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ENERGY Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal has come out in full support of his Cabinet colleague, Minister in the Ministry of Housing Anil Roberts, as a mounting cross-Caribbean controversy widens between the Trinidad and Tobago government and St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves.

The dispute stems from Roberts’ disclosure that three members of the Gonsalves family – his wife Eloise, son Storm and daughter Soleil – bought upscale Housing Development Corporation (HDC) apartments at the Victoria Keyes development in Diego Martin under what he has described as questionable and opaque circumstances. All three – TT citizens – have threatened legal action, accusing Roberts of breaching their constitutional rights.

Moonilal, a former housing minister, commended Roberts, saying he has raised legitimate questions that the public deserves answers to. In particular how three relatives of a sitting regional prime minister were able to access high-end state-backed apartments so quickly, and in one case under a rent-to-own arrangement.