PRIME Minister Stuart Young says he is satisfied with the explanation given by Housing Minister Adrian Leonce about a business link he had with a person with alleged criminal ties in the UK.
Young made this statement to the media at Belmont Secondary School on March 25, after participating in a nomination day dry run held by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) for candidates contesting the Port of Spain North/St Ann's West constituency in the April 28 general election.
Young is the incumbent MP and PNM's candidate for that constituency. He referred to a statement released on Monday by Leonce on the matter.
"You would have seen a statement from the honourable Adrian Leonce yesterday. I perused his statement very carefully," Young said.
Asked if he spoke with Leonce directly, Young said, "Yes. When I saw the newspaper article I did have a conversation with him. The statement is in line with what he told me."
He added, "What we have seen is his explanation that there was the registration of a company. We have seen why it ended up with that individual and immediately upon being known the action that he took which is to come off of the company."
Young said he was told the company never did any kind of trading.
He did not comment on claims by Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal, at the launch of the UNC's general election campaign in San Fernando on March 25, that he (Young) knew about this business before Leonce was appointed Housing Minister on March 17.
Young was sworn in as prime minister on that day.
He said, "This is a season where you will get a lot of allegations. You will get a lot of propaganda."
Young added, "So what I saw in his statement yesterday. That's his assurance as he's giving not only to me, the PM, but the population. And I believe that in Trinidad, he has provided his statement, so we go with that."
In his Monday statement, Leonce said, "For the record, I categorically deny any involvement whatsoever in any illegal activity, either directly or indirectly,"
Leonce said after deciding not to return to electoral politics, he decided to revive a business interest in the UK which he was working on forming, prior to entering politics in 2015.
He said a friend put him in touch with a person in the UK who assisted in forming the company and having it registered in September 2023.
At that time, Leonce was Minister in the Ministry of Housing which was then headed by Camille Robinson-Regis who is now the attorney general.
Leonce said in his statement that in July 2024, he was informed that the man with whom he was listed jointly as a director of his (Leonce) UK company, was the subject of an investigation, "unbeknownst to me."
Leonce said he immediately contacted the man and told him to terminate the company, "and that I will be severing all connections with him.
"The company was terminated on July 17, 2024. I have no affiliation with the individual other than this and know nothing of his business dealings or other activities."
COPS: NO PROBE
ON MP LEONCE
