PROGRESSIVE Democratic Patriots (PDP) political leader Watson Duke has signalled his intention to take Chief Secretary Farley Augustine to court for alleging that it was he who leaked a recording of a conversation between two people, believed to be THA members, at a strategy meeting.
On Friday, Augustine delivered a pre-recorded, 90-minute statement, as opposed to a news conference, on selected media outlets, to address the controversial voice recording, which began circulating on social media on May 25.
He had announced his intention to do so at a district town hall meeting on Tuesday night at Fairfield Complex, Bacolet.
In the voice note, a man and woman were heard discussing a plan to use state funds to hire people to carry out political propaganda. Many have linked the recording to Augustine and Secretary of Education, Research and Technology Zorisha Hackett.
In the statement, Augustine, who was flanked by his executive members, alleged that the leaked recording was an extortion attempt by the PNM to get the THA to pay a prominent Tobago contractor an estimated $60 million for work undertaken on projects, some of which were not completed.
Augustine also alleged that Duke was the “source of the leak” and in cahoots with the PNM.
But in a video on his Facebook page shortly after Augustine’s presentation, Duke advised him to prepare for court.
“If you believe that I have leaked the tape, I will give you a date in court. You should have plenty, plenty clothes to answer to that,” he said.
“So you can expect, very soon a letter from my lawyer so you could produce evidence that I taped your meeting.”
Declaring he was “a real spartan and no jellyfish,” Duke added, “Don’t try to get personal with me and try to pretend that I taped something.
“I am a revolutionary leader. So you will have your date in court to answer that and I hope you have proper evidence to say that you believe that I taped you. Why would I tape you?”
Duke, assemblyman for Roxborough/Argyle, also called on Augustine to confirm if it was he on the audio recording.
“You did not ascertain the voice recording. We expected to hear a clear ‘Yes,’ it is my voice on that recording. But your statement seemed to infer that it was you but you were just planning but you never implement.
“Is that voice recording you, Mr Augustine? If it is you, you need to say that is your voice recording. Don’t assume that we know it is your voice. You must first begin with that truth.”
Duke said if the recording is, in fact, that of Augustine and another THA member, he should be charged for conspiracy to defraud the government.
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