Intertrust

New York University is suing a hedge fund, its auditor, its registrar and a bank - all based in the Cayman Islands - in an attempt to recover damages of at least $24 million that it claims to have lost

A prominent offshore provider in Anguilla has been charged with misappropriating US$950,000 from a trust fund that he managed. The beneficiaries of the trust are believed to be non residents. Joseph Brice was arrested in Anguilla on January 7 and

Article based on an application to collect evidence for a criminal investigation into alleged fraud - pursuant to a request for judicial assistance from Cyprus - that was filed at federal court in the USA on July 30, 2008. Individuals and businesses mentioned in the request for assistance include Chryso Tsokkou, Bank Atlantic, Edgard Calizo, Fortis Bank, Edmond Falise, La Caixa Bank, Bank of America, Bradfort Health Alexander, Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, Laiki eBank, and Marfin Popular Bank.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation into five unauthorized payments made from Chryso Tsokkou's personal bank account at Marfin Popular Bank through an on-line banking system called Laiki E-Bank.

Chapter 15 Petition for Recognition of a Foreign Main Proceeding in the Cayman Islands by Hugh Dickson, Stephen Akers, and Paul Billingham, as the Foreign Representatives of Basis Yield Alpha Fund (Master), at the U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

Article based on an application to collect evidence for a criminal investigation into suspected terrorism and narcotics-trafficking - pursuant to a request for judicial assistance from Belgium - that was filed at federal court in the USA on June 9, 2005. Individuals and businesses mentioned in the request for assistance include Rafael Contreras, Fortis Bank, UBS, PNC Bank, Marcelo Hernandez Gonzalez, Rafael Antonio Contreras, Nestor Levy Miranda Santini, Marcelo Hernandez, Luiz Garcia, and Nestor Miranda.

Section 304 Petition for Assistance in Insolvency Proceedings in the Bahamas by Clifford Johnson and Wayne Aranha, as the Foreign Representatives of Globe-X Management Limited and Globe-X Canadiana Limited, at the U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

The liquidators of an offshore hedge fund that collapsed owing approximately $300 million have filed a civil complaint in New York against its former controllers, auditor and administrator.The complaint was filed by Theo Bullmore and Philip Stenger, as joint official

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in the United Kingdom into Shinder Gangar and others for alleged investment fraud.

Ernst & Young (Cayman) has been named as a defendant in two new civil lawsuits filed by 12 investors in two failed hedge funds who have claims totaling $197 million.The actions were filed at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on October 5 and October 7, 2004 and concern investments made in Bristol Fund Ltd., of the Cayman Islands, and Safe Harbor Fund L. P., of New Jersey.

Claims by Banca Nazionale del Lavoro S.p.A. et al v. Beacon Hill Asset Management et al - October 31, 2004

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Belgium into Jean Kouda for alleged fraud, forgery and computer hacking.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation into alleged investment fraud and money laundering by Shinder Gangar and others.

Bermuda-based companies are among 14 insurers who have filed a petition to enforce arbitration awards totaling $1.2 million against two New York-based firms.The action concerns unpaid reinsurance claims from the failed United Kingdom-based underwriting pool known as H. S. Weavers (Underwriting) Agencies Limited, which stopped underwriting in 1990.

The IRS is investigating alleged tax evasion involving Miami-based American Bankers Insurance Group and reinsurance companies in the Turks & Caicos Islands. ABIG is part of the Fortis Group, an international conglomerate of insurance, banking and investment concerns, including offshore banks and trust companies under the 'Fortis Bank' and 'MeesPierson' brands.

A United Kingdom-based accounting firm accused of fraud involving an offshore bank has gone into liquidation and its two partners declared bankrupt. Orders to wind-up Dobb White & Co., of Leicester and Nottingham, in England, and bankrupt Shinder Singh Gangar and Alan White were issued by the UK High Court on December 2, 2003.

Deloitte & Touche has offered $32 million to settle a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of shareholders of the British Virgin Islands registered Manhattan Investment Fund who bought shares between October, 1995 and January, 2000. D&T's Bermuda office audited

An offshore hedge fund whose Board includes a director of the agency that regulates it has gone into liquidation. Beacon Hill Master Ltd. filed a voluntary winding-up petition at the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands on October 27, 2003. Theodore Bullmore and Simon Whicker, both of KPMG, have been appointed liquidators.

A federal court in the United States has entered a $130 million judgment against a businessman who perpetrated an investment fraud using several offshore structures. The judgment, entered on June 6, 2003 at the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, requires Terry Dowdell to pay disgorgement of $121.2 million, $8.6 million in prejudgment interest and a fine of $1 million.

A lawsuit alleging fraud has been filed by multiple plaintiffs who say they invested approximately $79 million in three failed hedge funds, including Cayman Islands-domiliced Bristol Fund.

Christopher Stone, ex-Managing Director of now-defunct, Dominica-based Investors Bank and Trust Ltd. was released from custody in Belgium in February on bail of 125,000 Euros, said a source; A default judgment for $130 million was entered against Bahamas-registered Vavasseur Corp. at the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia on February 21, 2003 for its part in an international Ponzi scheme; Grenada Supreme Court issued a $125 million judgment against Van Arthur Brink, a.k.a. Gilbert Allen Ziegler, former head of the First International Bank of Grenada; Allen Wheatley, former Financial Secretary of the British Virgin Islands, was sentenced to serve five months in prison on February 17 after being found guilty of corruption charges; Cayman Islands-based businessman Kenneth Dart has acquired a 5.7 per cent stake in financially crippled, Bermuda-based insurance firm Mutual Risk Management; British trader Sean Alexander Quinn, 36, was released from prison in Barbados on December 5, 2002 after pleading guilty to an amended charge of money laundering; Receivers for the fraudulently-operated asset planning group Merrill Scott & Associates have found $1.03 million of assets in the Cayman Islands; The Bahamas Ministry of Finance expects to receive a report on the status of the financially-troubled Bahamas International Securities Exchange in the first week of March, 2003; The number of companies incorporating in the Cayman Islands has steadily decreased over the last three years, according to a report by Cayman Net News based on information provided by the Registry General; Florida-based Briton Edward Myles Chism Jr., 63, was taken into custody in Florida on February 7, 2003 - one day after being criminally indicted on three counts of tax evasion at federal court in Miami; Bermuda may be about to lose its grip at the top of the offshore world; and The Irish Minister for Justice has applied to Ireland's High Court for an order directing the Cayman Islands branch of Ansbacher International to pay US$3.1 million to cover the costs of a long-running inquiry into corruption and tax evasion.

A business associate of the now-closed Overseas Development Bank & Trust Ltd., of Dominica, has pleaded guilty to 20 felony charges, including securities fraud, money laundering and wire fraud.The charges relate to a multi-million dollar fraudulent trading program that Terry L. Dowdell operated through his Bahamas-registered firm, Vavasseur Corporation, starting in 1998.

OffshoreAlert has received a letter from an Arizona based client of Grenada licensed Cornerstone International Savings and Investment Bank, which was taken over by the Grenada authorities on April 25, 2002 - AFTER the bank's principals had already disappeared without

Falcon Trust Co. Ltd. has had its license revoked by the Central Bank of the Bahamas on the grounds that it was "operating in a detrimental manner". The revocation was effective March 22, 2002.Nine other financial institutions had their licenses

Two lawsuits have been filed at Bahamas Supreme Court following the collapse of the Bahamas-registered Oracle Fund, with the loss of more than $100 million. Plaintiffs in one lawsuit are HSBC Bank Middle East, HSBC Investment Bank PLC, HSBC Private Banking Nominees 1 Jersey Ltd, Hunter Douglas Holdings Limited, Lazamar Foundation,  Montsol Investments Inc.

The Bahamas Securities Commission has placed conditions on the mutual fund license of Fortis Fund Services (Bahamas) Limited over apparent negligence in its administration of a failed investment fund.The action, which was announced in a Public Notice dated January 23, 2001, forms part of an investigation into Bahamas-registered Oracle Fund Ltd., which invested in US tax liens.

Public Notice 'In the Matter of The Oracle Fund Ltd. and In the Matter of Fortis Fund Services (Bahamas) Limited' issued by the Securities Commission of the Bahamas.

For the second month out of four, a company closely associated with Bermuda Stock Exchange-listed Mezzanine Capital Ltd. - which has been implicated in the manipulation of penny stocks - has been adjudged 'Stock of the Month' by www.hotstocknews.com, which promotes stocks over the Internet. NetVoice Technologies Inc. received the 'honor' in April, following on from a similar award in February to XtraNet Systems. Both companies gave the stock promotion firm shares in return for the plugs.

A funny thing happened a few days after our expose of The Highlander Club in last month's Offshore Alert. I received from them a spam letter - sent a week before we published - stating "Congratulations You have been approved

The Privy Council in London has rejected an appeal by Detective Inspector Brian Gibbs, the Commissioner of the Royal Cayman Islands Police and the Attorney General against a damages award of US$770,000 made in favour of former bank manager John Rea for an illegal search of his home and his office in 1991.The ruling on January 29, 1998 brings to an end a long, embarrassing and costly saga for the Cayman authorities in which they were found to have maliciously obtained and executed two search warrants against Rea in October, 1991.