National Security Minister Edmund Dillon says the Government’s decision to buy out the leave of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Brigadier General Rodney Smart was not without precedence and was done to ensure “stability in the leadership of the Defence Force.”
He said so yesterday in a brief statement to reporters outside the Parliament, Tower D, Waterfront Centre, Port-of-Spain.
According to Dillon, the CDS was a career officer for 36 years and had served with the “highest level of integrity, professionalism and industriousness.” Dillon said Brigadier General Smart had never displayed any degree of political affiliation.
He said the former PP government had purchased the leave of then CDS Kenrick Maharaj. He said the extension was for more than one year and he was allowed to remain in office after his compulsory retirement age.
He said Smart’s extension will run from October 13 to April 12, 2017. He will proceed on retirement leave from Aug 9, 2017.
On the issue of the five T&T nationals detained in Venezuela since 2014, Dillon confirmed that the men—Dominic Pitilal, Wade Charles, Asim Luqman, Andre Battersby and Leslie Daisley—served their two years, six months and 25 days sentence after being found guilty as charged.
He said justice was served in Venezuela and the men would be returning home.
Dillon denied there was any discussion between the Governments of Venezuela and T&T about any prisoner exchange.
He said the T&T Government and the Venezuelan ambassador in Port-of-Spain, Coromoto Godoy Calderón, reached agreement on the release of Venezuelan nationals at the Detention Centre in T&T.
He said they would be repatriated to Venezuela via the T&T Coast Guard.