Dillon must explain

UNC deputy political leader David Lee says National Security Minister Edmund Dillon to come clean and explain to the country the issues in a civil suit he was involved in and why there was a need to keep details of that case shrouded in secrecy.

Dillon, whom the Opposition had previously called to step down because of the civil suit in which he was accused of defrauding 88-year-old Neville Piper of a Manhattan apartment and US$50,000, was exonerated when the case in the New York Supreme Court ended on Wednesday. A judge ordered the proceedings be sealed, which effectively bars the media or anyone else from reporting details about what happened.

According to attorneys representing Dillon and US attorney Ernest Wilson, the judge made no finding of wrongdoing against Dillon. Lee recalled the Opposition had asked for Dillon to step down pending the decision of the court. He said while the court had made a decision and the matter had ended, the decision was sealed and shrouded in secrecy.

to shed some light on the real issue and why he wanted it to be kept in secret. We feel strongly for transparency for the public and country of Trinidad and Tobago he should let the public know he was an innoent individual.”

He also pointed out the proceedings of the $150,000 settlement by the sports ministry had a non-disclosure agreement and questioned why, if people’s names had been cleared, the issues were kept in secrecy. The settlement was for Sports Minister Darryl Smith’s former personal secretary, who had challenged her termination in the Industrial Court after an allegation of sexual impropriety against a high-ranking ministry official.

“Two ministers in the public domain, two issues, shrouded in secrecy. (The Opposition) is concerned and we do not feel the matter has ended. There is much more on the issue with Dillon. Time will tell.”