National Security Minister Edmund Dillon says there is no move to get rid of East Indians in the Strategic Services Agency (SSA).
Dillon said that in an interview with reporters during yesterday's House of Representatives debate on a bill to give the agency wider powers to garther intelligence, not only on drug related crimes but other serious crimes — including murder, manslaughter, shooting and wounding with intent, rape, bigamy, abortion, acts of serious indecency, kidnapping, blackmail, robbery, assault with intent to rob, embezzlement, larceny, offences involving motor vehicles, forgery, treason, and firearms offences.
The claim about East Indians being targeted for removal in the SSA was made after two high-ranking members of the agency, were removed during a restructuring of the organisation since the new administration came into office.
The claims were made in lawsuits filed by former employees, including former director Bisnath Maharaj, seeking compensation for their sacking on the grounds that there were targets of political victimisation and discrimination.
Questioned about the claim yesterday, Dillon denied it, saying: "No , not at all. That could never come from me. I would never go with the idea of race in dealing with any issues."
Dillon said he never used race to deal with any issue in the past and will never use it in the future.
He said he would not be able to comment further on the matter as it was being looked at by Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi. Dillon said the SSA has a director (retired Col George Robinson) and was fully operational. —Richard Lord