Barbados Today

PORT OF SPAIN – The man with answers on the existence and operations of a New Flying Squad Investigative Unit, Garvin Heerah, flew out of the country yesterday.

And National Security Minister Jack Warner, who yesterday continued to deny that he knew of the existence of the NFSIU, has requested a report by noon today from Heerah.

The Express learnt that Heerah, director of National Security Operations Centre and a retired Lieutenant Commander of the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, left Trinidad yesterday morning.

The Express was told that Heerah is bound for Argentina for national security meetings.

Heerah aided former Flying Squad member Mervyn Cordner, who claims to now head the resurrected unit, to procure vehicles and a suitable location for operations when there was no Cabinet approval for the setup of the unit.

He also facilitated meetings with Cordner and for a “civilian” to loan him eight vehicles (station wagons and sedans) for use without payment.

Cordner has produced e-mails from November 2012 to the Express which showed that Heerah had authorised him and team to “continue what they were doing” until they could be called in for a meeting.

The e-mail trail had also quoted Heerah as stating that Wayne Riley, adviser to National Security Minister Jack Warner, was out of the country and when he returned they would have a meeting for “final sign off.” In addition, Heerah had been in touch with Rocky Pacheco, an accountant at the Ministry of National Security on Cordner’s behalf.

Heerah heads the NSOC which is intended to be the central point from where all national security operations are to be coordinated and from where the National Security Council will receive briefings on national security operations to be chaired by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

Heerah’s actions are in direct contradiction to Warner’s consistent claims that the unit did not exist. (Express)