By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
THE Supreme Court has ordered the seizure of merchandise in a case involving local luxury goods.
Yesterday, The Tribune observed three trucks filled with merchandise outside a dilapidated building on Shirley Street. The building stored jewellery and souvenirs worth thousands.
J Michael Saunders, under the power of attorney of Satish Daryanani, a US-based businessman of East Indian ethnicity, had filed a search order against Michael Hepburn and Naftaly Elias, the respondents.
Mr Daryanani, the principal of the Miami-based Sovereign Jewellery, had previously been in a $34m legal battle with Leon Griffin –– the murdered husband of former Social Services Minister Melanie Griffin –– and a chain of well-known retail stores downtown and at Paradise Island.
According to court documents, Mr Daryanani claimed he owns jewellery, souvenirs and T-shirts held in the respondents custody.
He said the respondents refused to return his merchandise and claimed to own the items.
He said the jewellery is worth $5.4m, and the souvenirs/T-shirts are worth $2.3m.
He claimed the items were placed in the respondents’ custody around January 2022 with the understanding that they would act as his agents and trustees, liquidating the merchandise and forwarding the sale proceeds to him.
He said he had not received any proceeds from the sale of merchandise and was informed that the respondents had been selling the merchandise for personal gain.
Justice Lorein Klein issued a search order in the case on June 5.
He said he made the order after being satisfied that the applicants had a strong “prima facie case”.
He also considered the applicant’s potential loss or damage if his order were not made.
He appointed attorney Bjorn Ferguson as an independent attorney to supervise the execution of the search order.
Under the order, officials were permitted to enter specific premises, conduct a search and detain, take custody of and preserve property, such as jewellery, T-shirts and souvenirs relevant to the case.
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