Officers of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Bureau (ACIB) and Fraud Squad are probing the matter of a leaked voice recording, which allegedly involves two THA officials discussing the use of public funds to hire people to carry out a political propaganda campaign.
Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police for intelligence and investigations Curt Simon, according to a Newsday report, confirmed that police are looking into the recording.
He said, “My officers are mulling over it with advice from the legal department and other investigative areas within the TTPS.
“We have to look to see if there are offences, and if there are in fact offences, if they were committed by anyone. And if the persons who we suspect committed the offences, if they did or were capable of committing the offences.”
He said these factors must be considered before launching an official inquiry.
In the one-minute-15-second voice recording, a man and a woman are heard discussing a strategy that involves employing people under the THA and having them promote propaganda on social media.
The male voice on the recoding said the strategy “will help in the ways Tobagonians is (sic) responding to the moves in Trinidad; that can help in shaping the narrative.”
The Prime Minister recently stated that although he had no intention of commenting on Tobago’s business, he said, “If in Tobago there are officials who are prepared to break the law, they will face the law.”
Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Farley Augustine has vowed to finally address the leaked voice recording later this week.