KINNESHA GEORGE-HARRY

Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Farley Augustine has alleged that his administration is the target of 'a blackmail campaign' linked to a prominent local contractor.

Augustine held what he called a public briefing on Friday to respond to the controversial voice recording in which two people, believed to be THA officials, discussed using public funds to hire people to carry out propaganda on social media.

The briefing came 23 days after the recording first went public.

In the highly anticipated, 90-minute, pre-recorded presentation, Augustine claimed the audio clip was an old recording, noting that it was leaked at a closed-door strategy session.

'They very well know the nature of these conversations,' he said.

'There are two reasons, in the first instance when you have an executive, you have to explore all strategies, including those utilised by your opponents, all. Let's be real, the strategy of bringing people in who live on Facebook and do work for you, that has been explored before us. Show me how much people we hired to do that work.'

He added: 'Evidently, it was discussed and evidently it wasn't executed as discussed, which clearly shows that this is a government that is working. You discuss all strategies - the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful, the indifference everything - and there is a reason why Cabinet meetings are protected by law.'

Augustine, flanked by members of the THA executive, said there were reasons why the discussion of an executive is also protected by law.

'You're expected to have these raw conversations, that is not expected to be heard anywhere.'

He blamed Progressive Democratic Patriots political leader and former deputy chief secretary Watson Duke, his former colleague, for the leak. He also linked it to the PNM.

'I very well believe that he is the source of this leak. I'm not sure what he hopes to achieve, but I can very well tell you that he was one that attempted to get me to pay the (contractor named) money. In fact, that was perhaps the last meeting that we had prior to his departure to New York where he infamously excommunicated himself from the executive. But he is a part of it.'

He claimed a contractor has been threatening him for payments owed by the THA.

Outlining a number of projects completed by the contractor and paid for, he shared screenshots of WhatsApp messages allegedly sent by the contractor, in which he alleged there were attempts at extortion.

'Of course, some people believe that the State purse belongs to them alone and so you must not be owed any money at all, others could wait till eternity, sue the THA for the money and when you decide you want the money you have to get it or else, you would threaten all sort of stuff.

He added: 'To date, my government has paid (contractor name called) for $25.2 million and I am certain if I check carefully no other contractor in the Tobago space, no other contractor that operated in the Tobago space even if they came here from Trinidad has received any pay