Political leader of the National Transformation Alliance (NTA) Gary Griffith, has challenged the Prime Minister to undergo a polygraph test, better known as a lie detector test.
Speaking at a joint NTA and United National Congress (UNC) meeting at the SWWTU Hall, Port of Spain, on Wednesday evening, Griffith issued the challenge to Rowley, as he warned citizens of what he described as a dictatorship government.
Griffith even revealed that he underwent a polygraph test in Miami which he was willing to make public.
He said the questions he was asked included: “Have I ever received any inducements as the police commissioner? Did I ever receive anything of value in making decisions?”
He read his test results, which stated: “Based upon careful analysis of the polygraphs used to examine the subject, it is the opinion of this examiner that the subject was truthful to the responses. There was no deception indicated to any of the relevant test questions asked.”
“I have a polygraph test to prove that I do not lie and that every single thing that Keith Rowley said as it pertains to firearms, he lied. However, I want to challenge Keith Rowley to do polygraph testing, he and Gary Griffith, mano a mano!”
He said some of the questions he wanted Rowley to answer under polygraph testing were:
1. Did you ever use your position to benefit financially by illegal activities inclusive of State assets to move it from one location to another to financially benefit yourself?
2. Did you ever harass, meet or influence the police to investigate political opponents?
3. Have you ever compromised your position as a Member of Parliament to influence independent bodies to make decisions to benefit you politically?
4. Tell us everything you know about Emailgate.
5. Do you know where the type-written Emailgate really came from?
6. Did you ever harass a commissioner of police to fast-track approval for explosive licences for your friends in Tobago?
7. Did you ever harass a commissioner of police to get FUL dealership licence for your partner in Tobago?
8. Do you communicate or influence police officers to target political opponents?
9. Did you influence or intimidate the previous Police Service Commission chairman to withdraw a merit list illegally?
Griffith said during his tenure as police commissioner, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Special Branch completed a “damning report” based on “intelligence” on a PNM minister, which Rowley dismissed.
However, he said Rowley used a report from “three jokers” who were tasked to investigate him (Griffith) for Firearm User’s Licences that were issued.
Griffith said: “I gave out 4,000-odd firearms out of 50,000-odd applicants. Half of that were to law enforcement officials.”
The other 2,000, he said, were never lost or used for murders, but provided people an opportunity to protect themselves.
Griffith noted that during the Kamla Persad-Bissessar government from 2013 to 2015 when they worked as a team, there was the highest reduction in violent crime in 30 years.
Griffith said whenever the PNM is in government, crime increases.
He said he refused to be a “political puppet” for Rowley, whom he said injected $45 million into the TTPS and directed him to go after political opponents.
“Any other country in the world there would have been a snap election. What that man has done is similar to dictatorship,” he said.