Kamla Persad alleges Keith Rowley led govt spying on people with Pegasus

The Opposition Leader of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad Bissessar alleged that the Prime Minister Keith Rowley led government purchased Israeli spy software "Pegasus" to hack into Whatsapp communications.

United National Congress leader claimed that a "whistleblower" provided her with this information. She emphasized that the government has engaged in 'Gestapo tactics' and is utilising Israeli software to spy on people.

She recalled that she had warned citizens about the Government acquiring the Israeli software Pegasus to hack into citizens' WhatsApp communications.

Persad-Bissessar said she received confirmation that this was the case and that the Government was using this software to illegally spy on citizens.

'A whistleblower has provided me with information regarding this widespread electronic spying. I've also been provided with names of persons who are being spied upon, however, we have been alerting persons privately because of safety concerns,' she said. The 'spy' list, she said, includes members of the media such as reporters and editors; Judiciary members, including senior judges and magistrates; State agencies; union members; as well as both Opposition and Government parliamentarians.

Persad-Bissessar said members of the business community, from chambers of commerce, lawyers associated with the UNC and People's National Movement (PNM) and persons in the smaller political parties are also being illegally monitored.

She said emails and text messages are being accessed and stored, including information that people may have in electronic folders.

She said access is gained to a person's WhatsApp account when they are sent a message and the person clicks on it, the software gains access. Persad-Bissessar said WhatsApp messages can be read in 'real time' and she warned people to always delete WhatsApp messages.

The spying, she said, is being done with the assistance of police officers who are closely affiliated with certain high Government members.

She claimed that, in one instance, a police constable who is 'friends with a minister' has been put to monitor WhatsApp messages.

She said when her Government passed the Interception law in the country they made it very clear that only those of a certain rank would be able to intercept and only after proper procedure is carried out.

Persad-Bissessar said even PNM members are being spied upon, including those who are a 'threat' to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley's leadership.

She said the phones of the spouses of certain PNM persons are also monitored and that Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi has already become a 'victim' of this illegal monitoring of WhatsApp messages.