Governor makes another appeal to public

(CNS): HE the Governor Stuart Jack has made yet another statement pleading with the public not to listen to the continued speculation surrounding the special police investigation. As reported on CNS yesterday, the governor has drawn attention to points he made in a letter to the local press denying any conspiracy theories.

“I ask again for everyone to be patient, not to believe all the unfounded conspiracy theories, and not to be quick to condemn those under investigation, or criticise those who are doing their best to investigate allegations and establish the truth,” he said in the statement. However, speculation and conspiracy theories continue to mount within local public discourse.

One local attorney told CNS that the problem is the secrecy which is fuelling the various conspiracy theories. The special police investigation which has now drawn in one judge, three senior police officers and two local journalists continues against the backdrop of Cayman’s first round of constitutional talks which has been described as far too coincidental by local politicians, the wider members of the offshore community and the local business sector. The public at large too continues to voice its skepticism over the investigation and its true purpose. However CNS has also received some comments in support of the Governor and the continued secret enquiry.

“Contrary to some people’s opinion there is no conspiracy, no grand scheme, no ulterior motive on the part of the UK Government or the police in the UK or, of course, me to harm the interests of these islands, or to time developments in order to influence the constitutional talks,” the Governor has said again. “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is obviously following these developments in Cayman, but is in no way masterminding them.”

Aside from the secrecy surrounding the investigation there are also concerns that the action taken by Martin Bridger the Senior Investigating officer, at the grant of the governor, are over stepping the mark. Minister Alden McLaughlin voiced his concern at the weekly press briefing last Friday when he said that it all seemed to be a gross over reaction to the issues at hand. “If we have a corrupt system we need to fix it but nothing I have seen or heard so far leads me to believe that the response of the Governor to these matters is proportionate.”

Moreover CNS has seen the original arrest warrant of Justice Alex Henderson and the reasons for the arrest listed do not seem to point to any serious misconduct and are based entirely on accusation allegedly made by John Evans to the investigators. The warrant accuses Henderson of telling John Evans the letters in Net News might be in contempt when they he knew they were not; improperly using his influence as a member of the judiciary; requesting John Evans get information; breaching Desmond Seales right to a personal life and exposing the judiciary to the risk of partiality.

The Governor has insisted that the whys and wherefores of the investigation will eventually be revealed and the public will see the purpose. He said once the police investigators have done their work the Attorney General’s Chambers here will decide whether to prosecute on the basis of the usual evidential and public interest tests.

“Woe betide this country if decisions by the police or the prosecutors on criminal matters were determined by a particular political or commercial interest. In the current cases I can assure everyone that they have not been,” he said. “The Special Investigation Team is carrying out independent investigations. All operational decisions are taken independently by the team here in Cayman, drawing on advice from their own expert legal counsel. Neither I nor anyone in Londoninstructs them how to conduct their investigations or what conclusions they should reach.”