Georgetown: Former Commissioner of Police in Antigua, Rawlston Pompey, has described the police notice issued by the Antiguan government for Sir Ronald Sanders to present himself is “nothing short of a political smear.” Sanders, an international business consultant and newspaper columnist attached to the Kaieteur News paper in Guyana, was named along with former Antiguan Prime Minister, Lester Bird, as being a person of interest in an ongoing fraud matter. “It seemed odd that one may wish to make a public appeal for persons not classified as "fugitives from justice. If there was credible or "prima facie evidence” against identified or known persons in the commission of criminal acts, "warrants of arrest” maybe obtained from the Courts. If jurisdiction is known where suspects reside, then an extradition request may be made,” the former Police Commissioner said.
Two days ago, the Baldwin Spencer administration announced that it had a special interest in a number of people. The primary persons in the police investigation which has been going on for eight years now are the Leader of the Opposition, former Prime Minister, Lester Bird, former Ambassador Ron Sanders and a member of Parliament and former Minister of the Government, Asot Michael. The other principal person in the investigation was a multi-billionaire owner of bank and oil refining and shipping companies, Bruce Rappaport, who is now deceased but whose estate settled the US$12M civil claim in a Miami Court. Rappaport’s estate, however, refuted any wrongdoing. The government is, therefore, owed no money.
The government has already withdrawn a civil case against Bird and Michael over the same investigation from the Courts in Miami. It has also stopped a Commission of Inquiry which it started and then had to abort. Despite the furor, the Antiguan Government has merely said that it is conducting a criminal investigation into a matter of fraud. It also said that most of the people of significant interest or “individuals of interest” have already assisted with investigations by presenting themselves to the police.
The investigation concerned the repayment of monies to Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Company Limited which had made a loan to the Bird Administration. The repayment would have amounted to US$121 million. The government is alleging that the fraud would have seen the siphoning off of some $61 million. The repayment of the IHI loan to which this investigation refers was negotiated by Bruce Rappaport, as an accredited agent of the government with full Cabinet approval in 1996, some 15 years ago.
When a call was made to Sir Ron Sanders, he said that he writes a syndicated column, and has been doing so for the last two years.
“I have been a member of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group. I am a member of the Friends of the Democratic Charter at the invitation of President Jimmy Carter, and I have a website on the Internet. I am not in hiding. Anyone who can't find me isn't looking.”
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