A Grenadian banker could soon be faced with a million dollar lawsuit from local attorney-at-law, Anslem Clouden. In an exclusive interview with GRENADA TODAY on Tuesday, Clouden said that he had already received instructions from a client on the sister isle of Carriacou to recover $1.2 millon E.C that was lodged sometime ago with Capital Bank International Limited.

The bank is operated by city businessman, Finton De Bourg who is also involved with South City Plaza in the Grand Anse area. According to Clouden, he is giving the bank 30 days notice to hand over the money or face the prospects of having the law courts settle the matter.

The outspoken attorney said that the money was withdrawn by his client from First Caribbean International Bank, formerly called Barclays Bank and lodged with the CapBank branch in Hillsborough, Carriacou. He spoke of the client running into some difficulties overseas and badly in need of his money but that the bank continues to hold onto the funds for no apparent good reason.

Clouden said that the owner of the funds has already signed certain legal documents which were brought to the attention of the manager of the Carriacou Branch of Capbank about his desire to take back possession of his money.

He claimed that a notarized document which he himself prepared for the client was sent to the bank in connection with the return of the $1.2 million in cash but it was "confiscated" by a senior official of the bank who apparently is not willing to sit down and discuss the return of the funds.

Clouden's client is said to be a native of Carriacou  who worked for many years in the U.S army before running into certain problems with the law in a European country. The controversial Capbank has been operating in Grenada without official sanction from the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), the governing authority for commercial banks in the OECS sub-region.

GRENADA TODAY was unable to contact De Bourg for comment on the issue.