According to inside sources, a caller, who stated that he was with the Chambers of the Attorney General of Dominica, Levi Peter, contacted the United States Embassy, in Bridgetown, Barbados, and advised that his office intended to cooperate, with US authorities, in the ongoing investigation, involving Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, and the Iranian nationals, Alireza Monfared, Babak Zanjani, and Reza Zarrab.
The question remains: exactly whom is the Attorney General acting for ? Only two choices are possible:
(1) The Prime Minister; the fact that he is under investigation has now been verified, and he may wish to cooperate.
(2) Other senior individuals in the Government of Dominica, who obviously do not want the reputation of their country dragged through the mud, due to a possible criminal indictment of their Head of State.
Before you say it cannot happen, it might be well to note that that the United States is not shy about bringing criminal charges against the leaders of Caribbean countries. We remember the cases against former Chief Minister Norman Saunders, of the Turks & Caicos Islands, and General Manuel Noriega. Saunders was arrested when he came to Miami, after pocketing a huge bribe, and Noriega was arrested after Panama was invaded by the US military.
It is, of course, possible for the Prime Minister to receive immunity from prosecution, in exchange for his Substantial Assistance, which may involve testimony at trial, in US District Court, in New York. In a plea agreement, however, he might be compelled to disgorge any illicit income that he received, as the result of his role in obtaining a Dominican diplomatic passport for Monfared. The Prime Minister is said to maintain substantial bank accounts outside of Dominica, and he could be required to surrender control of those assets, which we are aware of, and which will be the subject of our next story from Dominica.
The question remains: exactly whom is the Attorney General acting for ? Only two choices are possible:
(1) The Prime Minister; the fact that he is under investigation has now been verified, and he may wish to cooperate.
(2) Other senior individuals in the Government of Dominica, who obviously do not want the reputation of their country dragged through the mud, due to a possible criminal indictment of their Head of State.
Before you say it cannot happen, it might be well to note that that the United States is not shy about bringing criminal charges against the leaders of Caribbean countries. We remember the cases against former Chief Minister Norman Saunders, of the Turks & Caicos Islands, and General Manuel Noriega. Saunders was arrested when he came to Miami, after pocketing a huge bribe, and Noriega was arrested after Panama was invaded by the US military.
It is, of course, possible for the Prime Minister to receive immunity from prosecution, in exchange for his Substantial Assistance, which may involve testimony at trial, in US District Court, in New York. In a plea agreement, however, he might be compelled to disgorge any illicit income that he received, as the result of his role in obtaining a Dominican diplomatic passport for Monfared. The Prime Minister is said to maintain substantial bank accounts outside of Dominica, and he could be required to surrender control of those assets, which we are aware of, and which will be the subject of our next story from Dominica.
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