The Ministry of Housing in Trinidad and Tobago is raising questions about how Eloise Gonsalves, wife of Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, and two of their children came to own government-subsidised houses in the twin-island republic, even as over 200,000 residents of the country are on a waiting list.
Anil Robert, a senator and minister in the Ministry of Housing in Port of Spain, raised the issue in a Facebook video on Tuesday.
He later confirmed to iWitness News that the controversy surrounds PM Gonsalves’ wife and their children, Storm and Soleil Gonsalves.
Robert said that the acquisition of the housing units was uncovered because of inquiries he made after Gonsalves was critical of Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persaud Bisessar.
“… the honourable prime minister has waged a war and attack on our prime minister, Kamla Persad Bissessar, and I couldn’t understand why he was being so undiplomatic, inappropriate and strong to … say that she’s unstateswoman-like and she’s misguided.”
Gonsalves’ relatives acquired the houses in Trinidad and Tobago under the administration of Keith Roweley, whose People’s National Movement (PNM) was voted out of office on April 28.
Gonsalves’ Unity Labour Party (ULP), which will seek a sixth consecutive five-year term in office on Nov. 27, is a sister party of the PNM.
Roberts is a senator for the ruling United National Congress in Port of Spain. He told iWitness News that it was clear that Gonsalves was “coming down … partisan sort of approach and delving into the politics of a sovereign nation.
“So, I did some research …” Roberts said.
He said that in addition to the questions about the success rate of the applications by the members of PM Gonsalves’ family, there are questions about a declaration signed by Storm Gonsalves.
“And to sign a false declaration in Trinidad and Tobago is a criminal offence. He said that from his app tech company, he makes 25,000 a month. The policy at the HDC in Trinidad and Tobago, once you make one cent over $25,000 TT per month, you do not qualify,” Roberts told iWitness News.
“So, further investigation by the police is needed in certain matters. Then, thirdly, a student, a child, working basically nowhere, gets an allocation of a house paid for by her mom and dad and brother when other citizens of this country are struggling and screaming out for scarce resources? It is wrong in 100 different ways.”
Unlike Trinidad and Tobago, SVG does not have integrity in public office legislation.
However, Roberts told iWitness News:
“I am not aware of the filings and the situations in St. Vincent, but here in Trinidad and Tobago, the Integrity in Public Life Act, one must state and declare all your assets, all your businesses, all your benefits that you receive.
“So, I ask the honourable Prime Minister. Did he do that in St. Vincent? Especially the benefit? Because the three properties at the value that he paid, they are valued over and above what he paid. So, it was a lucrative — inverted commas — investment, which will give his family an extra asset value of over 1.25 million TT dollars. Did he declare that in his integrity forms in Saint Vincent?
“So, there are a myriad of problems, and what should happen is that prime ministers and those in the Caribbean must respect sovereign nations and stop getting involved in domestic politics in such a way when they have not disclosed their affinity, affection for one political party.”
Roberts said that the three members of the prime minister’s family could lose the properties if they are found to have been offered to them contrary to the HDC policy.
“… but that would require an investigation, so I call upon the police to investigate,” Roberts said.
Gonsalves’ wife, who lives in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), was born in Trinidad and Tobago to Dominican parents.
iWitness News asked Roberts why it was wrong or inappropriate for her and her children to purchase houses built by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).
“First and foremost, three houses from one family… Number two, these are subsidised houses and in Trinidad and Tobago, we have 214,000 applicants for housing,” he said.
“To get preferential treatment like that is corrupt. It is wrong. It goes against the grain of our Constitution that the resources of the country, everyone must have an equal opportunity to take part,” Roberts told iWitness News.
“… it seems to me that the honourable prime minister, his wife and family is well off with some of the banking information you are seeing there.
“And the policy in Trinidad and Tobago is, if you are a landowner anywhere, whether in Trinidad and Tobago or other countries, you do not qualify for HDC housing.
“But I am seeing many different addresses, Silver Oaks, Petit Valley. Ask the honourable prime minister, who owns that. Is it his wife and himself? And if it is, then she did not qualify to receive an allocation of subsidised housing from the HDC.”
Police investigation should be triggered
Meanwhile, Phillip Alexander, another minister in the Ministry of Housing in Port of Spain, told iWitness News that the houses are subsidised and intended for citizens of Trinidad and Tobago “in need of assistance in purchasing their own home”.
He said the demand deficit was over 100,00 houses, adding, “… not only should non-residents not have access to the already scarce supply of houses, but multiples of persons in one family should not either.
“There are obviously questions that need to be answered, not the least of which is the clear bias displayed against the Honourable Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar in favour of others willing to break the rules for friends, family and financiers.”
Alexander said the situation should trigger a police investigation, “and whatever agreements terminated where legally possible so that these houses could be made available to actual citizens of this country in desperate need of housing. “
Documents detail banking info
iWitness News have received several documents showing bank account information and other documents submitted to the HDC as part of the acquisition of the housing unit.
They include an Oct. 30, 2018, letter from Amber Bank Trust Ltd. to Eloise Gonsalves, with her address listed as Diego Martin, Trinidad and Tobago.
The letter confirmed that Mrs. Gonsalves is the sole beneficial owner of the referenced banking relationship held at Amber Bank & Trust Ltd. since 2017 and that it had “a positive balance in the amount of USD 414,294”.
Meanwhile, a Jan. 16, 2018, letter from Bank of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, addressed “To Whom It May Concern”, said she had been a customer of the bank for 33 years and had consistently operated her accounts in a satisfactory manner.
“Based on our internal assessment, we can confirm that Mrs. Gonsalves possesses the financial capacity to purchase the property on offer for $1.9M Trinidad and Tobago dollars,” the letter said.
An HDC document to Mrs. Gonsalves dated Jan. 19, 2018, informed her that her application for the purchase of a property at Victoria Keyes in Trinidad and Tobago had been approved for the purchase price of TT$1.96 million.
The offer was valid for 14 days after which the offer would be revoked.
A copy of a cheque dated Jan. 23, 2018, suggested that TT$200,000 was paid on the property.
A similar offer letter from the HDC, dated Aug. 21, 2018, addressed to Storm Gonsalves, informed him that his application for the purchase of property at Victoria Keyes was approved.
The HDC offered him an offer to purchase the unit for TT$1,625,000 and advised him that the offer was valid for 14 days.
The documents show that the law firm M.G. DALY & PARTNERS wrote to the HDC on Nov. 9, 2018, and sent the HDC a cheque of TT$162,500 as a deposit on the property at Victoria Keyes.
The same firm sent the HDC another letter on Jan. 25, 2019, with a cheque for $1,462,500, representing the balance for the purchase of the housing unit, and another for $5,355.04, payable to “VICTORIA KEYES MANAGEMENT CO. LTD.”
Another of the documents was an application form by Soleil Gonsalves, which said that she was a student with Vincentian and Trinidadian citizenship who was living in Trinidad and did not own any other property.
By way of a letter dated Aug. 13, 2020, Storm Gonsalves informed the managing director of the HDC in Port of Spain that he intended to pay his sister Soleil Gonsalves’ “rent for the property at Victoria Keyes … in the amount of TT$4350.00 inclusive of maintenance fees for the first five years until she graduates from the University of the West Indies”.
He said he had attached a letter from one of his banks stating that he was capable of doing so.
Then, on Oct. 11, 2024, Prime Minister Gonsalves wrote to Republic Bank Ltd., in Trinidad and Tobago, informing the customer sales supervisor that he is Soleil Gonsalves’s father, and to express my commitment to provide her with TT$7000 monthly to facilitate payment of her mortgage for the address … [in] Diego Martin”.
Another document, an affidavit, signed on Jan. 17, 2018, was Storm Gonsalves swearing that he is a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago and holds a passport from that country.
He declared that he did not own and never owned any land or property in Trinidad and Tobago nor had he ever been part-owner of any land or property or owned any land or property jointly in the republic.
Storm Gonsalves said he was applying for an apartment from the HDC as a single applicant.
He said he was self-employed and owned and operated “GOGETTA”, which specialised in computer app development and that his average gross monthly income was “approximately $25,000”.
Well well well….
Now we know WHY the ULP has been adamant that the NDP is trying to get in to fatten their pockets….because that is exactly what THEY have been doing.
The AUDACITY of the PM, Storm and all of them shouting that Friday is Canadian, meanwhile Storm is proclaiming his own dual citizenship in a housing application IN Trinidad and Tobago!!! Imagine the things they do right here in SVG that we aren’t aware of.
This level of corruption must be stopped!
Hell and destruction are never full so the eyes of man never satisfy : Proverbs 27 v 20
D mow d devol get d mow e warnt
Smells of corruption in Trinidad. Let hope they have an official enquiry to let us all know what happened there. During the last 25 years, the whole Gonsalves family got stinking rich, and everyone else in SVG got stinking poor. They can afford homes in the T&T, US, UK, and the United Arab Emirates. While Vincentians cannot afford to buy a house in SVG.
The dates on these documents were observed; and it seems they fall just outside the date the AIA was nearing completion. The opposition has been asking for accountability on that project from time, which fell on deaf ears. Hope the man and his family can provide the answers the Trinidad government needs, cause it’s our tax dollars going down the drain.
But then again is Ralph, we have ministers from other sovereign nations wanting him to gain a 6th term … Go figure!
Then we have the Vincentian populace who appears to lack the notion that they can do better, and who have seemingly grown accustomed to being poor and poverty stricken. They won’t see any issue here.
Thank the LORD that I’m not a duncie head! … Go figure again.
The level of greed by this mother and son is unmatched in this region and could be compared to the Duvalier family who ruled and robbed the people of Haiti for many yrs.
Priority should be given to this matter. Urgent investigation is needed. Those houses are ours and should be returned to us the citizens of TnT. No refund to them […]
So if we recognize that it is wrong to interfere in the affairs of a sovereign nation why are we suooorting what the U.S. is doing which, legally, is a very clear violation of international Law!!!
O Sugar and honey that’s all I’m going to say, somebody get what the duck get ??? Or will be
Much to do about NOTHING. These apartments were placed on the open market for ALL to purchase. Why? The cost of its construction had ballooned from 250 mil to 650 mil. Many TT nationals ( who could afford it) purchased these units. Gonsalves kids and wife are Trinidadians, non issue. The apartments are STILL on the open market and those that can afford them are buying. There’s a reason it was opened to the public, and NOT for subsidized housing. For crying out loud, the monthly maintenance fee alone is approx $1,700TT$. I’ve never seen subsidized housing with a swimming pool, a tennis court, a kiddies play park, a club house for parties, a gym in every bldg, concierge in every bldg, 24 hours security, multi story parking with elevators. Someone is deflecting something.
Whatever did happen to the $1 million USD that tge public servant had trued to deposit into the Accoutant General’s account sone years ago. The bank could not receive it due to the avsence if source of incone declarations and otgers cobditions. Way de money did go?
Storm just bought property in Miami. He name is on tge surveyor document fir La Vue. He is an investor in Bai d’ sucre in Bequia. Same how he got set up to achieve these milestone, how Papa not setting us up for success as well? Success need more tgan a degree. It needs real opportunities!! It needs launch pads from which we can spring. But all we seem to geyt is a piece ah lumber, galvanize, a $100 dolla, ah 3% while the family getting $40k contracts, well paid jobs ( don’t forget the other son’s wife was moved to the FIU- another well paid job). Donkey was right when he say the world nah level
The question with respect to these shady deals, is where is C.Ben-David comments in all this? Having been the self appointed guru of righteousness and fair play from the town of layou and Yuremein? His silence is rather deafening to the ear.
As a reasonable man who is his neighbor and country man, the converted Jew silence is worrying. I will not reveal his true name for the sake of confidentiality. However, many of us know him by his alias as a “wolf in sheep clothing “. and a morality judge. Where is he when he is mostly needed? Is he missing in action? This is a worrying though. Should we then report to the police as a missing person?
My advice to C. Ben-David David, is if you are the proverbial Lazarus, then Lazarus come forth was the call Jesus made. So I am saying, C.Ben-David of layou come forth and answer the call. Let us know that you are alive and kicking.
Sofia FL i doubt that you really name but a bonafide alias or the coming from.the accused herself. It’s a part of the factual matrix that the HDC units ate subsidized to the extent that the is an income threshold gor applicants. My question to you is what’s was the purpose of a ceiling in the income threshold? Was it put in.olace as a gimmick? I can see who ever Sofia FL is she undoubtedly has the mentality capacity of a flea.
Come better Sofia FL, there is an old adage that goes like this,” fool me once shame on you but fool me twice shame on me” Continue to feed off the fat of the land along with your cohorts. Your rein is coming to an end. Even Rome has had its day and certainly you day have come.
I Have nothing to say I was once told If I wanted to return to S V G for retirement, Stay out of politics, U didn’t hear the name DONALD CRACK his coffers is over flowing