The Embassy of the United States in Grenada is denying that agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) are currently on the island as part of an ongoing probe into an american fugitive from justice, Van Brink of the collapsed First International Bank of Grenada.

A spokesperson for the embassy told GRENADA TODAY that she had heard about "the rumours" but categorically denied that any official of the agency was visiting Grenada at this time.

According to the official, she had personally called the relevant people in the FBI who confirmed that there was no truth to the "rumours" being circulated on the island.

"If there are other people from INTERPOL and other such law enforcement agencies then I do not know", she remarked. Brink moved out of Grenada as his First Bank collapsed and left depositors mainly from the United States and Canada losing millions of dollars of their deposits.

An informant had reported to this newspaper that a law enforcement official from a foreign agency had visited the Immigration Department on Wednesday to make inquiries about Brink who has been taken into custody in Uganda.

He said that the official was looking into the status of the fugitive as regards whether he was still in possession of an "Economic Citizenship" passport from the Keith Mitchell-led New National Party (NNP) government.

Reports out of Uganda indicate that the FBI has successfully arrested and deported Brink and another fugitive to face charges of defrauding millions from unsuspecting investors. Both men, Gilbert A. Ziegler aka Van A. Brink, the former president of the First International Bank of Grenada, and Douglas Ferguson were taken into custody Friday in a residential compound in Kampala, Uganda.

The pair, along with three others, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Portland, Oregon, on charges of defrauding investors out of more than $200 million. They face nearly 150 counts that include mail fraud, wire fraud, engaging in monetary transactions with criminally derived property and money laundering conspiracy.

They used a system of fraudulent 'banks' that unsuspecting individuals would invest in. Two banks, Fidelity International Bank (FIB) and the First International Bank of Grenada (FIBG) allegedly offered investors promised annual returns of 3 percent to 300 percent on funds deposited.

The FBI says investors never received any interest, but were being "re-paid with their own money or that of new investors." "The indictment alleges that the defendants siphoned off huge sums of money for the benefit of themselves, their family members and their associates.

They are accused of buying luxury homes in Oregon, Nevada, Grenada and a palace in Uganda. They are also accused of buying an organic vegetable farm in Mulino, Oregon, luxury automobiles, furniture, jewelry, a tanning machine and designer clothing. They are also accused of using the funds to pay forgambling, private jet rentals, travel and college tuition," an FBI release stated of the person arrested with Arthur Ziegler Van Brink, last week.

Douglas Ferguson, 75, an American national who fled to Uganda after the arrest of their accomplices in the US on January 6 was also on the US wanted list for money laundering and bank fraud. "He was the brain behind the machinations and money laundering. Records show that he was more wanted than even Brink," a police source said.

The two were handed over to the US government security agents and repatriated to USA for prosecution. During the arrest, a security guard was shot dead as he tried to obstruct police entry into the premises where Van Brink was hiding out.