OPPOSITION candidate for Caroni Central and former Pointe-a-Pierre MP David Lee has been discharged of two criminal charges, one of misbehaviour in public office, and the other for conspiracy to defraud.
On April 7, acting Chief Magistrate Christine Charles upheld a no-case submission by Lee’s attorneys. Charles ruled that the prosecution’s evidence did not cross the threshold to send it to the High Court for trial.
Also discharged was firearms dealer Hugh Leong Poi who was jointly charged with Lee in September 2022 for allegedly conspiring to defraud the State of $1.4 million in motor vehicle taxes.
Lee and Leong Poi were jointly charged with conspiring to deprive the State of tax revenue related to the importation of a Mercedes Benz G63 AMG valued at over $2 million. The offences were alleged to have occurred between March 24 and June 8, 2019.
In addition to the misbehaviour charge, Lee was accused of falsely claiming the vehicle was his to claim tax exemptions entitled to him as an MP.
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The taxes in the case included $293,094.02 in Value Added Tax (VAT), $298,650 in motor vehicle tax and $824,548.62 in customs duty.
Under their terms and conditions of employment, MPs are allowed periodic tax exemptions for vehicles but are required to pay the taxes if they seek to sell the vehicles within two years of claiming the exemptions.
The charges were in connection with the purchase of a $2.3 million Mercedes-Benz and whether the $1.4 million in tax exemptions derived may have benefited a party financier.
Lee was represented by the UNC's Toco/Sangre Grande candidate Wayne Sturge, Mario Merritt and Alexia Romero. Pamela Elder, SC, and Russell Warner represented Leong Poi.
