U.S oil investor, Jack Grynberg has pulled off a major coup in his ongoing court battle with Grenada¹s Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Energy, Gregory Bowen.

Informed sources told GRENADA TODAY that Grynberg was able to solicit the support of Timothy Bass, the former Chief of Security for imprisoned fraudster, Eric Restiener, the man at the centre of bribery allegations against Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell.

Restiener, the former Grenada diplomat who was awarded an economic citizenship passport by St. George¹s, was sentenced on May 16 to 7 years in jail on multi-million dollar mail and wire fraud. According to a well-placed source, Grynberg was able to get Bass on video tape depicting what allegedly transpired at Restiener luxury villa at St. Moritz, Switzerland in June 2000 when the Grenadian leader is reported to have accepted a large sum of money from the con-man.

"I spoke to Grynberg today (Monday) and he said that he got the tape with Bass. He said the recording was very clean. I asked him for a copy but he said he could not give it until it had been filed in court", the source said.

"He also told me that he was able to put 5000 US$1.00 notes in the briefcase to prove to anyone who is in doubt that the briefcase could hold 5000 $100.00 notes which amounts to US$500, 000.00. The american is said to be prepared to make the Timothy Bass Video-tape available to "interested parties" in Grenada for them  "to see their leader in action".

Dr. Mitchell is being investigated by a one-man commission set up by Governor-General, Sir Daniel Williams following allegations that he accepted US$500, 000.00 from Restiener as bribery payment for a diplomatic posting.

After a lengthy break to hear legal arguments, the Richard Cheltenham commission is due to resume sometime in July after Sir Daniel
The Grenadian leader has admitted accepting "approximately US$15,000.00" from the conman as part of a deal worked out to reimburse him for the cost incurred by a Grenada delegation on a trade and investment mission to several European capitals and Kuwait.

The source said that Bass attended a session last week in Chicago with a Justice of the Peace to give information on video tape about the transaction with Prime Minister Mitchell and Restiener. Bass had earlier sworn to an affidavit that on instructions from Restiener, he secretly video-taped the transaction with the Grenadian leader.

The former Chief of Security came out from his hiding base to film the video. He is said to be fearful for his life after receiving threats from certain persons with Grenadian connection. The source spoke of Grynberg planning to use the video in this month¹s arbitration proceedings in London on a dispute with the 1996 oil agreement that was signed with Mitchell¹s ruling New National Party (NNP) administration.

The american has turned to arbitration to resolve a dispute on the agreement after government failed to grant him a license to explore for oil and gas in Grenadian waters. Grynberg is accusing the Mitchell government and Bowen in particular of sabotaging the agreement after he allegedly failed to pay a bribe that the minister was demanding to facilitate the deal.

The deputy Prime Minister has denied the charge, claiming that he had never met Grynberg much less ask him for a bribe. The oil magnate from the State of Colorado has sued Bowen and three Russians in a New York court for US$500 million in compensation for allegedly conspiring to prevent him from executing the oil deal.

The source disclosed that Grynberg is also due to appear in court this week to make representation to an appeal judge for the Switzerland tape involving the financial transaction between Prime Minister Mitchell and Restiener.

A judge in New York has already ordered Restiener to hand over a copy of the Keith Mitchell video-tape to the oil investor. However, a female judge in Boston, Massachussets where Restiener is held in custody ruled that she did not know whether she could enforce the New York court ruling on the trickster who has taken the Fifth amendment to remain silent on the issue.

Grynberg is said to be optimistic of the appeal court ruling in his favour and laying his hands shortly on the Keith Mitchell video-tape. Last month, lawyers representing Minister Bowen made an appearance before the Boston court and advised Restiener not to co-operate with the video-tape proceedings and to take the Fifth Amendment.

The Mitchell government has already paid out over 2 million E.C dollars in legal fees to a law firm in the U.S that was hired to represent Minister Bowen in bribery case in New York and other attorneys in Europe involved in the arbitration proceedings in London pertaining to the oil agreement with Grynberg.