Scott next in line with suit
(CNS): Following on the heels of the former Police Commissioner Stuart Kernohan’s law suit, Burmon Scott has also filed a writ seeking unspecified damages from the Acting Commissioner of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, the Attorney-General of the Cayman Islands and Richard Coy, a member of the Special Police Investigation Team (SPIT). Scott, a former and highly commended police officer, was arrested, unlawfully his writ states, by Coy in May of last year and held in lock down overnight.
According to the writ, which was filed on Tuesday afternoon by Campbells, Scotts’ attorneys, the 28-year veteran of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service was arrested on suspicion of having committed the offense of Misconduct in Public Office which, “is not an arrestable offense in the Cayman Islands, and, accordingly, the Plaintiff’s arrest was unlawful,” the writ states.
Scott was arrested by Special Constable Coy, second in command of SPIT, which was headed by SIO Martin Bridger and part of the so-called ‘Operation Tempuar’ investigaitons, and he was escorted to the Central Police Station. The writ tells how his personal property was taken from him, he was photographed, swabbed for DNA, finger printed and subjected to a “pat down” search. Following that, the veteran officer was then taken to the offices of the Financial Crimes Unit and interviewed for several hours. Upon returning to the Central Police Station, he was refused bail, and his medication was denied to him in part.
Scott remained in custody overnight, was re-interviewed the following day, and released on bail at approximately 6:00pm on 16 May 2008, and as a condition of bail his passport was confiscated.
The writ states that on 31 July 2008, Scott was informed by letter that he would not be charged with any criminal offense arising out of his arrest.
Scott explained how deeply the arrest had affected him. “I underwent bouts of depression, including sleeplessness, loss of appetite, and anxiety over my job, reputation, and the future in general,” he said. Earlier this year Scott described his experience to CNS as a nightmare. “I could never have imagined in all my life that this was happening to me. After all my years working so hard and having retired with a good name, it was a shock that is hard to explain.”
In 1977, as a recruit constable in Cayman Brac, Scott received an award for bravery for his role in disarming a violent offender who had stabbed his wife six times. In 1980 he received another commendation for the most drug-related arrests in Cayman Brac. In 1989 he served as RCIPS Liaison Officer, in charge of the community relations department, which was responsible for all resident beat officers in all districts throughout the Islands. In this role, he wrote the drug skits that were performed in all the local schools. He also “took to the stage” as an actor in the popular “Barney” show the RCIPS put on from time to time for the kids. Until his retirement, Scott was the Commander for every Remembrance Day parade held in Cayman Brac for many years.
The writ indicates that Scott is seeking damages for assault, damages to reputation, loss of earnings, exemplary and aggravated damages, as well as costs.
Category: Headline News
To Miss Ritch and Caymanian to the bone……excellent posts!
And to Burmon Scott, if you’re reading here, please continue to hold your head up high and don’t let the evil acts of the devil win. Always know that good things happen to good people.
To the others that remain in "high office" in the RCIPS and continue to strive on negativity, the saying goes "Once a cop, twice a civilian".
God bless.
The only problem i have with all the law suits is the Cayman Islands have to pay for it .Is there any way in the law that they could sue the govenor and all those at fault personally and be paid out of their pockets instead .Burmon i wish you luck but remember one thing you will be fighting for this a along time because you are CAYMANIAN and thats not a good word any more.
I hope that Burmon Scott is appropriately rewarded for the injustice he endured at the hands of SPIT and others whom still hold "high office" in the RCIPS.
It’s a pity that you and me and all of us will have to pay for "the blunder" of Richard Coy, Martin Bridger, Polaine, Stuart Jack and others. It’s also pity that we don’t have people in governmentt who could file a counter- suit directly against these individuals and the FCO for every single penny that we have paid and will continue to pay, similarly to what is done in the United States where county’s, and individual states will sue the Federal Government for their "screw up’s"
Let me say publicly that Burmon Scott have suffered the "greatest injustice" of this whole SPIT fiasco and we should all be worried that "Operation Cealt" is still on the same path.
At the end of the day, I’m expecting that we would have likely spent around $10-12 Million before "this farce" comes to an end.
What would we have gotten from SPIT besides large sums of money down the drain and up in smoke ?? Serious instablity in our country and investigations which will unlikely prove anyone’s guilt whom were arrested or charged for corruption.
However, at the end of the day SPIT and others would have accoplished their set aims, goals and objectives, that is, ruin the Cayman Islands and take their "financial centres" from under their feet and nose’s, so that those in the UK could prosper without competition. It’s that simple !!!!!
Now everyone wants money because of the precedence set in Henderson’s case, to be frank I agree with them.
Well, I don’t know how much more Caymanian you’re going to feel by relocating but if that works for you then by all means …
Hooooooold on jus’ a minute ya now!!
Are these fellas suing on the basis of "false arrest" alone?!
Please someone – answer this question for me!
For if this is the case…well goodness gracious…Cayman ga soon be broke!
Cuz truss me…nuff Cayman young man been arrested, searched, stripped, locked down and then released only to have nothing found, no charges brought and released with nothing but a "oh well!"
Humph…lemme start mekkin some calls ya!
:o)
Well said "Caymanian 2 de bone" I take my hat off to you and I feel you pain too and this is true.
The more I read, the more disillusioned I become. If half of what is said here is true, I wonder why would a Caymanian want to put Mr. Bush back into office?
This Island Council sounds like a bad idea that failed before. If the members of that council are appointed and not elected, then they are not representative of the Cayman people but only their own business interests. How is that the best approach to governing?
You cannot run a country like a business. With a business, you are smart to get rid of the non-productive elements in order to streamline and increase profitability. With a country, it is government’s RESPONSIBILITY to look after the well-being of the "unproductive" members of its’ society – to make sure the children and the elderly are looked after properly, to make sure the sick have access to health care, and so on. If this council is created and the rule of the day is the bottom line of business, I fear for the well-being of the citizens, indeed of ALL residents, of these islands.
"How sad I am to know that a national campaign is only geared to one nationality." What? A national campaign to elect government officials in the Cayman Islands is geared only to Caymanians. Isn’t that the way it should be? Even though expats play a valuable role in the civil service and the local economy as a whole, shouldn’t the government of the Cayman Islands be the right and responsibility of Caymanians? Have I misunderstood what you have said?
"What? A national campaign to elect government officials in the Cayman Islands is geared only to Caymanians. Isn’t that the way it should be?"
I don’t think the nationality being referenced is Caymanians.
Miss Ritch… "parading with non-Caymanians"? Are you saying that you would prefer that government leaders never be seen in the company of expats? "Non-Caymanian churches"? If the church is in Cayman, does that not make it a Caymanian church? Are some Christians better than others?
What most of us who stayed here after Ivan learned is that things work better when we all work together. Most expats aren’t trying to take anything from you – they’re just trying to do a good job, to make a living, and to be a part of the community where they live. Why the dislike? Being a Caymanian in Cayman will always be of importance. Why do think it is not? Why do you think it is "not enough"?
I was at the swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday. Sitting up front were friends and family of the elected government, Caymanian men and women who have every right to be proud of themselves and the accomplishments reflected in the ceremonies of the day. Sitting in the crowd were Caymanians of all ages, men and women from all walks of life, witnessing the swearing in of the new government. It would seem to me that this is still a country of Caymanians, governed by Caymanians for the primary benefit of Caymanians. Isn’t that what you want?
Miss Ritch, those sworn in yesterday are YOUR government officials. They don’t answer to expats but to the people of the Cayman Islands. Why don’t you stay andmake sure your voice is heard?
Miss Ritch well said you could not have said it any better .I agree with every word .And too would like to say how sad i am to know that a nationial campaign is only geared to one nationality I would have gone if it was at an open air location like behind the court house.Or behind the libuary ,or on one of the playing fields .even the lion center .Mr Bush you must realize there were many people voted for the 2 UDP winners in town that do not care for that location at all common sense should tell you it is not enough parking or seating for everyone.But here we go with your head strong way my way or no way at all .
Stop the ex pat bashing already! It is a disgrace!
Burmon was treated horridly – not Burmon the Caymanian, but Burmon the human being. Let’s all try remember that is what we ALL are – human beings – your blood bleeds red just as mine does, forget who you are, what you are, paper/born…….it is getting tiresome.
I hope Burmon gets what he is owed, we can never give him back the dignity and respect he lost that day but we can let him gain satisfaction from knowing that we care for him and all stand behind him as ONE.
Oh and despite the screen name, I am an expat, who loves Cayman since the day I landed.
To "Caymanite and "Smell the Coffee:
Thanks Caymanian 2 de bone for coming to my rescue. The others don’t understand and I don’t expect them to. You like I know what I’m talking about and of course the others have as usual taken everything i’ve said and twisted my words around. I draw my comments on my own knowledge and experiences of living here all my life. I have nothing against expats but I’m for my own native people first, sorry they my not like that but too bad. This is my country, and I’m grateful for all the outside help but I want to be respected and noticed as a hard working Caymanian. A Caymanian who can look in georgetown and see the buildings that her great grandfather built. I can be proud as I have come from good, hardworking stock. But at the end of the day I see where this country will end up in my lifetime. By making it a free for all and all can come country and not protecting the caymanian native people, it will no longer be my humble home. Those who want to undermind me on this website can all do so but I know in my heart what is true and the obvious. I don’t expect you to get it.
If this gets to be a country infested with crime with bars on your windows and you have to confine yourself to once section of the island for safety, then fine you have fund and you stay. I however will not remain.
I hope to god that as a Caymanian he does get through, however sadly I would not be surprised if he he doesn’t, just because he’s a Caymanian and not some other nationality. The last few days I have felt like crying as I as a full Caymanian realize that my nationality is no longer of any importance in my own country. Politicians have made that clear, by parading with non caymanians and having church services in non-caymanian churches. It’s not that I want to dispise other nationalities, I just don’t understand why some of our politicians are not in favor of our own Caymanian Nationality. It’s sad to say that in my lifetime I may have to consider relocating myself elsewhere to live. I’m feeling less and less at home here and I know there are other Caymanians who share this sadness with me. How can I be proud to be Caymanian when our politicians are showing me that being Caymanian these days is not enough………
Miss Ritch, being Caymanian is NOT enough. It is not a qualification, merely a geographical coincidence. Cayman is a small, no tiny, country, that depends on foreigners for just about everything, money, education, jobs, money, supplies, expertise, money, protection, the ability to be allowed to be a country in our own right, everything… Cayman has no natural resources of it’s own, except lovely beaches. If there were no foreigners, and once us locals have looked at all the beaches and palm trees, what then? We need foreigners to come and go ‘oooo, ahhh’ at our beautiful country to prevent it being reclaimed by the sea from where it came.
Our politicians recognise, whether they actually mean it or not, that EVERYONE on the islands has a role to play, and qualities to contribute to the country. Foreigners, generally, choose to be here, so want the country to prosper, why is that so bad to your ‘Caymanian’ sensibilities? You think being Caymanian is not important? Look around you, and all the protections we have in place as native Caymanians. I say that you’re not exhibiting the well known and established welcoming nature of our forefathers (and mothers!)..
You want to move away? good, do it, because you are just perpetuating the decline of our country, and the discrimination that comes from many native caymanians and the erosion of the qualities that made our country so attractive in the first place. Foreigners aren’t damaging Cayman, you and your kind are.
The world (apart from a few thousand corporations, all foreign in fact, ) would barely notice if Cayman disappeared..We are not better than any other nationality, just because we happen to be here. Are you superior in America, or Canada, or Russia? No, you are not, we are not a ‘super race’, but we are traditionally a welcoming and humble people.
Why can’t you honor that and wake up and smell the coffee (which is bought from foreigners…)?
Excellent reply. I am a Canadian who lived in Cayman and loved the Island and most of the people. Not all the people nor do I like all the people I know in Canada or the US or anywhere else I have been. However not liking someone I know in Canada doesn’t mean all Canadians are like that person! People are people no matter where they are from. Canada is so full of different races and religions that I really just don’t care who is from where, or where their parents were from etc. I care who they are! I thank God my friends that I got to know and love in Cayman thought that way too! I sadly was made to leave and left my heart behind.
If an ex pat is in Cayman they can love it as much as a Caymanian. They can also have a dislike of certain aspects of the country as well as is a person’s right. No country is perfect. No country will ever be perfect nor made up of perfect people.
It is time for some people to accept the fact that the people of the world are more transient than ever but when it comes down to it we are all just people sharing the earth, and why do we have to go back in time to try to claim a country to make us who we are?
We are above animals and do not need to mark our territory and shun "foreigners" as we are all foreigners somewhere if we think that way. Or wecan all be people of the earth and realize there is enough space for us all. People that love people do not care where they are from but who they are.
So stop making every issue about Caymanians and Expats and make it about the real issue and that is what is best for the Island and ALL the people on it!
I wish everyone would stop and look at the person next to them asa person and get to know them before judging them from where they are from and/or for any other reason. We can learn a lot from people from other places and I am blessed to have learned a lot from my Caymanian friends and those that I met that were from other countries while in Cayman. We all have a lot to offer each other if we open our eyes and hearts.
To quote Amanda Marshall (a Canadian/Trini singer) "You can’t change a stubborn mind. You can’t see the world if your eyes are blind. What does it matter anyway? In our darkest hour we are all just shades of grey."
Miss Ritch, I too agree with you. Your words reflect exactly what I have been feeling since Thursday 21st May. I can’t add anything more to it except to say that we are endangered in more ways than one. Speaking out is not a wise thing at this time. "Island Council" I guess that is the Senate which he had hoped to get in the new Constitution. I am pretty certain that I know the names of most of his potential "Island Council" members.
Big Al, you sound like a sensible fella. Keep writing.
Yup lets see: Dart, Dart, The man in the Paper from the Real Estate Industry (last week), The Chamber Commerce, Mr. D’ Silva on behalf of Financial Services, Mr. Michael Ryan, Dart did I say Dart, oh any new Dart look-a-likes oh how bad of me how could I forget – all our new Jamaican friends (no desrespect to anyone who is of that Nationality – their new government looks out for them well).
I am sad to read the sense of despair and hopelessness from my Caymanian people. It pains me that Mr. Bush has forgotten his roots. I call it the BUT government. I support caymanians BUT, I care for caymanians BUT, We are Caymanians BUT….that words scare me when he uses it because I know he quickly reinds us that someone else is responsible for our happiness. Have he ever thought how Caymanians feel when he says this over and over over again. That is why I have been happy to hear Mr. Ezzard Miller the other morning on the talk show say: I am Caymanian, I am for Caymanians PERIOD.
To all my despondent Caymanians: hang in there. You are getting stronger and in due time all will come to head and we will have an opportunity to claim what is ours. Be encouraged my sisters and brothers. be affirmed and start to assert who you are….
"having church services in non-caymanian churches"
Although an atheist, but as a respector of people’s rights to their own beliefs, I take offence to this statement. I thought all churches belonged to some mythical creator or god and not to mere mortals.
If you are an atheist you have no say in the matter.
What the writer is clearly saying is that there are certain churches dominated by certain non-Caymanian nationalities. Capiche?
I just want to say that if the expats can come do whatever get arrested or fired and suit Burman Scott as a CAYMANIAN you go for it. We the people of Cayman are already paying for Henderson will have to pay for Kernohan so why not pay for you.
What could we do Richard Wadd? We are a mere colony and that Governor holds sway in the colony. There is no effective check or balance upon him.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY, I HOPE HE SUES BIG AND WINS, HE DESERVES IT. I HAVE KNOW BURMON FOR MANY YEARS, AND KNOW HIM TO BE HONEST AND RESPECTABLE. HE WAS A HUGE ASSET TO THE BRAC AND IT WAS A SAD DAY FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY WHEN HE WENT TO CAYMAN… HE IS STILL MISSED TODAY… COME HOME BURMON..
It is a disgrace how we have ALL sat-back and allowed ‘Govn. Jack’ to bring such harm to our islands’ reputation, not to mention the shameful conduct towards those of us who have worked so hard to be upstanding examples for our people.
While there is no question of the curruption of some, no-one I know has EVER had a bad thing to say about Burmon. Is this how we reward those who have worked so selflessly for us?
We ALL need to stand behind Burmon on this.
In the end, it is not so much what was done, but HOW it was done that matters. How is it that known criminals are treated with so much ‘respect’, while those who serve and protect us are allowed to be treated like crap?