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  • 8 months ago
There are more questions than answers surrounding a high ranking government official's business affiliation with a man considered one of the chief financiers of the Seven Gang based in the United Kingdom.

Tonight Senior Multimedia Investigative Journalist and Producer Mark Bassant examines in detail this perceived relationship and the activities of the gang financier in this TV6 Special Investigation entitled:

The Gangster and Government man: The UK Connection.
Transcript
00:00A clandestine business arrangement between a United Kingdom based gangster and a high
00:19ranking Trinidad and Tobago government official linked to money laundering, arms trafficking
00:24and drug smuggling is now under intense scrutiny by local intelligence agencies and foreign
00:30law enforcement authorities.
00:33The gangster, originally from Trinidad and Tobago and residing in the United Kingdom
00:37for several years, is suspected to be one of the primary financiers of the Southern
00:41Gang.
00:42He has allegedly used his network of shell companies to evade detection while orchestrating
00:48illicit activities across North America, Europe and the Caribbean for years.
00:55Multiple intelligence sources who spoke with TV6 News during this three-month investigation
01:00confirmed that several intelligence reports detailing the gangster's transatlantic illicit
01:04activities have been compiled.
01:07These reports allegedly outline a complex web of financial transactions, offshore congs
01:12and coordinated smuggling operations spanning North America, Europe and the Caribbean.
01:18What's even more alarming is his deep involvement in the illegal gun trade.
01:23Sources say he has multiple contacts across the United States, the Caribbean and Europe
01:28helping to move firearms across borders with ease.
01:32But what set this entire investigation in motion back in late November was a crucial
01:37tip-off from a top-ranking national security source, one that led TV6 to the United Kingdom's
01:42company registry.
01:44There, a shocking discovery was made.
01:47The name of a high-ranking Trinidad and Tobago government official listed as one of two directors
01:52of a company incorporated on September 15, 2023.
01:57The other director of the company who was listed first was the Southern Gang's principal
02:01financier.
02:03According to law enforcement, this discovery raised several red flags, not just about the
02:07nature of the commercial agreement, but also about what exactly the high-ranking government
02:13official stood to gain from this private limited company.
02:17Intelligence and national security sources questioned how such a deal could even be plausible.
02:22Interestingly, the UK company's registry listed the business as providing quote-unquote
02:27other transportation support activities.
02:30A vague description that sources say could be a front for something far more sinister.
02:37Shareholding in this particular company was equally held by the government official and
02:41the gangster.
02:42Strangely, 10 months later, on July 17, the high-ranking government official first ceased
02:49to be a person with significant control.
02:52And also on the same day terminated his appointment as director of the company according to these
02:57documents.
02:59The loan director and shareholder then remained the Southern Gang principal financier.
03:04The high-ranking government official's date of birth was recorded as part of the company's
03:08information and was cross-referenced with their date of birth for other public records
03:13available, confirming it was the same person.
03:18In early December of 2024, I sent several questions to the high-ranking government official
03:23via WhatsApp and repeatedly over the next three months until the end of February of
03:27this year, asking primarily, what was the purpose of him signing on as a director of
03:33the UK-based company for a 10-month period before resigning?
03:38What exactly was the nature of his relationship with the other shareholder and how long had
03:43he known him?
03:45What was the purpose of him becoming a director of the company and did he profit financially
03:50in any way from the activities of this company?
03:53And if so, did he declare his position as a director in this company to the Integrity
03:58Commission in his filing under the Integrity and Public Life Act?
04:03The government official was also questioned on whether he had been made aware that a gangman
04:08he had entered into business with was being described by local law enforcement authorities
04:13as a major financier of the Southern Gang based on information compiled by authorities
04:19and if he felt associating himself with this individual was a good idea.
04:24We also put the question directly to the high-ranking government official.
04:28Was he aware of intelligence reports and findings from our investigation suggesting that this
04:34company, along with others linked to the major Southern Gang financier, appeared to be shell
04:39companies?
04:41Despite mounting evidence, the official refused to answer, raising even more concerns about
04:48his involvement.
04:49The high-ranking government official declined to answer any questions regarding the controversial
04:54business arrangement and his long-time associate, who has remained under local law enforcement
04:59scrutiny for nearly 25 years.
05:03A deep dive into filings at the Integrity Commission for 2022-2023 revealed some key
05:08details about the high-ranking official.
05:10Records show he co-owns a house in central Trinidad with his wife, is a registered member
05:16of a political party and is also affiliated with a particular association.
05:20But what's missing is just a stelling.
05:23Nowhere in those filings is there any declaration of his directorship at the UK company, raising
05:29even more questions about transparency and accountability.
05:33In the high-ranking government official's signed declaration of 2023 Form B, handed
05:38in September 2024, there was no mention under the heading Directorship of Companies or Corporations
05:45of this particular company he had assumed directorship in September 2023.
05:50An official at the Integrity Commission explained to TV6 on our second visit there last Friday
05:55that while Form A, which is filled out by the Declarant, would not be available to the
05:59public because of sensitive financial information and their spouses or children, usually if
06:04something like a directorship is mentioned in Form A, in most cases the Integrity Commission
06:10would meet and would ask the Declarant for it to be also included in Form B.
06:15The official said it should be referred to in Form B and must be included in their 2023
06:20declaration.
06:21This is in an effort to maintain transparency.
06:24But the deeper we dug, the more we uncovered.
06:27With the collaborative assistance of a European investigative entity, TV6 found that the company
06:32the government official had been linked to wasn't the only one under scrutiny.
06:37In fact, a clear pattern is emerging.
06:40Over the past 32 years, the 7-Gang financier has registered at least seven other companies,
06:46most of which have either been dissolved or are now dormant.
06:49But two remain active, raising even more questions about their true purpose and whether the previous
06:55companies were used to facilitate illicit activities before being shut down.
07:01We uncovered several anomalies about these companies created by the 7-Gang financier.
07:071. All the companies share a common address in London and two suite numbers that are located
07:13at an apartment building, we found.
07:152. They also share a common company formation agent.
07:193. The recent companies seem to have never filed any real financial statements.
07:24They never appeared to actually do business as companies.
07:28Most are now inactive and one has yet to file a financial statement.
07:314. Doing an advanced search on these companies in the UK company registry revealed most had
07:37been dissolved and perhaps indicative of them being shell companies.
07:42Several intelligence sources, both locally and abroad, are convinced that these companies
07:47were nothing more than fronts for laundering money from illegal activities, potentially
07:52funneling funds into offshore accounts.
07:55But while authorities continue to pursue these leads, the man at the centre of it all, the
08:017-Gang financier, seems to believe he's untouchable with his network allegedly spanning local
08:06law enforcement personnel and other connected businessmen and influential persons.
08:12Marc Besant, TV6 News.
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