Who deposited EC$1.35m in RBTT account for NDP?

Local and external investigators are said to be investigating the source of over one million dollars that was deposited into a bank account here just two weeks before the December 10, 2015 general elections.

SEARCHLIGHT has received information that on November 24, 2015, XCD$1.35 million, the equivalent of US$500,000, was deposited into the RBTT bank account of a lawyer close to the New Democratic Party (NDP),{{more}} and the following day, XCD$300,000 was paid out from the account to the political party. On December 1, eight days before the general elections, the balance of the money, $1.01 million was paid to the opposition party.

According to a usually reliable source, the funds were transferred into the account from an account in Belize.

Last Friday, SEARCHLIGHT broke a story which stated that since last year, certain commercial banks here have been carrying out a process called “de-risking,” in which financial institutions exit or restrict business relationships to avert the risk related to anti-money laundering and terrorist financing. Certain non-bank financial institutions, businesses and professionals have been given short notice that their accounts will be closed.