Turks & Caicos Islands Inquiry Report Released

The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office recently released the Sir Robin Auld Commission of Inquiry Report 2008-2009 into corruption in the Turks & Caicos.

The issues with the TCI Government have been ongoing for some time, and have lead to the arrest of former premier of the Turks & Caicos Michael Misick, who was arrested last year in Brazil after fleeing the island after an arrest warrant was issued for him.

In 2009 the TCI Governor, on the instructions of the UK Foreign Office, imposed direct rule on the Turks and Caicos Islands and the island’s administration was suspended and power was transferred to the UK-appointed Governor.

Power was handed back in November 2012, with the Progressive National Party [PNP] winning the Turks and Caicos General Election.

The report’s summary said, “There is a high probability of systemic corruption in government and the legislature and among public officers in the Turks & Caicos Islands in recent years.

“It appears, in the main, to have consisted of bribery by overseas developers and other investors of Ministers and/or public officers, so as to secure Crown Land on favourable terms, coupled with government approval for its commercial development.”

The report is quite extensive and covers a host of wrong doing, much of it centered around Michael Misick who is alleged to have been involved in shady land deals, and spent lavish amounts of the taxpayers money including between $200,000 – $300,000 a month on leasing private jets to travel on.

Bermuda does get a brief mention in the 266-page report, with the report providing an historical context and mentioning Bermuda’s past connection with salt raking in the Turks & Caicos centuries ago.

“The
 first
 permanent
 settlement
 in
 the
 Islands
 was
 in
 the
 late
 17th
 century
 when
 Bermudan [sic]
 salt
 rakers 
established
 salt‐pans
 in
 Grand
 Turk 
and
 later
 in
 nearby 
Salt
 Cay
 and
 South 
Caicos, 
establishing
 what 
was
 to 
become
one 
of 
the 
principal 
world sources
 of 
salt
 for
 use 
as 
a 
preservative,” the report said.

“After 
the 
French 
drove 
the
 Bermudans 
out
 in
 the 
1760s 
there 
was 
a
 period 
of
 thirty 
years 
during
 which 
the
 British, acting 
through
 the 
Governor 
of 
the
 Bahamas
 Islands,
 claimed
 territorial
 jurisdiction.
”

The full 266-page report follows below [PDF here]

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