Coye family to receive frozen assets

Tricia Pitts Anderson
(Attorney for the FIU)

Monday, May 5, 2014. AARON HUMES Reporting: Supreme Court Justice Shona Griffith has lifted the freezing order against nearly $6 million in financial assets belonging to members of the Coye family in Belize City.

The family – parents Michael (deceased) and Marlene; daughter Melonie and son Jude, and associates James Gerou, Atlee Matute and Dietrich Kingston, as well as the company Money Exchange International Limited which they ran until the start of investigation by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) into allegations of money laundering – were exonerated after two trials and two appeals, the latest coming in March of this year.

The FIU has chosen not to appeal the decision, but there were nontheless some last legal hurdles for the family to clear.

The Income Tax Department, which has claimed approximately half the estate for income taxes, had asked for a further freezing to assess new claims but Justice Griffith declined the application as out of time.

The other issue is a private claim filed by a company known as Internet Express which was a business partner of the Coye family and is claiming an unspecified amount.

Their attorney, Lisa Shoman SC, was in court but said nothing to reporters.

This matter is on the verge of settlement in the Magistrate’s Court.

With no other outstanding issues, Justice Griffith lifted the order, allowing the family access to their monies by day’s end.

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