Carolyn: Stop playing games with Cambridge Analytica

POLITICAL LEADER of the Congress of the People Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan on Wednesday called on both the PNM and UNC to stop playing political games over Cambridge Analytica.

She questioned the timing of the the issue's resurfacing, in the midst of a local government election campaign, when the candidates should be focused on debating issues and steps made towards local government reform.

She said both the Prime Minister and the Attorney General should put the matter to rest, and had they listened to the COP from as early as March last year, the "simple exercise" would have been done by now.

Speaking a media conference at the COP's office at Evans Street, Curepe, Seepersad-Bachan said since March last year the COP had called for a thorough and swift investigation into the matter and nothing was done.

Seepersad-Bachan said whistleblower Christopher Wylie made claims in his book Mindf-ck that there was illegal data mining leading up to the 2015 election that was sanctioned by the People's Partnership government. In it, she said, he claimed data was collected from government agencies, which was sanctioned by the National Security Ministry.

She added that Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar at the time was head of the National Security Council and the investigation into who illegally released personal data is "not rocket science." The offence is tantamount to misbehaviour in public office, she said, and those responsible should be held culpable.

She added that both parties using the issue to gain "political points" was not benefiting the public.