CMC – The main opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago on Friday labelled as “spurious and trumped up” fraud related charges laid against the party’s Chief Whip in the Parliament regarding the purchase of a TT$2.3 million (one TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) Mercedes-Benz.
Opposition legislator, David Lee had been slapped with a charge of misbehaviour in public office as well as conspiracy to defraud. Lee was brought before a Justice of the Peace and released on million dollars bail.
Media reports said that the charges are in connection with the purchase of the vehicle and the TT$1.4 million in tax exemptions that may have benefitted a party financier.
Lee told reporters that he will give details “over the weekend” adding “this is PNM (ruling People’s National Movement) at its best.
“I will say more later,” he promised.
In the statement, the UNC said that the charges against the opposition legislator “is the typical PNM playbook with complicit operatives within the police service designed to embarrass and defame.
“As usual the case will roll on in the local court system for the next 20 years until MP Lee will be eventually cleared of the trumped up charges,” the party said.
It said that the situation involving Lee “is a deliberate, calculated and well-timed distraction by agents of the PNM to save the government from unrelenting condemnation by the population.
“This is the start of a reign of terror that we warned about. It comes when the UNC and other opposition voices are in the ascendancy. We will never be hounded and bullied into silence. We will continue to speak out and attack this corrupt and incompetent PNM government by the hour!
“The Chief Whip is innocent and will be vindicated at the courts . We demand that this matter be dealt with expeditiously,” the party added.
