"Ludicrous and totally unfounded". That's how top Trinidad and Tobago criminal defense lawyer, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj described bribery allegations levelled against Grenada Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell.

Maharaj who has been retained by the ruling New National Party (NNP) government to represent Dr. Mitchell at a Commission of Inquiry into the allegations was meeting with reporters in St. George's.

The former Attorney General in Trinidad and Tobago said that he has receipts in his possession which will indicate that the Prime Minister did receive "approximately $15.000.00 US" from German national, Dr. Eric Resteiner.

He was confident that the evidence will totally vindicate the Grenadian leader and that the country will emerge stronger from the exercise.

Governor-General, Sir Daniel Williams announced earlier in the month that Barbadian jurist, Dr. Richard Cheltenham will be the sole commissioner of an inquiry to be conducted into a controversial trip made to Switzerland in June 2000 by Dr. Mitchell in which he received a certain sum of money from Resteiner.

In a report carried in April by the Miami-based Offshore Alert of David Merchant quoted from a sworn affidavit from Resteiner's chief of bodyguard alleging that the Prime Minister was given $500, 000 U.S by Resteiner in exchange for a diplomatic appointment.

Dr. Mitchell denied receiving such a large sum but admitted that the figure was "approximately $US15, 000.00" to cover the cost of a promotional trip he was undertaking to several European states and Kuwait.

According to Maharaj, if it was necessary for him to go overseas to cross examine Resteiner and his Chief of Security, he is prepared to do so in order to clear the name of Prime Minister Mitchell.

Resteiner, a former Trade Counsellor for the Mitchell government, is currently held in a detention centre in Boston Massachussets, awaiting trial on over 60 counts of fraudulent acts. Maharaj described the affidavit which is purported to have come from Bass as "inconsistent".

"Both Dr. Mitchell and I are looking forward to a speedy conclusion to this matter which I believe has been blown totally out of proportion", he said.

Attorney-General Raymond Anthony who also spoke at the press conference described the Commission of Inquiry as a serious matter.

Anthony, a former member of the Grenada United Labour Party (GULP), told reporters that the longer it takes to address the allegations made against the Prime Minister it will continue to hurt the nation.

He said that in the interest of transparency and the rule of law, closure to the matter is what is needed at this time. The commission is expected to start hearing evidence in September.