The Defence Force is now probing the alleged leak of pictures of Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi’s children using high-powered weapons and a war of words yesterday ensued between Al-Rawi and Opposition MP Roodal Moonilal, who revealed the matter in Parliament on Tuesday.
Confirmation of the Defence Force probe came a day after Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley waded into the national security services on the issue of the pictures, saying there had been “a serious breach of security by the Defence Force” and “irresponsibility on the part of the soldier” who took the pictures of the children.
Moonilal and Al-Rawi, in separate interviews with reporters yesterday, both went on the offensive following Moonilal’s revelation of photos of Al-Rawi’s children training with the high-powered weapons at the army’s Camp Cumuto.
Moonilal, in Tuesday’s budget debate, had displayed pictures of the children posing with UMP 9mm guns which the army uses. Moonilal said the youngsters bore a striking resemblance to a senior Government official.
Al-Rawi subsequently said his family had been invited by the army for a “threat assessment” after he received death threats soon after entering office last year. On Wednesday, Rowley intervened, slamming the Defence Force at length, and Moonilal.
The Defence Force later confirmed it had invited Al-Rawi and his family to Camp Cumuto for training but didn’t detail the type of training.
Yesterday, when reporters asked National Security Minister Edmund Dillon if Government was sure the photos came from the army, Dillon said: “Investigations into that situation are ongoing, I cannot reveal anything at this point. The Defence Force is doing their internal investigations and I am sure I will be brought up to date with the report on this.”
Dillon couldn’t confirm if Special Branch was involved in the probe.
On Moonilal’s claim the photos hadn’t come from the army, Dillon said: “We’re looking at all avenues... investigations will be taking place in all areas... I can’t give a timeline for completion.”
The T&T Guardian received information that the probe began almost immediately after Moonilal’s statement in Parliament Tuesday. It is being done by the Defence Force’s Internal Affairs Unit. All parties involved in the matter would be interviewed, a source said.
But Moonilal subsequently told reporters: “The Prime Minister ought not to have impugned the Defence Force’s integrity (Wednesday) without evidence.”
Saying he had written the PM requesting an independent probe and copied the letter to the police, Director of Public Prosecutions and Chief of Defence Staff, Moonilal added:
“It’s now a matter strictly for the police and DPP if the PM doesn’t do an independent probe - which he’s unlikely to undertake - but there’s a prima facie breach of the law.
“It’s illegal to place a firearm in the hands of a minor. That’s why the Attorney General hasn’t confirmed it’s his children. He won’t do that as there could be consequences.
“He could face prosecution for conspiracy to commit a criminal offence. It was actually the Prime Minister who identified it was the AG’s children.”
He added: “However, the Prime Minister came to Parliament without a shred of evidence and attacked the army for leaking information... no such thing happened. It’s shocking the PM turned a blind eye to the breach of the law and was only studying the army.
“I can’t say who took the picture, whether a relative or a soldier or Al-Rawi himself, but no Defence Force member has given me any information, images or pictures that I used in Parliament. I condemn the Prime Minister for his categorical and contemptuous dismissal of the Defence Force and undermining its integrity and credibility in this.”
Relative posted pics
Moonilal noted the army’s statement didn’t confirm the photos were taken during a training session.
“...They cannot do that as it’s illegal and an offence to place a firearm in the hands of a minor. The law applies even at Camp Cumuto,” he added.
Moonilal said he was informed the pictures were posted on a Facebook page “sometime around October 2015” by a member of the Al-Rawi family.
“It went up for one day, in which someone and several persons saw it and it was removed swiftly in one day,” he said.
“But the weapons in the pictures carried rounds (of ammunition) so it was very dangerous. Anyone who places guns in the hands of kids breaches the law,” he noted.
Moonilal said the pictures came to his attention in February-March (2016) and it took months to verify whether the picture was in T&T and whether they were T&T nationals.
Moonilal said he was informed by “someone,” that Al-Rawi had also been at the army base. He called for Minister Stuart Young to say also what “he was doing there.”
Moonilal also said he did not breach parliamentary privilege in showing the pictures since the House Speaker didn’t stop him.
I sleep well at night—Al-Rawi
Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi slammed Moonilal, but declined queries about the threat assessment concerning his family, when and how the situation occurred and other details.
He said he had noted the Defence Force’s statement on the issue of the pictures of the youngsters with the weapons and didn’t propose to discuss security surrounding his family for “obvious reasons.”
He said Moonilal was “chasing a story but at the same time he has significant problems defending a certain situation he’s well aware of. I can’t go into details.”
He added: “I’m confident I have nothing to worry about. My PM is equally confident. Dr Moonilal can ride this boat as long as he wants, he’s not going to profit from it. I sleep well at night.”