Local attorney Anselm Clouden has claimed that the justice system in Grenada is gradually grinding to a halt.
In giving the media an update about his efforts to have Capital Bank International Limited pay one of the bank's depositor's, David Mc Intosh from Limlair, Carriacou the sum of one million dollars, Clouden charged that there is unprecedented interference with the due process of the law.
Clouden's Law Firm, Grenlaw Chambers has been embattled with Capital Bank since last year to have the bank return Mc Intosh's money which he deposited to the bank on March 3, 2007.
Chairman and Managing Director of Capital Bank, Finton De Bourg is allegedly in violation of a court order handed down last November by High Court Judge, Justice Francis Cumberbatch to pay the money to Mc Intosh.
The penal notice of the court order says, "take notice if you Capital Bank International Limited fails to comply with the terms of this order, proceedings may be commenced for contempt of court and you, Finton De Bourg may be liable to imprisonment or to have an order of sequestration made in respect of your property."
Clouden said that for the past two weeks his law firm has been trying to get a date for the court application "to have Mr. De Bourg cited before the Supreme Court of Grenada for contempt of court."
"We have been trying unrelentlessly to secure a date from the registry, and if by this and the end of the week we do not receive a date, the Chief Justice would be advised accordingly," he remarked.
Clouden disclosed that quite recently he received a call from a senior person within the Ministry of Finance requesting to have the list of all of the depositors who have complained and now have pending actions against Capital Bank.
According to him, the individual from the Ministry of Finance whom he refused to identify to the media, claim that "they have been instructed to do something."
However, Clouden said that before he can make the list of the disgruntled Capital Bank depositors available to the Ministry of Finance he must first have their consent.
"But I am calling on the Prime Minister to address the nation on Capital Bank International," he said.
The outspoken attorney indicated that the continued operation of Capital Bank is causing the Eastern Caribbean (EC) dollar to now be looked at with some measure of uncertainty.
"There is concern throughout the region. I have just returned from St. Lucia where people there are concerned. I had the good fortune to have met very fleetingly, the Prime Minister of St. Lucia. People are concerned as to what is happening with Capital Bank International," he said.
According to Clouden, if there is a run on Capital Bank the EC dollar will be significantly weakened, unless the government steps in to guarantee depositors their money.
The outspoken attorney has charged that Capital Bank is operating in a manner inconsistent with the requirements of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.
Update
