Committee calls on public to help fight corruption

| 10/12/2012

(CNS): Following Anti-Corruption Day on 9th December, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has called on the people of the Cayman Islands to join in the fight against bribery and corruption, while promoting its confidential reporting hotline. According to the commission's annual report, this year it has received 33 complaints and conducted 149 interviews. It has served 12 letters for the production of documents and given nine reports to the legal department. So far however, only two people have been charged under the anti-corruption law and two people have been disciplined. Cayman’s small anti-corruption unit says it cannot combat the problem of corruption alone and it has called on the public to help.

The commission has remained tight lipped about the work it is undertaking and so far the only charges that have been brought are against low ranking public officials. One police officer is accused of asking for a bribe to not pursue a possible theft charge and one civilian member of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) staff is accused of misusing information.

Although the country's premier, McKeeva Bush, remains the subject of three police investigations, it has never been made clear if it is the ACC that is investigating these complaints. The three enquiries relate to what police have described as: financial irregularities; the premier's instructions over how customs should deal with a shipment of illegally imported dynamite; and a land deal which took place in 2004 relating to developer Stan Thomas.

As part of its promotional efforts to promote public awareness regarding corruption, the commission said that corruption threatens Cayman’s development, democracy and stability.

“It distorts financial markets, curbs economic development and discourages inward investment,” the commission says in a flyer circulated to mark the international day. It continues, “ultimately corruption erodes public services and your trust in public officials. The Anti-Corruption Commission(ACC) calls on the public service, private sector and NGOs to implement anti-corruption policies that promote sound ethical performance collectively."

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Me Me  Me… I am still VERY willing to help.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Good timing!

  3. Anonymous says:

    The ACC has been spectacularly useless. They have never made a peep despite the Premier of the country being under 3 separate investigations. XXXX

  4. Anonymous says:

    Nice words, however until the government becomes transparent in all its dealings and the police are more succesful in prosecuting cases and also become more transparent, their will remain shadows of doubt on corruption here. Transparency means there is no need to hide. Anything hidden is going to smell and be suspect.

     

    Finding it kind of ridiculous that there are 3 alleged cases against the premier and have been for some time, and we only know the scantest of details on one of them. Why is this taking so long?