Trinidad businessman, wife detained over alleged plot to assassinate PM Kamla

Trinidad and Tobago: A 52-year-old businessman, Dominic Hadeed, his 42-year-old wife, Genevieve Hadeed, and her aunt, Star Sabga have been detained for allegedly being involved in a conspiracy to murder a senior member of the Government, as per the search warrants issued in their names and signed by High Court Master Valena Guerra-Abraham on June 24.

Genevieve (also called Genevierve) Hadeed’s detention order specifically alleges statements calling for the death of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

The allegations are contained in Preventative Detention Orders (PDOs) signed by Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander under the Emergency Powers Regulations, 2026.

Dominic and Genevieve Hadeed were arrested by police at their Bayshore, Westmoorings home last Wednesday, and spent the first three nights of their detention at the Carenage Police Station and Woodbrook Police Station, respectively. Star Sabga, Genevieve’s maternal aunt, was detained on Thursday, and has been held at the St Joseph Police Station.

The initial statements state that the Minister of Homeland Security signed three PDOs on Friday night, on June 26, 2026. However, further changes in the PDOs were made yesterday after concerns were raised by prison officials and also attorneys for the detainees based on their detention at certain facilities.

The three were served with the PDOs yesterday and were subsequently transported from various police stations to a new location where they will be imprisoned as the investigations remain ongoing.

According to the orders signed pursuant to Regulation 14 of the Emergency Powers Regulations, 2026, Dominic Hadeed is to be detained at the Remand Prison, Golden Grove. Whereas, Genevieve and Sabga are to be detained at the Women’s Prison, Golden Grove or at some other location designated by the minister.

As per the previous reports, Dominic was supposed to be detained at the Eastern Regional Correctional Facility but that was changed yesterday.

All detention orders note that Alexander was satisfied that preventive detention was necessary “with a view to preventing” the detainees from acting “in a manner prejudicial to public safety.”

Dominic Hadeed PDO identifies him as being “involved in an ongoing conspiracy to assassinate senior members of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and/or other serving Members of Parliament.”

The PDO states that the intelligence indicates that the statements made by the detainee in Parliament during the debate on the extension of the present state of emergency shows violent intentions and marks as a developing plan to target members of the government.

“Violent intentions by stating words to the effect that persons would be shot in their head,” “Intelligence further indicates that these statements were made in furtherance of a developing plan to target members of the Government,” the PDO notes.

The detention order stated that Hadeed is “a person of substantial financial means and influence with the resources, access and capability to facilitate serious organised criminal activity."

“Intelligence further indicates that his continued liberty presents a real and immediate risk of facilitating the execution of plans intended to destabilise the Government of Trinidad and Tobago through violence.”

According to the PDO, “A Preventive Detention Order pursuant to Regulation 14 of the Emergency Powers Regulations 2026 is necessary to disrupt these plans and prevent him from acting in a manner prejudicial to public safety.”

Genevieve’s detention orders contain similar allegations.

It states that she “has been credibly identified as participating in an ongoing conspiracy directed at the assassination of members of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.”

The PDO further indicates that she “made statements to the effect that the death of the Prime Minister, members of government and member of Parliament was required following public statements made during the parliamentary debate on the extension of the state of emergency.”

It alleges that she is associated with other individuals involved in the conspiracy.

“The intelligence further demonstrates that the detainee is associated with other persons involved in the conspiracy and that her continued liberty creates a substantial risk that plans to carry out acts of violence against members of the Government may proceed,” it stated.

The order states that these alleged threats “viewed in the context of the ongoing state of emergency and the surrounding intelligence, constitute a direct threat to public safety and national security.”

The order concludes that “A Preventive Detention Order pursuant to Regulation 14 of the Emergency Powers Regulations 2026 is necessary to disrupt these plans and prevent her from acting in a manner prejudicial to public safety.”

The detention order issued against Star Sabga alleges that she also played a central role in the alleged conspiracy.

As per the order, Sabga “has been credibly identified through intelligence received as playing a significant role in an ongoing conspiracy to assassinate members of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.”

The PDO noted that the intelligence indicates she “made repeated statements advocating violence against members of the Government.”

The order states that the alleged statements “were made in the context of discussions concerning the present Government and demonstrate encouragement of collective violent action against members of the Government.”

It further alleges that Sabga “has access to persons capable of facilitating violent criminal activity and that her conduct forms part of a wider plan to destabilise the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.”

The order lastly noted, “The detainee and others possess considerable means to implement such an attack.”

The Minister concluded that preventive detention was necessary to disrupt the alleged plans.

The orders cite paragraph 3(1) of the Schedule, which notes that a person subject to a detention order may be arrested without warrant by any police officer and detained at a location directed by the minister.