PORT OF SPAIN: Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said Thursday local security forces had foiled an assassination plot against her and several government ministers.
Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs said 12 people were arrested, including members of the local Defence Force, in an operation conducted by over 100 soldiers and police.
The announcement drew skepticism from the mayor of Port of Spain and others who raised concerns that the government might use it to extend a three-month state of emergency.
Persad-Bissessar said the "sinister plot" was concocted by "nefarious elements" in response to the "success" of the country's state of emergency, which has been in effect since August 21.
Local security "forces have thwarted what is an evil, devious act of treason," she said. "We are flushing out... these nefarious elements. They are finally confronted by a government which has the political will (to take them on)."
News of the assassination plot was met with skepticism from labor leaders and the mayor of Port of Spain, who said they hoped it would not be used to extend a state of emergency in effect since August 21.
Earlier this week, several trade unions declared their intention to resume protest action against the government as soon as the State of Emergency was lifted on December 5.
"We have no evidence of this so called assassination plot," said Vincent Cabrera, president of the Banking, Insurance and General Workers Union.
"So far, it is very incredulous that, just two weeks before the lifting of the state of emergency, another threat is being hoisted upon us. They cannot keep a state of emergency forever."
"It is my sincerest hope that the prime minister doesn't use this latest story to extend the state of emergency," said Port of Prince Mayor Louis Lee Sing.
The government said in August it was imposing the state of emergency in response to intelligence information that it could not share with the public.
Three days later, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan said the government had "averted a crisis." But the state of emergency remained in place and the government subsequently extended it for three months.
Two hundred and thirty six persons were arrested during that period under the Anti-Gang Act but all were released within weeks after chief public prosecutor Roger Gaspard concluded there was "no reasonable prospect of conviction."
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