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JUN 25

Editor of the Miami-based Offshore Alert publication, David Marchant has re-iterated his position that he is prepared to give evidence in the Briefcase Inquiry involving Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell.

In an exclusive interview with GRENADA TODAY on Tuesday, Marchant said that no one connected with the Inquiry has been in touch with him of late on the issue of his participation.

He stated that the last contact he had with the commission was prior to Hurricane Ivan last September when a police officer spoke to him about the inquiry.

According to Marchant, he only heard about the resumption of sittings last week Monday when a journalist called him and mentioned that the Briefcase Inquiry had started in Grenada.

Marchant's Offshore alert was the first to officially report on the June 2000 meeting that Grenada Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell had in St. Moritz, Switzerland with so-called Ambassador-at-large, Dr. Eric Resteiner. The publication referred to an affidavit from Resteiner's former Chief of Security, Timothy Bass alleging that Mitchell collected a briefcase with $500, 000.00 U.S in exchange for the diplomatic appointment.

Dr. Mitchell denied the allegation and said that he received "approximately $US15, 000.00 from Resteiner to cover the cost of his expenses on a tour of several European States and Kuwait.

During last week's sitting of the inquiry, the two bodyguards who accompanied the Prime Minister on the trip admitted that there was a meeting of the two in Switzerland but denied seeing any money in the briefcase. Marchant told this newspaper that the relevant people in Grenada know how to contact him since they have in their possession his Miami telephone office number.

The editor who was in New York a few days ago was firm in asserting that no one from the Grenada Commission of Inquiry Office had made any attempts to contact him on giving evidence in the inquiry.

"I have spoken with my office in Miami and I can confirm that no-one from the Commission of Inquiry called that office while I was away in New York", he told GRENADA TODAY.

'Therefore, there is absolutely nothing to suggest that the Commission of Inquiry has made any attempt to contact me about providing testimony, either in Grenada or elsewhere", he said.

Marchant stressed that his position has always been that he would co-operate with sole Commissioner Dr. Richard Cheltenham of Barbados and is prepared to give evidence from his location in Miami.

Dr. Cheltenham has already indicated that if necessary, the commission will travel to the United States to take evidence from Marchant and two other chief witnesses - international fraudster Eric Resteiner and his former Chief of Security, Timothy Bass.

Well-placed sources told this newspaper that like Marchant, Bass is also prepared to give evidence from inside the United States to Commissioner Cheltenham. Marchant also spoke to this newspaper on claims made in the past by Prime Minister Mitchell that he had instructed his lawyers to take legal action against the publisher for libel in connection with the Briefcase scandal.
He said that absolutely nothing has been filed in Miami against him by the Grenadian leader.

Marchant has vowed to fight with every ounce of strength any lawsuit filed against him by Prime Minister Mitchell. Meanwhile, GRENADA TODAY on Tuesday contacted one of the lawyers in the United States representing Resteiner on his multiple of fraud-related charges.

The attorney, John Amabile said he could not provide any information on the issue of the Grenada Briefcase Inquiry without getting clearance from Resteiner who is presently held in a federal jail awaiting trial.