Kamla dismisses UNC human trafficking claims

UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar   PHOTO COURTESY KEVAN GIBBS -
UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar PHOTO COURTESY KEVAN GIBBS -

UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar rejected statements from National Security Minister Stuart Young that opposition members were involved in human trafficking.

In a television interview on Wednesday, Young said, "Everybody saw it especially around nomination day (July 17), exactly around that 24-hour period before nomination day."

He continued, "I saw things start to surface with allegations about the Opposition having to change certain persons and not put them up for nomination because of allegations of exactly that..being involved in human trafficking. That is what I was referring to."

After filing her nomination papers in Penal on July 17, Persad-Bissessar quashed media reports that Ravi Ratiram had been replaced by former temporary opposition senator Rishi Tripathi as the UNC's Couva North candidate.

Young said, as National Security Minister, he receives reports from the police and other intelligence agencies. He said, "I have never stated anything in public office, and especially in the portfolio of minister of national security, that I don't have things to back it up on."

Young said he received an intelligence report in black and white "that a member of parliament (MP) is meeting at the Hyatt with persons who are persons of interest in the criminal world, some of whom have criminal charges."

He said that report said that MP went to the Hyatt on a Friday afternoon while Parliament was in session, "to pay a bar bill for them, that is a fact." He said that happened while the Parliament was still at the Port of Spain International Waterfront Centre. The Parliament was there since 2011 and returned to the Red House in January.

While the report was brought to his attention, Young said he does not tell the police how to do their job.

"I know our police service is a responsible police service and they will now move the next step to do what needs to be done."

He explained that intelligence has to be converted to evidence and then evidence must cross a certain threshhold for charges to be laid.

Speaking with reporters before the start of a UNC motorcade in Chaguanas, Persad-Bissessar declared, "If Stuart Young has such information he should take it to the police and let the police investigate such matters."

She said Young's words "come from a desperate man to create distractions" because the PNM knows it cannot win the August 10 general election."

Persad-Bissessar claimed the PNM "are clutching at straws to find reasons to justify their incompetence."

Contacted for a response to Persad-Bissessar, Young said, "Mrs Persad-Bissessar is very aware of what was being alleged about one of her UNC candidates with respect to his involvement in human trafficking."

He added, "The allegations were being made in the UNC camp."

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"Kamla dismisses UNC human trafficking claims"

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