Senior Reporter
Alleged murder conspirator Star Sabga has finally heard the leaked audio recording of an alleged telephone conversation between herself and her former co-accused, Genevieve Hadeed, police sources have confirmed.
Sabga, Hadeed and Hadeed’s husband, Dominic Hadeed, were detained in connection with an alleged plot to murder Government officials, including Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and placed under Preventive Detention Orders (PDOs) at the Golden Grove Prison in Arouca on June 27.
While Sabga remains under house arrest as part of her latest PDO stipulations, however, the orders against the Hadeeds were revoked by Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander on July 23.
Alexander said he discontinued the orders for the Hadeeds after reviewing the legal, medical and constitutional issues surrounding the couple’s detention, while maintaining that the criminal investigation remains active.
Against that backdrop, Sabga’s attorneys have been seeking access to the alleged recording as they prepare her defence.
Speaking with Guardian Media yesterday, police sources confirmed that Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro granted permission for electronic devices to be taken to Sabga’s Regent Tower, Westmoorings home so she could listen to the audio recording.
The Commissioner’s position was actually outlined in a document dated August 19, which formed part of a pre-action protocol letter sent by Guevarro to Guardian Media yesterday in reference to a story on the Sabga matter.
In the correspondence, Guevarro complained he had been subjected to ridicule in an article published in the T&T Guardian on August 19, headlined “Star seeks urgent care,” which highlighted repeated requests by Sabga’s attorneys for her to get access to medical treatment.
According to a separate letter dated August 21, Guevarro stated that Sabga had been examined by Dr Jacqueline Pereira-Sabga on August 17.
In an article published on August 20, headlined “Sabga’s lawyers seek family visits, medical access,” the T&T Guardian reported that Sabga had been seen by a doctor but did not specify the date of the consultation.
Attached to the CoP’s correspondence was a letter from Sabga’s attorney, Carlon Mc Leod, dated August 19, requesting permission to take electronic devices to Sabga so she could hear the recording which forms the basis for the conspiracy case against her.
“While our client was detained at the Women’s Prison, her attorneys-at-law were not permitted to carry a laptop computer or cellular telephone into the prison. She has not heard those snippets, conversations or entries and therefore cannot be given instructions from which they were taken. Instructions cannot be completed until she has,” Mc Leod wrote.
He noted that the conditions of Sabga’s house arrest, imposed by High Court Judge Justice Vigel Paul on July 27, prohibit her from communicating with anyone without authorisation and require her to surrender all communication devices.
Mc Leod’s letter further stated: “The laptop or other device will be brought and removed by the attorney-at-law together with any earphones, if required by the officers on duty. Attendance will be supervised by our client’s attorneys-at-law at all times during communication with our client, and it will not be used by her as a means of communication. Attendance will take place within the sight but not the hearing of an officer, as we have already confirmed and will abide.”
Guardian Media understands that while Sabga’s initial reaction to hearing what is alleged to be her voice on the recording was not disclosed to police, concerns were raised about the fact that private conversations had been recorded.
As they continued preparing her defence, Sabga’s attorneys subsequently submitted another request to Guevarro.
In a letter dated August 23, Mc Leod sought permission for Commissioner of Affidavits Ronaldo Dopwell to visit Sabga’s home so she could swear a further affidavit.
“We accordingly again request your approval for the attendance of Mr Ronaldo Dopwell, Commissioner of Affidavits, together with Mr Faris Al-Rawi SC and/or Mrs Mona Nahous Al-Rawi, and/or Carlon Mc Leod, attorneys-at-law, upon our client at 502 Regents Tower, Regents Park, Westmoorings, for the swearing of the further affidavit. We propose that this attendance take place on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at 12 noon, thereby providing you with ample notice in respect of attendance.”
The letter added: “Given the imminence of the filing deadline, we should be grateful for your written confirmation of approval, and that you instruct, in writing, the officers posted at our client’s home to facilitate that attendance at the date and time stated above. We would be obliged for your response as a matter of urgency.”
Guardian Media understands that both requests had been approved up to yesterday.
Sabga’s attorneys are preparing her defence in a matter expected to be heard in October, one month after the current State of Emergency is scheduled to end.
