Opposition MP Roodal Moonilal has commended all organisations and individuals who were involved in the law enforcement and judicial processes as it relates to this country’s first conviction for human trafficking.
While he notes that it is a welcome development, especially since the Keith Rowley-led Government has been repeatedly scolded by international agencies for the high frequency of this ghastly crime, Moonilal slammed the National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds, who made the announcement of the conviction during a press conference on Friday.
Moonilal, in a statement said: “We note with alarm the absurdity of Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds, no less, summoning the media to announce that the convicted criminal cannot be located.”
“We are even more aghast that Mr. Hinds hosted a media conference without addressing the urgent and critical matter of the massive cyberattack on the country’s largest telecommunications provider.”
The MP added, “The extensive hacking of TSTT’s files places sensitive data into the hands of criminals, with the real potential of endangering the lives, families, businesses and properties of hundreds of thousands people.”
“The unprecedented breach of highly sensitive material could lead to more murders, home invasions, attacks on entrepreneurs and other woeful crimes in a country already overrun with lawlessness.
“Minister Hinds ignored that deeply disturbing issue after his colleague Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzalves had earlier denied that it had even taken place.”
This is further evidence of the callousness of the Rowley Administration in the midst of ceaseless bloodletting and with the nation under siege from armed and heartless killers.”
Moonilal added: “Mr. Hinds’ cold indifference to the disastrous impact of the cyberattack symbolises the ineffectiveness of the PNM Government, one in which the Prime Minister has casually admitted that he is fed up of crime and conceded that he has no measures to counter the scourge.”
He further stated that Mr. Hinds created widespread public suspense for a hasty media conference when officers of the Police Service could have ideally provided the relevant information.
Moonilal said: “The media conference was another smokescreen by an inept administration, designed to score cheap headlines in a land riddled with social and economic crises.”
“The UNC again urges the Rowley Government to abandon its shenanigans and showmanship and deal frontally with the epidemic of crime and other burning issues,” said Moonilal.