Persad-Bissessar said government security agencies operate within the law and argued that lawful surveillance is aimed at people involved in criminal activity rather than the wider public. Her remarks followed questions about allegations of intercepted communications after an audio recording involving business figures Star Sabga and Genevieve Hadeed circulated publicly, prompting concerns about how the recording was obtained and whether legal procedures were followed.

The leaked recording has intensified scrutiny of Trinidad and Tobago’s interception framework, with officials maintaining that communication monitoring is subject to legal safeguards. Attorney General John Jeremie said the existence of a leaked recording does not by itself prove that authorities conducted an unlawful interception, noting that communications can be accessed through different means and that investigations were examining the circumstances surrounding the leak.