ACP Alicia Henry tipped to lead SSA

ACP Alicia Henry tipped to lead the Strategic Services Agency. -

ASSISTANT Commissioner of Police Alicia Henry is tipped to be appointed as the new Director of the Strategic Services Agency (SSA), Trinidad and Tobago’s premier intelligence body, government sources said.

Henry, a career intelligence officer, also headed the Police Service’s Special Branch at one time, an elite unit tasked with gathering and analysing national security intelligence.

Over the course of her career, she has also served at the Police Academy and held the post of Assistant Commissioner of Police for the Southern Division.

In a phone interview with Newsday on July 29, a senior officer who recently retired, described Henry as “trustworthy, hard-working, and resilient,” citing her professionalism and long-standing dedication to national service. They added that her deep experience in the intelligence sector makes her a strong candidate to lead the SSA.

Her anticipated appointment comes amid ongoing leadership instability and controversy at the agency over the last 12 months..

On April 1, retired Snr Supt Arthur Barrington was appointed director of the SSA by the PNM government, but his tenure was short-lived. President Christine Kangaloo revoked his appointment on May 9 following advice from the Cabinet with the change of political administration.

Barrington, a former head of the Police Service’s Special Branch, was initially selected by then-prime minister Stuart Young to bring stability to the embattled agency, citing his extensive background in policing and intelligence.

Following Barrington’s removal, the government appointed retired Major Roger McLean, previously one of the SSA’s deputy directors, to lead the agency.

On March 2, 2024, then-national security minister Fitzgerald Hinds placed former director retired major Roger Best on immediate administrative leave. Former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley, as head of the National Security Council (NSC), cited an “impending threat to national security” as the reason for the action.

Rowley said a government audit had uncovered “an alarming state of affairs” at the SSA, which he claimed had gone undetected for years. He further alleged certain state agencies had become entangled with criminal networks and made the explosive claim the SSA had been infiltrated by a religious cult composed of highly trained military operatives allegedly plotting a treasonous overthrow of the government.

The SSA, established in 1995, plays a central role in Trinidad and Tobago’s national security infrastructure.

Legally empowered under the Interception of Communications Act, the agency is authorised to monitor communications, including phone calls, WhatsApp messages, and e-mails, once a court order is obtained, and on the directions of the Commissioner of Police and Chief of Defence Staff.

Originally tasked with shaping national policy against the illicit drug trade and related crimes, the agency's mandate has since expanded.

Newsday tried calling Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander, Minister of Defence Wayne Sturge, and Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro for comment on Henry's impending appointment but got no response.