/EINPresswire.com/ The Coalición Víctimas de Stanford América Latina denounces the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Government of Antigua for conspiring against them.
Caracas, Venezuela. April 15, 2010. Mr. Nigel Hamilton-Smith, Joint Liquidator of the Stanford International Bank Ltd. in Antigua, revealed the dramatic reality in reference to the funds found and the impossibility to distribute them among the depositors.
“If the funds are released to the Joint Liquidators in Antigua, depositors could receive an initial distribution in approximately three (3) months”, explained Jaime R. Escalona, Leader of the Coalición Víctimas de Stanford América Latina (COVISAL).
According to Hamilton-Smith: “There are land assets in Antigua valued in excess of $100 million US dollars and there are potential buyers interested in buying them”.
But according to Escalona: “There is also a corrupt government, a criminal partner with R. Allen Stanford, that invents legal, governmental, and environmental obstacles to retain them”.
According to Hamilton-Smith: “Although the Joint Liquidators in Antigua have been recognized by the English Courts, the Department of Justice (DOJ) from the United States requested a Criminal Restriction Order in England to retain Stanford’s funds valued at $100 million US dollars as proceeds of a crime. On the other hand, the DOJ has not taken the same actions with the funds that are in control of Mr. Janvey (The US Receiver). For the moment the funds will remain retained until R. Allen Stanford is tried and sentenced in a criminal Court of the United States, unless the Supreme Court in England lifts the Criminal Restriction Order”.
“It is a shameful, outrageous and unacceptable action”, Escalona commented on the actions by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in relation to the money from R. Allen Stanford found in other countries.
“Now there are three (3) institutional claimants going after the insignificant Stanford’s assets, through very costly international legal proceedings. They are: The US Receiver of the United States, the Antigua Joint Liquidators and the ineffable Department of Justice of the United States, which pretends to retain Stanford’s assets as proceeds of a crime until he is sentenced beyond the year 2011.
Escalona, somewhat puzzled asks: “Why did the DOJ freeze only the assets found by the Antigua Liquidators and did not retain the assets preserved by the US Receiver from Dallas?
A very upset Escalona affirms: “The honest Sanford’s victims are not responsible for the fact that our savings were utilized in illegal activities”.
“If there were a doubt of the origins of some of the funds invested in the CDs, is it not more just and transparent that the Receivers demand the creditors to demonstrate the origin of their funds, rather than the DOJ confiscating the insignificants assets found, which must be distributed immediately among the victims?
Escalona exclaimed: “After fourteen (14) months of depravation, it is time to stop the abuse.”
The Coalition’s leader wonders: “Why is there no mercy with the innocent Stanford’s victims?
In 1999 the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) of the United States forced R. Allen Stanford to write them a check for $3.1 million dollars derived from drug trafficking. “Why did the DEA, instead of paralyzing his companies and putting him behind bars, convert him into a confidential informant without any concern for the investor’s economic future?”
“Why did the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) of the United States, decide silently to abandon the investigations into the complaints from Stanford employees about the massive Ponzi scheme, helping R. Allen Stanford to preserve his empire?”
“Is it possible that because R. Allen Stanford was a DEA informant, his criminal empire was spared for more than a decade?”
Equally the Coalition wonders: “Why not release the money found in the United Kingdom and Switzerland, and allow the Antigua Liquidators to make an initial distribution to the depositors in approximately three (3) months?”
“Could it be that the Joint Liquidators in Antigua are also victims of the conspiracy by the Department of Justice (DOJ) of the United States and the Government of Antigua?”.
Escalona concludes saying: “The US Government and the Government of Antigua must face the situation and assume their enormous responsibility before the Latin American victims, and immediately restitute their robbed patrimony”.
Contact:
Jaime R. Escalona
Leader Coalición Víctimas de Stanford
América Latina (COVISAL)
E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
Telephone: (512) 377 9255
Caracas: (58 412) 617 2438
