Last Updated on March 1, 2020, 7:21 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Sourced information confirms that transfer of the White Collar Crime Unit of the Royal St Christopher and Nevis Police Force, Inspector James Sutton in January, 2019, was to derail his investigation into allegations of corruption involving two government officials in the Timothy Harris-led coalition administration.
The transfer of Sutton, a 30-year veteran from the White Collar Crime Unit to the new post as Sub-Commander and Supervisor of Criminal Investigations in Division “B” was first reported in a social media release dated January 28, 2019. Sutton’s transfer became effective on January 31, 2019.
A High Court judgment involving St Kitts and Nevis’ Minister of Tourism and International Trade, Hon Lindsay Grant and Youth and Culture Ambassador, Jonel Powell in a Breach of Trust, Breach of their Fiduciary Duty and Misappropriation of Monies in the amount of US$460,000.00, could be linked to Sutton’s transfer.
Following recent public statements on Freedom 106.5 FM’s popular “Issues” programme after the Appeal Court’s dismissal of Grant and Powell’s challenge to the assessment for damages ruling by a High Court judge and an unwarranted attack on the law firm which represented the client, who brought a civil action against Grant and Powell, a statement was issued to set he record straight.
Attorneys Sylvester Anthony and Angelina Sookoo-Bobb pointed out that after several frustations, their client, Tanzania Tobing Tanzil, filed a criminal complaint against Grant and Powell. Tanzil had deposited US$460,000 into the account of Grant & Powell at a local bank in 2013.
On June 11, 2018, Tanzil filed a criminal complaint against Grant and Powell in the form of an affidavit with exhibits to confirm receipt of the US$460,000, the failure to pay out and the numerous correspondence from Grant & Powell to the client “begging for more time to pay the money, making payment installment plans which were not honoured and using diverse and conflicting excuses, you (Grant and Powell) had your lawyer write to the police on the 5th July, 2018, indicating that they should not investigate the matter and you did not know who our client was.”
“Your Counsel by the said letter dated the 5th July, 2018 advised the police against investigating the matter and requested the police investigate “the Law Offices of Sylvester Anthony for public mischief,” the lawyers said in an 8-page letter threatening legal action if they failed to apologise.
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.
