Ronald Birk arrives to answer corruption charges

At eight o’clock this morning, Birk will surrender to officers of the Anti-Corruption Bureau at the Bureau’s Upper Henry Street, Port-of-Spain offices and will be accompanied by Trinidadian attorney Pamela Elder SC, who is now appearing for all three Americans — the other two being Raul Gutierrez and Eduardo Hillman Waller Jr.

Birk will be processed by the investigators and then taken before the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court later this morning. Newsday learnt that Birk, a partner in Birk-Hillman Consultants, decided to come to Trinidad and surrender to avoid the embarrassment which Hillman experienced at Miami International Airport on August 5. Birk, through his attorneys, will apply for bail when he appears before the magistrate.

Meanwhile, Hillman is expected to arrive in Trinidad at 1.31 pm today aboard American Airlines flight 1669 from Miami. He is expected to be taken straight to the Anti-Corruption Bureau and then before a magistrate later this afternoon.

Hillman, 70, will be escorted to Trinidad by two local policemen who flew to Miami yesterday. He was arrested at Miami International Airport on August 5 on a provisional warrant for his extradition as he was about to board a flight to Colombia.

He stayed at the Miami Federal Detention Centre for five days before he was granted US$250,000 bail. Although he was granted bail, he could not leave his Coral Gables residence in Florida. Hillman agreed to travel to Trinidad to fight his charges, instead of contesting the extradition.

Birk and Hillman bring to 13 the number of persons charged with the second Piarco Airport Terminal Project investigations. Gutierrez surrendered to the TT police several months ago and was granted $2 million bail.

The three foreigners are charged jointly with ten other persons — Steve Ferguson, Ish Galbaran-singh, Amrith Maharaj, former Government Ministers Brian Kuei Tung and Sadiq Baksh, Ameer Edoo, Tyrone Gopee, Peter Cateau, Edward Bayley and Renee Pierre. Five companies were also charged with these offences. The preliminary inquiry has been adjourned to September.