SIX people said to be connected with Symbiote Investments Limited, which operates as telecommunications brand Caricel, have been listed as persons of interest by the police.

Head of Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigations branch (C-TOC), Senior Superintendent Anthony McLaughin, confirmed yesterday evening that since the release of the list they have been in contact with the police.

The list includes Symbiote’s Chief Executive Officer Lowell Lawrence and Secretary Minette Lawrence, as well as three directors of linked company Xtrinet Limited – Livingstone Hinds, Eugenia Hines, Courtney Hurlock – and Natalie Neil, who is believed to be connected to a major shareholder in the operations.

McLaughlin said that a raid on the Eastwood Avenue office late February had revealed evidence of illegal activities taking place, and the six will be interviewed on their operations. They have been requested to report to C-TOC by 10:00 this morning, but he confirmed that they have already been making contact with the police.

He said that they are considered important to the investigations being carried out by C-TOC regarding allegations of illegal telecommunications activities, possibly linked to the spectrum licence granted to Symbiote in 2015. On February 21, C-TOC officers locked down the Eastwood Avenue base and spent hours in the building investigating the operations.

Symbiote, which owns both the Caricel and Xtrinet brands, has been in a virtual battle with the Government and competing telecoms providers since being awarded a spectrum licence in 2015. The licence was eventually withdrawn in 2018.

Symbiote took the matter to the Appeal Court, but in 2019 the court denied its application for leave to apply for judicial review of the decision to revoke the licence. The court also refused the company’s request for a temporary stay, until it makes an application for permission to appeal to the Privy Council in London.

In December 2018, Caricel placed all its licensed facilities and operations under the immediate control of Xtrinet Limited, a locally licensed carrier and service provider. Notification of the arrangement was provided to the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) by correspondence that same month.

In April last year the OUR advised that, as a result of the Court of Appeal’s decision on March 29, 2019, Symbiote was not authorised to own or operate a facility, nor is it permitted to provide telecommunications or other specified services in Jamaica, as defined in the Telecommunications Act, to the public.