Trinidad and Tobago: Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander under investigation over prison visit approved by Police

Trinidad and Tobago: Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander is under investigations over a prison visit which took place earlier this year, but official police correspondence shows that the meeting with prisoner Rajaee Ali was formally requested and approved by them.

The correspondence, from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), dated January 17, 2025, confirms that the then-Assistant Commissioner of Police Richard Smith applied for a meeting with Ali at the Maximum Security Prison. In his request, he said that the prisoner has requested to speak with Smith and that Senior Superintendent of Police Roger Alexander accompany him. At that time, Alexander was still an active member of the TTPS and working in the Special Operations Unit.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Suzette Martin, approved the request and wrote to Prisons Commissioner Carlos Corraspe at the time asking for clearance. She said that Smith and Alexander will meet with Ali at the MSP on January 17.

During an interview with the press later, Smith said that the meeting was “above board” which included Ali’s sharing of confidential police information. He stressed that there were no talks of contracts or politics.

Smith added that Alexander’s presence was only at his request which was out of trust and that there was no secret to the visit. Moreover, the prison staff are often asked to conduct interviews with inmates who may have information to share.

However, the meeting has led to several political and legal disputes after Attorney Krystal Primus, who is representing detained prison supervisor Garth Guada, alleged that Alexander had unauthorized meetings with gang members prior to the 2025 General Election. She claimed that the visits may have included political support and contract promises.

Primus’ letter got leaked to the media which said that the accused Alexander, was using his position improperly and asked Police Commissioner Alister Guevarro to do an investigation. She also filed a Freedom of Information request for all of Alexander’s prison visit records from January to May 2025.

Minister Alexander denied the allegations and said that they are based on false information. He said the claims are unfounded and threatened to take legal actions against Primus. “It's really sad that he would endanger the life of an inmate in this matter; he is clearly grasping at straws and would have certainly breached the code of ethics,” he stated.

Garth Guada, who was later detained during a State of Emergency (SoE) preventive detention order signed by Alexander, says that his arrest was a result of personal animosity. His lawyers shared that Guada blocked many attempts by Alexander to secure unsupervised prison visit access which they say played a role in the detention orders.

On September 21, Primus wrote back to Commissioner Guevarro that the issue raises questions about the Ministry of Homeland Security’s integrity and public transparency. She also claimed that Guada’s detention was illegal and asked for its revocation.

The opposition People's National Movement (PNM) has also appealed for an independent investigation into the case. In a statement, the party stated that this is an issue of national security and are requesting answers from the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Prasad Bissessar, who leads the National Security Council.