Young: Government must investigate watch list issue

FORMER prime minister Stuart Young has called on government to investigate the circumstances which reportedly resulted in his immediate predecessor Dr Keith Rowley being placed on an Interpol watch list.

At a news conference at his Goodwood Park, Glencoe home on July 21, Rowley said he was advised of such while in transit from Antigua to TT, after visiting Montserrat recently.

On the same day, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro, in separate statements, said Rowley had not been placed on any watch list.

Persad-Bissessar called on Rowley to apologise for making baseless claims and wasting the population's time with reckless conspiracy theories.

"After nearly a decade marked by mismanagement and decline, followed by his quiet retreat into a life of luxurious retirement, Dr Rowley re-emerged to host a press conference only to level spurious, unfounded, and inflammatory allegations."

Rowley subsequently rejected Persad-Bissessar's statement.

On July 22, Interpol did not address Rowley's comments about being on its watch list or any other related comments.

"We will always refer enquiries to national authorities, therefore we would recommend you address your query to the national police of TT."

On July 23, Defence Minister Wayne Sturge supported Persad-Bissessar's statement and called on Rowley to produce evidence to support his claims.

Young noted public statements by Antigua and Barbuda Attorney General Steadroy Benjamin that Rowley did not misstate anything with respect to his being detained/delayed by Antiguan Immigration authorities.

He said Benjamin suggested that the issue stemmed from TT.

"It is my view that our government should thoroughly investigate this matter and provide us, the citizens, with the evidence of the investigation and the results of same as a matter of urgency."

Young said, "There are many outstanding questions and no satisfactory answers have been provided."

He asked if government had officially written to the Antigua and Barbuda government seeking information of what may have caused the incident with Rowley.

Young said if government had not done so, it should explain why it had not.

A former national security minister from August 6, 2018 - April 18, 2021, Young added, "The Interpol system has many different tiers and methods of 'flagging' people."

He asked who was it that requested Rowley not be allowed uninterrupted passage while using his diplomatic passport.

Young said,"This is a passport issued by our country and should be of interest to our government regardless of who the citizen is."

In a statement on July 21, PNM PRO Faris Al-Rawi said, "The country must be told if, in fact, Dr Rowley's name has been placed on an Interpol watch list with the knowledge and/or involvement of local authorities and if so, when this has happened."

The former attorney general added the PNM supported Rowley's call for Persad-Bissessar and Attorney General John Jeremie "to provide immediate and complete disclosure on this matter."

That matter and others were expected to feature at a PNM public meeting in Malabar later in the evening.

Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles and PNM MPs Colm Imbert, Keith Scotland and Dominic Romain were listed to address the meeting.