Phone tapping started 1981 and continued into police basement

dean barrow

Despite the threat of Tropical Storm Matthew, the House of Representatives met in full session today. One of the most controversial bills debated and passed will legalize the government’s use of wire tapping or snooping of telephone lines. It did not go down well with the other side of the House. The leader of the opposition, John Briceño, expressed concerns about privacy rights of the public, which in his view is under attack.  But the Prime Minister read out a summary of the country’s history with wire tapping which appeared to surprise even Briceño. According to the report compiled by the police department, it seems that fourteen days after the country’s Independence, the first government intercepted phone calls. And according to Barrow, the Father of the Nation George Price also gave the go ahead to do the same. But most of the PM’s tongue lashing was saved for former Prime Minister Said Musa, who he says got BTL to do so on numerous occasions.

Dean Barrow

“The police provided us with a summary of the lawful intercept orders issued by various ministers of internal affairs as it sometimes was, of national security, going back to the fifth of October 1981. Reference your verbal request on today’s date for summary of intercept warrants authorized and directed by previous administrations. Kindly see results as followed. Warrant dated fifth October, 1981 signed by minister C.L.B. Rogers, targeting a particular individuals without the knowledge of the individual which is perhaps expected, but without the cover of any judicial authority without the society knowing that this kind of thing was happening. Warrant dated fifth October 1981 was signed by Minister C.L.B. Rogers extending an earlier warrant issued on the sixth of May 1980. Warrant dated sixteenth March 1982 was signed by Minister of Defense and Home Affairs, C.L.B. Rogers. Another warrant dated sixteenth March 1982 in regards to another target was signed by Minister of Defense and Home Affairs, C.L.B. Rogers. Warrant on dated signed by Minister of Defense and Home Affairs, C.L.B. Rogers extending the warrant of sixteenth March 1982. Warrant dated twenty-sixth July 1983 signed by C.L.B. Rogers. Warrant dated twenty-third October 1984 signed by Minister of Home and Foreign Affairs, V.H. Courtenay. Warranted dated thirty-first December 1985 signed by Curl Thompson—other warrants signed by Curl Thompson. Warrant dated fourth January, 1990 signed by Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Home Affairs and Defense, George Price. Warrant dated twenty-second November, 1990 signed by Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Home Affairs and Defense, George Price. Warrant dated twenty-ninth of November 1990, signed by George Price. Warrant dated twenty-eighth January 1991 signed by George Price. Warrant dated twenty-eighth April 1993 signed by George Price. You know when this stopped? When I became Minister of National Security.

The police also make the point in their report that during the last administration—let’s forget George Price and let’s forget what happened way back when—during the last administration headed by member of fort George, the police continued to intercept communication of members of the public; this time doing so without using any warrants. And since it’s not just what the police say. Since we took over Telemedia, you see, it was confirmed to us by Telemedia people that under your last government, Dean Boyce gave instructions upon the request of your government, the government of the member of Fort George ran wires from the exchange at St. Thomas Street to a room on the ground floor of the raccoon street police station, used that infrastructure to tap landlines. It wasn’t just installation of the equipment for a once and for all basis. Only a certain number of lines could be tapped in any one go. So from time to time, Dean Boyce sent back the BTL technicians to change, so that new lines, different landlines of members of the public could be tapped by the People’s United Party government and the police department at that time. So understand what we are doing man. We are making it so that kind of thing never happens again. If they want, I will produce a list of the subjects that were being tapped. I know I dah mi one. They use to go to the basement at the Raccoon Street Police Station and tap. This da no cell phone. This was…the leader of the opposition look shocked. I hoped he didn’t know that this was something that the then Prime Minister and leader of the party kept from you. I would hope that you are not guilty of what happened.”