Inniss guilty

NEW YORK (CMC):

Former Barbados government minister Donville Inniss was found guilty of three criminal counts when he appeared in a federal district court in New York, United States, yesterday.

The unanimous verdict was handed down by a 12-member jury after just under two hours of deliberation.

Innis is guilty of two counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The court found that the former legislator took bribes from insurance giant ICBL in 2015 and 2016 while he was minister of industry, international business, commerce, and small business development.

ICBL then paid him US$36,000 to use his authority to ensure that the firm’s million-dollar contract with the state-owned Barbados Industrial Development Corporation (BIDC) was renewed.

The court was told that Inniss then conspired to hide the payment by having the money sent to a New York dental company then deposited to his bank account through a series of transfers.

He is to remain on bail pending sentencing next month.