The Grenada government has suffered another major defeat in its attempts in the United States to prevent american oilman, Jack Grynberg from obtaining the Switzerland video-tape about an alleged bribery payment to Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell.

Mitchell's deputy, Gregory Bowen is making moves to block Grynberg from obtaining a copy of the vide-tape recording to use against him in a separate bribery claim before a Federal Judge in New York.

Imprisoned fraudster, Eric Resteiner has provided the copy of a video-tape to the U.S Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) which purports to show Dr. Mitchell collecting a bribery payment of US$500, 000.00 in Switzerland in June 2000. Resteiner reportedly made the payment to solicit a diplomatic posting from Prime Minister Mitchell in order to seek immunity from prosecution.

Dr. Mitchell is claiming that he accepted "approximately US$15, 000.00 from the international con-man to help cover the cost of an investment mission that he was leading on visits to Europe and Kuwait.

The former Grenada envoy was jailed in May for 87 months for his part in a multi-million dollar mail and wire fraud scheme in which his victims lost close to US$35 million. GRENADA TODAY was able to get a copy of a submission that Bowen's lawyer, Charles Johnson had sent to the U.S judge, Denise Cote requesting that material evidence from Resteiner should be withheld for the time being.

It is the second time that Johnson has made a move before a U.S judge to try and block Grynberg from executing a court order that he obtained compelling Resteiner to hand over the much-sought after video-tape to him.

As a public service, this newspaper is reproducing the June 27 letter of request from attorney Johnson and its subsequent dismissal by the judge: