Minister David Lee & Businessman Hugh Leong Poi Re-Arrested — The Benz Case Rolls Back In
The Case That Wouldn’t Stay Parked
It’s déjà vu in local politics: Housing Minister David Lee and businessman Hugh Leong Poi have been re-arrested on fresh warrants in the long-running Mercedes Benz exemption saga.
The charges accuse them of conspiring to dodge more than $1.4 million in taxes by abusing an MP’s duty-free privilege to import a luxury vehicle between March and June 2019.
Breakdown of the alleged tax tab:
- VAT – ≈ $293 K
- Motor Vehicle Tax – ≈ $299 K
- Customs Duty – ≈ $825 K
That’s a lot of zeros for a set of four wheels.
The Comeback
The same case was dismissed in April 2025 for lack of evidence, but the Director of Public Prosecutions said, “not so fast.”
New warrants were issued, and by 12:15 p.m. today, police executed them.
Both men went through full processing — fingerprints, mugshots, paperwork — the works.
Lee, now a Cabinet Minister and UNC Deputy Leader, faces fresh scrutiny. Leong Poi, a licensed gun dealer, also finds himself back in the spotlight.
Politics or Justice?
The DPP argues the case deserves another day in court. Supporters cry witch-hunt; critics call it accountability.
Meanwhile, the public sipping popcorn and asking: How much gas money this Benz really costing taxpayers?
Why It Matters
Beyond courtroom drama, this raises old questions about how far political privilege stretches — and whether “duty-free” means “duty-to-explain.”
For Lee, the re-arrest lands square in the middle of budget season, when his party already juggling its own PR storms.
Bottom Line
Only in Trinidad could a Mercedes case circle back like a Carnival truck.
Stay tuned — because in T&T, the only thing faster than the news cycle might be that Benz.
This story is part of our wider Trinidad Politics Explained coverage. Explore the full hub for political analysis, key background, major controversies, and the latest updates:
