Young defends father

AN emotional Minister of National Security Stuart Young threatened legal action against a media house and the Opposition Leader saying it was the last straw for his father to be improperly accused of having brokered state loan agreements. He held a briefing at his Port of Spain office on Sunday.

Tracing his entry into politics as a temporary opposition senator in 2014, he said since then he has sought to protect his office and the country, including in his negotiations with the world’s most sophisticated energy companies. Young said from day one he has always been careful not to get into any conflict of interest, yet has seen the Opposition allegedly make up lies about him.

“You can’t find anything on me. The Opposition then resorts to attacking my brother Angus Young and my father Richard Young.”

Young said he had been pained to see the Opposition’s attacks on Angus, as CEO of NCB Global Finance (NCBGF), the Caribbean’s second largest indigenous bank after Republic Bank. He said Angus was a mere employee of NCBGF – a reputable bank which had got just 3.4 per cent of the financing arranged by the Ministry of Finance by competitive tendering.

Of Persad-Bissessar’s claims of him missing 57 Cabinet minutes by recusance, Young said he had only missed the debate on relevant matters, not any whole Cabinet meeting.

Regarding her asking why the Government had to go to a bank to arrange loans, he said this question shows she has no understanding of financing.

Young said he had never discussed business with Angus who had addressed allegations in his own statement. He promised legal action against former opposition senator Wade Mark for comments once made on the matter at Diego Martin. Young said the United National Congress (UNC) had stepped over the line in their comments on his father Richard Young and Angus. He said Richard Young had served TT for years, under governments other than those of the People’s National Movement (PNM), naming the past prime ministers under whom Richard Young had served.

Under ANR Robinson he had been on the National Housing Authority board, under Basdeo Panday on the Y2K implementation committee and under Kamla Persad-Bissessar on the Economic Development Board. “That is who Richard Young is, always about national service.”

What pushed matters over the line for Young was a news story on Saturday alleging Richard Young was a broker and the Young family were NCBFG shareholders.

“Where do they even get Richard Young as a broker? Richard Young was never a broker to the Government from 2015-2020. Richard Young is retired.”

He said he was pained to see a similar tabulation published by a media house being issued by the Opposition which both mentioned his father, now 70. Young said all anyone has is their name and reputation. He promised legal action against the media house and maybe also Persad-Bissessar.

Young said when he as at the Ministry of the Attorney General he had led the fight against corruption, such that all contracts in TT are now tendered.

“I’m a political target. I know why. No one could ever say Stuart Young gave a favour.”

Saying he wished he were a millionaire, Young said he had left his private law practice in his prime to serve TT. On the 2020 general election, he said, “I had a choice to make to put myself up for another five years. I felt the country needed good and decent people. God forbid if the UNC gets back into office.”

Later in the question session, he said he drew much strength from the Prime Minister whom he said had also been subject to spurious allegations.