Ponzi scheme: AG, Top Cop and DPP named in Judicial Review proceedings
Yuri’s Lawyers: L-R Adrian Smith, Dexter Todd, Paula Jones Nicholson, Dexter Smartt and Shercola Exeter
The legal team for Yuri Garcia Dominguez has refuted claims by Attorney General Anil Nandlall that a bank account was supplied to Garcia for the transfer of funds to initiate reimbursements to persons who have signed contracts with Accelerated Capital Firm Inc.
At a press conference called Tuesday afternoon at Regency Hotel in Georgetown, Dexter Todd, the lead attorney for Dominguez said his client has a business account at the Bank of Baroda which remains closed to-date. The state did order the Bank of Guyana initiate a process that saw the closure of bank accounts which were either in the name of Dominguez or ACF.
Todd also told the press conference that claims of his client being given a computer in jail and again at CID headquarters to have funds destined for a reimbursement process to kick in are false. he said he said computers are still prohibited by inmates at the Lusignan Prison and during this client’s visit to the Criminal Investigation three out of five days recently, he was not given any such equipment to work with.
Yuri Garcia Dominguez and his wife are principles of ACF which has saw hundreds of Guyanese investing millions of dollars into what the state now refers to as a Ponzi scheme, a description that lawyers for the accused are not subscribing to.
Dominguez and his wife are before the courts charged with obtaining money under false pretense. Their lawyers are of the view that such charges are misdirected as it was the company with whom the persons signed contracts with and not any individual.
It was noted on Tuesday that the legal team has since filed judicial review proceedings in the High Court where the facts of the matter would be reviewed and where the lawyers hope to argue that the charges brought against the couple in their private capacity are unlawful.
Notices in the Judicial Review Proceedings have been served on the Attorney General Anil Nandlall, Commissioner of Police Nigel Hoppie and Director of Public Prosecution Shalimar Ali-Hack.
The lawyers are also seeking to have the court pronounce on the state inserting itself into what it (the legal team) says is a private arrangement between two parties, namely ACF and its clients. In the meantime, the lawyers stated that they will continue to seek bail in the high court for their client as it is his right
Lawyers Dexter Todd, Adrian Smith, Paula Jones Nicholson, Dexter Smartt and Shercola Exeter were among those present at the news conference on Tuesday.
According to the lawyers, the agreement between the two sides, namely ACF and its contractual partners were going well until the state inserted itself into the proceedings and began to cause panic as persons were being told that their monies will not be returned.
The lawyers reassured that the intentions of Yuri Garcia Dominguez and ACF is to engage all those persons who have signed a contract with the firm to discuss the way forward. Todd did say two weeks ago that it is difficult for his client to do this from where he is at the moment, in prison.
