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Unicorn International Sues GOB
Tue, December 16, 2014
Viewers may remember that infamous fraud case which shoved Bahamians Rohn Knowles and Kelvin Leach into the glare of the public lens. That's after they were accused with 4 others by the US Government of participating in a billion dollar scheme to defraud the government of taxes they should have received for securities trading.

During the initial stages of the operation to indict this men, Law enforcement from Belize conducted an extensive raid of their offices at the Matalon Building which resulted in the officers removing all the documents and items.

That happened right around the time when the Financial Intelligence Unit went to the Supreme Court to freeze the monies that these men and their companies had in Belizean Banks. At the end, the Chief Justice unfroze the finances after ruling that there was not enough evidence against them to substantiate it.

Well, Unicorn International Securities LLC, one of the corporate entities affected by this case, as conducted by local law enforcement, is suing the Government of Belize to recover damages. That case came up today for the first hearing, and we spoke to the attorney about why his clients want to press this case.

Michael Young, SC - Unicorn Securities Int'l, LLC
"On the 9th September, as everybody knows, the offices of these respondents were (if I may use the word) invaded by a team on behalf of the state and documents and items were seized from those offices. The matter of the freezing order which the chief justice ruled on, that is separate. We have filed on behalf of our client Unicorn Securities a constitutional claim for relief. What happened to them on that day, I am talking about the 9th September 2014 was devastating to their business and we contend that it was wrong, that it was unconstitutional and they are entitled to relief. Those relief includes damages, but they also include the return of the documents and items which has been seized. That file having been claimed, today was the first date of hearing and what happen id that directions were given for steps to be taken that would lead to the trial. But a part from that, we filed urgently an application for the immediate return of the documents and items that were seized and that order was granted by the court today. The order was made that the state needs to return those documents within 2 days of today."

Daniel Ortiz
"Have you clients discussed with you whether or not they intend to continue doing business if they should resolve this issue that is still hanging over their heads in the foreign jurisdiction?"

Michael Young, SC - Unicorn Securities Int'l, LLC
"That I am oblige to treat confidentially. Naturally, our clients will consult with us on several aspects of the case of what they intend to do and this type of thing, but that's confidential information between attorney and client."

The US Government believes that Unicorn is owned by Canadian Jim Can, who remains out of their reach at this time

We'll keep following the case, since this company's suit against the Government could result in public funds being used to pay an award of damages.

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