(Trinidad Express) An investigation has been launched into an alleged threat by members of the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen against the lives of People’s National Movement (PNM) Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley and Senator Fitzgerald Hinds.
Police probing the incident have remained tight-lipped on the allegations and reports made by both Rowley and Hinds, confirming only that they (the police) visited the Jamaat headquarters and interviewed its leader, Yasin Abu Bakr, yesterday.
Hinds is a former minister in the ministry of national security under the former PNM administration.
The threats, the Express understands, were made in a letter which was sent to Rowley and Hinds regarding their positions in the PNM.
Sources said the letter also spoke of former prime minister and political leader of the PNM, Patrick Manning, returning to lead the party, before returning to government.
Yesterday, several police officers, assigned to the Port of Spain CID, went to the Jamaat headquarters at Mucurapo Road, where they interviewed Bakr.
But, when contacted by the Express on his cellphone, Bakr refused to comment on the alleged death threats and his interview with CID officers.
“I have no comment on that. I don’t know who would have informed you or what information they would have given to you but I have no comment on that,” Bakr said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Anti-Crime Operations, Mervyn Richardson, confirmed information reaching the Express that officers from the CID visited the Jamaat’s Mucurapo compound and interviewed Bakr.
Richardson also confirmed that the visit by police was in respect to a report made yesterday by Rowley and Hinds.
He, however, declined to confirm or deny that the nature of the report involved death threats made against the lives of the two opposition figures, saying it was a matter of national security.
“Yes, we had officers visit the office at number one Mucurapo Road and yes, they are doing an investigation and they went to speak to personnel there based on a report, an earlier report made by the Opposition Leader Mr Rowley and Mr Fitzgerald Hinds.
“So yes, the officers visited Mucurapo Road in relation to that matter. At this time all I can say its that the report was made and we thought it best to try and clarify the issues, but until I get a fuller picture of the entire situation, I would not want to say anything more at this time,” Richardson said.
Pressed further for information on the nature of the report made by Rowley and Hinds, Richardson said, “Because of the nature of this enquiry I am unable to comment on that because it’s a matter of national security and I would not want to comment on those issues, but yes, we visited the compound to deal with a report that was made earlier.”
Attempts by the Express to contact Rowley proved futile as calls to his cellphone went straight to voicemail while calls to Hinds’s phone were not answered.
During an interview at Express House last evening after appearing live on the TV6 News, Rowley said he and Hinds had made a report to the police regarding threats to their personal safety.
He said they received the threats approximately three weeks ago and the matter was immediately reported to the police.
Rowley said: “I have been in public life for over two decades and I have never really made a public issue of my personal security. We have had issues from time to time and whenever it arises it’s put in the hands of the security services. We did in fact receive threatening…well we were advised of threats to our person (and) we passed it to the police and I’m sure the police could explain it.
“I’ve been around for a long time and I have had many situations like this so it’s a matter for the security services, but it is a fact that we did have to report material to the police and the police have in fact been investigating the situation.”
He said they have not had any feedback from the police in relation to the report they made.
Asked about the form of the threats, Rowley said Hinds and himself received information which they thought should be brought to the attention of the police.
Told that the information reaching the Express was that the threats spoke of the removal of Rowley and Hinds and that Manning will return to lead the PNM, Rowley laughed and said, “I have never gone into the details of threats to my personal safety and I am not going to do that now. That matter is with the police and I’m sure the police will handle it professionally.”
