The Presidency of the Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network for the Caribbean rotates annually amongst member states. In 2018, the Presidency was held by St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in 2019 it was held by Jamaica and for the period 2020-2022 it was held by Trinidad and Tobago. Currently Cayman Islands, represented by Ms. Toyin Salako, Mr. Garcia Kelly and Mr. Richard Barrow holds the Presidency for the year 2022.
Garcia Kelly is an attorney at law and currently holds the post of Crown Counsel I (Financial Crime) in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Cayman Islands.
Prior to joining the Cayman Islands team, Mr. Kelly worked as a Civil Litigator at the Attorney General’s Office in Jamaica, before taking up a role at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions where he was a part of the Mutual Legal Assistance and Financial crimes team. Key achievements whilst at the ODPP Jamaica included his role in achieving a successful outcome for the central authority in the Trafigura case which resulted in the Privy Council decision of Hinds et al [2021] UKPC 10. He was also part of the team that successfully argued for the implementation of legislative changes to address Advance Fee Frauds (Lottery Scam).
A Chevening Scholarship later allowed him to pursue a Master of laws degree in Corporate and Commercial Law at the Queen Mary University of London, after which he joined the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, British Virgin Islands as a Senior Crown Counsel and Head of the Financial Crime Unit.
Whilst at the ODPP Cayman Garcia was co-counsel in a case involving the laundering of approximately seven (7) million dollars in proceeds of crime. This case set the precedent in the Cayman Islands for the definition of criminal conduct under the Proceeds of Crime Act (2020 Revision).
Throughout his time as an Attorney-at-Law Garcia has presented in a wide cross-section of matters at all levels. He has been called upon to lead in cases dealing with serious organized crime.
