Rowley vs TTPS: Former Trinidadian Prime Minister says he is on INTERPOL list, police refute claim

Trinidad and Tobago: In a shocking claim by the former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Keith Rowley said that he discovered he's on an Interpol watch list after facing difficulty while travelling to Antigua. He is questioning how he ended up on that list and is also blaming it on 'official entities' in Trinidad and Tobago. 

During a press briefing on Monday, he described the experience as a dastardly act of political persecution and called it a ‘vicious defamation campaign’. 

Rowley Says Ordeal Began in Antigua en Route to Montserrat 

Former PM Labels It 'State-Sponsored Slander' 

According to the information shared by the PM, he faced this on Sunday in Antigua and Barbuda while he was en route to Montserrat. He explained that his name reportedly appeared on the watch list of Interpol and this list is usually reserved for individuals linked to criminal activity.  

Rowley noted that this is not just a mistake but a deliberate as well as calculated attempt to tarnish his name on a global stage and added, “It is state-sponsored slander.” 

The former Prime Minister who retired from active politics three months ago said that he was shocked to learn that authorities from his country may have caused his named to be flagged globally.  

Immigration Officials Later Say It Was a Mistake 

On his way back to Trinidad via Antigua, he met with the immigration supervisor, who clarified that the issue was due to mistaken identity. 

Since then, he has called upon the Prime Minister as well as the Commissioner of Police to come clean with the country.  

“What crime or interest do I pose that justifies this?” Rowley asked. “Let the people of this country know what you are accusing me of because I have done nothing wrong.” 

Furthermore, he is demanding his immediate removal from that list and warned that this disgraceful blame not only endangers his reputation but also sets a dangerous precedent for the state power’s misuse.  

“If this can be done to a former Prime Minister,” he said, “imagine what can be done to the average citizen.” 

TTPS denies claims by Dr Rowley 

After the claims made rounds across social media, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service rejected all claims through an official public statement.  

Checks through INTERPOL Bureau Found No Red Flag 

The TTPS confirmed that Dr. Rowley is not listed on any INTERPOL watchlist or global notice, further stating that they had never provided any information to INTERPOL that would warrant such a listing. 

The press release confirmed that there is no record, directive or procedural action from any department within the police service which supports the allegation of local involvement in this alleged matter.  

The TTPS also said that INTERPOL operates under strict rules which requires official judicial or prosecutorial requests for such type of listings. It reported that these are managed through each nation’s National Central Bureau which in the island nation falls under the purview of the Commissioner of Police, however, it does not give him unilateral authority to place or remove named.