BARATARIA MP Saddam Hosein wants Prime Minister Stuart Young to investigate Housing Minister Adrian Leonce's former business ties with a man who is under police scrutiny in the United Kingdom (UK).
At a press conference at UNC headquarters in Chaguanas on March 26, he described Young's acceptance of Leonce's explanation at face value as a lack of judgment.
On March 24, in a statement, Leonce confirmed starting a registered company in the UK with a Trini-born man who was introduced to him by a mutual friend.
The company was registered in September 2023, while Leonce was then Minister in the Ministry of Housing. He said in the statement that he terminated the company and all relations with the man in July 2024, after being informed that he (the man) was under police investigation in the UK.
Hosein raised several issues with Leonce's account.
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Apart from questioning why an MP and a then junior minister wanted to earn foreign exchange, he said Leonce could have used his grandmother or any other relatives he has in the UK, to set up the company, instead of relying on a person introduced to him by a mutual friend. Leonce's statement indicated his grandmother lives in the UK.
"So you have all of this family, all of these friends in the UK but you chose to go into business with (man's name called.) Mr Leonce, we cannot and we simply will not buy your explanation with respect to this particular manner."
Hosein, an attorney, said UK laws do not require a resident be on the company's directorship for registration, making it unnecessary for Leonce to have needed the man's assistance.
"When you are registering a company in the UK, you are entitled to appoint not two (but) one director. The law in Trinidad and Tobago is clear, the minimum amount of directors must be two. In the UK, according to their guidelines, you must have at least one director. The director must be over the age of 16 and directors who do not live in the UK must have a UK-registered office address."
"So Minister Leonce is playing smart with foolishness when he tells the country and tells the prime minister, 'Listen, I need to make this man a director of my company in order to get to use his address. That is totally untrue."
Hosein said according to the UK registry, the man was the only other shareholder apart from Leonce.
"This raises serious concerns and the facts all point to that there was a clear business arrangement."
While Leonce said the company was intended to be an engineering and construction firm, Hosein said it was listed in the registry as "other transportation support activities."
He also refuted Leonce's claim that the company was registered at a time when the Laventille East/Morvant MP was leaving politics. He cited newspaper interviews with Leonce in December who at that time expressed an interest in running for office again.
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"Today the opposition calls on Prime Minister Stuart Young to immediately launch an investigation into this matter and relieve Leonce of his ministerial portfolio. We are asking the acting Commissioner of Police to also launch a police investigation into this matter.
"We are calling on the Integrity Commission to determine whether or not Minister Leonce filed and declared beneficial ownership in this particular company to the commission for its filings for the year 2022."
