Emails point to payments

As a result of an investigation into the Insurance Corporation of Barbados Limited (ICBL), emails and WhatsApp messages between Donville Inniss and Alex Tasker were seized.

This was revealed by FBI supervisory special agent Stephanie Krug, who said the information was gathered by the US Department of Justice after it opened a “full investigation” into the insurance company.

Krug said during the investigation subpoenas were served and two search warrants were executed in relation to Inniss’ email addresses.

She made the revelations during the opening day of the former Barbados government minister’s trial which got underway at the Eastern District Federal Court in New York.

Inniss is charged with two counts of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

She said in 2015 she was working as a special agent in New York with the International Corruption Squad.

Under examination from lead prosecutor Sylvia Shweder, Krug spoke of several emails and text messages between Inniss and Tasker, ICBL’s former senior vice-president with responsibility for business development and marketing.

The messages were exchanged between 2015 and 2016.

Krug said while both Inniss and Tasker had personal and work-related email addresses, several of their conversations took place via their personal email addresses.

The FBI agent said on August 9, 2015, Tasker sent a WhatsApp message to Inniss saying, “Do not forget to send off the letter in the a.m. We will be in meetings from 9-12”.

She said the next day Inniss sent an email to himself in which he mentioned Crystal Dental Lab, an account number, a routing number and the Bank of America.

Krug said another email was then sent from Inniss’ personal email address – patriotbb2@gmail.com – to Tasker titled ‘Crystal Invoice’.

She said in an email sent from Inniss to Tasker’s personal email – draxhall60@gmail.com – on March 21, 2016, he made note of a $20,000 payment to be made to Crystal Dental Lab for consulting fees between June 2015 and June 2016.

Krug also pointed to emails between Inniss and an official at a financial institution where negotiations for a loan took place.

She said on March 5, 2015, Inniss sent an email requesting a loan for USD$75,000, which he would use to make a short-term investment as well as for tuition for his son.

The FBI agent said an agreement was subsequently reached where Inniss would repay US$2,000 monthly, beginning July 1 that year, and would be paid through a Barbadian-owned company.

She said a check showed that Inniss along with Gail Williams-Inniss were named as directors of Kyfee Corp, which had been incorporated on March 22, 2006.

However, Krug revealed subsequent emails which showed that Inniss had not made the loan payments for several amounts, amounting in a US$12,000 outstanding balance.

She will continue her evidence tomorrow.