, he said Maharaj’s actions should be "rejected by all civic-minded citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.”

“The publication by Devant Maharaj of the personal contact information of the Honourable Prime Minister is an all-time low and worthy of a criminal investigation,” Young said in a statement to media houses via Whatsapp.

“He has continued inciting people to use the Prime Minister’s information to, at the minimum, harass the Prime Minister and at a maximum, expose him to harm.”

Young, who is also the National Security Minister, condemned Maharaj’s behaviour.

“This individual, who identifies himself as a former UNC office holder, has been engaging in despicable and dangerous behaviour for some time now.

“He has also today been circulating calls for protest action in a way which is worthy of criminal investigation and may qualify as the serious crime of sedition.”

Young said he considered Maharaj’s actions to be a “dangerous and a clear indication of the Opposition’s desperation and confirmatory of the type of destructive actions that they and in particular, he, engages in.

“It is plainly wrong and even dangerous to circulate publicly the private information of any citizen and that includes public officers,” he added.

Devant: What does PM have to hide?

But contacted last evening, Maharaj made no apologies for circulating the PM’s personal number, stating Rowley was a public official and needed to be in touch with the people.

“As a representative of the people, the people can’t only operate when it’s convenient to the prime minister,” he said.

“As minister, I had people calling me 6 o’clock in the morning, telling me they missed a bus or had some issue with the airline. So, it comes with the territory of being in public life.”

Maharaj said Rowley’s phone was also paid for by taxpayers.

“He uses that phone to call media and ministers and receive calls from media nd ministers and other public officials. The phone is not a secret phone. What does Dr Rowley have to hide from the people of TT? That is the bigger question.”

Maharaj said one of the most “interesting and dangerous” parts of Young’s Whatsapp statement was his threat of sedition.

“It is almost as if once you have a divergent view from the Government or critical of Government’s policies, strategies and actions, you are being targeted with the threat of legal action by the easy of a sedition charge.

“This is what we should be concerned of as citizens as a threat against our democratic right.”