PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) on Tuesday said that judicial warrants had been issued for the “apprehension” of the Minister of Housing, David Lee, and businessman Hugh Leong Poi.
In a statement, the TTPS said that “ these warrants were filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) pursuant to Section 23(5) of the Indictable Offenses (Preliminary Inquiry) Act”.
The statement gave no details why the warrants were issued, but added that “in accordance with the legal mandate and without delay, both individuals were taken into custody by officers of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, and are presently undergoing standard processing procedures.
“The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service remains committed to upholding the rule of law and executing all judicial instructions with integrity, impartiality, and procedural rigor,” the statement said.
Before the April 28 general election, Lee was cleared of fraud charges related to tax exemptions on his vehicle as a parliamentarian.
Acting Chief Magistrate Christine Charles dismissed the charges of conspiracy to defraud and misbehavior in public office after upholding a no-case submission presented by Lee’s legal team, led by Wayne Sturge and Mario Merritt.
The magistrate ruled that the prosecution presented insufficient evidence to sustain the charges or proceed to trial. She also acquitted Leong Poi of Sport Outlet Limited, who faced a joint charge with Lee for conspiracy to defraud.
In September 2022, authorities accused the pair of conspiring to defraud the state of TT$1.4 million (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) in tax revenue related to the importation of a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, valued at over two million dollars.
The charges involved TT$293,094.02 in Value Added Tax (VAT), TT$298,650 in motor vehicle tax, and TT$824,548.62 in customs duty.
Prosecutors had alleged that Lee falsely claimed ownership of the vehicle to benefit from tax exemptions granted to MPs. The alleged offenses occurred between March 24 and June 8, 2019.
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