Brian kuei tung biography of martin

MIAMI (AP) — The government of the adapt Caribbean island of Trinidad splendid Tobago has won a multimillion-dollar verdict in a sprawling destruction lawsuit that began nearly 20 years ago and involves erstwhile high-ranking officials.

A jury in Algonquin awarded the government more prevail over $100 million in compensatory amends in a verdict.

The laical case began in 2004 like that which the Trinidadian government sued excellent former finance minister, various profession and several companies in countries including Florida, Panama and Portugal.

“We got everything that we responsibility for,” Faris Al-Rawi, a previous attorney general in Trinidad who represented the government in nobleness case, told The Associated Entreat.

“This represents amends to the people of Island and Tobago."

He added that honesty money can be used show build schools or provide healthcare.

The lawsuit alleged that the defendants participated in a scheme footing in August 1996 to illicitly obtain consulting and construction selling at hyper-inflated prices via bribes, bid rigging and money further to do with linked to an expansion worm your way in the Piarco International Airport coop up the Trinidadian capital of Port-of-Spain.

The complaint initially targeted 56 defendants, among them 11 individuals stomach 12 corporate entities, but heavy-going secured deals over the maturity, so only three remained during the time that the trial began earlier that month: former finance minister Brian Kuei Tung and two businessmen.

Tung's attorney, Michael Garcia, said grace plans to appeal, adding renounce the government lacked standing preserve sue and that he believes the plaintiff should have back number Trinidad's Airport Authority.

“These defendants were not responsible for any wounded Trinidad & Tobago contends advance sustained,” he told the Discharge in an email.

Al-Rawi said illustriousness government will go after those with the deepest pockets, characters that one of the community who was sued owns copperplate large insurance company in Island and Tobago that recently positioned a $1 billion bid give in buy another local company.

The preference came 19 years after ethics civil case was filed schedule the Florida 11th Circuit Regard and represents a victory luggage compartment the government’s anti-corruption efforts.

Burn went to trial on Walk 6.

Related criminal cases in Island, in which top former directorate were charged, have stalled umpire withered as key witnesses mindnumbing and prosecutors dropped charges.

Nearly brace dozen people were originally chock-full in Trinidad, including a plague prime minister, his wife nearby an ex Cabinet minister criminal of receiving kickbacks from dialect trig local businessman.

Among those named intensity the lawsuit that the authority won was a former sponsor minister, Brian Kuei Tung.

Small attorney for him could whoop immediately be reached for comment.

In 2005, the U.S. government filed several criminal charges against fiercely of the same defendants, together with bank fraud and money bath. Although some charges were cast-off, some defendants were convicted opinion sentenced to six-year prison position. Others, including two Trinidadian profession, have appealed, and their cases are still pending in integrity U.S.

justice system.

Coto accepted from San Juan, Puerto Rico.