The trial continued yesterday of three Italian men who turned up unannounced to the Jersey branch of Nedbank in February and allegedly tried to access an account which they claimed had received a $20 billion payment.
The men claimed that one of them, 75-year-old lawyer Antonino Felice Siracusa, had a power of attorney to act on behalf of the Five Star Trust – the trust from which they said the money was transferred, an Assize jury heard.
They were dealt with by 35-year-old banker Lina Da Costa, who said she was ‘unnerved and intimidated’ by a fourth man, described as a ‘heavy’, who the trio had brought to the meeting.
The two other men appearing in the Royal Court alongside Mr Siracusa were 50-year-old businessman Tommaso Antonio Caruso and 38-year-old freelance interpreter and writer Enrico Verga.
The men deny charges of fraud.
The so-called heavy was never charged.
Mrs Da Costa, who has worked for Nedbank for nine years, was yesterday asked by Advocate David Cadin, defending Mr Siracusa, what checks were in place at Nedbank for a withdrawal of $20 billion.
She said: ‘In my years of banking I had never come across that level of money before, that I can remember.
‘I had never been in that situation.
‘I can’t recall a situation otherwise where I have had to deal with a payment of more then £6 million.’
During cross-examination the jury heard that when the men arrived at the bank shortly after 9 am on 3 February it had been snowing and several senior members of staff were delayed getting into work.
The men had initially wanted to see either Rosemary Marr, a former senior director at Nedbank, or Cameron Walker, the head of client relationship management, but as neither were available, Mrs Da Costa agreed to speak to them.
Mrs Da Costa said that Mr Caruso appeared to be ‘pulling the strings’ when she met them, as the other men turned to him for advice when responding to her questions.
The lawyers acting for the defendants pressed the witness on whether the men had mentioned the sum of $20 billion during their conversations.
She confirmed that she did not think this was the case, but she had noticed the figure on an alleged falsified document they provided confirming the funds transfer.
The trial continues.
