FOIA Not for Agency Wars | Trinidad and Tobago News

The Strategic Services Agency lost a high-stakes FOIA battle when Judge Robin Mohammed ruled they’re not a “person” under the law — meaning they can’t use it to dig into another government agency. The case began when a worker was fired in 2018, and the Ministry of Labour granted a union extension. The SSA demanded full records, got only partial info, then sued — claiming the Ministry mishandled their request. But the court sided with the Ministry, declaring FOIA is for public transparency, not inter-agency snooping. The judge dismissed the case and ordered the SSA to pay legal fees. A somber note: the SSA’s lead lawyer, Randall Hector, was murdered in December 2024 while this case was still active. This ruling draws a clear line: FOIA empowers citizens, not agencies fighting each other behind closed doors. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/7172204d13008845