I will not be intimidated.
That was the stance from Rural Development and Local Government Minister Khadijah Ameen yesterday as she responded to reports of a $2.8 million bounty placed on her life, that of two of her Cabinet colleagues and a State official.
Ameen, Defence Minister Wayne Sturge, Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath and Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) manager Feroze Khan are all the targets of a $2.8 million contract killing plot, according to police intelligence.
According to senior police officials, the threats stem from the Governments termination of contracts in the Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) and the URP in June.
Despite this, Ameen vowed to continue serving her constituents and the wider public.
I want the public to be assured that the threats or perceived threats will not hinder our work and our commitment, she said to the media following the handover of specialised equipment donated by the government of Japan through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at Kent House, Maraval,
Crackdown on corruption
The St Augustine MP praised law enforcement for their intelligence-gathering and security support but stressed her responsibility to remain present in the communities she serves. Its important for me as an elected representative to be present in my constituency and across Trinidad. Our government has always been very hands-on in terms of meeting people and consulting stakeholders, and we will continue that, she added.
Yesterday, Ameen too linked the threats to the crackdown on corruption, which she said had diverted resources away from those most in need. That corruption has caused millions of dollars to be siphoned out of the Treasury, depriving people who are vulnerable and in need of resources. When people were below minimum wage, below the poverty line, and children were dropping out of school by the hundreds, the government at that time paid no care or mind to that, she said.
She commended the Prime Ministers (Kamla Persad-Bissessar) leadership in tackling the problem head-on, saying, The Prime Minister has been bold enough to take the bull by its horns. It is not only URP that you had corruption. In CEPEP and the reforestation programme you had contracts being given to friends and family for exaggerated amounts, where you could not find value for work, and in many cases little or no work was performed.
Despite the threats, Ameen made it clear she intended to continue her work across the country. All of us in Trinidad and Tobago have become accustomed to living in a dangerous place with robberies and murders. So since being an Opposition MP who has been on the field and going to different communities all over the country, I have been in the habit of taking precautions.
Senior police officers confirmed that the matter has been under investigation since May and that additional security has been assigned to protect those who are the intended targeted. Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander has also acknowledged that recent government decisions, including scaled-back national events, have been influenced by the ongoing security situation.
