Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath has confirmed his security detail was increased after a gangster allegedly confessed to police that a former government minister had offered him $250,000 to murder Padarath.Padarath’s security detail has since been beefed up to include protection from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Special Branch.The man, who was in police custody at the time on a different matter, provided a statement dated December 4, 2025, to officers at the Carenage Police Station in which he detailed his alleged meeting with the former minister regarding the hit.The Sunday Express was privy to excerpts from the statement given by the man to police in which he indicated that sometime in November 2025 he went to McBean, where he met a relative (name called) and asked him about obtaining a lucrative job opportunity.The man stated that the relative took him to a club owned by a former government minister, whom he approached for work, noting that everybody was getting big contracts.According to the statement, the former government minister replied: “ah have a bigger wuk for you to do, ah bawl ‘serious what kinda ah wuk is that boy’, he say he paying $250,000 to get rid of Barry Padarath dys the one with the seta ah mouth.”The man claimed the former government minister told him he would provide the necessary resources.“Ah say this is ah big wuk yuh talking about, he say ah giving allyuh all de guns, all de vehicles, time and place, location and all the full details. He say de job is yours try and organise some men so ah let him know ok ah would see what it is going on and he say he serious doh tell nobody about this wuk.”The man stated that the minister then took $3,000 from his pocket, handed it to him and told him that if he needed any assistance he should contact him, as he wanted the job done soon.First hit jobPolice asked the man what he believed the former minister meant when he said he wanted him to get rid of Padarath.He responded: “To kill him. He did say to get rid of him clean to wipe him out and he made a sign with his hand across his throat from one end to the next I think that mean to get rid of him, to kill him.”Asked what he knew about Padarath, the man replied: “He is a Minister in Parliament in the UNC Government right now, he did tell meh is the Minister, he is a slim Indian fella with a hard face and talkative. (official named) tell me that he does talk too much he hadda go.”Asked whether he had ever carried out any jobs for the former minister in the past, the man said no.Questioned about whether he had ever accepted a “hit” job, the man said: “No, ah do shooting and thing but ah never take a hit job.”Pressed as to whether he had done any jobs for his relative, either directly or indirectly, the man responded: “Small thing ah do fuh (name called) hit people gun butt and beat them up, put them to lie down on the ground and inject needles, fear in them.”Asked how soon the former minister wanted the job done, he replied: “He say as soon as possible try and contact him and tell him what I decide to do.”The man went on to name another person whom he alleged worked for the former government minister by selling drugs.“He does be with all them gang in Trinidad and Tobago, he into shipping and selling guns coming from the USA into the port of Point Lisas. The drugs does come from Colombia and some guns from Colombia with (official name) link.”The officer then asked the man why he had decided to tell police about the alleged murder plot.He responded: “Ah lock up now and ah get a chance to do it, ah couldn’t do it out dey because they could put a hit on meh head, ah doh trust certain police they have police working with them.”He alleged there were many corrupt police officers operating at different stations, and described the ring as a “big organisation”.The officer asked why he believed the official had given him $3,000 and the man responded that it was because the official wanted to “Sweeten” him up.Asked whether he had considered taking the job, the man replied: “I thought about it and was thinking he had to be ah mad man, $250,000 alone to kill ah Minister.”Asked why his relative believed he could carry out the job, the man responded: “He believe that ah do them kind of work before so I could do this one.”