By Gail Alexander, www.guardian.co.tt

The State has already begun extradition proceedings for US citizens Ronald Birk, Eduardo Hillman and Raoul Gutierrez, in connection with the Piarco Airport development project fraud case, according to a top-level source.

T&T law enforcement authorities also expect full co-operation from their US counterparts in the planned extradition on the accused.

Earlier this week, 17 people and three companies were charged with fraud, arising out of the $1.6 billion construction contract.

The nine who have so far appeared in court include former UNC ministers, party financiers and one-time inner sanctum officials of the former UNC government.

At issue is an estimated $144 to $148 million allegedly fraudulently obtained by those charged.

The source confirmed that more charges were likely to be laid, including some against US citizens Birk, Hillman and Gutierrez, who were affiliated to foreign companies involved in the project. (See box below)

Birk and Hillman are alleged to be the recipients and beneficiaries of payments in four instances. These payments involve a total of $28,768,525.13.

Gutierrez is also alleged to have been the beneficiary of payments totalling $43 million, $536 million and $455.15 million in three instances.

The three instances also involved Ishwar Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson.

All three payments were made to bank accounts and services in Nassau, Bahamas.

Warrants will have to be issued locally, after which a voluminous statement of case will be forwarded to the US authorities. Warrants will have to be issued for the trip in the US.

The source said: "The process is already in train, and the first steps have been taken.

"A request to the US authorities for the extradition of the three men has been made and we are sending the statement of case as soon as possible.

"We expect full co-operation from the US side, since the Attorney General's division has been working closely with the Justice Department in the US and giving them full co-operation in certain recent matters."

A legal source said, however, if the three US citizens had fled to another country with which T&T didn't have an extradition treaty, nothing could be done to bring them here.

The spokesman noted that T&T had assisted fully in the extradition of one-time businessman Farouk Warris and Jamaat member Olive Enyahooma-El, recently, after requests from the US.

Yesterday, officials of the Attorney General's department had no comment on the situation.

New airport case adjourned to June 3

By Denyse Renne

Two former government ministers, businessmen and top UNC financiers reappeared in Port-of-Spain First Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before Magistrate Ejenny Espinet.

The accused, former ministers Brian Kuei Tung and Sadiq Baksh, former Airports Authority chairmen Tyrone Gopee and Ameer Edoo, former Nipdec chairman Edward Bayley, Ishwar Galbaransingh and Amrith Maharaj, chairman and CEO of Northern Construction, respectively, Maritime executive Steve Ferguson and businesswoman Renee Pierre are charged with corruption involving $1.6 billion, arising out of the Piarco Airport development project.

Senior Counsel Pamela Elder joined the defence team, while the prosecution was led by Carla Brown-Antoine and Gilbert Peterson, SC.

Peterson told Espinet he wanted the matter adjourned to next week, because of the complexity of the charges.

However, one of Baksh’s attorneys, Chaitram Sinanan, told Espinet the defence had not received disclosure of documents, and it was oppressive to five of the clients, since they had another matter in another court.

Attorney gillian Lucky, who is representing Edoo, agreed with Sinanan, saying there was no magic in choosing an adjournment date and advising Espinet “to bear in mind that some clients had other matters.”

Elder added her voice, saying although this was the first time she was before the court in the matter, she would not be ready by next Thursday.

Espinet eventually adjourned the matter to June 3.

High-powered defence team

• Senior Counsel Reginald Armour, Allan Alexander and Ian Brooks (Brian Kuei Tung and Renee Pierre)

• Stewart Young, Christopher Hamel-Smith, SC, and Pamela Elder, SC (Edward Bayley)

• Russell Martineau, SC, and Gillian Lucky (Ameer Edoo)

• Nyree Alfonso-Towfeek (Tyrone Gopee)

• Sophia Chote and Rajiv Persad (Ishwar Galbaransingh)

• Veena Badrie-Maharaj and Varun Badrie-Maharaj (Amrith Maharaj);

•Rajiv Persad and Gillian Lucky (Steve Ferguson)

•Chaitram Sinanan, Prakash Ramadhar, Kevin Rattiram and Imran Khan, SC (Sadiq Baksh)