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NEW YORK – Former government minister Donville Inniss has been found guilty of all three criminal counts he faced in a United States federal district court.
A 12-member jury came to the unanimous verdict after just under two hours of deliberation.
Inniss is guilty of two counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Family members shed tears as the decision was delivered on the former MP for St James South, a senior member in the Democratic Labour Party administration of Freundel Stuart.
He is to remain on bail pending sentencing next month.
Inniss’ attorney Anthony Ricco is immediately planning to appeal the outcome on the grounds of insufficient evidence, Barbados TODAY has learned.
The court found that Inniss took bribes from insurance giant ICBL in 2015 and 2016 while he was Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development.
ICBL paid him $US36,000 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 heard.
He then conspired to hide the payment by having the money sent to a New York dental company, then deposited into his bank account through a series of transfers.