Sharma: Police spy on MPs, judges

FYZABAD MP Chandresh Sharma has alleged that the police are tapping the telephones of Judges and Opposition MPs. His charge came during the debate on the Anti-Terrorism Bill 2004 on Friday night in the House of Representatives. Sharma claimed that it was no secret that the PNM has been investigating, manufacturing and creating information about every member of the UNC side of the House.

“I intend to file a question in this House asking the Government to list the names of all Members of Parliament whose phones are being tapped or listened to by electronic or any other means. I’m going to add the names of judges and other prominent persons. “It has come to my attention that the Government has been doing that, and that is an act of terrorism,” Sharma said. Sharma was also concerned that while the Anti-Terrorism Bill compelled persons to disclose information, the Government itself was often unwilling to supply information to the public or the Opposition.

“We ask questions in this Parliament, yet after two or three months, they are not answered.” Yet in contrast, he said, the Prime Minister had recently written someone in high office — Chief Justice Sat Sharma — requiring a response within a week. “But we ask the Government for information and they don’t give it to us. So, where is the obligation?” Sharma asked. Chandresh Sharma read out the Bill’s requirement that persons provide information on possible terrorist actions. The punishment for non-disclosure, he said, was two years jail. Sharma complained that Clause 33 imposed a duty on someone who knew of a terrorist act  to report it to the relevant Government Minister.

“That’s the worst thing — the Minister is a PNM agent!” he stormed. He added, “Do you know how many people have gone to Ministers and shown them evidence of illegal activities and yet nothing has happened?” He said clause 28 of the Bill duplicated powers under the Freedom of Information Act to share terrorist information with foreign governments. “Under the Freedom of Information Act, the Government is paralysing the system. They are not allowing information to flow,” he said. He cited NEDCO as an example of the Government hiding information. “They came like a thief in the middle of the night and said NEDCO information would no longer be available,” Sharma declared.