Police search Carlos John’s home

The Maraval home of former UNC minister Carlos John was searched by officers of the Anti-Corruption Bureau around 9.30 am yesterday, and documents were seized by the officers. John, who was at home at the time, co-operated with the officers who interviewed him. The warrants to search John’s home were obtained on Wednesday. Newsday learnt late yesterday that the seizure of the documents is related to a probe into a joint London bank account of UNC leader Basdeo Panday and his wife Oma, which was allegedly not declared to the Integrity Commission. It is also related to a London apartment where  the former Prime Minister,  his wife and daughters had stayed. Last December, acting ACP Wellington Virgil and Snr Supt Maurice Piggott went to London, England, where they viewed documents related to the ongoing investigation.

The UNC leader’s home was also searched by the Fraud Squad as part of the investigations into the joint London bank account. Sources revealed yesterday that Canadian forensic accountant, Bob Lindquist, is expected to view the seized documents next week. John’s Moka home in Maraval was first searched on June 6, 2002. That search came two days after UNC financier and former Maritime boss Steve Ferguson was charged with conspiracy to defraud the Airports Authority of $19 million. John told Newsday then that the officers asked to see certain financial documents relating to his personal accounts, and he had co-operated with them. Efforts to contact John yesterday proved futile. Calls to his home and cell phone remained unanswered. However, sources close to the former minister said John met with his attorneys after the police searched his home.