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Former Shadow  Minister Julian Hall at centre of missing report scandal

A FORMER Progressive Labour Party (PLP) Shadow Justice Minister is at the eye of a growing storm of controversy over a report on Bermuda’s biggest ever drug trafficking and money laundering investigation that mysteriously disappeared after being submitted to last year’s Serious Crimes Commission inquiry.

Through documents available to the public through the Supreme Court, the Mid-Ocean News can reveal for the first time that former MP Julian Hall is named in the controversial missing submission about a collapsed Bermuda police investigation into the activities of a Cuban-American cartel that ran drugs into the island in the 1980’s and 90’s. 

In 1993 the Bermuda Police began to investigate former barrister Julian Hall’s involvement in laundering the proceeds of the New Jersey and Florida-based drug trafficking syndicate.

In late October, 1993 a fierce legal battle ensued between Mr Hall and the Bermuda Police force over two warrants pertaining to searches of his offices and seizure of certain documents.  Documents relating to the warrants are available to the public.  During the court battle, eventually won by the Bermuda Police, Mr Hal argued that the seizure of these documents violated client attorney privileges.

In a sworn affidavit former Superintendent in the Bermuda Police Force, George Rose, told the Supreme Court on November 19, 1993: “I upon oath informed the First Respondent that the Applicant practising law as a Barrister & Attorney (Julian Hall) from offices at the above address (the Emporium Building, Front Street).  I further informed the First Respondent that the police have in their possession statements that I have read and believe to be mainly truthful detailing the Applicant's money laundering activities on behalf of named drug traffickers.”

When the Serious Crimes Commission inquiry was convened last year, a former senior police officer, who does not wish to be named, sent a submission to the board asking them to look into why the Hall investigation in his words, “collapsed”.  He received no acknowledgement from the Commission.  And the commission insists it “does not recall” such a submission.

At first, Commission chairman Justice Stanley Moore of the Bahamas denied such a submission had ever been presented to the inquiry, saying if it had the document would have been given the Commission’s utmost attention.

After witnesses went on the record as having seen him receive the submission, he made a U-turn saying such a report would not have come under the inquiry’s terms of reference.

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