Within hours of being released from custody on Sunday night, controversial Jamaican attorney-at-law, Hugh Wildman flew out of the Point Salines International Airport (PSIA) early Monday for Barbados on his way to his homeland.
Wildman was picked up Saturday and put through several hours of questioning in connection with alleged wrong-doing with the collapsed offshore First International Bank of Grenada (FIBG).
He has vowed to take legal action against the State for his predicament.
Wildman walked down the steps of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) just after 6.00 p.m following a second round of questioning within 24 hours.
A police official told GRENADA TODAY that the ex-official of the previous Keith Mitchell-led government was released pending further investigation into an alleged bribery matter.
Wildman was taken in following allegations made a few years ago that he accepted bribes from FIBG officials in order to prevent the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in the United States from coming into the country to investigate the bank.
Director of Public Prosecutions, Christopher Nelson spearheaded the police investigation into the Hugh Wildman affair.
According to Nelson, he had to take the steps that he did in light of new information that had surfaced about the First Bank issue.
He said that Wildman had to be questioned to see what assistance he could give to the investigation.
Nelson also pointed to the failure of the police to accede to a request made by him a few years ago for there to be a probe into the bank which had fleeced depositors of millions of dollars.
As part of the ongoing enquiry, CID officers also questioned two prominent locals - former Offshore Regulator Michael Creft and one time Commissioner of Police, Lieutenant-Colonel, Nestor Ogilvie whose wife is said to be related to Wildman.
Sources close to the investigation told GRENADA TODAY it is likely that other persons might be detained in the coming days and weeks for questioning into the First Bank fiasco.
Speculation is rife that a few ex-officials of the bank might be willing to co operate with the investigation as part of a plea bargain deal.
In the process of the investigation, it is believed that Wildman told Inspector Senneth Joseph that he had spoken with Creft about an investigation that he needed to carry out as Offshore Regulator into complaints that the bank was engaged in fraudulent acts on the island.
It is believed that Creft denied the claim.
A source close to Wildman quoted him as saying that he believes the action taken against him was politically motivated.
Wildman spent most of Saturday night at CID headquarters in the city where he was questioned by Insp. Joseph.
During the night, the attorney reportedly complained of not feeling well and a local doctor was summoned to attend to him.
Wildman was diagnosed to be suffering from high blood pressure and a few tablets were given to him to help ease the discomfort.
He was eventually taken to the St. Paul's Police Station, about four miles away for safe-keeping while investigators continued to question others.
Before he was taken back to CID a few hours later for further questioning, Wildman was visited by medical doctor, Bert Brathwaite and female attorney at-law, Ceclia Clyne - Edwards.
Speculation is rife that Clyne was drafted in to assist two other barristers, Dwight Horsford and Lawrence Joseph who were seen visiting the CID office within minutes of Wildman being picked up.
Wildman was whisked away through a back-door of the out-station by two members of the CID head office in order to help him evade two local reporters who were outside of the building trying to take photographs of the prominent figure.
When the controversial Jamaican lawyer was eventually released from custody, he was assisted in bringing down his personal belongings, namely two suitcases from CID, that was placed at the back of a waiting vehicle driven by Clyne - Edwards.
Wildman's female companion who works at a local bank was also in attendance at CID and at the St. Paul's Police station to render assistance to him.
During the reign of the NNP, Wildman was regarded as the third most powerful person on the island behind ex-Prime Minister Mitchell and his deputy, Gregory Bowen.
Considered as the "legal hitman" for the regime, Wildman played an instrumental role as Special Prosecutor in bringing criminal charges against several known opponents of the administration.
He was nabbed at the Point Salines International Airport (PSIA) while sitting in the Departure lounge waiting to board an Air Jamaica flight back to his homeland.
The basis for Wildman's detention was a letter allegedly written by English attorney-at-law, Lawrence Jones in the late 90's in which he reported that the Jamaican high-ranking lawyer was paid handsomely for helping to keep out the FBI from investigating First Bank.
Over the years, Wildman has consistently denied the allegation and on one occasion said that Jones was referring to another local attorney-at-law who he identified by name.
The lawyer has since sued Wildman for libel and defamation of character.
FIBG which helped to bankroll the NNP's 15-0 clean sweep of the polls in the 1999 general elections, collapsed in 2001 with the operators fleeing with millions of dollars from their depositors.
The new administration of Prime Minister Tillman Thomas has pledged to prosecute anyone found guilty of wrong-doing in Grenada.
