WILL HAMILTON RESERVE BANK DISOBEY THE COURT ORDER OR PAY ITS DEPOSITORS ON OCTOBER 29?

On September 15, 2026, Nevis High Court Justice Iain Morley ordered HAMILTON RESERVE BANK, formerly known as Nevis International Bank and Trust, to pay over to the bank's depositors listed in the Order, their demand deposits, by 9:00AM local time on October 29, 2026. Whether the Bank will indeed tender the payments, in full, in accordance with the Omnibus Judgment, has been the subject of intense speculation in the Caribbean, as well as whether the Court, if payments are not timely made, authorize further action against the bank, including but not limited to:

(1) Issuing a Writ of Execution and Control, authorizing the seizure of bank assets, wherever they may be found, including at the bank's principal place of business in Nevis, thereby executing upon the Judgment.

(2) Issuing warrants for the arrest of bank officers and/or directors, so that they may be brought before the Court, to show cause why they should not be held in Contempt of Court, or taken into custody, pending compliance with the Judgment.

As the future of Offshore Banking in Nevis could depend upon the bank's actions on October 29, we will be reporting on all developments in this matter, as soon as they occur.

ANTIGUA'S DESPERATE PRIME MINISTER TELLS HIS GULLIBLE VOTERS HE'S NEGOTIATING FOR A THREE YEAR "TRANSITION PERIOD," SO HE CAN RAM THROUGH AS MANY PASSPORT SALES AS POSSIBLE

GASTON BROWNE and ST. LUCIA PM PHILIP J. PIERRE* had a meeting in New York this week, amidst the United Nations General Assembly opening session, with a representative of the European Commission, seeking to extract more time, before the 6/28 EU hammer comes down on all jurisdictions that choose to maintain Citizenship by Investment (CIP) programs. They want more time, three years, which they deign to call a Transition Period."

These Caribbean leaders must think that their negotiating powers will convince an unbelieving European Commission that their rogue programs, which caused all the problems, deserve even more time to sell passports to career white collar criminals, intelligence officers, international sanctions evaders, and the Usual Suspects, all of whom present a danger to the European Union. We doubt that they can save their programs from their existential threats.

Meanwhile, these leaders continue to lay it on thick to their constituents, claiming that they are effectively keeping the EU wolf away from the door. The reality of the situation is far more dire than they let on. Say goodbye to CIP, gentlemen, sooner rather than later.

_______________________________________________ *The Prime Ministers from St. Kitts & Nevis, Dominica and Grenada did not show up. Did they fear arrest, perhaps, or just close surveillance of their movements?

CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN A BANK DIRECTOR CAN BE PERSONALLY LIABLE FOR MISCONDUCT OF HIS FINANCIAL INSTITUTION - HAMILTON RESERVE BANK

HELENE LEWIS, Legal Advisor Nevis Island Administration

As Hugh Sowards, the law school professor in my old class in Business Associations was fond of saying, " Directors must Direct," and as he wrote the casebook on corporations we all used, he definitely knew his subject, Most people incorrectly assume that the directors of a bank are not personally liable for misconduct of the financial institution that they are charged with supervising, but in truth and in fact, there are circumstances where liability does absolutely attach, and the HAMILTON RESERVE BANK scandal is one of them.

(1) Bank directors can be held personally liable for bank misconduct when they breach their fiduciary duties. They owe a strict duty of care and loyalty not only to shareholders but also to depositors and the public trust.

(2) Failure of oversight:Directors can be personally liable if they completely ignore "red flags" or repeatedly fail to address explicit warnings and criticisms about bank actions. Passive or intentionally inattentive board service can be legally construed as a breach of oversight duties.

(3) Criminal Conduct and Fraud: Directors face direct criminal and personal civil liability if they knowingly participate in illegal acts, such as falsifying bank books, hiding material financial facts, misappropriating assets, or committing securities fraud.

In the Hamilton Reserve Bank case, Director HOWARD A. LEWIS, a resident director of the bank, had first-hand knowledge of its daily operation, including all active litigation against the bank by depositors who were unable to receive their demand deposits upon request, as well as other claims against the bank. He is therefore personally liable, upon any of the bases detailed above. He also held the position of ENTERPRISE RISK OFFICER at the bank, due to his former experience in compliance and government service.

Furthermore, as a part of the financial incest that infects Nevis, Mr. Lewis' wife, HELENE LEWIS, is the LEGAL ADVISOR FOR NEVIS ISLAND ADMINISTRATION. An attorney, she is responsible for statutory compliance with the laws of that jurisdiction, as she must certainly was completely aware of the multiple complaints filed with Government regarding the bank's default in remitting funds to its depositors, as well as the attendant civil litigation. There is a presumption that she notified her husband of those problems, which of course he was painfully aware of by reason of his position.

Therefore, he is, by definition personally liable under any interpretation of the law; frankly, I am surprised that he has not, as yet, been named as a party defendant by any of the victims, but as the scandal further unfolds, it is likely that he will be drawn in. Any possible or potential civil or criminal liability of Helene Lewis, or any other government official in Nevis, is outside the scope of this article.

WILL THEIR POTENTIAL SENTENCE CAUSE NICOLAS MADURO AND HIS WIFE, CELIA FLORES DE MADURO TO EVENTUALLY PLEAD OUT AND COOPERATE?

Here is a portion of the recent Government's Memorandum of Law, in opposition to Celia Flores' quest for pre-trial release. Note that she faces a Mandatory Minimum sentence of forty (40) years, which is in effect a Life Sentence. Given that ALEX SAAB MORAN has already pled guilty in his Miami case, which means he will be testifying against the Maduros, their conviction by a jury has a high probability of success.

Will she and her husband ultimately plead out? That should be considered a strong possibility, which could result in these defendants incriminating individuals in Antigua and Dominica, who had a hand in laundering the drug proceeds, and Venezuelan government funds illegally diverted by the Maduro criminal organization. If you were facing 40 years, your options are extremely limited, no matter what your lawyers say.

TONIGHT AT 8 P.M. EDT/AT, I DISCUSS CARIBBEAN CORRUPTION

 

SOURCE: NEVIS PREMIER ORDERED REGULATORY AGENCY NOT TO TAKE ANY ACTION AGAINST ROGUE OFFSHORE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, HAMILTON RESERVE BANK AND BONI

For those readers who have been asking why the FINANCIAL SERVICES REGULATORY COMMISSION (Nevis Branch) has failed to supervise the two principal offshore banks in Nevis, HAMILTON RESERVE BANK and BONI [BANK OF NEW INNOVATION], reliable sources inside the country report that the Premier, MARK BRANTLEY, specifically ordered regulatory staff members not to take any action. This was ordered, notwithstanding that both banks had serious defaulted on allowing depositors to withdraw funds from their demand accounts.

While we must refrain from identifying our sources by name, they are prominent members of the country's business community; to reveal them at this time could place them in personal physical danger. Compliance officers around the world have wondered aloud how a financial institution could be allowed to retain its license, when evidence of what might be interpreted as insolvency, fraud, material mismanagement, or illegal asset diversion has surfaced.

Whether this new disclosure will result in American compliance officers raise Saint Kitts & Nevis to the highest level, regarding their assessment of Country Risk, is a distinct possibility. Indeed, the entire country's financial structure could be red-lined as the result, causing international banks to decline any wire transfer requests, or the closing of the banks' correspondent accounts.

The financial world anxiously awaits the end of October deadline for both banks to make payment on their demand deposits to their customers; it is feared that they will default and violate the court order, and given the dilatory history of bank counsel in the active litigation, the odds are that this will be the case; Stay tuned.

PRE-TRIAL AND TRIAL SCHEDULE IN NICOLAS MADURO MOROS CASE, AS POSTED ON COURT DOCKET

"The parties' proposed schedule is adopted. Oral argument on the first round of defense pretrial motions shall be held on November 17, 2026 at I 0:30 am.

 The final pretrial conference shall be held on May 25, 2027 at 11:00 am. 

Trial will begin June 1, 2027. 

Defense Motions (first round) due by 9/2/2026. 

Government Response (first round) due by 10/2/2026.

 Defense Replies (first round) due by 10/16/2026 

Defense Motions (second round) due by 1/11/2027. 

Government Response (second round) due by 2/18/2027. 

Defense Replies (second round) due by 3/11/2027.

Motions due by 3/11/2027. 

Responses due by 2/18/2027.

Replies due by 3/11/2027. 

Oral Argument set for 11/17/2026 at 10:30 AM before Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein. 

Pretrial Conference set for 5/25/2027 at 11:00 AM before Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein). 

Signed by Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein"

HERE'S THE ACTUAL $163,000,000 FTC JUDGMENT AGAINST KRISTY ROSS

HAMILTON RESERVE BANK'S DARK LITTLE SECRET

For the past twenty plus years, I have provided financial crime analysis and commentary, first for Complinet, then for World-Check, and more recently since 2011, on my blog and on LinkedIn. Though my primary focus has always been money laundering, there are usually other financial crimes which are part of each story.

Crime and the resulting punishment after conviction are generally normal components of my articles, but there are instances where the ends of justice never seem to occur. Consider a few of the more glaring examples: the Iranian sanctions evader who curiously receives "Time Served", rather than the Life Sentence his offenses so richly deserve. The Middle Eastern banker from Malta with the CBI passport whose case is magically dropped to purported Brady violations, and who goes on to live in the United States, with his extended family. The California career criminal who continues to exploit female victims with impunity, while the FBI chooses to ignore his conduct. I have reported on a number of such cases.

All these individuals have successfully participated in that dark, and generally unreported, aspect of our criminal justice system, that of Confidential Informants rendering Substantial Assistance, which often results in reduced sentences, or sometimes no significant punishment at all, due to their cooperation in criminal investigations, resulting in new indictments and/or the recovery of substantial amount of criminal proceeds.

While these cases, which seldom are fully reported in the media, may be ethically problematic to many people interested in the administration of justice, they are a fact of life, they are deemed necessary. the press rarely covers the quiet early release from custody of such individuals.The problem is where law enforcement, in its interest in continuing to receive valuable intelligence from its sources, insures that some criminals are allowed to target and exploit further victims in the process.

You may recall a Florida case I reported on a while back, where a Russian organized crime figure's New York case file was sealed, so the government could continue to receive his information without his criminal role being exposed; that individual then went to South Florida to commit a major real estate fraud. Anyone conducting due diligence on that person, not having access to his New York conviction, would believe him to be a legitimate businessman, which he definitely was not. There were significant victims, and the case stood out when a judge chose to punish a lawyer for later publicly revealing the sordid truth about the individual, when law enforcement wanted to keep it quiet.

I bring all this up in the context of Hamilton Reserve Bank, which curiously still has been able to maintain correspondent accounts at two major American financial institutions, notwithstanding years of civil litigation filed by depositors who allege that the bank has illegally withheld their money. Additionally, there has been zero U.S. law enforcement actions against Hamilton funds believed to be located in America, nor any indictment of anyone connected to the bank. Do you also wonder why?

Hamilton's victims are asking why their complaints to American law enforcement have been ignored; they may not like the answer. According to a reliable source, a senior bank official is rumored to be an informant for an American law enforcement agency. Given that defense counsel for the bank has frequently interposed in pending civil litigation, that many of their depositors are criminals or tax evaders, that makes sense. It would not be the first time a financial institution alleged to be involved on possible criminal activity got a pass from U.S. law enforcement, so long as it continued to feed actionable intelligence to its agents. I leave this information to be verified in the capable hands of counsel for the many plaintiffs/victims. They know best how to dig into the past and, perhaps, find a very interesting tidbit that may resemble what I have been referring to earlier in this article; Happy Hunting. 

PREMIER OF NEVIS OBTAINED A SAINT KITTS CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT (CBI) ECONOMIC PASSPORT FOR HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR AMERICAN FRAUDSTER HIDING OUT THERE FROM JUSTICE

As we continue to make further inquiries into the HAMILTON RESERVE BANK scandal, our investigation into the fugitive American fraudster KRISTI (KRISTY) ROSS has revealed that Ross, who has been evading payment on a U.S. government judgment of $164 million for more than a decade, obtained an SKN CBI passport, to aid in her ability to cheat justice. She secured the economic citizenship, notwithstanding that it was widely known she was literally running away from a huge United States judgment, with the assistance of NEVIS PFREMIER MARK BRANTLEY, according to reliable sources in the Nevis financial community. Ross has evaded justice in Nevis ever since she fled the United States. We have identified Ross as closely linked to troubled Hamilton Reserve Bank, now at risk of being suspended for allegations of multiple instances of financial misconduct in Nevis.

The fact that Ross was able to obtain a valuable Saint Kitts & Nevis passport, whilst on the run, speaks volumes about the total lack of Due Diligence at the country's CIU, the agency charged with vetting applicants, which has a long and sordid history of selling career criminals, international sanctions evaders, and citizens of countries which are State Sponsors of terrorism. Any bank compliance officer that chooses to accept an SKN passport at account opening is taking a huge risk that he has approved an individual who should never be permitted access to financial resources. Many such passports have altered names (Aliases), bogus Dates and Places of Birth, and allow criminals to travel abroad with impunity.

Additionally, The undue (and illegal) influence of Premier Brantley should not go unnoticed, as he is reputed to be a close friend of Ross, notwithstanding her criminal history. As he has been asked by the judge presiding over the Hamilton cases to consider suspending the bank's operations, pending a civil and criminal investigation into serious allegations, and Ross may have a connection to the bank that has not been publicly disclosed, he may be faced with a decision that Conflict of Interest is interfering with being made. Whether he chooses to resign is an issue he must confront if the Rule of Law is to be adhered to in Nevis in 2026.

$163 MILLION FRAUDSTER, HIDING FROM JUSTICE IN NEVIS, CLOSELY LINKED TO HAMILTON RESERVE BANK

KRISTI MARIE ROSS, also known as KRISTY ROSS, who has failed to pay a one hundred and sixty three million dollar ($163,000,000) FTC fraud judgment fine, and whom we have previously profiled here OUR MOST NOTORIOUS FUGITIVE INTERNET FRAUDSTER, KRISTI ROSS, HIDES FROM THE LONG ARM OF AMERICAN JUSTICE IN NEVIS has been linked to HAMILTON RESERVE BANK, which was ordered this week to pay eighty five million dollars to its depositors.*

Ross, who appears to have a special relationship with Hamilton, formerly known as NEVIS INTERNATIONAL BANK & TRUST, has been seen in the bank by our sources multiple times. Eyewitnesses have stated that she "is treated like a queen" by bank staff. It is not known whether she has parked any of the proceeds of crime that she acquired from American consumers in the bank. Ross operated a fraudulent "Scareware" Internet scam that deceived its victims into thinking their computers were infected, and required costly remediation to fix nonexistent and fabricated damage to their software.

Additionally, Ross has repeatedly been seen socially in Nevis, in the company of reputed Hamilton owner BENJAMIN WEY a/k/a TIANBING WEI, which further confirms her connection to Hamilton. It is presumed that Ross holds a CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT (CBI) economic passport issued by SAINT KITTS & NEVIS, and that she takes advantage of the fact that the government of Saint Kitts routinely ignores any extradition requests from abroad, seeking to detain white collar criminals.

Wey

The complex nature of the Order and Judgment issue this week by the High Court in Nevis requires that the issues presented be analyzed in detail, which will unfold in a number of articles we intend to present here in the coming days. Readers are urged to review all of them, so as to get a comprehensive understanding of the untenable offshore banking situation in Nevis, who the players are, and how the Court, in cooperation with local and international law enforcement, is seeking to assist multiple victims.

Summary of appellate decision confirming judgment against Ross:

_________________________________________________________________

*NEVIS COURT ORDERS HAMILTON RESERVE BANK TO DISBURSE $85 MILLION TO ITS DEPOSITORS BY END OF OCTOBER, AND REQUIRES CIVIL AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF THE BANK

" IN SUMMARY, AS TO INTERNATIONAL BANKING ON NEVIS, I AM OF THE VIEW... [HAMILTON RESERVE BANK] HRB OUGHT, FOR NOW, TO BE SUSPENDED PENDING FULSON INVESTIGATION BY NEVIS LAW ENFORCEMENT, INTO WHETHER IT TOO IS SCAMMING ITS DEPOSITORS...." JUSTICE MORLEY

 

NEVIS COURT ORDERS HAMILTON RESERVE BANK TO DISBURSE $85 MILLION TO ITS DEPOSITORS BY END OF OCTOBER, AND REQUIRES CIVIL AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF THE BANK

The High Court in Saint Kitts and Nevis, speaking through Justice Ian Morley, has ordered HAMILTON RESERVE BANK to pay out USD$85.1million claimed by its depositors, by the end of the month of October, in a ruling regarding seven civil cases pending against the bank, in which depositors allege the bank failed to disburse client funds upon demand during the past several years. The decision, which came in an omnibus 222-page judgment, which ordered that all depositors be fully paid by October 29, 2026.

The Court requested that both Nevis Premier Mark Brantley and the head of the SKN financial regulatory agency,  consider " suspension of the Bank's license, pending investigation by the Regulator and law enforcement, " requiring an update from them on October 29, 2026. It also drew the matter to the attention of Saint Kitts law enforcement, and its Attorney General, asking for a "thorough independent investigation," including"if needed... criminal proceedings," encouraging assistance from the FBI and UK Serious Fraud Office, and if necessary " seeking extradition to Nevis."

The case, which also devoted a substantial portion of the opinion to another offshore bank, BONI, will be the subject of further articles, as the decision is far too complex to be properly covered in a single summary. The Court noted that, concerning this interlocutory order, there was no leave for the defendant bank to file an appeal.

Whether this decision will forever taint the offshore banking industry in Saint Kitts and Nevis, as being  bereft of adequate regulation, is an issue that observers are asking themselves in the Caribbean this week, as well as whether Nevis Premier Mark Brantley, who has jurisdiction to cancel the bank's license, will do so, and whether he will resign his office. Stay tuned for further coverage of this case,

 

ALEX SAAB MORAN PLEADS OUT, AGREES TO COOPERATE; ANTIGUA FACES A RECKONING

Yesterday, the Colombian money launderer ALEX NAIN SAAB MORAN, pled guilty to a single count of money laundering in U.S. District Court in Miami; he has agreed to full and complete cooperation with American law enforcement. His sentencing will occur sometime in January; during this next four month period, we must assume he will be extensively debriefed, so that he can quality for a filing by the United States Attorney, requesting a sentence reduced from what should be a 20 year term, given the amount of money laundered.

Who should be concerned about being implicated by Saab on money laundering charges? At the very least, these probable targets should have already retained competent American criminal defense attorneys competent to handle international money laundering cases.

(1) Prime Minister GASTON BROWNE, who made Saab Economic Envoy, and introduced him to the local financial community, through which he laundered millions in drug profits.

(2) GLOBAL BANK OF COMMERCE senior officers, who moved the dirty money.

(3) CARIBBEAN UNION BANK senior officers, also involved with Saab's money laundering pipeline.

(4) The government regulators who approved Saab's purchase of two Antiguan offshore banks. 

Saab will most certainly be scheduled to testify against NICOLAS MADURO MOROS at his criminal trial, which may cause Maduro to also plead guilty, to save what is left of the rest of his life. Could he also testify against Browne and others in the Labour Party, for a reduced sentence? I think that us a definite possibility.

Given that Federal prosecutors generally take a long time to build a bullet proof case, don't expect to see anything this year, but it will eventually happen, and things will get ugly in Antigua, as the fact local banks laundered more drug profits from Venezuela than they did in the Miami Vice heyday of the 1980s, and Antigua will, once again, be on the high risk lists of the world's largest international banks, especially those in New York.  

WATCH MY SOLTESZ INSTITUTION SEMINAR, THE SPECIAL MONEY LAUNDERING PROBLEMS OF PAYMENT PROCESSORS, HERE

If you failed to catch the seminar I presented for the SOLTESZ INSTITUTION, I am pleased to attach the hyperlink:  THE SPECIAL MONEY LAUNDERING PROBLEMS OF PAYMENTS PROCESSORS 

If you don't have the time to watch the entire presentation today, here are two short excerpts that you can view today. After that, you may want to come back here to watch all of it.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_aCmyaYHFvrLmh1DGyGbMvWmgsElndAm/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lyTFCariB5nysFrYlycQAIkeQfjZj1Np/view

For further information on the Soltesz Institution:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/soltesz-institute/

https://www.instagram.com/thesolteszinstitute/

PERMANENT SECETARY TO DISGRACED FORMER SAINT LUCIA HOUSING MINISTER RICHARD FREDERICK ABRUPTLY TRANSFERRED; WILL SHE BE CHARGED WITH DIVERSION OF FUNDS?

 

The current Saint Lucia Minister for Housing, Local Government and Urban Renewal, DR. CADELIA AMBROSE, has been swiftly transferred from Housing, where she held the title of Permanent Secretary to cashiered ex-Minister RICHARD FREDERICK. Frederick, who was placed on Indefinite Administrative Leave by Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, after videos of him seemingly engaged in sexual activity with an individual whom he allegedly repeatedly wrote large cheques to, from a government account, and who is also linked to bulk cash smuggling abroad, as well as local organized crime connections.

Ambrose, who it is also alleged worked directly under then-Housing Minister Frederick, in siphoning off government funds, could be charged in lieu of Frederick, whose alleged involvement in the cash purchase of votes for the Saint Lucia Labour Party at election time, as Frederick has boasted of his first-hand knowledge of systemic official corruption in Saint Lucia government, which would confer on him immunity from criminal prosecution.

Whether Ambrose gets the blame is a question on the minds of many Saint Lucians who are pain fully aware that Richard Frederick has ambitions upon being named the next Prime Minister, notwithstanding his chequered background, and multiple pending allegations of his theft of treasury funds, which include contributions from Northg American ans eauropean donor nations.

THE NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS POSED BY CARIBBEAN CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT (CBI/CIP) TO THE EUROPEAN UNION ARE REAL AND ARE A VALID REASON TO INSIST ON TERMINATION BY 2028

While Saint Lucia's arrogant Minister of Investment ERNEST HILAIRE  makes angry statements, charging that the EU is not longer interested in CBIa reform, but only in termination, we hasten to explain why those programs are, in truth and in fact, a clear and present danger and national security risk to the democracies of the European Union. The desperate moves by the EC CBI and CIP states, attempting to change Europe's mind about  its 6/28 termination order, and their interest in sending a delegation to Brussels, to manipulate the European Commission's leadership, will fall flat; here's why. The EU faces an existential crisis, due to real concerns that Russia may test NATO's resolve in the coming years by invading one or more of its Members, after the war in Ukraine ends. 

Europe definitely knows that Russia has designs on returning the now democratically-elected states of Eastern Europe, who were, during the Cold War, either Soviet pawns, or neutral, to their prior status of effective control from Moscow. The construction of extensive new military forward bases and facilities, from Russia's small frontier with Norway, down through Finland and the Baltic states, south across all the countries that border western Russia, especially the Suwalki Gap, a vulnerable region which it is feared Russia will exploit in any future conflict with NATO.

All five of the Eastern Caribbean CBI passport-issuing states have played fast and loose with approval of applicants, since they began their respective economic citizenship programs, selling passports to know Russian organized crime members, PEPs and intelligence agents and spies. The inability of the EU to properly identify these individuals, many of whom work directly or indirectly for Moscow, is further complicated by a number of factors unique to Russia: The ability of individuals or CIU agencies to alter their true identities, made easier when transliterating names from the Cyrillic to the Latin alphabet; the payment of bribes to underpaid Caribbean government officials, and their autocratic and avaricious leaders; the lack sufficient personal identification data from official Russian sources; and intentional falsification of true identity, in exchange for illegal gratuities. That makes the Caribbean what we refer to as "Useful Idiots" for Moscow's designs on Europe.

All these issues allow Russian agents to penetrate the EU with impunity, to weaken the Member states through financial crime, espionage, false flag operations, the illicit purchase of dual-use good for military use, the acquisition of assets and local agents, and a host of other activities designed to weaken the EU, militarily, politically, economically and socially, in advance of a military campaign several years down the road. 

Europe doesn't need more Russian bad actors, employing their valued Caribbean visa-free entry with aliases,  running around its territory, and doing damage ahead of a war. For that reason alone, the 2028 termination date prudently set by the European Commission must remain set in stone, and all the Roosevelt Skerrits and Philip  J. Pierres who seek to stop it must be rebuffed and sent packing, when they show up in Brussels to change minds.

READ THE FINDINGS OF FACT IN THE LATEST ALFA NERO DECISION, AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF

Notwithstanding the recent ORDER ON YULIA GURYEVA-MOTLOKHOV’S EX PARTE SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATION FOR JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE IN OBTAINING EVIDENCE FOR USE IN A FOREIGN PROCEEDING PURSUANT TO 28 U.S.C. § 1782 TO ADD ADDITIONAL DISCOVERY SUBJECTS, certain media have chosen to conclude that the allegations against Antigua Prime Minister GASTON BROWNE remain unproven. To the contrary, the Order has made a number of what can only be categorized as Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, in ruling that subpoenas shall issue in the Alfa Nero §1782 proceeding. You are invited to read those portions of the Magistrate Judge's opinion and order, which have been reprinted here verbatim. The references to ECF Numbers are to other pleadings previously filed, which the Court has relied upon in support of its stated findings and order.

"All three proceedings arise out of the allegedly illegal seizure and sale of the $120 million superyacht Alfa Nero. See ECF No. [1-1] at 5–17. Two trusts of which “Applicant is currently the sole adult beneficiary” owned the Alfa Nero and its onboard artwork. See ECF No. [1-1] at 5–6. “When conflict in Ukraine broke out in February 2022, the Alfa Nero was located in Antigua and was not sanctioned,” but “Antiguan officials publicly refused to allow the vessel to leave the harbor or provide fuel for the vessel except limited emergency supplies to keep the vessel functional,” leaving it “effectively frozen by Antiguan authorities and functionally unable to leave Antigua.” See ECF No. [1-1] at 6–7. 

Beginning in early March 2023, Applicant’s agent repeatedly attempted to inform the Antiguan Attorney General of Applicant’s ownership interests in the Alfa Nero and its artwork but received no response. See ECF No. [1-1] at 8–9. Several weeks later, in late March 2023, the Antiguan government passed legislation authorizing the Antiguan port manager “to declare vessels abandoned” and “sell them at auction.” See ECF No. [1-1] at 10–11. Using his new powers, the port manager “determined that the Alfa Nero posed an imminent threat to the harbor and the economy of Antigua and announc[ed] an intent to auction” it. See ECF No. [1-1] at 11. When Applicant’s agent finally spoke to the Attorney General in early April, he was redirected to the port manager, but despite “repeatedly” emailing and otherwise attempting to contact the port manager to “prevent any confiscation or sale” of the Alfa Nero, he never responded. See ECF No. [1-1] at 8. So, in June 2023, Applicant filed the Antiguan Proceeding, which remains pending See ECF No. [1-1] at 8–10; ECF No. [21-1] at 25. The Alfa Nero was ultimately sold in July 2024 through Northrop, which is a yacht broker. See ECF No. [1-1] at 14. The sale was “a private transaction” to an “undisclosed” buyer. See ECF No. [1-1] at 14. 

The purchase price was reportedly $40 million, which is less than the $67 million high bid received during the public auction. See ECF No. [1-1] at 11–13. “Following the July 2024 sale, Applicant sought disclosure from the Antiguan courts regarding the distribution of the proceeds.” See ECF No. [1-1] at 15. After the court in the Antiguan Proceedings “ordered the government to file an affidavit and submit relevant documents detailing the sale of the Alfa Nero,” the government disclosed documents accounting for about $36 million of the $40 million purchase price. See ECF No. [1-1] at 15–16. But the disclosures failed to account for the remaining $4 million, did not indicate whether there had been a pre-sale deposit, and did not include the payment of Northrop’s 4.5% commission. See ECF No. [1-1] at 16. 

The disclosures also did not identify the buyer, but according to Applicant’s investigators, the buyers were “Robert Yildirim and Ali Riza Yildirim of the Yildirim Group,” a Turkish construction and shipping conglomerate, which holds the Alfa Nero through the Maltese entity YM Thunder I Shipping Limited (“YM Thunder”). See ECF No. [1-1] at 14. Applicant’s investigators tried to review “the original sale and payment records for the 2024 Alfa Nero sale” using Antiguan public records laws, but they were unable to do so because “they had apparently gone missing.” See ECF No. [1-1] at 17. The Financial Secretary of the Antiguan Ministry of Finance and Corporate Governance “speculated to the investigators that the” documents “had possibly been moved within the custody of the Ministry of Finance,” which is run by Minister of Finance and Prime Minister Gaston Browne. See ECF No. [1-1] at 17. 

According to Applicant, “Browne was strategically involved in the acquisition and subsequent sale of the Alfa Nero,” see ECF No. [1-1] at 19, and his “administration was set to receive up to a 50% commission” on the sale, see ECF No. [1-1] at 15. He has also generally “faced various allegations of corruption, illegal enrichment, and conflicts of interest.” See ECF No. [1-1] at 19. Applicant asserted that “Browne orchestrated the sale of the Alfa Nero for self-interested purposes, and evidence of this corrupt motive would be critical in the” three foreign proceedings for which she seeks discovery through § 1782. See ECF No. [1-1] at 20. In addition to helping prove in the Antiguan Proceeding that the sale of the Alfa Nero was the improper result of Prime Minister Browne’s self-interest, the discovery Applicant sought would aid the Russian Proceeding because it was directed at the buyers (the Yildirim Group) and current owner (YM Thunder) of the Alfa Nero. See ECF No. [1-1] at 38. And it would aid the Contemplated Criminal Proceeding because that litigation would likely include “claims against Browne and potentially the Yildirims” for “transacting in or hiding criminal proceeds under” UAE law. See ECF No. [1-1] at 38." 

[TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM CASE NO. 25-cv-21129-MOORE (SDFL) captioned In re GASTON BROWNE CORRUPTION DISCOVERY APPLICATION, YULIA GURYEVA-MOTLOKHOV, Applicant]

WILL MEHUL CHOKSI'S ATTORNEY, CHARGED WITH MULTIPLE COUNTS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, IMPLICATE HIS CLIENT IN TERRORIST FINANCING?

Remember VIJAY AGGARWAL, the fugitive billion dollar fraudster MEHUL CHOKSI's Indian attorney, who was reportedly representing his alleged career criminal client in the UK, whilst only there on a visitor's visa? He has now been arrested on four counts of Sexual Assault, and has been bound over in preventive custody, obviously both to protect the public, as well as to prevent him from returning to his native India.

As he has been linked to Choksi's alleged financial support to a number of designated and sanctioned terrorist groups in India, the question arises: will he implicate Choksi, to mitigate his exposure in the rape cases, or even seek immunity from prosecution, to save himself from a long prison term in a British jail? The attorney-client privilege between Aggarwal and Choksi most certainly can be pierced, as the Crime or Fraud Exception applies. He might also be able to identify the recipients of the funds that Choksi remitted, calculating that law enforcement might find his information sufficient to give him a pass from four sexual assault charges.

Readers, if you see later that the case was dismissed, or that he was found innocent, you may have your answer. If Aggarwal cooperates with Indian counterterrorism authorities, Choksi may be in for additional criminal charges, and these would not have as release date; Choksi could spend the rest of his natural life in prison.

THE SEVENTH DEATH IN THE ANTIQUATED ANTIGUA PRISON IN THE PAST YEAR; NO TIMELINE ON CONSTRUCTION OF ITS REPLACEMENT

The seventh inmate in a year has died at His Majesty's Prison in Antigua. This death, which is reportedly a suicide, should never have occurred. Conditions there are appalling, and drugs and alcohol are readily available from the corrupt staff. Some Antiguans are claiming that the squalid conditions, and mistreatment of prisoners violates the Human Rights of the inmates. The overcrowded facility was designed for 150 inmates; However, the facility suffers from severe overcrowding and regularly houses between 250 and 400 prisoners, running at an occupancy level well over 150% to 250% of its intended limit. Due to these longstanding capacity issues, the Antigua and Barbuda Cabinet approved plans to construct a new modular correctional facility to phase out the colonial-era structure. The plans include a rehabilitation scheme and a skills development program, to reintegrate inmates back into society.

The problem is that there has been no start date announced by the Cabinet, the authorized capacity will be only 150, and there are rumours that a Chinese contractor, with Chinese crew, will be constructing the much-needed facility, due to the fact that China has reportedly agreed to finance the construction. This denies Antiguan companies the business, who employ local workers, what could provide an economic shot in the arm during difficult times. 

We call upon the government of Antigua to give the construction contract to a local company, and to forthwith schedule the project this year, not in the indefinite future, before more inmates take their own lives in desperation. 

FEDERAL JUDGE APPROVES §1782 SUBPOENAS IN GASTON BROWNE ALFA NERO CORRUPTION AND MONEY LAUNDERING CASE

Four months after a §1782 Discovery Application was filed, seeking financial information regarding Antigua Prime Minister GASTON BROWNE'S alleged theft of six million dollar dollars from sales proceeds in the ALFA NERO luxury yacht scandal, a United States District Court Magistrate Judge has entered an order authorizing the issuance of subpoenas. Browne has publicly but deceptively stated that the case was over last year, when an appellate court struck down an earlier application on procedural grounds. This was a misstatement of material fact, as the case was not dismissed, but remained active.

The Supplemental Application, which was filed after Browne brought Defamation charged against the lawyer and law firm that represents the victim, the Alfa Nero's owner, gave the Court new jurisdiction to approve Discovery against PM Browne, members of his immediate family, related corporate entities and individuals closely associated with him, who are classified as POLITICALLY EXPOSED PERSONS, or PEPs.

The Court has required a Status Report of the Plaintiff on or before November 9, 2026. The information sought in the subpoenas could serve as evidence against Browne and others for money laundering and other charges in the United States, as the money involved was in United States Dollars (USD), and transited the US banking structure, both when payment was made, and when the illegal diversion of funds was funneled through bank accounts located in the U.S. We will be closely following unfolding developments in this case, and readers can expect regular updates, as it has become a case of great public interest, both in America, as well as in the Caribbean.

WILL SAINT LUCIA'S CONTROVERSIAL ONE-SIDED CONTRACT WITH GLOBAL PORTS HOLDING BE SET ASIDE AND CANCELLED?

In 2023, a contract was signed between the Saint Lucia Ministry of Tourism and the private company Global Ports Holding to manage, operate and redevelop cruise operations at Port Castries and Soufrière Bay in Saint Lucia. The agreement appears to be highly questionable in its face. It has an initial term of 30 years, with the option of an additional 10-year extension, bringing the potential total to 40 years.

Under the agreement, Global Ports Holding PLC, registered in the UK but organized in Turkey, and reportedly owned by Turkish nationals, will collect approximately US$10 per cruise passenger, while only around US$1 per passenger will go to the government treasury. Based on approximately 700,000 cruise passengers annually, the estimated revenue distribution would be:

SLASPA (government share): Approximately US$700,000 annually
Global Ports Holding: Approximately US$6.3 million annually

Global Ports Holding took over the port operations in early 2024 and began collecting passenger fees. However, after approximately two years, it has reportedly not begun any expansion work. In essence, Saint Lucia Government officials handed control of approximately US$7 million in annual passenger-fee revenue to a private company, revenue that should have benefited the government treasury. If multiplied by 40 years it becomes USD $ 280 million loss to St Lucia.

Will this contract, said by many to be unconscionable, and a gross insult to the citizens of Saint Lucia, be set aside, either by a court of competent jurisdiction, or the country's Parliament? We shall see, as more facts emerge that appear to make it either unenforceable, illegal, or even Ultra Vires; We will be watching.

ALEX SAAB MORAN MIAMI FEDERAL TRIAL POSTPONED UNTIL NOVEMBER: IS SOMETHING IN THE WORKS BEHIND THE SCENES?

We are advised that UNITED STATES vs. ALEX SAAB MORAN, (SDFL), which was scheduled to commence today, has been postponed until November 16, 2026. The reason given by the Court was to allow the defense team more time to review the evidence.

A virtual Calendar Call will occur on November 10, 2026. Whether this is really a smokescreen to allow Saab additional time to negotiate and finalize a Plea Agreement, where he pleads guilty to reduced charges, and renders Substantial Assistance (Cooperation with law enforcement) is a distinct possibility, as Saab was previously intensively involved in making a deal in a prior case. If that does occur, we expect additional indictments, of both Venezuelan nationals as well as individuals in Antigua and Barbuda. Stay tuned.