Cealt will continue says Jack
(CNS): In an effort to defend the discredited special police investigations in the face of widening public criticism and calls for an end to the investigations, Governor Stuart Jack has said the people are “deluding themselves” if they think there is no corruption in Cayman. He said that, though things were not as bad as in the Turks and Caicos Islands, it was wrong to think the country was free of “any corrupt or unethical behaviour in the police or elsewhere in public life” and Operation Cealt would press on. The governor claimed that his intention had only ever been to investigate any serious corruption in the police and to demonstrate determination to set high standards.
“I believe that is in the interests of good governance and ultimately, of the well-being of this community. That remains true of the ongoing Operation Cealt, which is looking into some allegations of very serious criminality.”
In a long statement the governor ponders why the public turned against Tempura and suggests that the length and cost have contributed to the “anti-Tempura atmosphere” as well as the impact on Cayman’s reputation. He suggests that people believe it is biased against Caymanians or a UK conspiracy, which he dismisses as ludicrous.
What the governor does not mention in his ruminations is the fact that SIO Martin Bridger unlawfully arrested a high court judge; that Bridger was paid more than $500,000 with no results; that within the first three days of the special police investigation team arriving they were accusing the police commissioner of being involved in a burglary that never happened; that they rejected rulings by the chief justice, the highest legal authority in Cayman; and that they took advice from lawyers who did not know Cayman law — among other things.
The governor said he believed some who were criticising Tempura were really seeking independence so they should come out and say so. He also indicated that the UK would not allow Caymanian politicians to control the police.
“The National Security Council under the new Constitution will give the people of the Cayman Islands more say over the strategies and policies adopted by the RCIPS. But the UK was rightly not prepared to give politicians in Cayman or in any other Overseas Territory, control over police operations or the appointment of senior police officers …”
Although Jack said he accepted overall responsibility for the police and the investigations, the governor does not have operational control and his role is to support the decisions, he claimed. "I supported the-then Commissioner of Police when he invited in the Metropolitan Police in 2007. I continue to support the ongoing efforts under the present Commissioner,” he said, but made no comment regarding his dismissal of Stuart Kernohan or the continued suspension of Rudolf Dixon, the deputy commissioner who was cleared of all charges by a jury in the third failed court case brought by Operation Tempura.
Not for the first time this week the governor sought to shift blame for the mistakes and the costs of these special police investigations. “Wherever I have had to take a decision linked to these investigations, I have sought local legal advice and consulted more widely. I have, on many occasions, queried why the investigations have taken so long and have urged care over the cost. However, I do not hold the purse strings,” he claimed. Conversely, the governor noted he had used his reserve powers to take money from the Cayman purse to pay when the government refused to vote the funds in the last budget appropriation for the special police investigation team (SPIT.
He denied deciding the contractual terms on which the government hired the services of the Tempura and Cealt investigators and suggested that he was not all powerful, as under the Public Management and Finance Law the governor has no spending powers. He said chief officers working with budgets approved by the Cabinet – which in practice means the elected Ministers – and ultimately by the Legislative Assembly hold government purse strings. It was not clear whether that comment was meant to convey that the elected arm of government was therefore responsible for the spending by SPIT.
“The governor is not in practice all-powerful,” he said. “On the contrary. He is generally expected under the Constitution to accept the advice of Cabinet whether or not he personally agrees with it.”
He said that the many twists and turns of Operation Tempura were not predictable, and while he acknowledged that some mistakes were made they were not as many as the critics have claimed.
“I remain unable to say as much as I would like about Operations Tempura and Cealt for legal reasons. I must not prejudice ongoing investigations into … some serious matters,” the governor claimed. “Nor must I prejudice ongoing legal proceedings. That is in part to protect the Cayman Islands from further expensive legal liabilities and in part to protect civic-minded people who have bravely come forward with information. I look forward to the day when the whole story can be told.”
In the meantime he said during his last few weeks as governor he would continue to carry out his constitutional responsibilities. He also stated that he had received some support from the individual members of the public who had come up to him and encouraged him not to be put off by certain politicians, or comments on the talk shows and in anonymous blogs.
Despite the growing calls from politicians and the public at large and the overwhelming sentiment that the investigations need to end and Cayman should be issued with a clean bill of health, Jack said to get to there the process had to be seen through to its conclusion.
In a recent announcement in the Legislative Assembly Ezzard Miller, the independent member for North Side, has vowed to bring a private members motion to the floor of the House to debate the possibility of the Cayman government suing the governor and the UK over the investigations. CNS understands that the motion has been accepted into the legislative business by the speaker and could be debated next Thursday.
Read the governor’s full statement
Category: Headline News
Meanwhile….back at the royal ranch….the UK government is investigating expense irregularities by members of Parliament brought to light recently.
To save time
While you are investigating expense irregularities and… if you’re not too busy or deluded….could you give us a hand? With investigating Operation Tempura’s expenses?
you see we can’t do it ourselves because we’re simple islanders and we’re deluded.
I believe the Caymanian people should be credited with good intelligence and common sense to see the whole thing as farsical. However we are not as stupid as a breakup of the spelling of the wordF-ARSE suggests.
As the Governor states the UK will not give Caymanian politicians "…..control over police operations, or the appointment of senior police officers …” then it is abundantly clear that the buck and responsibility must fall squarely with the UK and their Cayman representative for this whole fiasco!
My fellow Caymanians, I hope that you now see the picture which is rather clear, as far as the UK is concerned!
Am I being mistaken, and am I one of the few who sees the real agenda, I think not – as the saying goes " A thousand Frenchmen(Caymanians) cannot be really wrong" if we all are reaching the same conclusion!
CNS, my brain is full can I be excused?
"The governor said he believed some who were criticising Tempura were really seeking independence so they should come out and say so." He finally said it out loud! The real modus operandi, the raison d’etre and their hidden agenda. Discredit us, disown us and then capture our financial industry. Simply business as usual for the Empire. But I’ve already said too much… I will probably be investigated by "SPIT" for committing treason!
…and to think that once upon a time we were proud to be British!
Your Excellency,
The "major shadows hanging over the RCIPS" were put there by YOU.
The resulting crime wave should also be placed at your doorstep as you decimated the leadership of RCIP thus putting the force into chaos….do you realize the paradox here?? do you realize why we blame you??
We realize you cannot say "I screwed up" because of the Liability issues on your pension, Met/FCO coffers, etc, however please stop trying to justify Bridger and your lack of Good governance on this…..go quietly, as you are making it worst with each statement….or be a man and say "the buck stops here". Blaming the politicians, and civil servants, and anyone else you can think of is really, really wrong.
excellency??
I know right! Nothing excellent about him.
I cannot wait for him to leave. Please Stuart Jack do us a big favour and never never return.
How does the UK benefit from having Cayman under the Crown? I would suggets that Cayman gets more from the UK than the other way around. Give Cayman independence. It will be a one way ticket to a downward spiral of more corrupution and a lesser economy. Then once it is on its knees maybe the Caymanians who want to spout off may wind their necks in.
Now, you tell me what we get from the UK? God knows if we had to depend on them for our survival we would all be dead now…Oh I’m sorry must say thanks for the few tarps they brought us after Ivan..Most appreciated, next time don’t bother, we will do without!!
I hate the fact that we "have to depend on the UK" and they were disgraceful after Ivan but the fact of the matter is the big boys overseas with the money think that while we have that connection there is something that differentiates us from Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad, Barbados etc-all very proud nationalistic independent countries and rightly proud of it.
But with huge percentages of their (especially bright and/or hard working) populations not living in these countries but instead living in countries such as US, Canada, UK and…er…Cayman.
We are all justly pissed off with things that have gone on here recently with SPIT etc but let us calm ourselves down and not puff ourselves up like Ezzard likes to do and cuss off everyone who is not Caymanian. He’s good at that but it takes no skill, just abrasive, xenophobic miserableness. He can earn his living when we go back to smoke pots taking over his Dad’s spot in the excellent North Side Kitchen Band. What can the rest of us do when the jobs go to other countries watching us closely in the same way we, hungrily and gleefully, watched the Bahamas lose their business to us some years ago.
Jack A.. should have used the 7 Mio $ to fight the real ongoing daily crime, which seems to go rampat around here as of lately….a real great way to advert our Tourism "safe and tranquill", the Finance Industry and not to mention all the other business venues! Unfortunately that the criminals are better organised than our RICP!!!
Hey Jack A.. wake up before you leave and clean it up the rightway and the right People with the fact at hand if possible! Alternativly take a sickleave till further notice and check the Vet…..good rythms!
Of course there is Corruption here, just look in the mirror Jack.
I can’t think of a better descriptive for ‘Jack-the-knobs’ handling of his term as Governor, ‘Corrupt and Unethical behavior’.
Corrupt behavior isn’t only about money, it’s also about power.
Power Corrupts, and Absolute Power, Corrupts Absolutely.
I honestly wonder if he is a scapegoat or if this is intentional….I prefer to give anyone the benefit of the doubt but my god!!!! And he seemed like such a nice guy…..kinda.
All the most Powerful men in the land; Governor, LOGB (both past and present) Chief Secretary, Deputy Chief Secretary, Attorney General, Commissioner of Police and more…and NO ONE RESPONSIBLE! Yet these same people speak of Transparency and Accountability and "Good Governance" every chance they get. Of course if any real crime had been uncovered and successfully prosecuted they would all be scrambling over eachother to take credit.
Hopefully Ezzard’s recomendation for a lawsuit can re-coup something!
This type of ongoing madness only frustrates the people and leads to more and more Social unrest….which in turn leads to more and more rampant crime. There are studies that show that when Basic Human Rights are not afforded to ALL people…then Social Unrest will increase and so will crime!
There is a saying; "Not only must justice be done, but it must appear to be done also". That is NOT the case in Cayman. We have both Political parties, Cayman Ministers Association and others who are insistent on denying Basic Human Rights (that are the cornerstone of productive democratic societies) to it’s people. All to put up some ridiculous appearance that Cayman is sooooooooo Christian (seemingly because it is sooooo against Gays). While the rest of the civilized world knows that only proves homophobia….and NOT Christianity…or any other spiritual or moral value.
Come on Cayman…what’s it gonna take?
I can’t allow these investigations to go on and on and on. Governor Jack you got me. I threw away a parking ticket one time.
Anyone else?
Let’s get this over with
Wow! i don’t believe that he said that. Those who oppose Tempura are doing so only onstensibly, that they are really obliquely aiming for independence!! What a joke!
Tempura opposition needs no excuse. It is what it is, and any fool would know that anything that cost so much and yielded so little, and rendered so much damage could not be a good thing.
But I like that he is aquirming — "It wasn’t me. I don’t control the purse strings."
Yeah, right. He has awesome legal and constitutional powers. Check the laws, a vast number of them defer to him. And with all his powers he sits by and allows actions that pretty well came close to bringing down the judiciary — and did nothing? A virtual autonomous police operated within out territory, seemingly outside the control of the Chief of Police? We have major legal decisions being made by guys up in the UK with limited local legal knowledge, sidestepping our own constitutionally based legal expertise?
These actions are simply too big and far reaching for us to buy that he did not agree to these things happening, tactly or otherwise.
But it is just the measure of the man that he is now trying to shift blame to underlings. When you are captain of the ship, the buck stops with you, and you simply can’t blame the First Officer.
But, really, being willing to shoulder responsibility for failure is what defines greatness. Check history. So why should I or anyone else really be surprised by any of these lame attempts at defence?
Seems like Cealt is a license to Cteal. 🙂
Either Jack is delusional or he is trying one last ditch effort to make the people of these islands like him. Go home Jack! Go home now!! The only corruption in Cayman stems from you and the way you have allowed Bridger and the rest of his criminals to come in here and rape our country!!
Nothing will change my determination to be at the airport with my chickens and green iguanas for your send off. I, like most Caymanians , look forward to saying that British Airways flight lift up with you on board. i hope and pray we never ever see you again,
The world needs to know about how you came to our country and destroyed us!
so gov where is the meat — the proof. $7mil is not enough –
Some one got hit by Ezzard’s rock…now let’s see who!
Maybe one day the person hit by the rock will be revealed when the whole story comes out….or maybe they have already!
The Governor needs to quit before he falls any further behind, for him to even mention Turks and Caicos in the same sentence as Cayman indicates a complete lack of concern for the public image of these islands. As regards persons "deluding" themselves, there is an ocean of difference between persons believing there is no corruption and people being rightfully apoplectic over the Keystone Kops performance that would be funny if it hadn’t cost the people at least ten million in hard costs and possibly tens of millions in opportunity/lost business costs.
The Excellent Jack should stop trying to indicate that persons are upset at the insinuation of impropriety and apologise for the real issue which is the approximation of criminal negligence in a costly tilting at windmills*
*Not saying there aren’t giants around Jack but I hardly feel they are quaking in there size 50 boots at the thought of a bumbling blind man in a mist.
Could someone please inform the Governor that he is telling us nothing new. We have never denied that there is corruption in Cayman, my good GOD, XXXX! The Auditor General made 2 or 3 damning reports a few years ago that implied that there was corruption & possible misappropriation of public funds in the Boatswain Beach, Royal Watler cruise terminal & the low cost housing under the previous udp government, just to name some of the examples in his reports.
The majority of Caymanians have long complained that we have been very suspicious of the dealings of Bush in government, & have long suspected corruption to be involved. We have long suspected corruption in the police force as well, so I’m not sure where he gets the idea that we do not think there is corruption in the RCIPS as well as government.
There have been many contracts & many government deals that we have gasped at in disbelief, but thankfully, apart from Bush crying to Jack about the removal of a few files (LORD HELP US) from an office, the PPM Government were always open, honest, transparent & above board (in other words, no under the table deals!). Unfortunately XXXXXXXXX
Still the question is who approved heafty pay package to SIO Bridger once he retired from UK Met police.
Exactly. Someone must have approved it. He must have been the highest paid investigator in the world at that point. So how did it happen? That needs to be looked into and explained.
You need to pay someone $27,000 a month plus accomodation plus expenses to keep them from being corrupted. If you didn’t someone could offer them $100 to look the other way. I also want to take this opportunity to let anyone know… I will look the other way for $50! A $50 saving!!! This week only .. I won’t look either way for $75. (CI)
AND
Later tonight I won’t open my eyes for not $75 or $50 BUT FOR THE INCREDIBLY LOW PRICE OF $5!
but i wouldn’t mind being corrupted
The best part about this whole thing is the statement "some who were criticising Tempura were really seeking independence"…. AHHHHH! So THAT’S what this is about!
LOL! I am sure that even the Governor is not so stupid as to believe that. He is confusing cause and effect.
There’s no doubt that there’s corruption, but these "operations" have not been carried out properly (understatement of the year). What I’m not sure about, and maybe someone can help me out here, is how he can say he doesn’t control the purse strings – effectively it is the ministers – when the ministers have no control over RCIPS. He says himself that he OK’d more money when the the government disagreed and then goes on to say he has no complete power and he just has to take the advice of the Cabinet. What?!
I understand something needs to be done about the corruption, but taking a walk down the marl road for free would produce better results. Pay a Caymanian who knows all the dirt the $500,000 you wasted on Bridger and I bet you’ll find out a hell of a lot more that just what’s going on in the police force. If he is going beyond his power to continue these investigations in a manner only he deems fit, essentially it is the UK who is urging the continuation and therefore they should pay for it until we can see some real results that actually benefit these islands.
It’d also be a lot easier to appreciate his concern over the corruption and accept the continued investigations if he could at least give some sort of explanation to all that has gone wrong thus far and how they expect to change their tactics in moving forward.
CERTAINLY…
In a way, operation tempura did BENEFIT the Cayman Islands. God has allowed the Governor to carry on with these investigations for a reason.
ALL OPERATION TEMPURA HAS DOWN WAS:
1. Showed to the world, that the allegations that the Cayman Island’s Government is corrupt, is false or cannot be proven; and,
2. Has made politicians and government heads think twice before engaging in any corruptive adventure
THUS, CAYMANIANS, WE CANNOT JUST SEE THESE OPERATIONS AGAINST OUR FAVOR
Regards
R
Gimme some of that good stuff. A nickel bag will do!
Lil jack is obviously cluess. The media in Cayman should put a news blackout on him for the duration of our suffering his tenure. After all each statement from his is worst than the one before
It should be obvious to all that there should be a full investigation into the disbursement of funds relating to this operation. If Mr. Bridger really has paid himself these astronomical fees, reported to be a monthly salary for himself of CI$27,000, then that is scandolous and should surely be considered dishonest. It seems that he had control over how much he got paid and took it upon himself to triple his own pay. Is that legal? Is that honest? No wonder he let it drag on for 2 years.
90% of those people that want these investigations to end do so because they fear some dirt being uncovered on themselves and their family members.
Hopefully next year the UK will take over direct rule and start clearing out some of the corruption that is so deeply entwined in the Caymanian way of life.
Rubbish. If these investigations had truly uncovered serious corruption and the guilty persons had been brought to justice they would have full public support.
The UK needs to clean its own house of corruption. However, I strongly suspect that direct takeover will be its next step in its efforts to destroy our reputation and economy, something which you clearly favour.
I agree…it’s sure is looking a lot like deep rooted fears are behind the attempt to squelch both investigations and the freedom of the press. Where there is smoke there is always, always some kind of fire behind it. Let’s hope and pray that when the smoke clears, Cayman Islands will survive. Woah to those who put their love of money and power ahead of their love for country and fellow man!
Poster of 8:25, 90% of those,
You wish that the UK will take over direct rule of cayman and start cleaning it up, i say to allyou BRITS, start cleaning up your back yards, before you want to clean up the OT. If you do not like it here, do us a favor, get on the next BA flight and dont look back, we dont need you all here.
There is no country that do not have problems but you all seems to think that the Uk is soooo much better than any other country in the world, wake up, lift the fog from your eyes.
OK Jack –
I think it is fair to say that many in the public have concern about corruption inn many respects. Some of the concerns relate to:
Certain Status Grants, Planning Permissions, Choice of Realtors, Import Duty Waivers, Choice of Contractors, Cash Hand-outs, Refrigerator Sales, and Certain Bank Liquidations (one in poarticular).
Don’t import anyone to investigate these. Just read the papers, or even in some instances, the reports understood to have already been prepared by fine local officers (Caymanian and Expatriate), and which it appears, have been ignored.
And we don’t want to hear about it until either all concerned have been arrested, or you confirm that it is all just rumour and there is no corruption in the Cayman Islands.
If there is a cloud, get rid of it. If not, then please say so.
Now! No one in their right mind would believe or accept the Governor to come straight with the Caymanian Public on his failures, would you???
This guy is so full of it that he needs some Professional help.
He is just doing the dirt he is ordered to do and in true style believing that it is good governance.
After all, If you are not from the British main land you are not supposed to be intelligent.
He says he consults with local legal minds on whatever he does, but I wonder who those local minds are. My guess is they are also from the British main land.
In as much as we may not like Jack, you cannot fault him for responding the demands from his constituents for an investigation of corrupt and unethical practices. We have been calling for these investigations for years. The problem with Operation Tempura is that few Caymanians will take the witness stand against their countrymen for fear of reprisal, or in light of their reward – a lifetime in exile somewhere in the UK. Those that beleive there is no corruption truly are deluding themsleves.
"demands from his constituents"
Forgive my ignorance, but What constituants???? The goverenor was NOT ELECTED!! He was APPOINTED!! and NOT by the CI government orthe People of the Cayman Islands…but by the UK….the people of the Cayman Islands are NOT his constituants,..they are his wards….and they have been extremely abused by him and his position…don’t EVER insult the people of this country by implying that they had ANYTHING to do with this man being in the position he is in!!
Democracy does not determine the elements of the universe, so yes we are constituents, like it or not, it is the correct symantics. Feel free to consult Monsieur Roger, or Websters if you wish. Of course, even better if you constrain your anger long enough to consider the point.
constituent
• adjective 1 being a part of a whole. 2 having the power to appoint or elect. 3 able to make or change a political constitution.
• noun 1 a member of a constituency. 2 a component part.
— ORIGIN Latin, from constituere ‘establish, appoint’.
From the Oxford English Dictionary….
As far as me being angry…I am not angry…only indignant at those who would put forth the argument that Democracy has anything whatsoever with the appointment of whom our governor is…
You are so mixed up you make confuscious look intelligent.
At the risk of raising your indignation to even greater heights, the people of this country are ultimately responsible for the appointment of any Governor, because it is the people of Cayman who chose to remain a BODT. I don’t doubt that the UK government would be happy to divest itself of one of the last remaining vestiges of colonialism. Such things sit very poorly with the political ideology of the Labour party in particular.
As has been pointed out to many an expat, there are 5 flights a day leaving these beautiful islands and any one of them could carry a delegation seeking independence. Responsibility rests where it rests, whether it suits your position or not.
Why must the choice be between having a bad governor and going independent? We have had good governors in the past. Jack has done more demolish the esteem in which Caymanians held that office more than all previous governors combined. We should have some say in their appointment and removal. That would be a step away from colonialism and perhaps would not offend the "political ideology of the Labour Party".
I accept your point that Cayman should not have to choose between independence or a bad Governor. If Cayman remains a BODT they deserve to have competent and experienced Governors. My point is that by not pursuing independence, the Caymanian people are making a choice and with choice comes responsibility, a fact which Pale Rider, the poster to whom I was responding, fails to acknowledge.
I am not, by the way, a fan of Jack, but I also don’t believe that the Cayman people should be able to influence who the UK appoints or removes. Based on the actions of the new LOGB so far, it strikes me that a strong and independent Governor may well be Cayman’s best defence against abuse of political power somewhere down the line.
"I also don’t believe that the Cayman people should be able to influence who the UK appoints or removes"
Why? Isn’t that more consistent with your democratic values? Wouldn’t that be more consistent with a ‘modern partnership for progress and prosperity’ rather than the old colonial model? It would be one way of combatting the perception the the most recent UK Governors were handpicked to create the right amount of mischief in the colony to destabilise it. The Governor should govern with the consent of the governed. And it would not make the Governor any less strong or independent; it would make him accountable which is always a good thing. The Governor needs to be more than competent and experienced – he needs to be required to act in good faith in the best interests of these Islands. I am confused by the way the Governor has seen fit to inject himself into certain relatively minor matters in the name of good governance while he overlooks the obvious and serious matters of good governance (like the Public Defender’s Office).
Independence is not a real choice right now. But we should definitely begin to lay the groundwork for one day in the not-too-distant future we may be forced to choose independence and heaven help us if we are unprepared to govern ourselves as we are now.