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Canadian exchange suspends shares linked with Grenada bank

February 28, 2001
The Canadian Venture Exchange has suspended trading in the shares of two companies that are linked to insolvent Grenada-registered Cambridge International Bank & Trust. It is the latest regulatory action to be taken involving the now-defunct First International Bank of Grenada group, whose activities have been filling pages of newspapers all over the world recently.

Grenada bank with dignitaries as directors implicated in fraud

February 28, 2001
A bank whose directors include an ex-Prime Minister, a former Governor-General and two Justices of the Peace has become Grenada's latest offshore financial institution to be implicated in fraud. A promoter and 'Honorary Director' of Windsor International Bank & Trust, Douglas E. Castle, is being sued in the United States for allegedly defrauding a client of $244,636.

BCCI v. Bank of America et al: Judicial Assistance

February 2, 2001
Bank of Credit and Commerce International (in liquidation) v. Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association, BankAmerica International, and BankAmerica Corporation at the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands.

FIBG crook Van Brink marries young woman in Uganda

January 31, 2001
American conman Van A. Brink, the founding chairman and CEO of the First International Bank of Grenada, recently married a considerably younger local woman in Uganda, where he fled just before FIBG collapsed in 2000 with an estimated $150 million stolen from depositors.

Suisse Security Bank & Trust has $4.5M frozen & seized

January 31, 2001
Bahamas-based Suisse Security Bank & Trust is fighting two lawsuits in the United States which have resulted in $1.47 million of its assets being seized and another $3 million frozen. The bank is currently waiting for the outcome of an appeal against a default judgment in Florida in 1998 which will determine whether the seized $1.47 million has been lost forever.

Manager of Liberty International Bank answers allegations

January 31, 2001
The manager of a Nauru-registered bank that appears to be operated illegally from Nevis said he did not realize he was doing anything wrong and will take steps to correct the matter. Dennis L. Shollenburg also said that a lawsuit that has been filed against him and others in the US by plaintiffs alleging investment fraud involving his previous bank had not been served on him.

Cayman Islands banks told not to promote secrecy

January 31, 2001
Financial institutions based in the Cayman Islands have been advised by the local Monetary Authority that they should not promote themselves "exclusively or primarily on confidentiality or secrecy".

Details of $50 m lawsuit re. Cambridge International Bank

January 31, 2001
In one of the latest lawsuits to be filed as part of the on-going Grenada banking scandal, creditors of Cambridge International Bank & Trust claim to have been defrauded of $50 million.Cambridge, which began life as a sub-bank of the First International Bank of Grenada, offered annual interest rates of up to 51 per cent per annum, according to the complaint.

FIBG put into liquidation, founder weds Ugandan woman half his age

January 31, 2001
A petition to wind-up the First International Bank of Grenada was filed by the Grenada government on January 12, with PricewaterhouseCoopers appointed as liquidator. In the petition, the government announced that US$206 million of clients' principal went into FIBG and that an additional US$266 million of interest is owed to creditors.

Bank of Bermuda takes $10 m charge

January 31, 2001
The Bank of Bermuda has taken a $10 million charge in its latest quarterly results to reflect the collapse of its investment in e-commerce firm, First Ecom.com.

Break out the vodka: MRM buys Valmet Group

December 31, 2000
Mutual Risk Management is due to complete the purchase of Bermuda-registered financial services firm Valmet Group by January 2, 2001. In acquiring Valmet, MRM is taking over an entity that has received much international publicity over the last few years due to its ties with Russia.

Robin Cotterell: ‘US investigators wanted me to give up my clients’

December 31, 2000
Nevis-based offshore provider Robin Cotterell claims that US investigators asked him to disclose confidential information on his firm's clients in return for leniency on money laundering charges. Details of a failed attempt to persuade Cotterell to break Nevis' confidentiality laws are contained in a statement issued on his behalf following his acquittal on November 28, 2000.

British Trade & Commerce Bank’s claim of frozen assets not true, says adversary

December 31, 2000
A claim by Dominica-based British Trade & Commerce Bank that its liquidity problem is substantially due to having its assets frozen by a Canadian court is in dispute. The Plaintiffs in the only known lawsuit against BTCB in Canada told Offshore Alert that no assets have been frozen as a result of the action, which contradicts BTCB's public stance.

Bahamas firms terminate Imperial Consolidated’s HINT MasterCard

December 31, 2000
The UK-based Imperial Consolidated Group has suffered another blow with the forced termination of its HINT MasterCard offshore credit card program, which was operated from the Bahamas. Leadenhall Bank & Trust, which issued the card, and Axxess International, which administered it, withdrew their support in November due to concerns over Imperial Consolidated's credibility.

Bank Crozier licensed in St. Lucia, plans to move HQ from Grenada

December 31, 2000
Grenada's oldest offshore bank, Bank Crozier, is moving its headquarters to St. Lucia, where it has become the first bank to be licensed under the International Banks Act 1999. The Swedish-owned bank, which began operations in Grenada in 1997, expects to complete the move in the New Year.

TCI regulator: Harris Organization investment trust not registered here

December 31, 2000
Offshore Alert has uncovered another dubious investment fund being promoted by The Harris Organization financial services group of Panama. The objective of the Washington Pacific Investment Fund is "to achieve a rate of return of 100% per annum" by investing in "mortgage backed securities and liens", according to a prospectus.

Imperial’s HINT MasterCard terminated by Bahamas bank

December 21, 2000
The Bahamas-based HINT MasterCard credit card program that was offered by the Imperial Consolidated Group has been terminated by the issuing bank, Leadenhall Bank & Trust, and the data processor, Axxess International, which are both based in the Bahamas. In other news, Brent Wagman has been sentenced to five years in prison in Texas and fined $19.7 million for investment fraud.

Reward for speculators in Bank of Bermuda stock

December 9, 2000
Investors who bought Bank of Bermuda stock recently in anticipation of a favorable government decision that would allow its shares to be listed on an overseas stock exchange have been rewarded.On December 8, 2000, Bermuda Minister of Finance Eugene Cox publicly disclosed that the bank, which is generally considered to be the biggest offshore bank, had been given an exemption from the law that prohibits foreign ownership of local companies to exceed 40 per cent.

Offshore firms sued after family trust was alleged defrauded

November 30, 2000
Some of the biggest names in offshore finance have been named as defendants in a civil lawsuit filed in the United States by investors who claim to have been defrauded of $5 million. Defendants are Matheson Trustees (BVI) Limited, Matheson Trust Company (BVI) Limited, Bank of Bermuda, Credit Suisse, of Switzerland; UBS, of Switzerland; and KPMG, of the British Virgin Islands.

Default judgment entered against Bank of Bermuda in Cash 4 Titles lawsuit

November 30, 2000
A default judgment has been entered against the Bank of Bermuda in a racketeering lawsuit filed by the Receiver of the alleged $300 million Ponzi scheme known as Cash 4 Titles. The judgment was entered against the Bank of Bermuda Ltd. and the Bank of Bermuda (Cayman) Ltd. on November 20, 2000 at the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

New offshore regulator appointed in Nevis

November 30, 2000
The Nevis government has separated its Marketing/Promotion division from its Regulation/Supervision division of its financial services sector in an attempt to improve its much-criticized level of regulation. Thomas Peacock has been appointed as Regulator for Financial Services, while Agatha Jeffers-Gooden has been appointed as Director of Development and Marketing, both effective October 1, 2000.

Offshore criminal activity continues unabated in Grenada

November 30, 2000
Regulators in Grenada are continuing to allow banks belonging to the First International Bank of Grenada group to operate on the island despite FIBG's massive insolvency, we can reveal. The National Commercial Bank of St. Vincent, which is government-owned, is also continuing to provide banking services despite having its UK assets frozen recently over the FIBG fiasco.

British Trade and Commerce Bank’s financial troubles worsen

November 30, 2000
Dominica-licensed British Trade & Commerce Bank appears to be on its last legs, if a recent letter to clients from the bank's President, Rodolfo Requena, is anything to go by. In the letter, Requena seems to be digging the bank into a deeper hole by offering rates of return of up to 50 per cent for clients who delay making withdrawals.

Robin Cotterell acquitted of money laundering

November 30, 2000
Nevis-based offshore provider Robin Cotterell has been acquitted of criminal money laundering charges following a jury trial at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. After a trial that lasted eight days, British-born Cotterell was unanimously acquitted on November 29, 2000 on one count of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Bahamas-based Surety Bank to go into liquidation

November 30, 2000
Bahamas-based Surety Bank & Trust is to go into voluntary liquidation after its banking license was suspended by the Central Bank of the Bahamas. The license was suspended on November 23, 2000 for a breach of Section 11 of the Banks and Trust Companies Regulations Act, which deals with capital adequacy and reporting requirements.  

Two more Harris Organization clients deported to US to face criminal charges

November 30, 2000
Two more clients of The Harris Organization have been arrested in Panama and deported to their native United States to face trial on criminal charges. Anthony Vigna, 68, and his son, Joseph, 35, were arrested on November 9, 2000 as they left their homes in Panama and immediately flown to Miami, where they are being held in custody.

Austria: New Bank Ltd.

November 14, 2000
Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Austria into "unknown" representatives of New Bank Ltd. and others who are suspected of aggravated fraud regarding of ZUG Insurance Holdings Ltd.

Regulators issue Cease and Desist Order against Wellington Bank

October 31, 2000
The Indiana Securities Division has issued a Cease and Desist Order against Grenada-registered Wellington Bank & Trust Ltd., which is a sub-bank of the First International Bank of Grenada. Also named in the Order were Nevada-registered Wellington Capital Holdings Limited Inc., Ohio-registered CastleRock Consulting LLC and Ohio residents John E. Brinker Jr. and Gary J. Bentz.

Marc Harris gets temporary reprieve after being closed down

October 31, 2000
After months of ignoring blatant illegalities, Panamanian regulators finally acted against The Harris Organization financial services group this month and suspended its business operations. However, an Order by La Comisión Nacional de Valores (National Securities Commission) was itself suspended by the Panamanian Supreme Court following an application by The Harris Organization.

David Gilliland pleads guilty to investment fraud, turns on his co-defendants

October 31, 2000
A guilty plea has been entered by one of the defendants in an alleged $95 million investment fraud in which funds were allegedly laundered through the Bank of Bermuda in the name of an Antiguan 'paper' bank. Benjamin David Gilliland, of Memphis, Tennessee, pleaded guilty on August 22, 2000 to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire and securities fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Grenada licenses new FIBG and blocks FBI investigation into fraud

October 31, 2000
Grenada Prime Minister Keith Mitchell is being lined up as a potential defendant in a civil fraud lawsuit following the collapse of the First International Bank of Grenada. Depositors have vowed to take action against Mitchell after his government announced that it had granted a license to a new bank called First International Bank of Grenada 2000 Ltd.

Panama suspends operations of The Harris Organization

October 17, 2000
La Prensa newspaper in Panama reported today that La Comisión Nacional de Valores, which is the Panamanian equivalent of the SEC in the United States, has suspended the business operations of The Harris Organization financial services group, which is headquartered in Panama but has its main entities incorporated in the British Virgin Islands and Nevis.

Luxembourg: Ulrich Kelnhofer et al

October 4, 2000
Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Luxembourg into Ulrich Kelnhofer, Jean-Marie Georgenthum, Renzo Vittorio Zaccuti, Vuceta Radovic, Peter Weber, Franz August Mader, Herta-Eva Gentzel and Jacques Lamit for alleged fraud.

Accused fraudster Michael Richmond used name of First Bermuda Securities when raising funds

September 30, 2000
A businessman - Michael Richmond - criminally indicted in the U.S. for an alleged $8.5 million investment fraud lied about a relationship with First Bermuda Securities when raising funds, claim investigators. Richmond allegedly told potential depositors of his Nauru-registered Royal Meridian International Bank that their accounts would be managed by FBS or Deacon Capital Corporation.

US Grand Jury investigates ‘offshore bank’;

September 30, 2000
A Grand Jury investigation is currently underway in California into the activities of two people linked with a bank held out to be based in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

Undischarged bankrupt linked with Grenada bank

September 30, 2000
An undischarged bankrupt, whose debts include $4 million owed to a now-defunct Cayman Islands bank, has resurfaced as a director of Grenada-registered Sterling International Bank & Trust. Robert Leroy Bandfield Jr., 56, known as 'Bob Bandfield', went into voluntary bankruptcy in his home state of Oregon on October 30, 1992 with assets of $282,681 and liabilities of $8,610,000.

FIBG victims obtain $373 million asset freeze order

September 30, 2000
Depositors of the First International Bank of Grenada have obtained an order from the Grenada Supreme Court that allows them to freeze up to $373 million of the bank's worldwide assets, if they can find them.The creditors are calling upon all depositors to join the lawsuit as co-plaintiffs and are seeking contributions of $1,000 each to cover costs.

United Kingdom: Michael Stanley Buchanan et al

September 8, 2000
Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in the United Kingdom into Michael Stanley Buchanan and Stanley George Mole for suspected theft, forgery and conspiracy to steal.

Jersey: Edward John Erlendsen

September 5, 2000
Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Jersey, in the channel Islands, into suspected fraudulent offenses perpetrated on the Royal Bank of Canada (Jersey) Ltd. by persons unknown regarding the account of Edward John Erlendsen.

Le Club Privé bites the dust

August 31, 2000
A Russian businessman who ran the crooked Caribbean Bank of Commerce in Antigua has been accused of running a massive investment scam over the Internet. New Jersey-based Eugene G. Chusid, who already has two pending criminal actions against him relating to CBC, may yet face a third after the SEC closed down a fraud known as Le Club Privé.

Religion and high interest rates in St. Vincent

August 31, 2000
Offshore Alert has uncovered an offshore bank that is chartered in Grenada but is operating without a license in St. Vincent, where it is offering depositors annual interest of between 25 and 35 per cent. DIAK Bank is run by Clifford Pitt, a U. S. national who has no prior banking experience and who is described in promotional material as a 'minister of religion' and 'Professor of Theology'.

Bank of Bermuda targeted in class action lawsuit

August 31, 2000
The Bank of Bermuda (Cayman) Limited is a defendant in a class action civil lawsuit filed in the United States on behalf of over 1,000 victims of an alleged $300 million Ponzi scheme known as Cash 4 Titles. The bank appears to be the 'deep pocket' of the eight named defendants in the complaint, which has been filed in Miami, Florida, under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

FIBG put into receivership, more amazing revelations from Grenada

August 31, 2000
After allowing tens of millions of dollars to disappear and the crooks to flee the island, Grenada's government finally took over the First International Bank of Grenada this month. Government accountant Garvey Louison was appointed Receiver of FIBG on August 1 and immediately started preparing to liquidate the bank and all of its sub-banks.

US criminally indicts 11 in alleged $95 million investment fraud

July 31, 2000
The US government has criminally indicted 11 people, including four attorneys, for an alleged $95 million investment fraud in which money was partially laundered by an Antigua-based 'paper' bank called 'AMPAC Bank and Trust' that maintained accounts with the Bank of Bermuda in Bermuda.