FBI probing Bajans’ overseas money

BRIDGETOWN — The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have under investigation a number of Barbadian public and private sector officials as well as two persons with well-connected political ties in relation to foreign bank accounts.

More than three dozen government employees are involved in the probe and an undisclosed number of top private sector officials, according to a report in yesterday’s Weekend Nation.

Unspecified local and foreign sources said the newspaper have confirmed that the current FBI investigation has been going on for some weeks and had “the potential to be explosive”.

On March 1 the Prime Minister of Barbados, Owen Arthur, responding to inquiries at a media briefing, confirmed that the FBI was involved in an investigation of one high-ranking Barbadian public servant and assured that there would be “no cover-up”.

He, however, appealed against “trial in the media” of anyone while the FBI and local law enforcing agencies were simply carrying out investigation.

The investigation has so far pointed to the accumulation of substantial sums of money being held in overseas accounts by persons identified. In some cases the figures are reported to be “in the millions”. And the the sums of money being held overseas cannot be explained by the salaries and known income of some of those under the FBI’s microscope.

Investigations by the FBI into bank accounts in the USA held by non-nationals heightened following last year’s September 11 strikes by terrorists against America and the hunt to trace sources of suspected funding.

However, independent legal sources have pointed out that while it may be proper for periodic examinations to be made into the financial accumulations of either public or private sector officials abroad, politicians or else, it would be unfair to equate an investigation with guilt.

Trini nurse raped at hospital

PORT-OF-SPAIN — The rape of a student nurse at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex at Mount Hope has sparked fear among the nursing staff and demands for heightened security.

The police confirmed yesterday a report of the raping incident on Wednesday around 5:00 pm at the institution where another case of rape is said to have taken place last month.

According to statements so far received, the rapist is suspected to be a former employee of the hospital who was dismissed but who has been seen frequenting the empty and poorly-lit third floor of the paediatric wing.

Female staff members, reported yesterday’s Express, now enter and leave the complex in groups and have become “paranoid” about their physical safety while on duty.

OECS Immigration moving together

CASTRIES — Chief Immigration Officers of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) have decided to form a sub-regional body as a further step in promoting joint co-operation in accordance with new initiatives to facilitate free movement within their jurisdiction with common travel documents.

This move by the CIOs followed a meeting held last Monday by top immigration and customs officials to map out their work plan to confirm with new legislative measures by OECS countries that have agreed to implement arrangements for common travel documents in the sub-region by their nationals and also to better facilitate the right to work for those who could obtain employment.

The OECS immigration officials, who are working in collaboration with the OECS Secretariat, feel there is a great need for information-sharing among their respective departments, and commended the initiatives that had already led to the existence of regional bodies of customs and police officials.

The first forum of OECS Chief Immigration Officers is to be hosted by Antigua and Barbuda. The Regional Security System (RSS) has agreed to make its Secretariat available as a co-ordinating centre for the immigration chiefs.