Several searches took place at the homes of high-ranking Tobago House of Assembly officials over the weekend.
The searches were conducted in connection with the probe into the controversial audio recording of two THA officials discussing a propaganda scheme.
Chief Secretary Farley Augustine has admitted that he is featured on the recording and that it was leaked as part of an extortion plot.
In that one-minute-and-15-second voice recording that has made its rounds on social media since May 23, the two THA executives were heard plotting to utilise the THA money to fund a propaganda campaign on behalf of the new Tobago People Party, led by Augustine.
The head of the T&T Police Service White Collar Crime Division Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Wendell Lucas confirmed the searches.
“As you would recall Deputy Commissioner [of Intelligence and Investigations] Curt Simon had indicated that an investigation had been launched into that recording and this is in furtherance of that,” ACP Lucas said.
However, he did not state the names of whose homes were searched or if the home of the Chief Secretary was among them.
He also denied that the homes of any prominent contractors had been searched.
However a TV6 report last evening named former THA Administrator Ethlyn John as one of the individuals under investigation.
It also confirmed that her home was among those searched thus far.
ACP Lucas told the media house: “We are just trying to gather as much information as we can so that we can push the competent authority in that direction,” ACP Lucas said, adding that the next stage would be “to have a conversation with the Director of Public Prosecutions after we have analysed the evidence collected”.