London judge hints of bribery in Grenada
Thursday, July 1, 2004
ST GEORGE‘S, Grenada: A High Court judge in
London has hinted that some form of bribery involving a public official took
place while the former Chief Executive Officer of the defunct First
International Bank of Grenada (FIBG) Lawrence Jones was in Grenada.
FIBG was founded by Van Brink who is now in custody in the United States after
he was arrested in Uganda to face several charges of money laundering and wire
fraud. This allegation has being around for
some time and has appeared in the Miami-based Offshore Alert financial
newsletter, which also named the person involved and the position held.
This bribery allegation has prompted calls for investigation by the Grenada
Government so that it can be officially determined who the public officer is.
A former member of the Upper House of Parliament and attorney at law says this
is a proper case for the investigative arm of the police to look into since
there have been too many allegations of bribery and wrong-doing involving
public officials that have gone unchecked.
Justice Mann of the London High Court noted that during Jones’s brief period
as chief executive officer of FIBG he sent an e-mail describing a Grenadian
public official (identified) as a useful member of a “team” that he was
putting together, and describing his as “expensive but he has the ear of
[another useful public figure] and is therefore invaluable to us”.
The judge added that the reference to his being “expensive” apparently
referred to an occasion on which moneys were paid to this official for
performing services which might be thought to be within his own duties. It
frankly smacked of bribery, and in his final speech Mr Ashe who represented
Jones in this divorce case was unable to accede to the judge’s invitation to
find another description, but Mr Jones did not acknowledge that.
He went on to say it is fair to Mr Jones to record that there was no evidence
that he was actually party to any improper arrangements that actually took
place, but his failure to acknowledge the nature of what seemed to be going on
was significant, in the judge’s view. Justice
Mann further stated "I also take into account Mr Jones’s demeanour and the
manner in which he gave evidence". The call
for an investigation by the main opposition party in Grenada and several
leading attorneys comes at a time when the Prime Minister himself is called
upon to set up a commission of inquiry into allegations of bribery involving
US$500,000 he allegedly received from a German fraudster Eric Resteiner.
Dr Mitchell has denied the allegation saying he only received approximately
US$15,000 for a trade and investment tour in Europe accompanied by two
bodyguards.
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