"A very serious joke".

That's how the spokesperson of the New National Party, Terry Forrester considers the statements made by former banking regulator, Michael Creft, linking Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell directly to ill-gotten funds from the collapsed First International Bank of Grenada (FIBG).

Fresh allegations linking the country's Prime Minister to financial wrong-doings surfaced last week following the sentencing of four Grenada offshore bankers in which Creft gave key testimony.

Dr. Mitchell is already under a cloud over allegations that he collected one million U.S in bribery payments from imprisoned international conman, Eric Resteiner in exchange for a diplomatic posting - a charge he has denied.

Michael Creft

Creft said that he collected $100, 000 from First Bank and personally handed out in cash $50, 000 to Prime Minister Mitchell and $25, 000 to Anthony Joseph, the former Treasurer of the ruling New National Party (NNP) government.

The former offshore bank regulator in St. George's told the U.S court hearing that his own failure to crack down on FIBG was influenced by the flow of cash that went from the bank to government officials.

When asked for a comment on the statements made by Creft, an executive member of NNP, Terry Forrester said that he had spoken to both Prime Minister Mitchell and Joseph who have expressed dismal at the claim.

According to Forrester, both officials have indicated that they are "totally innocent of the charges" made by Creft.

He said the two party members consider Creft's statements given on oath as "laughable".

The Press Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Barbadian Barry Collymore refused to entertain questions posed by GRENADA TODAY on the issue.

Collymore said he sees it as an issue for the NNP as a party and not one for the government of Grenada.

When contacted on the telephone, Joseph stated that he was not involved and that Creft might have mistaken him for somebody else.

He admitted collecting "a couple hundred dollars here and there" from people for the party for the 1999 election campaign but not the kinds of money as given by Creft in the trial of the four First Bank officials.

"I don't know anything about that. Me collecting that money ($25, 000), no sir. He (Creft) is probably mistaken). I can't remember anything like that. It doesn't come to mind at all", said Joseph who is a prominent member of the Catholic Church community in South St. George.