By Val Matthias. Updated 6:37 a.m., Wednesday, November 12, 2025, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, has firmly rejected allegations that he sought political favours from the former Trinidad and Tobago government to secure apartments at Victoria Keyes, Diego Martin, for his wife and children.
In a telephone interview with the Trinidad Express a news outlet out of Trinidad and Tobago, Gonsalves described the claims made by Minister in the Ministry of Housing, Anil Roberts, as “spurious,” asserting that the transactions were lawful, private, and devoid of political interference.
“I have never interacted with any member of the PNM Government or indeed with anyone in the State administration the HDC in relation to the purchase of any property,” Gonsalves stated. “The connection which the gentleman tried to make with the PNM is entirely spurious.”
Gonsalves emphasized that his wife, Eloise, is Trinidadian by birth and a former educator and designer with longstanding familial ties to the country. He noted that she followed the standard mortgage process and pays monthly instalments for the property.
“There is no sweetheart deal of any kind,” he said. “It wouldn’t cross my mind to use political influence. I had nothing to do with any of these things.”
The Prime Minister also clarified that his son Storm and daughter, both Trinidadians by descent, acquired their apartments through legitimate means. His daughter, a veterinary surgeon and UWI graduate, is married to a Trinidadian and resides in the country with her child. Her property, he added, is under a lease-to-own arrangement.
Gonsalves suggested that Roberts’ comments were politically motivated, aimed at influencing the Vincentian electorate ahead of general elections. “It exposes his political bile,” he said, “to take legitimate transactions of Trinidad and Tobago citizens and try to make people believe something unlawful occurred.”
He further pointed out that Victoria Keyes is premium real estate, not part of the low-income housing stock managed by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), and therefore not subject to the same waiting list protocols.
The Prime Minister concluded by reaffirming his commitment to ethical governance, noting his decades-long activism and electoral record. He said his wife is considering legal counsel in response to the public insinuations.
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