St. John’s, Antigua – Antigua and Barbuda’s High Court has ruled in favour of forfeiting approximately XCD$93.8 million linked to the Odebrecht corruption scandal.

According to a press statement issued by the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP), Justice Rene Williams granted a Recovery Order on November 13, 2024, under Section 60BB of the Proceeds of Crime Act, 1993. The order directed the seizure of $14 million USD and €17 million EUR held by Creswell Overseas SA, a Panamanian company with accounts at the now-receivership Meinl Bank (Antigua) Ltd.

Lt. Col. Edward Croft, Director of the ONDCP says several other steps are presently being pursued as Meinl bank is in receivership. however once those processes are complete the money will belong to the state.

The forfeiture followed an investigation by the ONDCP, which froze Creswell’s accounts after the company failed to provide legitimate documentation to justify its claims. The ONDCP alleged the funds were tied to Odebrecht, a Brazilian construction conglomerate at the center of the international corruption scandal, Operation Car Wash.

Operation Car Wash revealed billions of dollars in bribes paid to politicians and officials globally to secure construction contracts. According to investigators, Creswell’s funds were part of money controlled by Odebrecht and linked to illicit payments for construction projects.

In issuing the Recovery Order, the High Court relied on the 2023 Privy Council ruling in Lux Locations Ltd v. Yida Zhang, which emphasized the importance of thorough judicial scrutiny in financial crime cases. This precedent strengthened the court’s approach to ensuring a fair and robust judgment.

Lt. Col. Edward Croft, Director of the ONDCP, praised his team’s work in securing the forfeiture, calling it a significant achievement in the fight against illicit funds. Croft also noted the ONDCP’s broader achievements in 2024, including the recovery of over $35 million USD (XCD $95 million) through similar measures.

The investigation into links between Antiguan and Barbudan officials and the Odebrecht bribery scheme began in 2017. A U.S. probe into the scandal revealed that two Antiguan government officials were implicated. U.S. authorities identified one as a “consular official” and the other as “an intermediary to a high-level official,” though their names were not disclosed.

A €3 million bribe was allegedly paid to one of the officials to prevent international authorities from accessing banking records that would have exposed Odebrecht’s illicit payments. As a result, Hon. Consul Louis Franka was dismissed, and Ambassador Casroy James to the UAE resigned after being asked to clarify his role in the bribery. James denied accepting any bribe money but agreed to return sums he claimed were paid for independent consultancy work. It is believed that he was asked to voluntarily resign from his post due to his inability to provide a satisfactory explanation for the funds.