A closed door and private meeting of the National Executive of the main
opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) ended prematurely on Tuesday
night after it was interrupted by a clandestine piece of espionage work by
the Royal Grenada Police (RGPF).
The high-level meeting was being attended by party leader, Tillman Thomas who is the official Opposition Leader on the island, as well as candidates, constituency caretakers, and representatives of most of the 15 constituencies who make up the party's executive body.
The session was being held at the party's headquarters on Lucas Street, St. George's.
Those in attendance were discussing structures to be put in place for the forthcoming general elections expected to be held later in the year. A party source told GRENADA TODAY that at about 7:20 p.m. members of the Congress became suspicious of some unusual activities when their attention was drawn to a flashing light coming from an adjourning but abandoned building.
He said that a decision was taken to close the windows of the NDC headquarters building but soon after one member noticed that there were movements inside the abandoned building.
According to the source, some party members rushed out of the meeting and into the nearby building where they apprehended a 26-year old police officer, Kellon Noel in the act of recording their deliberations.
A second man, believed to be another police officer, ran from the abandoned building and was not captured.
NDC officials have suggested that the government of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell is behind the clandestine operation of the captured police officer. Opposition Leader Tillman Thomas, who is head the NDC, said his party believes that the security forces should not be used to "undermine the democratic process'' in the country.
"Whoever is behind this, we ought to really get to the bottom of this to ensure that we could enjoy a free and democratic state in Grenada,'' said Thomas.
"We have a right to assembly and to discuss matters of national importance as an interest group, particularly a political party'', he added. The Opposition Leader regarded the incident as "a sad day for Grenada'', adding that, "whoever sent him (the police officer) is not acting in the best interest of our country and in the best interest of the democratic tradition'.'
Thomas also linked the espionage incident to other recent events taking place such as the alleged tapping of his telephone a few months ago and which he reported to the police last year.
He also listed the attempt to deport Jamaican journalist Tenesha Thomas, and Economic Development Minister Anthony Boatswain's comment that the people of the Caribbean were electing "undesirable elements'' to government.
"This shows desperation in the society,'' said Thomas. "We need to step up on security because there seems to be desperate people in our country'', he remarked.
NDC Senator Arley Gill said an official complaint of Tuesday's action by the undercover officer will be lodged with the Commissioner of Police, Winston James and the Minister of National Security.
"This is no coincidence,'' Gill said. "The police officer was certainly not on a frolic of his own. This is a deliberate and calculated effort to invade on the privacy of the National Democratic Congress.''
Gill said it appears that it was not the first act of spying on the NDC and implied government complicity.
"This government is prepared to do anything to discredit us and we are aware of that,'' Gill said. According to an NDC insider when the captured police officer was questioned by the party's executive members, he indicated at first that he was attached to Central Police Station on the Carenage.
When questioned further about his true identity, he finally admitted that he was a member of the Special Branch unit of the force headed by Superintendent Anthony De Gale.
The source said that the captured police spy who lives at Springs, St. George's gave about three conflicting accounts of his presence in the building where he engaged in the illegal act of spying on the private meeting of the Congress party.
At first, officer Noel claimed to have met someone in St. George's a couple of days ago who told him that the NDC was having a meeting on Tuesday and instructed him to go and see what was happening.
He said he had to meet the person at midday the following day (Wednesday) in St. George's to report back to them. However, Noel later gave the names of the two persons who sent him on the assignment as Gary Richardson and Neil McFarlene but did not give their addresses.
He also sought to mislead the NDC interrogators by changing the name of Neil McFarlene to Neil McQueen. The captured officer said nothing was promised to him by the two men for undertaking the espionage job on NDC.
A senior member of Congress then telephoned the police force to inform them of the disturbing development and soon after Inspector Raymond Matthew of the Rapid Response Unit came on the scene to take away his fellow colleague. The situation became tense as enraged supporters of NDC from the Carenage area rushed up to the nearby party headquarters on hearing the news and wanted to get at the police officer.
The NDC did not release the tape-recording instrument and the cell phone that were found in the possession of the Special Branch officer. During his interrogation, several telephone calls kept coming into Noel's cell phone.
When NDC officials checked the phone, it was discovered that the calls were coming from another cell phone believed to be that of Supt De Gale who is from the St. George North-west constituency of Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr. Keith Mitchell.
Last year, Supt De Gale prevented a court bailiff from serving an official summons on Prime Minister Mitchell in connection with a legal matter brought against the Grenadian leader in the United States.
Meanwhile, NDC officials are said to be considering the possibility of putting special security measures around their political leader in light of Tuesday night's incident.
