Second arrest in Mac probe

| 11/12/2012

roadrunner.jpg(CNS): Following the premier’s release on bail Tuesday evening, the police announced a second arrest in connection with the probe. The RCIPS did not name the George Town man, but CNS confirmed via other sources that it was Suresh Prasad, the director of Midland Acres and the man who was convicted of importing explosives without the correct permits after pleading guilty in August and fined CI$1,300. Although Prasad is not a public official, he was arrested on suspicion of breach of trust, abuse of office and conflict of interest (contrary to Sections 13, 17 and 19 of the Anti-Corruption Law 2008 respectively) and inciting a breach of the corruption law. Prasad was also released on overnight bail and was expected to face further questioning Wednesday.

Police said that the local man who was arrested on Tuesday afternoon remained in police custody while enquiries continue.

During the Summary Court sentencing hearing Prasad admitted that the company had erred in its efforts to hasten the production of a significant quantity of marl for the first major contract Midland Acres had secured with the Dart Group.

The court found that this was a regulatory error and accepted the defence lawyer’s case that there was “no sinister motive” and that the explosive materials had been imported for a legitimate purpose, but an important step in the process, put in place by the authorities not as a revenue raising measure but for issues of public safety, had been omitted.

At the time of the importation but before Prasad was arrested Bush had written to the Collector of Customs and the director of the NRA asking that the dynamite be released.

Shortly afterwards the RCIPS confirmed that the issues surrounding the dynamite formed a third enquiry about the Cayman premier.

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  1. Knot S Smart says:

    In that photo it looks like he was really frightened when the police knocked on his door…

  2. Anonymous says:

    I have been reading so much bad news lately that it has become depressing. It is about time we read something uplifting. This is real uplifting news.

  3. The lone haranguer rides again! says:

    This will be good for Cayman, it shows everyone that corruption is not tolerated at any level in this island, we will not are not just another Carribean banana republic. Well done coppers, and may the chips fall where they will.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Wow it looks from this thread that the UDP caucus were posting en masse on CNS.

  5. Annon says:

    I personally think that the image of this country was destroyed by how ignorant, arrogant, uneducated, and blatantly dishonest the leaders of this country have proben to be to the rest of the world. In my humble opinion, this situation has shown to the rest of the world, that the laws of this land prevail over all, even the elite. No one is above the law. This is far better than trying to hide how corrupt our government is, and miserably failing to accomplish it. The laws of this country are what provided the stability, the UDP are the ones who have caused it to be shaken.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Is history is repeating itself?

    Operation Tempura made a laughing stock of the police force, Scotland Yard, former assistant commissioner John Yates and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It also cost the Cayman taxpayer millions.

    It is no secret that Premier McKeeva Bush has not pulled his punches in his criticism of the FCO's patronisng and bullying tactics over the budget and infrastructure development  and relations with the Governor are at rock bottom.

    It was also noticeable in London last week that all of the Overseas Territories leaders were highly critical of the FCO's behaviour and none more so than McKeeva.

    How strange he is arrested immediately on his return.

    All of this comes at a time when British and American politicians and editors are railing against tax havens, supported by the EU, OECD and politically motivated organisations such as Christian Aid and the Tax Justice Network.

    If The Governor and FCO wanted to destrouy Cayman's global reputation as a financial centre they couldn't have gone about it in a better way.

    Equally one must speculate that the FCO's tactics with all of the OTs could not be better designed if they wanted to drive the territories to break with the UK. I am certain the  Chinese, Indians and Russians  would just love to step into the vacuum that that would create. 

           

    • Anonymous says:

      You choose to overlook the lack of transparency associated with any deal Bush does. As I have written many times before, no need to hide anything if there is nothing to hide…

    • Anonymous says:

      This is the B.S. that Bush has been feeding his blindly loyal supporters with. It is the wicked FCO that is out to destroy us and want to destroy me because I am the chief champion of the Cayman Islands. It is therefore your patriotic duty to defend me no matter how ridiculous you appear. This is intended to contaminate the potential jury pool. 

      I am sure that RCIP has learned much from Operation Tempura and that they would not be arresting a sitting premier on a whim as you suggest but would only do so if they have clear evidence that crimes had been committed. People don't get arrested for simply criticising the FCO and if they did, based on your statements, all of the leaders of the OTs would have been arrested upon their return from London. 

      Our reputation as a global financial centre is being destroyed by those who behave in such a way as to make themselves vulnerable to allegations of corruption and fraud.   

    • Anonymous says:

      Is that you Steve?

       

      Who doubts that when Bush has his day in court, the defence will be a variation of the " sacred vessel" play? Any reference by the defence to the facts of the case will almost certainly be avoided and instead it will be portrayed as us ( being Bush representing all Caymanians ) against them ( being the FCO/RCIP representing all that is cliched about colonial rule by the white man ).

       

      Let's hope that a Caymanian jury will reach a verdict based on the facts and not appeals to the entrenched prejudice which forms the basis of the post to which I am responding. 

    • Anonymous says:

      What complete BS.

      If you check Hansard you will see the Premier quietly killed off any attempt to take action over the Tempura fiasco despite a concerted effort by the opposition in the LA.

      It's all been bluster. Big Mac thought the FCO loved him and was putting on show just to please the electorate.

       

    • Anonymous says:

      Quite blatant scare mongering there my friend, you obviously are a little bit worried that there is more to come, which i am sure there is.

      Despite your scare tactics, people will still come forward and get in quck to try and minimise their own involvement.

      Some will have known that this day was gonna come and planned accordingly. I guess that all they have to worry about is who is saying what and who to.

      The rest … well they will just deny, smear and pay people to get rid of stuff by boat into the void!

      Either way, it is time to pay the piper for all as the Cayman version of the Mayan Calendar has just moved into the final epoch.

       

  7. Anonymous says:

    Does anyone know who are the owners of Midland Acres?

  8. Anonymous says:

    When will the hating stop? It will be interesting to see how the Haters along with all who is standing in line for the role of Premier,  repair the damage to the Caymans caused by these two arrest. We sincerely wish you all luck.  Wake up, the stability of your country was shaken and severely damaged on Tuesday, December 11, 2012.  Arresting the Premier out of jealousy and bad mind will only bring all of you harm.  So silly, why would the Premier want to thief $17K? We humbly think that this arrest was only to interrupt his travels and for him receiving his doctorate which we are sure was already awarded before the scandal of an arrest.   May God forgive you Haters and restore your minds to love each other and the expats that call your islands home. 

     

     

    • Anonymous says:

      This has nothing to do with hate, it is a civilised society of laws' response to decades of abuse of office, abuse of power, and conspiring with citizens to achieve personal gains.

    • Anonymous says:

      i do think we seriously need to look at ourselves and question who we are, when we no longer consider corruption (in whatever the form) wrong or perhaps we no longer know the difference between right and wrong!  Perhaps this is the sort of soul searching that God would want of us.

    • Anon says:

      I certainly hate people stealing, lying, cheating, profiting from their positions and taking advantage.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Seems like a setup to me.  The Premier did not import the explosives yet he is being charged with its importation.  Here it is again, like him or not (McKeeva Bush) it appears to me that the man is being setup to take the wrap.  This is what our forefathers warned us about they travelled the world and would not let certain people into this country because of the corrupt tendancies that they had from way back then and the minute we decided not to heed their warnings and do the opposite, Pandora's box was open and total chaos decended upon us like rain.

    • Anonymous says:

      No Setup Here. Seems there were some error in the context of statements in some news articles.

      Further more, what you need to talk about is how MUCH and how LONG he has been ruining the reputation of this country and the future/lives of the Caymanian People.

    • Anonymous says:

      What a stupid statement 5:08 ARE YOU SERIOUS that Bush is being set up…you think he is really pure of heart with clean hands..?

    • Anonymous says:

      Nothing in the article said he was being charged with anything and in particular not for importing explosives. He was arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including abuse of office, breach of trust, conflicts of interest and theft.  

      Please exactly what makes you think it is a "set up" (other than your political loyalty to Mr. Bush, that is).

  10. Anonymous says:

    Since Prasad is not a public officer he cannot be arrested on suspicion of breach of trust, abuse of office or conflict of interest. Inciting a breach of the Corruption Law is a different matter. Also, since the judge in the case against Midland Acres has made certain findings of fact based on the evidence presented I don't understand this unless they have uncovered new evidence.   

  11. Anonymous says:

    Both are innocent until proven guilty, lets not forget that Cayman. Mr. Bush has not been charged and might never be.

    Remeber the judge they arrested and had to turn round and pay him a million dollars. this could very well be another situation.

    • Official Spokesman says:

      Actually there is a subtle distinction. They are PRESUMED innocent in Law unless and until they are found guilty. Whether they are innocent of wrongdoing or not is a matter of fact which remains to be determined.

    • Truth Hurts says:

      You are right – It could be a simiar situation, but that particular Judge was a fine upstanding individual who's hands were probabibly cleaner, and heart purer, than certain other elected officials. There is a certain stink around some, which just cannot be hidden.