Dillon ducks out

ALMOST immediately after receiving a note from the Newsday requesting a brief interview with him during the tea break in Parliament, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon ducked out of the chamber, in an apparent attempt to avoid the encounter.

Dillon also has not responded to calls and text messages requesting a response for three days now, regarding his sale of a luxury apartment in New York City for just US$10 back to its original owner Neville Piper. So far, the only public statement he has made was a brief response to a text message to the Newsday to say, “Sorry, can’t talk right now.”

Dillon, documents obtained by Newsday showed, was listed as the seller of the apartment, located at 301 Cathedral Parkway, New York, NY 10026, just off the northern end of Central Park.

He had previously said that Piper, who is in his late 80s, had gifted him the apartment because they had been “best friends” when they both lived in La Brea. He has also maintained that he has been found not guilty of any wrongdoing. Dillon had appeared before the New York Supreme Court on April 4– the same day the new deed and transfer report of the apartment is dated– to settle the property dispute, initially brought against him by Piper’s niece, Esther Nicholls, who alleged that Dillon had sought to defraud Piper of his property and bank account.

Opposition MP Roodal Moonilal, on the other hand, believes that the fact that a luxury New York apartment (valued at least US$500,000) was resold to the original owner for US$10 suggests that the transfer was the result of a court order. “And if it is he has to hand over the apartment in such circumstances, then clearly he would have been in possession of the property wrongfully and that is a liability he carries. It impedes his work as National Security Minster.”

Moonilal said Dillon must level with the population and account for the matter or else have it cast further aspersions on his character and he finds himself unfit to hold office. He said a person in public life has no private life especially when it relates to one’s credibility and integrity. “The public needs to have trust in him and to do that they must be clear that Mr Dillon is not himself guilty of criminal offences or civil wrongs whether in TT or abroad.”

On Friday, the Opposition raised a motion of no confidence in Dillon as National Security Minister, based on what they said is his inability to handle the country’s spiralling crime situation.

Newsday asked Communications Minster Stuart Young to comment on the government’s reaction to the apartment sale, by while his WhatsApp notifications showed he received and read the message, he did not respond.