VOLUME 12 ISSUE 45

Page 1

NOVEMBER 12TH, 2016 – NOVEMBER 19TH, 2016

VOLUME 12 - NO. 45

$1.00

Activate any Prepaid Combo Plan or Postpaid Data Plan from 21st November 22nd December for your chance to WIN a 60 second shopping spree. visit discoverflow.co

Website: www.suntci.com

Email: sun@suntci.com

Tel: (649) 348-6838

Fax: (649) 941-3281

www.facebook.com/tcisun

BRITS PLANNED STING OPERATION TO ARREST MIKE MISICK IN MIAMI by Hayden Boyce Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

F

ormer Governor Richard Tauwhare confirmed that he was part of a sting operation coordinated by the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to have Michael Misick arrested in Miami while he was premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The shocking revelation emerged on Friday, November 11th, 2016, while Tauwhare was being cross-examined by Queen’s Counsel Ralph Thorne, who is Misick’s lead attorney, during the corruption trial which is being tried by Mr. Justice Paul Harrison who is judge and jury. The former governor confirmed that Miami-based Larry Covington, the law enforcement advisor for Turks and Caicos Islands and other British Overseas Territories, was an integral part of the sting operation. The attempted sting operation, which would have included the Federal Bureau of Investigations and other US law enforcement officials, apparently involved setting up Misick to travel on legitimate business and meet fake investors in Miami, who would have trapped him. When pressed by Thorne about the sting operation, Tauwhare said he would not characterize it as a “plot” to entrap Misick, adding that he only would have been arrested if he had committed a crime. “The idea of some form of sting operation was discussed,” the former governor testified. “It was not a set-up.” Tauwhare, who was governor from July 2005 to July 2008, said that the discussions about the sting operation took place over the space of a few weeks. He told the court that he discussed the undercover operation with the then Attorney General Kurt DeFreitas, but not with the then Deputy Governor Mahala Wynns. Responding to a question from Thorne, Tauwhare said he did

Larry Covington, UK law enforcement advisor

Former Governor Richard Tauwhare

Former Premier Michael Misick

Queen’s Counsel Ralph Thorne

not regard his actions of planning a sting operation against Misick while sitting with him in Cabinet as a “betrayal” or as “dishonorable”, because he had two roles to play; one of which was to work in partnership with the government and the other was to be a “watchdog” over them. He said he tried to balance the two roles but it was sometimes a struggle. When asked if he considered Misick’s continuing to serve as Premier

at that time as untenable, Tauwhare said: “There is distinction between suspicion of allegations on one hand and substantiated evidence on the other, and after numerous discussions with Mr. Covington and persons in London, it was not considered that there was sufficient evidence to challenge the Premier in his continuing to hold that office unless there was more substantial evidence and that is why the business of Cabinet continued under his premiership.” In earlier evidence, Tauwhare

Workers on the Road Please be reminded that our crews will be working on a major relocation and upgrade project between Tropicana Plaza roundabout and the FortisTCI Providenciales generation site over the next 8 months. Please drive safely and observe all road and warning signs. FortisTCI is Leading the Green-Energy Revolution!!!

www.fortistci.com | 649-946-4313 | P.O. Box 132 Leeward Highway, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands

told the court that he came to the Turks and Caicos Islands with “suspicions”, after being brief by his predecessor James Poston. He said that he often communicated his suspicions to the FCO, sometimes daily, via email, but that he had no substantial evidence to back those suspicions. He also revealed that he was recalled by the FCO after three years, although he had expressed an interest in staying on for another year.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.