WILL THE GASTON BROWNE §1782 CORRUPTION DISCOVERY CASE UNCOVER THE MISSING SIXTY MILLION DOLLARS THAT LIBYA'S COLONEL GADDAFI SENT TO ANTIGUA TO FUND HIS SAINT KITTS BANK?

Colonel Ghaddafi

If you are an old Caribbean hand, you will recall that the late Libyan dictator, COLONEL MUAMAR GADDAFI, sought to open a bank in Saint Kitts & Nevis, to service the region. Former SKN PM and current Minister of Foreign Affairs DENZIL DOUGLAS and another Kittitian official at one point visited Libya, to meet personally with the dictator, and to maKe the appropriate financial arrangements. The story goes that Douglas had the Government of Libya send USD$60m to an escrow account at a bank in Antigua, as he feared political backlash from the Opposition over the matter, and wanted to quietly fund Gaddafi's bank through his Antiguan connections within its Labour government. 

Antigua MP Asot Michael

An escrow account was set up, with Douglas, and Antiguan Minister and MP ASOT MICHAEL, a close associate of PM GASTON BROWNE, having joint control of the funds. We all know that Gaddafi was deposed in the subsequent Libyan Revolution, and died at the hands of a rebel faction. Asot Michael was subsequently murdered in Antigua, in a case where questions regarding who was actually behind his death have never been fully answered. Whether it was simply a case of domestic violence by a paramour, or a political assassination orchestrated by an unknown party has never been determined. Douglas was apparently never questioned by authorities in Antigua who were investigating the homicide, and there were allegations of a coverup by the government.

 Saint Kitts Minister Denzil Douglas

Douglas then became the only person who controlled Gaddafi's sixty million dollars, which was originally earmarked for a Kittitian bank which was then neither formed nor funded. He has never disclosed any details about the account, and there is no record that it was ever returned to Libya.

We resurrect this part of Caribbean history at this time, as a former Saint Kitts banker has recently brought the attention of the region to the fact that the location of the Gaddafi bank seed money has never surfaced, and the recent American §1782 proceeding, where an American District Court Judge has ordered that subpoenas issue against a number of individuals and corporate entities closely linked to Antigua's Prime Minister Gaston Browne  could provide evidence regarding the trail of this elusive fortune, who received it, and who controls it in 2025. 

Will the solution to the mystery of what happened to the Gaddafi money now be solved in the subpoenaed bank records of Brown associates, and is that the real reason that access to US bank records that trace back to Browne is being so zealously defended? At this point, Denzil Douglas needs to tell us what happened to the sixty million dollars.

COUNSEL FILES A RESPONSE IN THE GASTON BROWNE CORRUPTION DISCOVERY CASE, EXPOSING THE FATAL FLAWS IN THE INTERVENORS' DEFENSES; THE COURT THEN RULED IN THE APPLICANT'S FAVOR

The attorneys for the yacht owner ("Applicant") in the §1782 Discovery proceeding have filed a Response, constituting a rebuttal to the motions filed by the Gaston Browne parties ("Movants"), seeking to lift the temporary Stay imposed by the Court, and detailing the reasons why the case should proceed, and the Court has responded.

Briefly, the Response makes these central points:
(1) The Stay should be lifted, as the factors that case law have held require it to be imposed do not exist.

(2) The Browne parties have no legal Standing to Stay Discovery from those who have not Intervened, and the facts indicate that they are not likely to succeed on the Merits.

(3) The Browne parties have no protectable privacy interests here, and any possible or purported interests they have will not be injured if the Stay is lifted.

(4) Leaving the Stay in place will substantially injure the Applicant.

(5) The Public Interest in Antigua does not support a Stay.

(6) If the Court is concerned about Privacy Interests, an alternative, entering a Protective Order, limiting access to the Discovery to the attorneys only would provide an alternative solution.

The District Court entered an Order after the filing of the Response:

We shall continue to follow all development in this case of great public importance to the Caribbean as they unfold' Stay tuned.

GASTON BROWNE'S AMERICAN LAWYERS ATTEMPT TO DERAIL THE §1782 CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION

The attorneys for the individuals and entities who have been subpoenaed by the claimant in the American §1782 discovery proceeding involving the Antigua luxury yacht sale scandal have intervened in the case, on behalf of their clients, and are now seeking to quash the discovery granted by a Federal Judge in US District Court (SDNY).

Their memorandum, which opposes the Order granting discovery,which was issued on March 17, granting the claimant's motion,asserts: (1) That the Antigua proceeding is, for all intents and purposes, completed, and therefore cannot represent the grounds for the granting of the motion for discovery, (2) The claimant's Russian case, against the Turkish purchasers does not involve Browne or individuals or entities associated with him, and (3) There has not as yet been a civil action filed in the UAE, only one contemplated. What counsel is in essence saying is that the order should not have been entered, because all three statutory requirements of §1782 have not been met.

Additionally, counsel for the Browne parties complains that the scope of the discovery sought is overly broad, and really designed to defame him, and inflict economic damage upon Antigua, to which correspondent accounts in the United States are a "Lifeline." We will be closely monitoring additional filings, and the Court's decision, as this has become a case of great public interest, both in Antigua, and in the American banking sector.

COURT IN BELGIUM REJECTS THE BID OF INDIA'S MOST WANTED FUGITIVE FRAUDSTER, MEHUL CHOKSI, FOR BAIL, AS HE FACES EXTRADITION TO FACE JUSTICE AT HOME

A Belgian court denied the bail request of MEHUL CHOKSI, who is wanted since 2018 by India in the massive billion dollar Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and bribery case. Although his attorney plans to appeal, he faces extradition to his native India. Some sources have asserted that he had planned to free to Switzerland, through Belgium. Reviled in India by his victims, Choksi has alleged he is seriously ill for years, notwithstanding that he lived a lavish lifestyle in the Caribbean for years, spending the proceeds of crime abroad, to cheat justice.

The Choksi case is notable because it gave Antigua and Barbuda, which gave Choksi a CBI passport, even though he was already known to be under criminal investigation in India, and protected him for eight years from extradition proceedings, employing several different procedural roadblocks to shield him from justice. The case, which has given Antigua a black eye in the view of the international legal community, further drove home the fact that all existing Caribbean Citizenship by Investment (CBI/CIP) programs corruptly issued passports to international criminals fleeing justice at home provided that they had cash to bribe the local officials who issued them passports, and thereafter saw that the local judiciary indefinitely delayed any pending extradition proceedings.

THE PRIME MINISTER OF SAINT KITTS LABELS ME A MERCENARY FOR ADVOCATING COMPLETE AND TOTAL REFORM OF THE CBI PROGRAM; I AM HONORED

As you probably know, it is standard practise among corrupt politicians in the East Caribbean to impugn the patriotism of Opposition leaders who question their leadership. Now, no less a figure that the Prime Minister of Saint Kitts & Nevis, TERRANCE DREW, is accusing yours truly of being a mercenary, seeking to "destroy the name of our Federation." Dr. Drew, I am not receiving a single cent for advocating top-down reform of the SKN Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Program, and I am honored that you wish to smear me, for my mission is to expose the hopelessly infected mess that is Saint Kitts CBI, in which you are guilty of being the primary agent of corruption, for you approved more of those illegally-discounted passports for Chinese transnational criminals and spies than any other SKN PM. You are Allergic to the Truth.

If Saint Kitts cannot reform CBI from within, then I fully agree that the new American plan to ban the entry of all Kittitians from the United States, until you clean up the program, is not only wise, it is a radical but necessary step. Kittitians, if you want your country to become a pariah on the world stage, then keep Dr. Drew and his cabal in power, and watch Saint Kitts & Nevis become the Western Hemisphere's second Failed State.

READ THE CONFIDENTIAL LETTER FROM GRENADA IMA CEO ANTHONY TO HENG SHENG; WHERE ARE THE REVOCATIONS OF ILLEGALLY-DISCOUNTED PASSPORTS?

                                             

We are pleased to share with our readers the confidential letter, sent by THOMAS ANTHONY, the CEO of IMA, Grenada's Citizenship by Investment (CBI) agency, to the citizenship consultancy SINGAPORE HENG SHENG (GRENADA) DEVELOPMENT PTE. LTD., which essentially suspended Heng Sheng's program of selling illegally-discounted Grenada citizenships, through the use of a bogus "owner financing" scheme, whereby the applicants falsely promised to pay the balance, though there was no bona fide intention to require payments. The entire process was an elaborate fraud to circumvent Grenada's legal minimum pricing laws. Evidence has previously surfaced of the fraud of China's Heng Sheng Group .Why did Grenada keep that letter secret ? If they want to be taken seriously, they have to terminate Heng Sheng immediately.

We note that, a full month after the supposed investigation of the HS applications was to commence, there have been zero reports of the "owner financing, underselling and discounting" which was stated to be under examination, nor have any of the passport holders ben required to pay up the full legal minimum contract amount, or have any citizenships, been cancelled, and passports duly revoked, indicating that there has not been any good faith follow-up by the IMA. Therefore, in our considered opinion, the investigation was announced purely to respond to concerns of the United States Government, as Grenada is the sole Eastern Caribbean CBI/CIP state whose citizens are eligible for  the issuance of E-2 visas to reside in America. Anthony is also trying to show the EU that he is taking action.

Given the extraordinary lack of action by the Investment Migration Agency, we are calling for  CEO Thomas Anthony to immediately and publicly release details of the Investigation Findings, as called for in the CBI Committee decision, forthwith, to maintain the integrity of the IMA, and to keep prospective investors fully informed of any and all progress made in this matter. To do otherwise would call into question the good faith efforts of the IMA to correct the situation in real time. Most legal observers of the Caribbean believe that the investigation is only an act to dupe the EU and the US, and that only a few passports will be cancelled. I have already predicted that this will be the probable outcome, to give the EU and the US the impression that Grenada is fighting the CBI fraud.

SAINT VINCENT'S PRIME MINISTER ACCUSES CHINESE CBI CONSULTANTS OF ILLEGALLY FUNDING PRO-CBI SVN OPPOSITION PARTY

In a public interview this week, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines Prime Minister RALPH GONSALVES, long an opponent of the fact that other Caribbean states use CBI to fund government budgets, instead of promoting normal economic development, stated that he has evidence that Chinese passport sales consultants have made illegal campaign contributions to SVN's political Opposition, which support the adoption of a Citizenship by Investment program. The two Chinese companies, which are believed to be CARIBBEAN GALAXY GROUP and HENG SHENG GROUP,  are often in the news regarding Caribbean passports.

PM Gonsalves also stated that the Opposition, which has failed to advance any cohesive economic program resulting in growth, has consistently advocated the reliance on passport sales revenue, and for choosing China over the current diplomatic recognition of Taiwan, so as the qualify for large loans from the PRC, which he fears Saint Vincent will be unable to repay timely, allowing China to thereafter dominate SVN politics, as it has done with other East Caribbean states, especially Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica and Grenada.

PM Gonsalves, who has served for years as the voice of reason in the region, regarding the abuse of CBI as the principal method of generating cash flow to cover swollen Caribbean budgets, where parties in power used their ability to mete out government jobs to supporters in a dysfunctional economy, to remain in office, has stated that he is strongly opposed to adopting CBI in Saint Vincent, as it interferes with normal economic development. Looking at the stunted economic development of the five EC states having CBI programs, his position has proven to be correct. Their unhealthy dependance on CBI revenues, which are subject to market forces, and now the potential termination of their primary benefits, EU/UK visa-free admission status, could result in their rapid economic descent into insolvency.

BARBADOS; KLEPTOCRACY ON STEROIDS

Welcome to the Caribbean island of Barbados, where the overpopulation of attorneys has resulted in their organized campaign to steal valuable oceanfront real estate from the estates of Bajans whose heirs, often grown children who are expats, never receive their due lawful inheritance, as properties disappear from estate inventories, and end up being sold to foreign resort developers. Neither the local bar association, nor the government usually reins in the corruption, as they themselves were previously guilty of such thefts whilst in the private sector. How do you think all those ambitious and amoral lawyers can afford to build their own expensive residences? Our articles, filed over several years, have failed to draw any serious reaction, either locally or abroad; the corruption dates back several decades, and is ongoing today.

Given the fact that the status of titles to the stolen real estate tracts may one day revert to the true owners of the stolen tracts of land, how any investor can be properly advised to purchase the disputed properties, and erect a major resort on the premises is beyond my comprehension.

The government is actually no better than the country's avaricious lawyer class; when Shell Oil tendered a generous financial settlement, intended for the farmers whose airport-area land was polluted by an oil spill, the government simply kept the money, and it continues to ignore the claims of the victims. You might think that a government which is seeking to ultimately place its leader at the head of the United Nations might want to reduce systemic corruption, especially as all this misconduct is painfully obvious to the American diplomats at the local embassy, but the kleptocracy continues.

THE DARKER SIDE OF MONEY LAUNDERING IN SAINT KITTS

If you were perplexed last night, during my interview on STRAIGHT TALK, when an angry caller came into the live chat, sputtering something about my failure to disclose information about an article I had written, which involved the disgraced former Saint Kitts Prime Minister, TIMOTHY HARRIS, it was Harris' own attorney, E. ANTHONY ROSS, seeking to discredit yours truly as the messenger that evening, for disclosing non-public details about the dark 1983 origins of the country's Citizenship by Investment (CBI) passport sales scheme.

Perhaps Mr. Ross would like to himself come on the program and explain his professional relationship with the late WILLIAM (Billy) HERBERT, JR., the creator of the SKN CBI program, and whose estate was reportedly valued at EC$164 million during probate proceedings, and which represented his income from money laundering. Where did all that money end up?  The people of Saint Kitts would most certainly like to know.

E. Anthony Ross, KC

Attorney Ross apparently is still upset after I identified his client in an article as the person accepting a suspicious package, believed to contain cash, from an employee of CARIBBEAN GALAXY GROUP, upon his arrival in Saint Lucia, and thereafter drove off with him in an automobile owned by Galaxy, as I have refused to identify who took that video, or to disclose any information regarding his representative capacity for conducting that surveillance.

Mr. Ross is still known to be representing Galaxy, notwithstanding the unfolding scandal in the Saint Kitts CIU regarding the sale of illegally-discounted passports by Galaxy, and the subsequent blacklisting of two Galaxy sub-agents, RIF TRUST LLC and LATITUDE CONSULTANCY LTD. Galaxy appears to no longer maintain offices or staff in Saint Kitts, having relocated to Saint Lucia.

For the benefits of readers who have not seen the original article, we are attaching a photograph of Timothy Harris, having accepted the package, and secreted it in the boot of the vehicle, departs with the Galaxy employee as driver.

Timothy Harris, Flagrante Delicto

WEST INDIES OIL COMPANY, ANOTHER ENTITY NAMED IN THE (ANTIGUA PRIME MINISTER) GASTON BROWNE CORRUPTION SDNY DISCOVERY CASE, INTERVENES TO BLOCK THE RELEASE OF DATA INCRIMINATING BROWNE

With this Caribbean entity having joined the rogues' gallery of companies and PEPs attempting to block the claimant's access to U.S. bank account information that could show where Browne allegedly hid a significant portion of the sale proceeds and/or commission on what is reportedly the illegal sale of a multi-million dollar yacht seized and sold by Antigua without the legal authority to do so. The Declaration previously filed in this case alleges that Browne is the beneficial owner of shares of WIOC, and has a significant interest in the company.

PM Gaston Browne

Why is this case important? If the claimant is ultimately successful in acquiring bank records, it could expose not only Browne's role in the yacht scandal, but his receipt and subsequent deposit into US accounts of bribes and kickbacks in a wide variety of subjects, that confer jurisdiction for violations of the Money Laundering Control Act of 1986, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and other Federal criminal statutes.

We shall continue to follow and report on all major unfolding developments in this case, which we believe is of great public interest to the American compliance community.

IN THE AFTERMATH OF CORRUPTION, MONEY LAUNDERING AND FRAUD, THE INVESTMENT MIGRATION INDUSTRY STARTS MOVING AWAY FROM RECOMMENDING CARIBBEAN CBI PROGRAMS

                             

If you weren't convinced about how Caribbean CBI/CIP programs, especially in Saint Kitts & Nevis, need to reform or perish in the marketplace, by my interview on STRAIGHT TALK last night, the industry itself is beginning to steer clients away from the five East Caribbean platforms. One only need be monitoring recent articles being published to see that any cbi consultancies concerned about protecting their clients' investments are now start to say such things as 'WHY CARIBBEAN DISCOUNTS ARE NOT YOUR BEST OPTION." Allow me to republish an article out today from an industry consultancy, verbatim, to make my point.

I rest my case; reform or perish, gentlemen.

ANTIGUAN PEPS WHOSE U.S. BANK ACCOUNTS ARE TARGETED IN THE GASTON BROWNE §1782 CORRUPTION CASE IN SDNY SEEK TO QUASH SUBPOENAS

 

It was bound to happen; the Antiguan Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), and related entities, that the claimant in the Russian yacht case, whose records have been subpoenaed in what has been referred to as the GASTON BROWN CORRUPTION CASE, a §1782 Discovery proceeding, have Intervened and now seek to Vacate the Order and Quash the subpoenas granted by a Federal Judge, who found that her counsel had met all the requirements of the statute.

Gaston Browne

Readers who wish to learn all the names of the individuals and companies involved can find them our previous article:

POLITICALLY EXPOSED PERSONS (PEPS) FOUND IN THE GASTON BROWNE ANTIGUA CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION DECLARATION IN SUPPORT OF §782 DISCOVERY APPLICATION IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT

Given the rampant and institutionalized money laundering and corruption that exists in Antigua & Barbuda, these parties obviously want to prevent information about their bank accounts in the United States from becoming known, not only to the claimant, who seeks to recover the value of her property, but also to any third parties, especially the American law enforcement agencies charged with enforcing the criminal laws of the United States, who might later have access to the evidence. We can expect a vigorous and lengthy defense from counsel for the Antiguan PEPs for that reason.