Beckles: Will Lee still serve in Cabinet?

Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles is calling on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to tell the nation if she intends to keep Caroni Central MP David Lee as a member of her Cabinet, after he was arrested on Tuesday on fraud charges.

Beckles' call came in a press release on October 7, hours after a police press release confirmed that arrest warrants were issued for Lee – the Minister of Housing – and businessman Hugh Leong Poi, following an application by the DPP under Section 23(5) of the Indictable Offences (Preliminary Enquiry) Act, Chapter 12:01.

In September 2022, Lee and Leong Poi were charged with conspiring to defraud the State of $1.4 million in taxes related to the importation of a Mercedes Benz G63 AMG valued at over $2 million.

These offences are alleged to have taken place between March 24-June 8, 2019.

On April 7, this year, acting Chief Magistrate Christine Charles dismissed the conspiracy to defraud and misbehaviour in public office charges against Lee and Leong Poi after upholding a no-case submission by their legal teams.

The DPP then initiated a process to have the matter reinstated.

Beckles, in the release, said the re-arrest of MP Lee was a very troubling matter for the country.She also be noted that when former UNC Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, and former government minister Jack Warner were arrested, while serving in the UNC Cabinet of then Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar, both were immediately removed from office.

The Arima MP said that due process and respect for the rule of law are cornerstones of TT's democracy and every citizen is entitled to a fair trial before the courts and also to the presumption of innocence until found guilty by a court of law.

However, she hastened to add, public confidence in the integrity of the Cabinet and the governance of TT must at all times be protected.

"In light of these developments, the Opposition calls upon the prime minister to immediately inform the nation whether David Lee will continue to serve as a Minister of Government and senior member of Cabinet while facing criminal charges."

Following Lee's re-arrest, Persad-Bissessar issued a statement saying, "We have respect for the courts of the land. Minister Lee was acquitted of these allegations before. Now that the charges have been relaid we have confidence in the courts to deliver a just result."