Thursday, September 13 2012

THE UNITED STATES Government is remaining tight-lipped over steps it intends to take to seek the extradition of businessmen Steve Ferguson and Ishwar Galbaransingh who are wanted in that country on bid-rigging charges.

In an emailed response to questions by Newsday, Alexander McLaren, public affairs officer for the US Embassy in Port-of-Spain said they had “no specifics to share at this time.” In a statement issued on Tuesday, the US Government said it continued to seek the extradition of the two men despite the ruling last year by the High Court, which effectively put a halt to the two facing criminal prosecution in a US Federal Court .

“The United States continues to seek their extradition despite the ruling last year by the Trinidad and Tobago High Court. They remain under indictment in the United States,” the brief statement said.

The Embassy also said it was concerned by reports that the local fraud cases against the two men may be dropped. The two were first indicted in 2005 in a Miami Federal Court on numerous fraud and money laundering charges stemming from alleged bid rigging between 1996 and 2005 on contracts for the Piarco International Airport.

Legal sources have indicated that while the US could make another request of the TT counterparts for the extradition of the two, the question remains how the Attorney General would exercise his discretion, having already indicated that he did not intend to appeal the High Court decision.

However one attorney noted that the two could be detained by US agents on a provisional arrest warrant issued by a US judge, in any country with which America has a Mutual Assistance Treaty.