A money laundering trial involving Bermudian Winston Robinson has been delayed following legal discussions in the Island of St. Vincent.

Robinson, 65, and Trinidadian Kent Andrews, 34, were jointly charged in April with concealing $1.7 million on board a yacht within a harbour in St. Vincent — hailed to be the largest cash haul in the history of the east Caribbean.

An update on the case was given yesterday in a St. Vincent court after a third person, Antonio (Que Pasa) Gellizeau, was arrested and charged in connection with the seizure in the waters off Calliaqua on April 4.

The matter has been held back since September after Theodore Guerra, Senior Counsel of Trinidad, representing Robinson and Andrews, claimed the statute under which his clients are charged breached the fundamental rights and freedom of the Constitution of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Mr. Guerra claimed it was draconian for searches to be arbitrarily conducted on premises and for people's property to be seized.

However, yesterday Chief Magistrate Sonya Young said this constitutional challenge — which prosecuting attorney Gilbert Peterson, Senior Counsel of Trinidad, believes will fail — had now been referred to the High Court and three days were set aside for the criminal hearing from March 11 to 13 next year.

Yesterday, it emerged a further delay is looming on the constitutional matter after Gellizeau's lawyer, Kay Bacchus-Browne, said Mr. Guerra was unable to quickly file documents to the High Court because of a heart condition.

She said he had been in touch with him and he indicated he would be doing so soon.

Following the seizure, Robinson and Andrews were arrested and charged jointly for bringing $1.7 million, which was the criminal proceeds of another, into the country, and concealing it on the yacht.

They were also charged under the Customs and Excise Management Act for entering the State by boat without informing the Comptroller of Customs of the expected time of arrival. Both are still on remand.

Gellizeau was taken into police custody last Saturday and charged under the Proceeds of Crime and Money Laundering Act with concealing aboard the yacht $1.7 million which in whole or part directly or indirectly represents his proceeds of criminal conduct.

He was also charged with transferring or bringing into the State $1.7 million which in whole or part directly or indirectly represents his proceeds of criminal conduct.

Gellizeau appeared before the Serious Offences Court in capital Kingstown yesterday and pleaded not guilty to both charges and was granted $100,000 bail.