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December 1, 2009
IN HOPE OF RESTORING OUR NATION
By: Alvin Helgner
The Turks and Caicos Islands, located south east of the Bahamas, is home to some of the best beaches in the world. Restaurants and hotels alike await the vast crowd that has rushed to taste the unique serenity and breathtaking views of our lands. Also known as Beautiful by Nature, the island’s beauty is not only represented by its fauna and flora, but is also reflected in the hearts of the people. As one of the most thriving economies in the Caribbean, Turks and Caicos has definitely made its mark on the global scene. However, recent events have not only affected the political and socio-economical well being of the country, it has also left a people without hope.
As a fellow citizen, it is beyond devastating to see my country torn apart. Throughout the years, it has been more than a home; it has been a place of escape. Escape from the harsh reality that is called life. Imagine a country that can offer that! I am not excusing the mistakes that were made, by the ones that abused their power; a day is coming when they would pay their dues. The time has come for us to forgive and move forward. We have come a long way but we have even further to go. Wake up people and see the division it is causing amongst us. We have been so focused on placing the blame on others that we have not realized what we are doing to ourselves. Our country is being undermined under our very eyes, and our preoccupancy with past governance is causing us to lose strength. A strength that is currently needed to rebuild our land. By standing together as one voice we would be able to take back a country that belongs to us.
There are countless of problems which seek to damage our daily lives and alter our common sense. But we need to sit and understand the real issues facing us. We all know what the struggles are today. It hurts to know that there are some that will continue to degrade this great nation and ripple our economy by promoting poor governance. It hurts even more when such is being said by our very own. My fellow Turks and Caicos Islanders, our country is in deep need of healing. We need to unite, standing together as one voice as we seek to reverse the effects plaguing us. We once had freedom to object, to think, and to speak, but there are those who do not want to speak. In not speaking you have already chosen a side, the side that remains on the sidelines and watch as our country is taken out of our very hands. Turks and Caicos, we are more than a country, we are a family and as a family we need to solve our own problems. Refrain from conversation that only highlights the negatives. Words will always have their dominance but positive words can help restore hope.
For those who will listen, let us rebuke the fear from our lives and move forward hand in hand, PNP and PDM alike to create a new beginning. The time for tyranny and injustice is at an end. The day for TCI to be restored to great hope has come. Stand up TCI; one people, one nation, one destiny. Let us truly reflect what our motto stands for.
Alvin Hegner
November 23, 2009
by: I.N.
TURKS AND CAICOS - DUMPING GROUND FOR UNEMPLOYED BRITS
People of Turks and Caicos and the world, look around you and take note who is being employed by this British administration and who is being fired. Who is running our country and culture suddenly? Every news report over the last several months indicate that the British are coming in droves. They have taken over the Governor's office, the Attorney General's Chambers, they have taken the Land Registry, the Education Department, the Tourism Ministry, the Police Force, they are coming for Immigration, Labour, all the advisers to the Governor and his Ministeries are British.
All of these people are coming in and nobody is saying how they are getting paid. If the UK is so interested in transparency then WE should know who paying them, who is paying for their accommodations, vehicles and how much all this is costing the Turks and Caicos tax payers.
The FCO, though here to bail us out, obviously will not spend any UK tax dollars in the TCI. This is not only evident based on their billing back everything to the people, but it was confirmed by a FCO officer during his meeting at the Palms Hotel in August 2009. So why should we sit back and let them spend our money to hire these unemployed or under-employed persons from Britain? Are we the dumping ground or are we being use to solve the enormous unemployment problems of the Mother land? Is there nobody in the Turks and Caicos Islands or the wider Caribbean capable of advising this government? Can somebody tell me how these so call advisers, some of whom have never set foot outside of the UK let alone the Caribbean, are going to advise this government on resolving problems relating to running a Caribbean country?
What happen to all the experts that live and work in the Caribbean? What about teachers at our Universities and Colleges, surely local people bring a uniquely Caribbean perspective to the issues we face more so than a person from the UK who is simply going to present a purely theoretical solution to our problems.
Solutions or forcible experiments by the British? Is that the way the British intend to turn the TCI economy around? Where is the stimulus package so many people thought was coming with the British. Sadly for all in the TCI, the Brits are here but they offer nothing of value to us, just more of the same TAXATION, TAXATION AND MORE TAXATION while they keep US in the dark about everything. We now take our medicine without complaining.
November 9, 2009
Why is UK's Gordon Wetherell entitled to supreme governance in Turks and Caicos?
As reported on: http://savageclown.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/turks-caicos-and-the-bbc/ 
If a government buys ‘a fleet’ of Land Rovers for its ministers, does
that amount to corruption? If the leader of a country has a
bullet-proof car, does that amount to exuberant extravagance? If a
prime minister has a private jet – don’t they all? – is that really
enough to destroy an island economy? A few parties for celebrities? Is
that enough for our government – that’s the British government – to
decide that enough is enough and these little children need to be put
back in their box so that we can take over and show them how to run a
country properly? I’m thinking multi-million houses in Mayfair.
I’m
thinking tens of thousands of pounds on PM wive’s hairdressers. I’m
thinking BAE systems, a story that the BBC itself has reported at some length.
Apparently
the former premier of Turks & Caicos, Galmore Williams, lied to the
people of the islands about money and parties and a few other things.
But as far as I know, old Galmore did not lie about going to war in
Iraq, he didn’t fiddle a report that has since contributed directly to
the deaths of tens of thousands of people in the Middle East. He didn’t
fix his eldest son up with an internship in the US Republican party, or
buy flats to rent out in Bristol. He didn’t believe he was the voice of
the son of God, and insist that war was a Christian endeavour that
would save the lives of millions and make the world a better place. No.
Galmore Williams bought some Land Rovers (I wonder who was behind that
deal), sat in the back of a bullet-proof car (even I’ve done that), and
had himself a private jet and a few celeb friends. Isn’t that standard
behaviour for most grade C celebrities in the UK, let alone the grade
As and Bs and our delightfully superior prime minister and ministers?
The
BBC Today programme ran what you could hardly describe as a report on
the Turks & Caicos, this morning, three months after the Queen’s
men decided to take it back. Mike Thomson, who seems to report on any
country between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer, made no reference
to the outstanding hypocrisy of our tiny island lauding it over even
tinier islands.
The Queen’s Governor, pink-cheeked Gordon Wetherell (he
looks more like a turnip farmer than a diplomat, but still…) told a
local news agency on his arrival, ‘Right now I’m the Governor of the TCI and very glad to be here.’
You bet he is. He has an entire island to himself, according to the BBC
report, which the BBC reporter had to fly to in a plane (in a BBC
private jet? how much did it cost to send Mike Thomson there?
presumably T&C don’t have decent local journos as well as no decent
local premiers…) to meet him.
Listen out, if you can, for more
reports on the T&C; and listen out for the extraordinary failures
of BBC reporting. The line, I think, that made me laugh (or was it
swear?) most was when Thomson suggested to a local politician that
‘high-level corruption’ had destroyed Turks & Caicos economy
entirely. And yet, according to the BBC website’s own material, the
Turks & Caicos economy comprises no less than a little lobster and
conch exports. No irony here, Mike? Reporting as a Brit about ruined
economies and corruption and lying? It seems it bypassed the man.
And,
of course, it bypassed the self-satisfied unbearably smug Justin Webb,
the latest white male to join the Today team. He made what I can only
describe as a chirpy grunt off the back of Thomson’s report, which
ended with a local T&C man insisting that direct rule from London
had pushed local people back to slavery. Absolutely hilarious, Justin.
November 9, 2009
Another Resort Developer Gets Royally Screwed by UK over Crown Land
Turks and Caicos islands has
suffered another blow to developers and thus to the economy of Turks
and Caicos. The UK has destroyed yet another resort development, this
time by a Canadian developer.
As reported by: Greg McArthur
Rolling Stones guitarist Keith RichardsKeith Richards and actor Bruce WillisBruce Willis
both own seaside estates in the Caribbean nation. A few years ago,
former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna and Conservative MP Peter
Goldring were involved in a brief, ill-fated campaign to annex the
country as Canada's 11th province.
But, as some prominent Canadian developers have recently discovered, grabbing hold of paradise has its downside.
A
condominium and resort project headed by Toronto developer David Wex
and celebrity realtor Brad Lamb has found itself – through no fault of
the developers – ensnared in a judicial inquiry into systemic
corruption among the islands' public-office holders.
A recent
report by British judge Sir Robin Auld found that the Turks and Caicos
government, led by former premier Michael Misick's Progressive National
Party, routinely accepted bribes from overseas developers and that Mr.
Misick and his ministers exploited the government's Crown land policies
“for their own corrupt reward.” The United Kingdom, which has
sovereignty over the islands as one of its 14 overseas territories, has
suspended the country's Constitution, appointed special prosecutors to
pursue criminal charges and thrown Mr. Misick – who is crying “modern
colonialism” to anyone who will listen – out of office.
Stuck in
the middle of this probe into multiple questionable land deals, as well
as into Mr. Misick's illicit use of a private jet, sits Blue – a
yet-to-be built resort that Mr. Wex, Mr. Lamb and a group of Irish
investors first conceived of in 2005.
There is nothing in Sir
Robin's report that suggests the Canadian developers approached the
government to help them acquire the resort site. Nevertheless, the
inquiry found that their purchase of the land produced a $5.5-million
windfall for the same government ministers who approved the development.
“I'll
tell you, I had no idea about this,” Mr. Wex said of the
behind-the-scenes kickbacks that ensued from his project. “How do you
think we feel? We look like idiots.”
Mr. Lamb, best known for
his corny, if effective, advertisements featuring his head superimposed
on a lamb's body, as well as his reality-television showBig City Broker
, said in a separate interview: “We bought the land for fair market
price. I think we probably overpaid for it. At no time were we … aware
of anything going on that was untoward.”
The saga of Blue began
in 2005 when Mr. Wex and a group of potential investors – Mr. Wex
recalls it as “a day I rue” – visited the islands, about 200 kilometres
north of Haiti, to scout out possible sites. Such a purchase is tricky
for a foreigner. Island law dictates that the 12,000 or so local
inhabitants known as “Belongers” are first in line to acquire the
pristine beaches and coves that encircle the archipelago.
So
when the Canadians set their sights on 20 acres of untouched beachfront
property, they connected with a local lawyer and friend of the ruling
PNP party, Melbourne Wilson, a power broker known throughout the
islands as “Mebby.”
Mebby rounded up four Belongers, all of whom
happened to have strong ties to the government, to apply for the land.
One applicant was a sitting member of cabinet, Jeffrey Hall, then the
minister of housing and agriculture. Two others were the siblings of
ministers, and the fourth was the ex-husband of the education minister,
Lillian Boyce.
The government handed the land to the Belongers
at a discounted price of $1.4-million and approved the development of a
resort. When the land transfer came up before cabinet, none of the
ministers with ties to the deal excused themselves, nor did they
declare their interest in the deal, Sir Robin found. The official
cabinet minutes show “there was no suggestion that the ultimate
developer would be an overseas entity,” the judge wrote.
The
Belongers quickly turned around and sold their interest to the Canadian
developers at the inflated price of $7-million, the inquiry found.
“[The Belongers] took effectively no risk and profiteered at the
expense of the Islands,” the inquiry report states.
After the
deal went through, the Belongers distributed hundreds of thousands of
dollars to their relatives in government who had approved the Crown
land transfer. Eventually, $350,000 trickled down to the now-deposed
premier, Mr. Misick. Under cross-examination at the inquiry, many of
the public officials involved said the payments given to Mr. Misick
were “loans.”
(Whenever Sir Robin referred to these payments in
his report, he italicized the word “loan.” He also highlighted the fact
that Mr. Misick was considerably more wealthy than any of the people
lending him money, that the loans had no terms or rates of interest,
and that no attempt had been made to repay them. He dubbed the loans a
“convenient fiction.”)
The Canadian developers say they had no
idea about the kickbacks that were set in motion by their acquisition
and weren't aware they paid about 500 per cent more than the Belongers.
An appraisal valued the property at about the price they paid, they
said.
A lawyer for Mr. Wex pointed out that the developers
didn't receive from the inquiry what is known as a “Salmon letter,” a
formal warning that an individual is about to be criticized. The
absence of such a letter “indicates that Sir Robin cannot have intended
to cast any aspersion against Mr. Wex and any attempt to infer such
criticism from the report is plainly mistaken,” the lawyer, Martin
Green, wrote in an e-mail.
Mr. Green also said that $10,000 that
Mr. Wex sent to the islands in February of 2007 was mischaracterized in
the inquiry report as a “gift” for Mr. Hall, the former housing
minister.
Mr. Wex acknowledged giving $10,000 to Mr. Wilson –
the lawyer and PNP insider known as Mebby – as a political donation to
his party more than six months after the Blue site was purchased. The
developer said he sent the money at the behest of Mr. Wilson, who was
soliciting donations in the lead-up to an election. It was never meant
to be given to Mr. Hall as a gift, but that's what the minister called
it when it came time for him to testify. This was a common theme that
Sir Robin highlighted in his report – the inability of Mr. Misick and
his ministers to distinguish between party funds and personal funds.
The Canadian development group was annoyed by Mr. Wilson's request for a party donation, said Mr. Wex's lawyer, Mr. Green.
“They
didn't want to make any payment. They thought it was cheeky for him to
ask, but rather than upset him they took the line of least resistance.
In plain view of what's transpired perhaps that was unwise, but they
thought the easiest thing to do was, in the context of these things,
give what was a fairly modest donation and hopefully that would be the
end of it,” Mr. Green said.
November 5, 2009
A Conspiracy gone too far By: Wendy Ledger
http://caymannewsservice.com
The growing attachment to the conspiracy theory that the United Kingdom is 'out to get us' is hardly surprising given the events during the tenure of the most recent representative from Her Majesty’s government but it is a misunderstanding of what is really going on. Despite how it may seem, there is no conspiracy just unofficial goals which the UK government doesn’t really try to hide very much.
In short, the British government wishes that all of its Overseas Territories would be more like Victorian children - seen and not heard. It would like them to conform to its perceptions of international standards on everything, from human rights to fairer tax systems, and essentially not cause any trouble. It is not involved in any plan to destroy the Cayman Islands' financial services sector through subterfuge and convoluted plots.
The latest theory from the leader of government business that the UK is using the powers of the auditor general’s office to make the Cayman Islands government non-compliant with the Public Management and Finance Law again so they can “put the crunch” on McKeeva Bush is highly unlikely.
Dan Duguay has upset both political apple carts and even the governor since he came to office, which is as clear indication as any he is doing his job properly. If both the PPM and the UDP have accused him of hidden agendas, playing politics and demonstrating a bias, it’s obvious he must be straight down the line. Derision from both sides is always a comfort to those who wish to remain as objective and impartial as possible.
Bush’s latest attack on the AG, however, reveals far more about the wider frustrations that the people in the Cayman Islands are feeling about the relationship with the UK than it does about the relationship between Bush and Duguay. As Cayman’s latest constitution is implemented, it's a good time for Caymanians to consider how much benefit they really derive from this relationship and being part of the last remnants of a faded empire.
The recent revelations regarding the governor’s perceptions of good governance with the special police investigation team (SPIT), the hypocrisy of the UK holding out on allowing us to borrow when it is billions of dollars in debt, and its desire to see Cayman introduce taxation so that it can rest easy that it will never have to bail us out have been tough to stomach but are part of the problem of being a colony.
If we are honest, most of us know full well that the UK could not care less about this island or the people. It is certainly not interested in sitting around in underground bunkers plotting the demise of the offshore sector. Duguay is not an MI6 agent disguised as an accountant (he really is an accountant). And what the UK really wants is for Cayman and other OTs just not to bring any trouble. As a result, the UK itself has got a little paranoid about where trouble could come from.
The situation in the Turks & Caicos Islands hasn’t helped, nor did the impact of the global financial crisis, both of which have fuelled the UK government’s own paranoia that these pesky territories could give a whole lot of trouble for the UK economically, in terms of global reputation, as well as its international commitments.
My own sources in the FCO have told me more than once that the Labour government in particular would love to see the back of every last territory it has because the potential and perceived contingent liabilities have a tendency to give the prime minster terrible indigestion.
Those who work for the FCO that want to ensure they get their place in Whitehall’s hall of fame for ‘jolly good chaps that showed the natives out in the colonies who’s boss’ are therefore likely to want to seek out the potential pitfalls for the UK when they arrive.
It seems that almost the minute the current governor had hung up his seersucker suits and Panama hat he was sniffing around looking for potential trouble that may upset his bosses back at the Old Admiralty Building but which he could head off at the pass and get his ‘fine chap’ award before he retires.
This being Cayman, where the rumour mill churns with more power that a category five hurricane and the Marl Road seems longer than US1, the governor was very quickly sucked in and began imagining all manner of ills in every corner, hence his odd behaviour and selective judgement when it comes to good governance.
Although he went after the police, the judiciary and Charles Clifford -- the far more mundane day to day but real problems of poor governance in Cayman were simply ignored. Not a single report by the Office of the Complaints Commissioner has ever been acted upon by the government, but the governor has never even mentioned them. When Duguay produced his report about government departments failing in their obligation to supply a set of accounts at the end of the year, he made one statement declaring his intention to get it sorted ... then proceeded to do nothing and never speak about it again. And he has never even once questioned the undisguised misuse of the power afforded to board members in many areas of public life, to mention but a few examples.
The governor, it seems, is easily influenced and whosoever gets his ear at any one time seems to be able to manipulate him and steer him in a direction to suit their agendas, as very clearly demonstrated by SIO Martin Bridger.
This may all look like a conspiracy but ultimately it is about incompetence, misjudgement and unsubstantiated fears. The UK no longer has a motherly love for its colonies (personally I don’t believe it ever did) as they are these days an embarrassment on the international stage and a reminder of the British Empire’s brutal and cruel past -- something left wing governments in particular find very uncomfortable.
The UK’s position is quite clear: it wishes to retain enough control over the territories to be able to clamp down on them if they look like they are about to cause any trouble while giving the appearance of autonomy to satisfy the UN, but what they really want is for each and every one of them to start plotting out their routes to independence.
Some of our politicians (and Bush is not the only one) are misunderstanding this situation and interpreting it as a conspiracy. It is not. It’s black and white -- the UK wants us to either shut up and behave or take down the Union Jack.
October 30, 2009
UK's omits checks and balances for a proper democracy in Turks and Caicos
If one digs deeper, one can deduce that Justice Sir Robin Auld was chosen by the British FCO to lead the charge against Michael Misick administration to investigate corruption because of his radical views on how a State should handle an accused person. Sir Robin is no stranger to bizarre conclusions and it is no secret that he took significant criticism from his peers and members of the UK bar when he concluded in his report of the Reform of Criminal Court that jury-less trials should be the norm.
This Judge with such a controversial background, let alone a sole appointee, should not have run the commission of inquiry in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The UK could have been more careful in assuring confidence in the fairness of the investigation instead it made a mockery of the investigation by tinting the investigation making it obvious that a particular result was the objective; and they did so while thumbing their noses at us. [Keep reading]:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0ARBeZtxz0Ph7ZGNucTdybTRfMzZjNmJwOGRndA&hl=en
October 28, 2009
Foreign investments in local cultures, an interview with a foreign developer
By: Chris Burke
"BZ" is a Swiss national. He is a developer and venture capitalist who has opened resorts in Indonesia, the Caribbean, the South Pacific, Hong Kong as well as a luxury hotel in South California.
Though not a scientific study, BZ's experience is more of a cross-cultural study between foreign developers and local governments.
BZ is one of the two developers who returned my call for a statement to get an idea of why resorts are closing in Turks and Caicos. BZ is aware of the international intrigue concerning resort development closures in Turks and Caicos Islands. He said that this phenomena is unique to Turks and Caicos. When I asked if Turks and Caicos could rebound from the problem, BZ replied, "It depends on the future politics of the islands and if a stigma exists for developers which will keep foreign investors at arm's length."
In his assessment, the economy has little to do with development closures in Turks and Caicos. BZ said, "it is not difficult to extrapolate resort successes in other parts of the Caribbean and the world to see that what is happening in Turks and Caicos is an unusual situation at an unusual rate."
With respect to developers' involvement with local culture, BZ says that, "it is almost a must for foreign investors and developers to learn the culture of the place where they are seeking to build. If a population is hostile toward building, then obviously you're looking at potential environmental lawsuits, protests and other obstacles that may cause substantial delay and money. That is something that you really should research before building. In some cases, it is difficult to plan these problems such as the recent sudden change in political climate in Turks and Caicos." [keep reading]:
Hayden Boyce accuses "Jumpy" and TCI Journal of defamation of character
October 26, 2009
David “Jumpy” Hartshorn has been advised to put his money to good use and stop using the TCI Journal to tear down the reputation of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The advice came from Hayden Boyce, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of The SUN newspaper, in response to another wicked and evil lie which Hartshorn posted on The Journal which the Projetech owner continues to use to viciously attack persons and institutions in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
“Jumpy does not have a monopoly on defending his reputation, and while many people have told me that he is not worth it, as a newspaper publisher and in keeping with the best practices in the industry, I cannot, and will not allow him to get away with any attempts to cast aspersions on my reputation or the newspaper’s credibility,” Boyce said.
“I really think the time has come for Mr. Hartshorn, the owner of Projetech, and his lackeys to stop trying to use The Journal, which he bank rolls, to tear down people and by extension, the Turks and Caicos Islands,” Boyce said. “As the owner of Projetech which is a well-established construction company, he should stick to the business of construction not destruction. If the Turks and Caicos Islands is as bad as Jumpy and his band of hooligans and bandits try to make it out to be, why are they all still here? My message to Mr. Hartshorn is that now is a time for nation building not for tearing down and denigration. I therefore invite Projetech’s owner Jumpy and the bandits at the Journal to follow The SUN’s example and channel their energies into the continued development of the Turks and Caicos Islands and refrain from being so evil and destructive.”
The publisher said The SUN doesn’t need any validation from Jumpy because while the newspaper’s credibility is unquestionable, the same cannot be said about Hartshorn who probably tells lies in his sleep.
Boyce continued: “There are many people in the Turks and Caicos Islands who still hold very unpleasant memories about some things that Jumpy has said and done to them eve before he started with Projetech and after. And rather than seek amends in the evening of his years, he now seems to be taking pleasure in constructing a reputation of being a public nuisance an an absolute stranger to the truth,” Boyce said.
“First, Jumpy said he never gave me an interview. When he finally returned to his senses, he admits that he gave me an interview but then, in typical fashion and true to form, he had to toss in a dirty lie by saying that I apologised to him when he knows full well that I did not and will not apologise to him for exercising freedom of speech in The SUN newspaper more than two years ago,” Boyce added.
Boyce called on the Attorney General, the Governor and Members of the Interim Government to sue Jumpy and the Journal for defamation of character.
“They can leave Projetech out of the law suit because despite what transpired on West Caicos, that’s a reputable company with good employees. But while the police and law enforcement are at it, Jumpy and his lackeys at the Journal, which he continues to finance, should also be charged with possession of a dangerous weapon, because the Journal is really nothing more than that. They should also be charged with disturbing the peace of the Turks and Caicos Islands and for polluting these Beautiful By Nature Islands with the garbage that is constantly spewed out by the Journal, leaving a most fetid odour across the landscape.”
Boyce predicted that corruption and/or criminal charges in relation to certain people who are closely connected with the Journal are going to come in very short order.
“It will take more than Special Prosecutor Helen Garlick to investigate those people, some of whom wrote a tissue of lies and fabrications to the British Government in order to deflect attention away from themselves,” Boyce added. “The British Government, if they really dig deep, may have to send in Scotland Yard for certain people at the Journal. Just wait and see!”
Trumped up charges of bribery in Turks and Caicos is a political farce
October 23, 2009 By: Chris Burke
Michael Misick, the former premier of Turks and Caicos Islands, has been recently acquitted of two of the several criminal charges against him, including charges of rape. Still pending are corruption charges being pursued against Misick, alleging that Misick personally financially gained from Crown land sales to foreign developers during his term.
Also on the hot seat are the several resort developers who stand accused of related corruption charges for allegedly bribing Misick and other public officials for favorable Crown land deals. To say that developers bribed public officials pushes boundaries of decency and gross misinformation. All signs and evidence point to the same truth, that no bribery occurred.
First there is the assertion that developers seeking crown land bribed public officials for favorable treatment. Let's explore the Crown land bribery claim.
In fact these developers were shamelessly wooed by Misick and his administration to invest in Turks and Caicos. Whether or not anyone personally agrees with Michael Misick and his personal life, most all can agree that he is a master salesman and promoter, particularly in real estate. His career outside of politics has continuously been real estate and real estate investments. Misick spent an extraordinary amount of focus in bringing in high-end foreign developers to invest in Turks and Caicos. Misick's foreign investment recruitment alone and promotion thereof, shows Misick's genius.
It is no secret that Misick used his Hollywood connections through his actress wife Lisa-Ray, to rub elbows with the Hollywood elite which gave him credibility with high-end foreign resort developers. And bring the celebrities Misick did. A huge development and celebrity boom in the islands was enjoyed by Turks and Caicos during Misick's administration. Turks and Caicos went from being a scuba enthusiast holiday destination to a playground for the rich and famous. Misick takes credit for the economic boom, development, investments and publicity of the islands.
Upon UK's investigation of purported wrong-doing by Misick, it was stated at the time of Misick's resignation that his Hollywood lifestyle was necessary and "... allowed him to court high-end developers and helped put the British territory on the map. Since he took office, the gross domestic product in the territory of 22,000 people has more than doubled to $750 million — largely through a resort-building boom." This is proof positive that Misick was the one who went after resort developers, not the other way around. What's more is that resort developers were given many incentives to invest in Turks and Caicos, including Belongership status which allowed them to purchase Crown land and other inducements that included speedy infrastructure permits.
Second there is the misnomer that Crown land is for use for Belongers alone.
According to the Crown Land Policy, commercial land development is one of the main purposes of Crown land use and sale. The Crown Land Policy is formulated to "attract investments judged best for the interest of TCI [Turks and Caicos Islands]."
Crown land is specifically intentioned for businesses and development, according to Turks and Caicos' policies. In fact according to the law in Turks and Caicos, "There are no restrictions on foreign investment and the government has a very successful open-arms inward investment policy."
Why resort developers are being caught in the fray of the unsubstantiated claims of bribery should be a crime. Not only are these developers unfairly judged, the international investment community is staying far away from the foreseen entrapment of Turks and Caicos' political finger pointing.
It is well documented that resort developers did not bribe the Misick administration. If anything the Misick administration bribed them as admitted by Misick himself. The campaign contributions in questions were not bribes. How could they be? The contributions were made 3 weeks prior the election. Why would someone bribe a person who may or may not be in office in 3 weeks? It is ridiculous. It's called a campaign contribution pure and simple.
Turks and Caicos is now clamoring to restore confidence in investors, create jobs and promote tourism. Certainly Turks and Caicos' investment climate is shaky at best with several high-end resort closures. It's time to promote a renewed confidence within the international community of not only investment safety but for tourism as well.
For background on UK's direct rule, read: www://tciwatch.com
http://bermudaisanotherworld.org/forum/index.php?action=printpage;topic=1021.0
What's this hyprocritical talk about rescuing Belongers?
October 22, 2009 By: Ed S. 
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcnq7rm4_18c9c359g3
Commentary about Wikileaks publishing of Commission of Enquiry Report
By: J.C.
The media was treated to some interesting news coming out of Turks and Caicos yesterday. "Google subpoenaed to turn over IP addresses of TCI Journal." This headline had me livid. The nerve of being forced to hand over documents or personal information of anyone or any business.
But in this case, there is a difference that I might have to think about. TCI Journal's and Shaun Malcolm's illegal publishing of a court ordered redacted document on Wikileaks, which was unredacted. There was a court order in place preventing the publishing of the redacted text. That is actually the news story that prompted me to start writing about this matter and it has had a lot of interesting twists and turns.
As I was reading through the news stories, I noticed a couple of things. First, I must be vain for a moment, a blogger questioned my intentions because I criticize TCI Journal. I could be wrong, but I think it was me for whom this blogger commented. In innuendo, this blogger intimated that my purpose in writing is to trash TCI Journal and this blogger questioned my affiliations. Well this had me livid too.
I am not the first reporter nor the last to insult TCI Journal's lack of journalistic integrity? Not by a long-shot. In fact, many of my stories about TCI Journal are main stream news strings written by other investigative journalists and reporters. There is a list of well-respected main stream journalists who dislike and have written about TCI Journal and its brand of "media" or lack thereof. It is not even remotely factual to assume that I nor any other (albeit more main stream) reporter has an agenda. That's weak and false.
Hopefully, the main stream media will dig a bit deeper as I have and do their homework about Malcolm. That's my suggestion.
Besides, pointing a finger at me is plain silly because it is entirely safe to say that I have always checked my sources and corroborated my news before I report it. I am a balanced writer but I admit that a couple of issues can really get me scratching. In part, I politically dislike colonialism. Do I blame Shaun Malcolm for this? No. But, I believe that he has an agenda to retake Crown Land in Turks and Caicos and is willing to report any false news to that end. This includes Shaun Malcolm championing UK's take-over when there was already an elected government in place following Misick's corruption scandal. Back to the Google issue, this had me angry.
I've always had a problem with the archive technology in computers and cell phones which allow big brother to, at any time in your life, discover what you were doing or thinking at a certain time. The civil liberty violation possibilities make me very suspicious.
That said, I have more of a problem with illegal leaking as well as anonymity and the Internet when someone uses that anonymity to publish uncorroborated accusations and fail to cite sources. This is the scary side of the Internet. Who is the accuser? It's a civil liberty offered at a basic level to have the right to face your accuser. But who is the accuser and what is the purpose of their accusation?
If Shaun Malcolm is considered an activist, without considering his agenda or his source, then who is to question him? I am confident that there are more people than me out there questioning him now.
It is healthy for everyone to be vigilant with checks and balances when it comes to corruption. That is a given. This is why I question TCI Journal. TCI Journal takes credit for the government take-over of Turks and Caicos. When, in fact, Great Britain's investigation of former Premier Misick was done on a UK governmental scale; and remember, Malcolm's party kicked him out, so he cannot even claim that he is a part of any political organization.
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have called for a total restructuring of United Nations
Turks and Caicos Seized by Great Britain in re-colonisation aggression
By: Paul I. Adujie
UN - Remaining 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories on United Nations List Are ‘16 Too Many’, Fourth Committee Told, As It Takes Up Cluster of Decolonization Issues
By: E. Jay Saunders
When do we put the brakes on collateral damage?
Swiss researcher Ernst Fehr once ran an experiment called “the trust game with revenge”, designed to reveal the motivation for vengeance. What he found was that: a) the decision to punish someone who we think cheated gives us a feeling of pleasure, and b) “…the desire for revenge, even when it costs us something and is fully irrational…” is built into us. (Harvard Business Review, July – August 2009, Page 83)
It is primarily because of this phenomenon, why we are seeing – and will continue to see – collateral damage resulting from the Commission of Inquiry.
For example, Sir. Robin Auld’s final report portrays Dr. Cem Kinay as a willing participant in government corruption, because: a) he gave a large sum of money to an elected official, and b) he is trying to keep the details of it out of the public domain. However, while (a) and (b) are true, they do not automatically equal (c)orruption. Here is why, and a scenario of what likely happened that got him to this point:
To keep cost low, Dr. Kinay’s company most likely applied for and received duty concessions from the Government, thereby saving him a few million dollars on the build-out cost for Dellis Cay. During the election campaign a Government minister most likely asked him for a sizeable campaign donation – probably US$1 million. Finding himself in an awkward situation where he could not easily say “no”, Dr. Kinay probably rationalized it as a one off donation to a government who is pro business, and most importantly, one who his pro Dellis Cay. He then probably agreed to donate an amount less than the initial request – although it would have still been a significant sum – and because there are no rules/laws regarding how campaign donations are made, he sent it based on the instructions of the minister.
Although there is nothing in the scenario above that under normal circumstances would be considered corrupt; because the government involved was Mike Misick’s administration, Dr. Kinay’s campaign donation is being suspected as such.
For the record, even if it turns out that the campaign donation was used for corrupt purposes, I doubt that Dr. Kinay was an architect of that corruption.
It is unfortunate, but in today’s world, you are what/who Google says you are, and if there are any references to you on the internet, Google will find it, index it, and archive it. As such, negative materials on the internet can and will affect (what I call) your “Google’s Character Reference” or GCR.
For the average person, their GCR has little or no impact on their lives. However, for someone whose reputation is his/her global currency; someone whose every business deal results in a background check being done; and someone who has global business interests; their GCR is becoming more important than their credit score.
The destructive powers of negative information on the internet is so great to a person’s reputation, that PR firms recommend that if you are a victim of it, to deal with it swiftly and aggressively – even if it means hiring legal representation to have the information removed. As such, it is likely that for this reason alone why Dr. Kinay is keen to keep any negative references to him in Sir Robin’s report out of the public domain.
However, in our desire to punish those who cheated, we want to have the full report in the public domain – regardless of the collateral damage that it can cause.
While there are those who may see some collateral damage as acceptable, the fact is that in order to rebuild the Turks & Caicos, we not only need the defensive strategy of Sir Robin, we also need an offensive (i.e. inward investment) strategy. As the management guru/thinker Peter Drucker once stated, “We have to accept what we all know to be elemental – that taking a defensive position can, at best, only limit losses. And we need gains.” With the economy in free fall, the Turks & Caicos desperately need gains like Dellis Cay. We cannot afford to watch the country go into an economic tailspin for 2 years while we remake government. This approach will only lead to more problems. With all due respect to Colin Roberts, he got it wrong when he suggested that Britain cannot simultaneously promote inward investment while fixing local government.
The task may be difficult, but Governor Wetherell needs to find a way to do both. For “The signature of the truly great vs. the merely successful is not the absence of difficulty. It’s the ability to come back from setbacks, even cataclysmic catastrophes, stronger than before.” (How The Mighty Fall, Jim Collins)
http://tcfreepress.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=864:wherewhen-do-we-put-the-brakes-on-the-collateral-damage&catid=19:editorial&Itemid=36
An epidemic of UK supremacy using corruption to topple democratic governments - Ghana sees the writing on the wall
I have for the past few days read and listened to several fallacious comments about the verdict of the Southwark Crown Court in the matter relating to the M&J bribery scandal. Indeed, as per the facts available on the official
website of the Prosecutors in the matter, i.e. the UK Serious Fraud Office; it is obvious that there was a blatant disregard for The Principle of Natural Justice (“audi alterem partem and nemo judex causa sua”), and a classical case of 21st Century colonialism.
Having thoroughly read the official document, I am amazed at the nebulous appreciation of issues, the unsavoury comments and relentless hobby of our colonial masters in destroying the hard earned reputation of our noble statesmen ( independent of the facts), by using their Judicial system and its apology state institution to orchestrate this malicious scheme. This unbecoming domineering posture remains blight on the corporate integrity of the United Kingdom and also a huge threat to building a global democratic culture and fostering better international relations.
Indeed, the diction in the official document displayed on the website of the UK Serious Office clearly confirms this assertion. It is significant to note that this document contains several factual errors, mischief and disparaging remarks which impute a clandestine motive of destroying the hard earned reputation of our state officials and creating a false impression to the international community that they are committed in fighting corruption in third world countries. It is surprising that when a similar case came to the doorsteps of the UK Government in the matter relating to some transactions in Saudi Arabia, they declined to investigate the matter on grounds that they were committed to maintain the international relations with the Saudi Government.
Perhaps, they didn’t want to loose the fuel supply from the Saudi Government. The U-Turn of the UK Government in their earlier commitment to investigate the matter after the Saudi Government threatened to withdraw their trade relations speaks volume of the lack of political will of the UK Government in fighting corruptions in certain jurisdictions.
Could this M&J Corruption saga be a clear case of father-son relationship? Or it is a sheer case of our colonial masters pretending to be fighting corruption in third world countries and displaying cowardice when super powers are involved!!! Justice must not be seen to be manifested but must be equitably given.
It is regrettable to note that in paragraph 113 of the UK-SFO document, the names of the Directors in the purported corrupt transactions were withheld and instead described as “Director A; Director B; Director C; Director D; and Director E”. What could possibly be the rationale for hiding the identity of their own corrupt officials and publishing the names of the Ghanaian officials? It is surprising how they could correctly spell the Kwame’s, Peprah’s, Yankey’s, Kamara’s, etc. and find it difficult it publish the names of their own. This chronic hypocrisy of our colonial masters is unbecoming and must be condemned.
To further perpetuate their vicious attack, they described Baba Kamara (in paragraph 113) as “the NDC treasurer, and ‘political overseer’ for the Ministry for Roads and Highways”. How could they assume that there could possibly be a ‘POLITICAL OVERSEER’ at the ministry to be paid at the expense of the taxpayer? It is also on record that the said Baba Kamara was rather a Deputy Treasurer of the NDC and not the Treasurer as they had put it in their official document.
In addition to that, the document also said that, “Baba Kamara is a member of the all Powerful NDC Finance Committee which includes Kwame Peprah, Obed Asamoah, Mrs. Rawlings amongst others…” In the first place, isn’t it strange that the UK-SFO would describe the NDC Finance Committee as being ‘all powerful’ without any basis? Has such a description got any relevance to the substantive matter as laid before the court?
Out of sheer mischief, they blatantly captured an ‘untruth’ in their prosecution statement when they said the Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Rawlings was a member of the so-called Finance Committee of the NDC. In a desperate attempt to reinforce their factual inaccuracy, they said Mr. Kwame Peprah was the Chairman of the said committee. These and many other falsehoods were captured in the prosecution statement and consequently used as the basis of judgement. How can there be justice when the premise for judgement is flawed on grounds that the actors and their affiliations have not been accurately captured. Doesn’t to the extent of such inaccuracy, give us a prima facie grounds to wholly doubt the content of the prosecution statement?
It must also be stressed that the impropriety, arbitrariness, and the blatant disregard for the Principle of Natural Justice of the Southwark Crown Court in the matter relating to the M&J bribery scandal negates against the principle of an equitable and a fair judicial system. Under the principle of natural Justice (namely, the “audi alterem partem”), in the determination of a matter laid before a court of competent jurisdiction, all parties involved or implicated in a matter brought before it must be given a fair hearing (opportunity to be represented directly or indirectly through a counsel). Moreover, no one can be judge in his own court (‘nemo judex causa sua’). This universal principle if not applied, nullifies any legal consequence of a matter brought before the court.
What on earth prevented the Southwark Crown Court from inviting our purported corrupt Government officials to act as witnesses or defendants? As it is now, it is the word of M&J and the UK-SFO against our officials. Should this therefore be the basis of us (Ghanaians) to use these flawed legal procedures and practices to call for the resignation of our officials. He who seeks equity must come with clean hands and may we not be bamboozled into the callous scheme of our colonial masters who have from time immemorial shown disrespect to our political leaders. If they were not up to mischief, why then did they hide the identity of their own and publicly crucified our leaders? Perhaps ‘Director A; Director B; Director C; Director D; and Director E’ are minors and that is why their identity had been concealed.
The call for the mentioned public individuals to resign is wicked and must never be entertained. If they are compelled to resign based on this ‘chronic colonial scheme’, we would be setting a very bad precedence where anyone can sit in his country, and allege that he bribed our political leaders, hence the need for them to resign. Does that mean that if this fate had befallen his Excellency, the President of the Republic of Ghana - Prof. J.E.A Mills -, then he would have been obliged to resign as the President? Have we been able to quantify the cost of a bye-election? Let us not be tricked into disposing of our industrious and talented leaders. A resignation is an implicit admission of guilt must not be entertained.
It is pitiful and surprising that people are desperately trying to politicize the issue and make NDC a corrupt party. Isn’t it strange that Alhaji Abubakar Saddiq who at a point in time was almost appointed as Nana Akufo-Addo’s running mate in the 2008 General elections when the NPP Flagbearer was battling credibility crisis and they needed someone with an unblemished character to neutralize the effect of Nana’s questionable character? If as at 2008, he (Alhaji Abubakar Saddiq) was perceived to be the most credible person in the NPP, and today his name has been associated with this scandal, then this should be a source of worry to all ‘kukrudites’. Perhaps that is the reason why the NPP appointed Alhaji Bawumia (who was not a member of the NPP) to partner Nana as his running mate since they possibly couldn’t find any “uncorrupt” person.
Assuming the assertion by M&J that Alhaji Abubakar Saddiq collected bribe (even in opposition) is true, then one can imagine what he did as an MP for Salaga and the Minister for Works and Housing. Hmmmm………… Surprisingly, Alhaji Abubakar Saddiq and his beloved son are both purported to have benefited from the M&J bribe. The Honourable P.C. Appiah Ofori and Mr. Haruna Esseku (former National NPP Chairman) might be right after all!!! This is a classical case of those in glass house throwing stones at their opponents! Hahaaaaahaa!
The President has acted swiftly in instructing the A-G to investigate the matter but I hope this is not a political gimmick. When you spare the rod, you spoil the child. Please Mr. President, don’t throw dust in our eyes because our eyes are wide open as events unfold. He who seeks equity must come with clean hands and if you want to fight corruption, you must without any hesitation crack the whip within your government. This is test case for the Government and you have no reason to disappoint us. If the NDC is truly born out of the PNDC revolution, then the principle of probity and accountability must strongly be upheld.
Thank you!
Credit: Kojo Frimpong
kojofrimpong.frimpong@gmail.com