The saga continues to unfold at the country’s highest level intelligence gathering agency following the Cabinet’s removal of the substantive head of the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) Major Roger Best who has been sent on administrative leave. Ambassador Brigadier General Anthony Phillips-Spencer, who was installed as acting head on Saturday, has embarked on an extensive review and audit of all personnel, equipment and processes within the agency.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, who announced the shake up in a post on the Facebook page of the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM said the action followed on a National Security Council recommendation to Cabinet. The Prime Minister stated at a subsequent press conference that the occurrences at the SSA constitutes a ‘threat to national security’.
The Strategic Services Agency’s (SSA) Deputy Director of Intelligence, Joanne Bartholomew-Daniel was suspended along with five other employees pending the outcome of a wide-ranging internal and police investigation. Five other employees were also suspended with electronic devices confiscated. According to sources, at least five of the fired members, including Joanne Daniel, are from the cyber defence and cyber operations units. The son of Pastor Ian Brown, the self-proclaimed 67-year-old spy of the SSA, was also attached to that unit. Brown has now been stripped of his SRP status by the TTPS. There are also reports of many officers within the intelligence gathering agency operating rogue of the Ministry of National Security.
Now word that as many as twelve persons have been terminated at the SSA including a deputy director. The reports also indicated that criminal probes are being conducted at the agency.