Apr.23, 2010, 09:07am (GMT-6)

The trial of seven persons accused of money laundering stalled in the Supreme Court of Justice John Troadio Gonzalez, when the lead prosecutor for the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Attorney Antoinette Moore failed to show up last Tuesday, April 13, 2010.

Even so the trial could not proceed as the indictment, which should have been a collaborative effort between the F.I.U. and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), had yet to be filed with the Supreme Court Registrar.

The case was traversed to the April session because the F.I.U. failed to show up to prosecute their case at the January session.

The FIU pressed charges when police and FIU investigators found $1.5 million dollars on December 31, 2008 at the Johnson Street home of the Coye family, who managed Money Gram International, a money transfer business at the corner of Central American Boulevard and Mahogany Street.

Since case began on January 2, 2009 there were many adjournments in the Magistrate’s Court, before a preliminary inquiry was held last November and the case was committed to the Supreme Court. 

The further delays have prompted Justice Gonzalez to remark to the defense Attorney Dickie Bradley in court that he has never seen the state so disorganized, with no indictment and accused persons improperly brought before the court.

One of the Coye family’s defense attorneys, Arthur Saldivar, told The Reporter, “This is the second session of the Supreme Court that the Coye family has been made to appear and the Supreme Court has nothing before it. This should never be the case. There is nothing to hinder this matter. The preliminary inquiry is completed and the FIU just did not bother to show up. This is a breach of these people’s constitutional rights.”

Saldivar phoned to inquire Ms Moore’s whereabouts only to be told Ms. Moore was at work in her Dangriga office.

The Reporter’s repeated calls to F.I.U. director Marilyn Williams to inquire the status of the indictment elicited no reply. The Reporter would also like Williams to explain why the F.I.U. is out-sourcing the prosecution of this important case when Williams, as an attorney at law, might herself be the best prosecutor for the F.I.U.’s court cases.