DPP reviews TT’s airport scandal case
In light of the United States of America Grand Jury indictment against several of the key players in the Piarco Airport scandal, many of whom are also before the Trinidad courts on similar corruption charges, Director of Public Prosecutions Geoffrey Henderson is reviewing the situation to determine if it is in the public interest to pursue the criminal proceedings initiated locally as well as those criminal proceedings in the US. Local police and attorneys have had a difficult time trying to prosecute those charged with corruption in connection with the Piarco Airport development project. The preliminary inquiry has been dragging on with adjournments for one reason or another. There have been arguments over disclosure on a number of occasions. The indictment which was unsealed on Tuesday named local businessmen Ishwar Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson, Raul J Gutierrez, Rene Diaz de Villegas, Eduardo Hillman-Waller, Armando Paz, Richard Lacle, Leonardo Arturo Mora-Rodriguez, Northern Construction Ltd (a local company) and Calmaquip Engineering Corporation. They are to face an 18-count indictment which details elaborate money transferring via wire. Newsday learnt last night that Raul Gutierrez, Eduardo Hillman-Waller, and Armando Paz, have already been arrested. If convicted, the US intends to forfeit property, real or personal, involved in such offences, or any property traceable to such property. The property forfeiture shall include, but is not limited to, a money judgment in the sum of US$15 million. If property in question cannot be located, or has been transferred, sold or disposed of with a third party; placed beyond the jurisdiction of the court, diminished in value or has been commingled with other property which cannot be subdivided without difficulty, the US intends to seek the forfeiture of other property of the defendants up to the value of the forfeitable property. Calmaquip was a Florida corporation with its principal place of business at 7240 NW 12 Street, Miami, Florida. Gutierrez was the president and director of Calmaquip from 1996 to 2004. De Villegas was vice-president and director of Calmaquip from 1998 to 2002. Hillman-Waller was co-owner of Birk Hillman Consultants Inc. Ferguson opened and maintained bank accounts for Argentum International Marketing Services Ltd at Bank Leu Ltd in Nassau, Bahamas. Paz was the treasurer, chief financial officer and director of Calmaquip. Galbaransingh was the owner of Northern Construction Ltd. Lacle is a resident of Aruba and was the owner and operator of Windy City Trading Corporation. Mora-Rodriguez is a national of Colombia. Eight indicted in Trinidad airport fraud MIAMI, USA: A federal grand jury in Miami has indicted eight people and two companies in connection with allegedly fraudulent bids for construction work at Trinidad’s international airport, authorities announced Tuesday. Four Americans, a Colombian, a man from Aruba and two Trinidadians were charged, according to Alexander Acosta, US Attorney General for southern Florida. Also named in the indictment were Miami-based Calmaquip Engineering Corporation, which supplies equipment to airports and hospitals, as well as Northern Construction Ltd, of Trinidad and Tobago. The indictment claims that the defendants conspired to engage in wire fraud by rigging the bid process to secure construction contracts for the Piarco International Airport. They allegedly arranged for a shadow bidder to submit a fraudulent and over-inflated bid, to make their own inflated bid appear reasonable. Their bids were accepted. In addition, seven of the defendants are charged with conspiring to launder money received as a result of the fraud. If convicted, each of the defendants faces a maximum sentence of 20 years jail on the money laundering charges and five years on the fraud conspiracy charges, Acosta said.
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"DPP reviews TT’s airport scandal case"