Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago — Randall Hector, a 43-year-old attorney closely connected with Trinidad and Tobago’s intelligence community, was fatally shot while heading to his vehicle in the capital city’s Stanmore Avenue area. Hector had served as a lawyer for the Strategic Services Agency (SSA), a primary intelligence unit of the national police service, before his untimely death.
The tragic event adds to a troubling rise in violent deaths in the nation. Following a count of 577 homicides in 2023, the toll has escalated to at least 625 this year, marking a worrying increase in such incidents.
Hector’s career was notably intertwined with significant legal and national security matters. Earlier in the year, he represented the SSA in a prominent legal battle concerning the transparency of the agency’s operations. The case involved an appeal against a request for detailed information about the SSA’s surveillance activities, specifically related to wiretapping, lodged by political activist Ravi Balgobin Maharaj.
Maharaj had sought disclosures under the Freedom of Information Act regarding the agency’s warrantless surveillance actions and the international training its staff underwent, arguing that the public has a right to understand the scope of surveillance they are subjected to. The SSA, advocating confidentiality on the grounds of national security, refused to release the information, prompting legal challenges.
During the court proceedings, Hector argued for the SSA’s position that disclosing such sensitive information could compromise national security. In contrast, Maharaj’s attorney, Anand Ramlogan, SC, contended that as a taxpayer-funded entity, the SSA owed a duty of transparency and accountability to the public.
The appeal, heard by the Court of Appeal, has yet to see a verdict. This case underscores ongoing tensions in the realms of public access to government-held information and the boundaries of national security.
Randall Hector resided in Diego Martin, and was a principal of R.W. Hector & Associates, carrying a legacy of extensive legal expertise, which included substantial work for the Attorney General’s office. Throughout his career, Hector defended clients across various courts, from the Magistrates Court to the Court of Appeal, and had served as the Director of the Legal Department at the country’s legislated intelligence agency for several years.
This recent violence against a figure connected to the judicial and intelligence communities puts a spotlight on the challenges facing those who navigate the sensitive intersection of law enforcement and national security in Trinidad and Tobago.
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