Caption: Dominic and Genevieve Hadeed
In Brief
- Sabga Released: Senior Counsel Faris Al-Rawi has confirmed that his client, 69-year-old businesswoman Star Sabga, has been released from custody after the Preventative Detention Order (PDO) against her was officially revoked.
- The Alleged Plot: Sabga, along with her relatives Dominic and Genevieve Hadeed, had been detained since late June 2026 over an alleged conspiracy to assassinate the Prime Minister and senior Cabinet members.
- Leaked Audio: The case was fuelled by a leaked private phone call in which Sabga was heard criticising the government, which the State cited as evidence of her “advocating violence.”
- Judicial Intervention: High Court Judge Vigel Paul ultimately ordered Sabga’s release to house arrest, following the earlier release of the Hadeeds after their own PDOs were revoked.
By Prior Beharry
Senior Counsel Faris Al-Rawi has confirmed on Thursday that his client, 69-year-old businesswoman Star Sabga, has been released from custody.
In a message to AZP News, Al-Rawi stated that the Preventative Detention Order (PDO) previously keeping Sabga imprisoned at the Golden Grove Prison has been officially revoked.
This comes after weeks of intense constitutional battles and the prior release of her relatives, Dominic and Genevieve Hadeed.
The Background: An alleged assassination plot
The legal saga began in late June 2026, under a State of Emergency, when the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) executed a series of high-level national security arrests.
On June 24, 2026, prominent businessman Dominic Hadeed, owner of Blue Waters, and his wife, Genevieve Hadeed, president of the Syrian-Lebanese Women’s Association, were detained. Sabga is aunt of Genevieve.
Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander signed PDOs against the trio, alleging state intelligence linked them to a highly coordinated, ongoing conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Attorney General John Jeremie and other senior Cabinet members.
All three detainees fiercely denied the accusations through their legal team, led by Al-Rawi, maintaining that the claims were completely meritless and fabricated.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said the Cabinet will make a decision on the State of Emergency which is expected to come to an end on September 17.
The leaked audio controversy
One day after the Hadeeds’ initial detention, on June 25, police arrestet Sabga. Then there was the leak of a private, 15-minute phone conversation between Sabga and her niece, Genevieve Hadeed.
In the leaked recording, Sabga was heard harshly criticising the Prime Minister’s administration, accusing the government of “destroying the country” and that officials should be “shot in their head.”
Legal Notice No. 495 of 2026 later outlined the State’s official justification for Sabga’s PDO, claiming she “advocated violence against Government officials” and belonged to a wider ring looking to destabilise the country.
Her defence team strongly pushed back, arguing that a private, emotionally charged political vent session did not equate to a physical assassination plot.
Prison conditions and legal battle
The high-profile nature of the case once again placedTrinidad and Tobago’s penal system into the spotlight. In an early application for a writ of habeas corpus, Al-Rawi submitted a scathing affidavit detailing the “squalid and deplorable conditions” under which the Hadeeds were initially held.
The filings alleged the couple was subjected to cell environments with cockroaches, heavy odours of waste, and no bedding. The defence also pointed to health risks, noting that Dominic Hadeed was initially denied access to a critical CPAP machine required to manage his severe sleep apnoea.
The case moved through a sequence of dramatic judicial updates.
The Hadeeds’ release
In mid-July, the Court of Appeal ordered the Hadeeds’ interim release into supervised home detention, which was temporarily blocked by a State counter-appeal. However, by late July, Minister Roger Alexander officially revoked the PDOs against Dominic and Genevieve Hadeed, allowing them to leave prison.
Sabga’s extended fight
Sabga initially remained incarcerated at Golden Grove even after her niece and nephew-in-law walked free. Her legal team argued it was unfair to keep a 69-year-old cheesemaker in maximum security when the primary targets of the investigation had already been released.
High Court Judge Vigel Paul eventually intervened, granting her an interim release to strict house arrest pending her broader constitutional challenge.
Current status
With the official revocation of Sabga’s PDO, as confirmed by Al-Rawi to AZP News, all three individuals initially detained under the alleged assassination plot investigation have now been released from custody, though their respective constitutional challenges against the State are ongoing.
