Trinidad and Tobago National Security Minister, retired Major General Edmund Dillon, has been cleared of any fraud allegations by a United States Court judge in a property dispute with his 88- year-old incapacitated American friend.
The civil matter was heard behind closed doors of the chamber of Judge Laura Vistiacion-Lewis in the New York Supreme Court on Wednesday, April 4, 2018.
Dillion, his attorneys and Esther Nicholls, the niece of Dillion’s friend Neville Piper and her attorneys came to an amicable settlement regarding Piper’s guardianship and property that had been the subject of a bitter civil court battle over the past seven months.
It was alleged in court documents that Dillion had attempted to defraud Piper of his money and his multi-million dollar Manhattan condo located in Central Park and that Piper had no recollection of signing over his property to the National Security Minister and that his signature was not authentic.
The judge ordered that the proceedings be sealed which effectively debars the media from report details of the settlement.
During the hour-long submissions by attorneys representing both sides, the judge indicated that she was aware of the reporting in Trinidad and Tobago media.
Previously, she had written to the legal teams involved expressing annoyance that details of a private matter were leaked to the press.
Justice Vistacion-Lewis authorized the release of one statement saying there was no finding of wrongdoing against Dillon. No further details were given of the resolution of the matter.
