Robert Koenig Found Not Guilty in Airports Authority Fraud Case

Supreme Court Finds No Case to Answer

American businessman Robert Koenig has been found not guilty in the Airports Authority corruption trial after the Supreme Court ruled that there was no case for him to answer.

Robert Koenig

The ruling was delivered by Justice Selochan on 25 June 2026.

Mr. Koenig had been charged with conspiracy to defraud in connection with a lighting contract between the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority and LED Industrial Group. He denied the allegation from the outset.

At the close of the prosecution’s case, Mr. Koenig’s legal team, led by Jerome Lynch KC and Mark A. Fulford of F Chambers, made a submission of no case to answer. The submission argued that, even taking the prosecution’s evidence at its highest, there was no proper evidential basis upon which the Court could conclude that Mr. Koenig knowingly and dishonestly agreed with anyone to defraud the Airports Authority.

The defence submitted that the evidence did not establish the essential elements of the charge against Mr. Koenig. In particular, the defence argued that there was no evidence capable of proving that Mr. Koenig was party to a dishonest agreement to procure the contract, no evidence that he participated in the Airports Authority’s internal procurement process, and no evidence that the reference letter relied upon by the prosecution had any connection to the award of the contract.

The defence further argued that the case against Mr. Koenig rested on inference, later association, and suspicion, rather than evidence capable of proving the criminal charge against him.

Justice Selochan accepted that there was no case for Mr. Koenig to answer and entered a verdict of not guilty in his favour.

Following the ruling, Mr. Koenig’s legal team indicated that it is considering whether to make an application for costs and will notify the Court within seven days.

Speaking after the ruling, Jerome Lynch KC, lead counsel for Mr. Koenig, said:

“This ruling is a vindication of Mr. Koenig’s position. The criminal law requires evidence, not suspicion. At the close of the prosecution’s case, there was no evidence capable of proving that Mr. Koenig was party to any dishonest agreement to defraud the Airports Authority. Justice Selochan’s ruling reflects the proper application of the no-case principles and rightly resulted in a verdict of not guilty.”

The F. Chambers team of (from left) Aaliyah Rigby, Mark A. Fulford and Jerome Lynch KC.

Mark A. Fulford, who appeared with Mr. Lynch KC for Mr. Koenig, added:

“Mr. Koenig has maintained his innocence from the beginning. The Court’s ruling confirms the central point we advanced on his behalf: suspicion is not proof, association is not conspiracy, and a defendant should not be required to answer a criminal charge where the evidence does not support the case against him. We are grateful that the Court carefully considered the law and the evidence and entered a verdict of not guilty.”

Mr. Fulford said the ruling was also an important reminder of the purpose of a no-case submission.

“At the close of the prosecution’s case, the Court must ask whether the evidence is legally capable of supporting a conviction against the defendant before the Court. In Mr. Koenig’s case, the answer was no. The law requires more than concern, allegation, or inference built on gaps. It requires evidence.”

Fulford also said the ruling also raises legitimate questions about the investigative and charging decisions that led to a private businessman being put through a serious criminal trial where, at the close of the prosecution’s own case, the Court found there was no case for him to answer.

“Public corruption investigations must be thorough, fair, and evidence-led,” Mr. Fulford said. “That is especially important where reputations, liberty, public resources, and public confidence in the justice system are all at stake.”

In addition to Lynch and Fulford, the F. Chambers team also comprised Trainee Attorney Aaliyah Rigby.