The High Court has dismissed the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy’s (ONDCP) latest attempt to forfeit more than EC$172,000 seized from Antiguan bodybuilder Kenroy Christian almost four years ago.

In a ruling delivered on June 16, Justice Rene Williams found that the ONDCP failed to present admissible evidence to support its case and therefore could not prove that the money was the proceeds of criminal activity or intended for unlawful use.

The law enforcement agency had sought the forfeiture of EC$172,736.65 under Antigua and Barbuda’s anti-money laundering legislation. However, the court noted that the ONDCP failed to comply with previous case management orders requiring the filing of witness statements and disclosure of evidence ahead of the trial.

As a result, the judge ruled that there was no evidentiary basis upon which the court could conclude that the money was connected to criminal conduct.

The case stems from an incident in 2022 when Christian, a well-known bodybuilder, had the cash seized by authorities during an operation that led investigators to suspect that the funds may have been linked to money laundering or other criminal activity.

Following the seizure, the ONDCP initiated civil forfeiture proceedings in an effort to permanently confiscate the funds. Christian, however, consistently maintained that the money was lawfully obtained and challenged the agency’s attempt to retain the cash.

The matter has been before the courts for nearly four years, with the latest ruling representing a significant setback for the ONDCP’s efforts to secure forfeiture of the funds.

Justice Williams’ decision effectively ends the agency’s latest bid to confiscate the money, having determined that the evidence required to support such an order was simply not before the court.