Last Updated on November 30, 2019, 7:54 AM AST by Anthony Morris
St Kitts and Nevis National AssemblySpeaker Michael Perkins accused of lying to the lawmaking body when he said there was no mention of “misappropriation of funds” in the high court judgment involving Member of Parliament and Minister of Tourism, Hon Lindsay Grant and Ambassdor Jonel Powell in a civil suit brought against the two lawyers by a client.
Speaking in the National Assembly on Friday afternoon, Leader of the Opposition, the Rt Hon Dr Denzil L Douglas mentioned the court ruling.
Speaker Perkins said he has read the judgment and “there was no mention of misappropriation of funds in it” against Lindsay Grant and Jonell Powell.
Dr Douglas responded to the Speaker’s ruling to witrhdraw he was not in the possession of the judgment.
“The speaker is being disingenuous and a puppet to the Team Unity Government. I taught I was the only one who notice that. For him to deliberately misrepresent the judgment to this nation is a disgrace to him being on the chair of Speaker. I call on mickey Perkins to resign as Speaker of the National Assembly. He did the nation a huge disservice today with his deliberate dishonesty,” said Robert Knight.
High Court Judge His Lordship Justice Eddy Ventose in a recent ruling refused to set aside a default judgment against Grant and Powell of law firm of Grant and Powell.
As per the High Court documents, alleging the breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty and failure to account or misappropriation of US$460,000 to him, Tanzania Tobin Tanzi filed a claim against Grant and Powell on December 22, 2017.
The complainant Tanzil has claimed that in May 2013, a sum of US$460,000 was transferred to Grant and Powell’ bank accounts at St Kitts branch of First Caribbean International Bank, for the purchase of a condominium unit under the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme and to secure title for the property.
On December 22, 2017, the Claim form and statement of claim were served on Grant and Powell.
After hearings before a Master at various dates in 2018, the Court in February 2019, determined the terms of the default judgment and ordered Grant and Powell to pay damages. Grant and Powell filed for a stay of the order and a hearing was set for September 26, before Justice Eddy Ventose.
In his October 28, 2019 ruling Justice Ventose refused to set aside the default judgment.
He also ordered that Tanzil and Grant and Powell to make submissions on the assessment of damages for a December 12, 2019 hearing.
Hon Lindsay Grant is Federal Minister of Tourism in the Cabinet of the Timothy Harris-led Team Unity administration. Mr Powell is a Special Envoy for Sports in the three-party PLP/PAM/CCM
administration headed by Dr Timothy Harris.
Tanzil was represented by Sylvester Anthony, Angelina Gracey Sookoo Bobb and Renal Edwards.
Grant and Powell were represented by Brian Barnes of the law firm Daniel Brantley & Associates.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
