Searchlight Logo
special_image

    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
News
March 20, 2015

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Fri, Mar 20, 2015

The following is the executive summary of the CLICO Forensic Audit

Our interim report as of December 5, 2011 noted that we were unable to secure all relevant documents to complete the analysis of CIL’s intercompany balances. We recommended that further work be completed to secure documents, further analyze these balances and trace funds to confirm the uses to which they were put. In addition, we recommended that the investigation of related party transactions be completed.{{more}}

This report sets out our additional findings related to these areas of investigation.

Intercompany balances

With respect to intercompany balances, we selected 119 transactions with a total value of over $300m for further review and analysis, including funds tracing, and obtained and reviewed further documentation. While we did not find all of the documentation required to further analyze all of these transactions, for those transactions with supporting documents and/or for which we completed funds tracing we did not identify any issues.

Our analysis included a review of CIL’s balance receivable from CL Financial, which amounted to some $11.5m, a balance that was written off effective December 31, 2008 on account of the financial difficulties encountered by CL Financial in Trinidad and Tobago. We found documents, including correspondence from Mr. Lawrence Duprey, confirming that $3.5m of that balance receivable related to a loan in the name of Mr. Duprey, which was repaid on his behalf by CIL.

As part of our analysis, we also obtained additional information relating to the payment we previously identified of $3.333m apparently paid by CIL to the law firm of Thompson and Associates in January 2009. In summary, we found that:

  • The Thompson and Associates invoice, purportedly for legal fees and retainers and used to make the payment by CIL was false. It was not an invoice issued by the law firm and was not created solely to facilitate the payment and conceal its true nature, which was partial payment of a substantial gratuity to the benefit of Mr. Leroy Parris, the former Chairman of CIL and CHBL;
  • The timing of both the creation of the invoice on December 30, 2008 and the related cheque payment on January 16, 2009 corresponded with growing concerns regarding the financial status of CL Financial and related companies in Trinidad and Tobago, which culminated in the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago announcing on January 30, 2009 that it was providing financial support to the CL Financial group. In particular, we found that the submission of the invoice for processing and payment occurred after meetings between the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago and representatives of CL Financial regarding financial support.

Related Party Transactions

We identified a considerable number of related party transactions over and above the transactions that were declared to us in response to requests we made to CIL and its subsidiaries.

We noted a substantial payment of commissions to a company controlled by Mr. Parris on May 8, 2009, shortly before the appointment of the Oversight Committee under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) between the Government of Barbados and CHBL dated May 12, 2009. Under the MOU, the Oversight Committee was to oversee the financial affairs of CHBL and its regulated subsidiaries and CHBL agreed that its regulated subsidiaries (including CIL) would not make bonus or ex gratia payments to Directors, management or other senior officials while the MOU was in force.

We found that certain CIL executives and advisors paid less than third parties when they acquired real estate from development companies in the CIL group.

The full report may be downloaded from www.searchlight.vc

  • FacebookComments
  • ALSO IN THE NEWS
    Venezuelan Grassroots Organizations Express Support for Cuba
    News, Press Release
    Venezuelan Grassroots Organizations Express Support for Cuba
    Jada 
    May 29, 2026
    They condemn Washington’s military threats and call for an end to the U.S. blockade. This week, the Social Movements and Communes Council, an entity a...
    Venezuela Launches 2nd Phase of National Pilgrimage Against Sanction
    News, Press Release
    Venezuela Launches 2nd Phase of National Pilgrimage Against Sanction
    Jada 
    May 29, 2026
    Acting President Rodriguez calls for an end to U.S. and European sanctions. Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez launched the second phase of “...
    President Maduro Sends a Message of Union and Hope to the Venezuelan People
    News, Press Release
    President Maduro Sends a Message of Union and Hope to the Venezuelan People
    Jada 
    May 29, 2026
    From the place where Trump’s government hold him hostage int the United States, the constitutional president of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro sent a messag...
    Venezuela Rejects Guyana Claims, Reiterates Esequibo Defense
    News, Press Release
    Venezuela Rejects Guyana Claims, Reiterates Esequibo Defense
    Jada 
    May 29, 2026
    Venezuela categorically rejected recent provocative statements made by Guyanese President Irfaan Ali during his nation’s 60th independence anniversary...
    Searchlight loses  stalwart  Renwick Rose
    Front Page
    Searchlight loses stalwart Renwick Rose
    Webmaster 
    May 29, 2026
    Sometime after 4:00 p.m on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, we received word that Renwick had passed to the great beyond. A Rose in name and existence had tak...
    Sweet-I struggles no more
    Front Page
    Sweet-I struggles no more
    Webmaster 
    May 29, 2026
    She was able to achieve her dreams of attending the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College (SVGCC), and graduating from that institution, all...
    News
    Venezuelan Grassroots Organizations Express Support for Cuba
    News, Press Release
    Venezuelan Grassroots Organizations Express Support for Cuba
    Jada 
    May 29, 2026
    They condemn Washington’s military threats and call for an end to the U.S. blockade. This week, the Social Movements and Communes Council, an entity a...
    Venezuela Launches 2nd Phase of National Pilgrimage Against Sanction
    News, Press Release
    Venezuela Launches 2nd Phase of National Pilgrimage Against Sanction
    Jada 
    May 29, 2026
    Acting President Rodriguez calls for an end to U.S. and European sanctions. Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez launched the second phase of “...
    President Maduro Sends a Message of Union and Hope to the Venezuelan People
    News, Press Release
    President Maduro Sends a Message of Union and Hope to the Venezuelan People
    Jada 
    May 29, 2026
    From the place where Trump’s government hold him hostage int the United States, the constitutional president of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro sent a messag...
    Venezuela Rejects Guyana Claims, Reiterates Esequibo Defense
    News, Press Release
    Venezuela Rejects Guyana Claims, Reiterates Esequibo Defense
    Jada 
    May 29, 2026
    Venezuela categorically rejected recent provocative statements made by Guyanese President Irfaan Ali during his nation’s 60th independence anniversary...
    Vincentian teacher is Valedictorian at Southern Caribbean University Commencement Ceremony
    News
    Vincentian teacher is Valedictorian at Southern Caribbean University Commencement Ceremony
    Webmaster 
    May 29, 2026
    A Vincentian primary school teacher was the Valedictorian at the University of the Southern Caribbean’s 93rd commencement ceremony held on Sunday, May...

    E-EDITION
    ePaper
    google_play
    app_store
    Subscribe Now
    • Interactive Media Ltd. • P.O. Box 152 • Kingstown • St. Vincent and the Grenadines • Phone: 784-456-1558 © Copyright Interactive Media Ltd.. All rights reserved.
    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok