‘A network of corruption’

THE Bob Lindquist investigations, which have so far cost taxpayers $21 million, have uncovered a corrupt network which saw the movement of large sums of money by companies and individuals into bank accounts in several places including the Bahamas. The money paid off the private bank loans and credit cards of individuals, and bought cars, homes and appliances such as air-condition units. According to information obtained by Newsday, the corrupt web pulled in former wives, wives, girlfriends and children who figured prominently in some of the documentation detailing the alleged corrupt payments. The Bahamas was the location of at least three companies which were used as conduits for the disbursement of funds illegally obtained for contracts for the development of  Piarco Airport.

In one case, a Nassau-based company owned by a Trinidad executive was cited as receiving on June 27, 1997 US $150,000 “without reason or justification.” In another case, another Nassau company owned by the same executive and a Trinidadian businessman, was named as the beneficiary of two payments totalling US $2.1 million. The money was paid between February 2 and August 16, 2000. The Nassau company then divided the funds, disbursing US $335,000 to clinch a real estate deal for a former government official, US $318,000 went to the businessman and US $1.5 million to the executive. In yet another transaction involving a third Nassau company owned by the same two Trinidad businessmen, nine payments were received between August 2000 and January 31, 2001 totalling US$ 1.7 million for the benefit of these two men.

But not only foreign companies with interlocking directorships involving local businessmen were used as funnels for funds but also a local company, owned by a woman, featured prominently in the findings of the Lindquist probe. This company on August 27, 1999 received payments amounting to TT $300,000 for a businessman and then used this money to pay off the debts on two VISA credit cards of a former official, before depositing $80,000 in his personal bank account. Some of the alleged corrupt money was also channelled through professionals, namely attorneys both here and abroad. In one instance, some $9.2 million was given to a professional who then distributed the funds to pay off a mortgage loan, buy a car for a former official, purchase US $1 million for deposit into the personal bank account in Miami of the same official and deposit $289,581.32 into the individual’s account. The role of foreign consultants as facilitators in the process was also acknowledged. Payments of US $101,196 to a foreign partner were deemed to be “excess renumeration.” And a discharge of US $478,222,39 to another partner was also felt to be corruptly received. This money was used to repay a bank loan held in the name  of the individual.

Lindquist’s investigations have been conducted over an extendsive period, spanning 2000 to the present. Prime Minister Patrick Manning in defending the expenditure of the investigations, stressed that his government viewed the payments not “so much as the cost in terms of  dollars  and cents but the cost to the integrity of the society and how important it is that we ensure that persons who have violated their oath of office are brought to justice.” The results of the investigations, according to sources, are with the Director of Public Prosecution, who under the Constitution is the independent body charged with the responsibility of deciding whether or not charges can be preferred against any of the persons named in the investigation.