An audio recording referenced in an affidavit filed in the High Court on Friday by Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander is now at the centre of an escalating public debate over the continued detention of 69-year-old businesswoman Star Sabga under a Preventive Detention Order (PDO).
The recording surfaced on social media yesterday, two days after Sabga’s niece, Genevieve Hadeed, and her husband, businessman Dominic Hadeed, were released without charge from custody in connection with an ongoing conspiracy to murder investigation.
In the 15-minute recording, Sabga and Genevieve Hadeed are heard in a private telephone conversation during which Sabga was openly critical of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, her relationship with the current United States administration, and the Government generally. Sabga accused the Prime Minister of “destroying the country” and also made harsh remarks about Attorney General John Jeremie and other members of the administration.
Particular reference was made to comments made by Jeremie in Parliament on June 10 regarding the so-called “one per cent”, including his remarks about “the newspapers they own”.
Sabga also criticised Jeremie’s comments about the revocation of US visas for members of the Syrian-Lebanese community and suggested links to the People’s National Movement (PNM).
At one point in the conversation, Sabga said: “I don’t understand it. This is not going to turn out nice, Gene … somebody getting a bullet in the head.”
She later added: “Something has to happen for this to cool down … and what have to happen for this to cool down is the death of one of her Member for Parliament.”
In another section of the recording, Sabga is heard saying: “The only way this thing going to end is when ah bullet fly … that is the only way it is going to stop.”
Alexander’s affidavit, filed in response to Sabga’s constitutional challenge to her detention, also refers to racially charged remarks allegedly made during the conversation.
The Homeland Security Minister stated that he instructed security agencies to identify statements made by Sabga that, in the State’s view, corroborated intelligence reports concerning what authorities describe as a broader plot to assassinate the Prime Minister and members of her Government.
According to Alexander, the material relied upon to justify the continuation of Sabga’s PDO includes statements and audio recordings obtained from Sabga’s landline telephone and Genevieve Hadeed’s mobile phone shortly before their arrests.
Sabga has been detained at the Women’s Prison in Arouca since June 24. She was arrested alongside the Hadeeds, whose PDOs were revoked by Alexander on July 23.
Release of recording
raises questions
The publication of the recording by the Sunshine online newspaper, on Friday night at 8:02 pm, triggered immediate controversy and raised questions about how what appears to be confidential intelligence material entered the public domain.
State attorney Gerald Ramdeen told Guardian Media that while Alexander had filed an affidavit referencing the intelligence information, he was unaware of the contents of Warner’s publication.
Yesterday, Sunshine posted on social media that there was a spike in traffic to its website following the exclusive release of its audio, and later removed the audio recording. However, the recording was downloaded and reshared.
Guardian Media contacted Sunshine owner Jack Warner seeking comment on how the recording was obtained. Warner declined to answer questions, saying only: “Regrettably, I cannot answer your questions.”
The disclosure has prompted calls from Opposition politicians and former law enforcement officials for an independent investigation.
Opposition MP Stuart Young described the release of the recording as troubling, while emphasising that he did not condone racist statements.
Young questioned whether the conversation formed the basis for the issuance of the PDOs, arguing that preventive detention was never intended to replace the criminal justice process.
“If that conversation is the basis of Preventive Detention Orders being issued and persons being detained without access to bail and habeas corpus, it is a clear indication that the Government is violating constitutional protections,” Young said.
He also questioned the legality of the interception, asking who authorised it, whether it was conducted under the Interception of Communications Act, and how the recording eventually became public.
Young noted that during his tenure on the National Security Council between 2015 and 2025, including as Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, he never sought surveillance of any individual.
He accused the Government of using State powers to target political opponents and renewed his call for the State of Emergency to be lifted.
Griffith concerned about
security breach
Former police commissioner Gary Griffith said the central issue was not the content of the recording itself, but the apparent breach of intelligence security.
“Whether the alleged statements amount to treason, sedition, conspiracy, a threat against a public official, or no offence at all, that is for the police, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the courts to decide,” Griffith said.
He argued that public confidence in intelligence agencies would be seriously undermined if confidential intercepts could be removed from secure systems and disseminated online. Griffith called for an independent and transparent investigation to determine whether established security protocols had been breached.
Housing Minister Phillip Edward Alexander also weighed in on the controversy, saying the recording exposed what he described as race-based hostility within sections of society. However, he was critical of Griffith’s intervention, stating that the former police commissioner had “lost all moral authority to speak”.
Questions were sent to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the Attorney General and Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro. Up to publication, no responses were received.
