Mac makes no apology, Alden sues
Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin in the Legislative Assembly
(CNS): The premier said he had received no response at close of business on Friday to his request for an apology from the opposition leader regarding allegations he made in a private member’s motion about a conspiracy to topple the former leader from office. Alden McLaughlin told CNS that he was disappointed that McKeeva Bush had not responded and as a result he had instructed his lawyers to issue a writ to his political opponent. McLaughlin said that Bush’s allegation was a “particularly vicious lie which is hugely damaging to my reputation”.
The premier added that he had given Bush an opportunity to deal with the matter by apologizing but he was disappointed that the opposition leader had made no effort to contact him or his lawyers by the deadline set out in a letter sent to Bush last Friday.
”I have no option now but to have him show his proof in a court of law or pay damages,” the premier said, adding that he had every intention of prosecuting the matter to its end, and at the conclusion, he said, “the country will know which one of us is a liar”.
CNS contacted Bush to ask him about his position with regards to the premier’s legal action but he did not respond to calls. However, on Friday night he sent a text message stating:
“There was once a certain minister of government in an overseas territory who was accused of getting a business for granting an oil license to a certain oil company. The minister demanded an apology. When the member of the House refused. The minister took him to court. The member of the House produced the document in court showing that indeed the minister had made a deal with the oil company to get a gas station.”
Asked if that meant he was not apologising and standing by his allegations as he had the supporting documentation, the opposition leader refused to confirm that but he sent further messages in which he said if McLaughlin took the allegations, “I have made so seriously, I challenge him to step aside until the case his heard,” echoing the comments expressed by the premier when he was in opposition and Bush was arrested.
It is understood that Bush did not receive the premier’s first letter requesting an apology regarding the allegations made in his motion until Tuesday evening but the deadline set by the premier was close of business on 1 May.
Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush with his Private Member’s Motion, 14 April 2015
As well as making allegations against McLaughlin and others, Bush is calling for an independent public enquiry into what happened to him in the motion regarding his criminal case. But having leveled the accusations against the premier, the motion will now be frozen in legal limbo until such a time as the two men settle the legal action or until a civil trial takes place.
Bush has implicated numerous people in his downfall, including McLaughlin, the former governor and the police commissioner, among others, claiming that they conspired to oust him from office when he was premier in connection with charges against him for abusing his government credit card.
Bush was arrested in December on charges of theft and abuse of office, accused of using his government credit card to draw cash in casinos in the US and the Bahamas to gamble on slot machines. McLaughlin, who was then the opposition leader, filed a no confidence motion in Bush as premier, which was supported by several members of the UDP administration and resulted in him crossing the floor to the opposition benches with less than half of his former government colleagues.
Bush was charged before the 2013 election but theft charges were later dropped and he was tried solely on misconduct charges. After it became clear that there were no government rules against officials using their credit cards how they liked so long as personal expenses were paid back, he was acquitted.
However, the damage was done as by that time the UDP had lost every seat outside of West Bay in the 2013 poll and, for the first time in a very long time, Bush was not able to carry all four seats in his West Bay stronghold.
Calling the whole thing a witch-hunt, Bush had threatened to take legal action himself against those he believed were involved. However, earlier this month he announced his intention to bring a private member’s motion to the LA to debate what he claims was his undemocratic ousting from office by UK officials.
Check back to CNS for more on this story.
Meanwhile the big law firms keep their heads down, keep out of the spat and keep on printing money.
Mac pick tamarind rod to cut his own backside.
Never sharpen a boomerang.
When McKeeva was removed by a ‘vote of no confidence” he had been arrested on suspicion that he had committed some very serious crimes;when Kurt was removed by McKeeva and others in 2001,Kurt had not been arrested or charged with any crime or crimes.Somehow in Mac’s eyes the removal of Kurt was as legal and above board,but because he is so power hungry ,he is acting like his removal from office was the crime of the century.Mac will now have to reveal his evidence (if he has any) in a public forum ,where he can be made to pay big monies if he is lying.He wanted to reveal it in the Legislative Assembly ,where he would have been protected against lawsuits.I believe that in the house he would have told us a lot of rubbish ,aimed at turning us against the UK,and encouraging us to go for independence. Mac was the first Premier of the Cayman Is and will be known for that,but I believe his next ambition is to be the first Premier (or even President) of an Independent Cayman.Just keep watching.
Well observed..Independence so he can have unfettered access to the public purse is his ambition. All we will get from it is Independence from Prosperity, just like Jamaica.
Who really cares, the things of which you speak are already upon us, because some amongst of us decided to promote and carry out the agenda of the UK & others. The senseless bickering you see now only occurs after the time for action has past. Its all a part of the “Game” my friend.
If the Lord Premier was sued for everything he said or was told about somebody and repeated it, I wonder where is head his. He should sit down and think and expel his running partner HIS EGO
Dear leader Alden could you please consult your bosses in the FCO before you make any rash decisions in this matter. After all it was them that got you in this mess in the first place.
I think you meant to say that it was Mac’s big mouth.
Don’t forget that Alden was a partner at one of Caymans oldest established & a former leading law firm for some years. He knows the laws as they pertain to a circumstance like this under Caymans jurisdiction. Mc Keeva must take on board his own legal advice & representation. Who pays for all this is somewhat a grey area .
If his legal career had been that great then wouldn’t he likely have stayed in it? Just my 2 cents.
Actually it says a lot about a him in that he has been willing to GIVE UP the career to attempt to help our country.
Attempt is the most appropriate word.
Please tell me that public funds will not be used for the legal fees! The only ones who win out of these things are the lawyers!
Compared to the money frittered away by that man in the past, personally I think it would be money well spent if the former Premier were exposed for what he really is.
I support the Premier in suing him. Mckeeva’s whole premise was to bring it to the LA, to rant and rave , but now he will have to bring proof in a court of law. He will rue the day he decided to bring this motion. Now his motion will have to be withdrawn and the court will have to deal with the whole matter. To those of you calling for the Premier to step down, I do not think that is necessary, he is only defending himself. Even if he were to do so, that would not mean that Mckeeva would become Premier. Mckeeva claims that he loves Cayman so much but all of his political life he has done nothing but harm, he is now trying to deflect! I guess he now realizes he will draw more attention than he bargained for, .talk about stirring up an ants nest!,
Why are you people disgracing PARASITES !!!!!!!!!!
The “honorable” members fiddle while the dump burns.
Their priorities are clear.
Now Now!! Who really cares who is lying?? There are so many things that are critically affecting these islands in a very negative way including unemployment, Caymanians loosing their homes, no job, therefore cannot pay CUC or Water Authority. Children going to school hungry, young Caymanians cannot get their feet in the door of any organization. There is no more hope for us the qualified and the unqualified, the skilled and the unskilled. The only ones who are guaranteed an income at the end of the day, are you two jokers. So, must I really care who is lying on each other? If neither of you like each other, I beg that you set a time at the Lion’s Center and have a show with some fist fighting for the entire Cayman Islands can view. After the fight, shake hands and unite to fix this country as we are dying of hardship and loosing hope. These islands are in trouble, young people are being wasted and you talk about ‘so that the country will know which one of us are a liar’. Who really cares? Please, both of you get some balls and work together for us.
So a few months ago Kenneth Bryan was let go cause his court case was distracting him and the premier constituency matters were being neglected. Well I would make a bet that this suit could be very distracting as well and could take years before it goes anywhere if it does at all. So mr premier now that the shoe is on the other foot are you gonna step aside??
To 9:04am Still trying to help UDP eh?
Alden no one believes you anymore. What a joke we have for a government.
Mac has claimed he has “proof” he was wronged. If he is correct: sue. He has chose not to. Hmmm, makes me wonder why. He is all bluster not facts. I think it is fantastic that Alden is claiming he will sue Mac. If he does not follow though and do so, he is no better than Mac.
By the way how is OMOV going, We need to put he people back into the equation not just the “parties!!”
Why don’t you do the right thing Alden and step down just like you asked for Bush to step down!!
My my how the tables have turned!!
He may be deficient with a destructive bias but at least he is not spending his time on slot machines.
did Bush step down? no. and if you want the premier to step down now, should Bush also step down as the case is about him also?
There is no comparison. McKeeva was being investigated by the police on criminal charges which suggested official corruption. It was completely untenable for him to remain in office. This, on the other hand, at least so far, is typical McKeeva bluster. Did you call for McKeeva to resign, you hypocrite?
Another example of Alden’s immaturity vanity with his usual splash of self righteous indignation on display.
No one really believed Bush until Alden threatened to sue to him. As the leader of a country with many issues one would think he’d have more important things to address instead of this school boy argument being played out for the world to see.
These two zealots are as bad as each other and refuse to accept that none have the credibility they think they do with the majority of people with any sense.
@5:34pm Why is it wrong for Alden to ask for the truth to be revealed to clear his name?.
Alden if you don’t have anything to hide then you should look so worried my friend!! But the truth is a lot of unusual an strange things did occur in the last 2 years and all should be exposed no matter who it is.
When when when will the Cayman Islands wake up. McLaughlin you are a disgrace. You know you know how your country wasted 20 million dolars because of the Governor Jack behaviour of the FCO and Bulgin anf his lap dog Schofield in relation to Tempura. Wait until the truth come out and there will be egg on a lot of peoples faces. You stand by and let others take the blame. Integrity you do not know what it means
If there is an issue that needs a public inquiry it is operation tempura.
McKEEVA join the two together, The FCO disgraceful behaviour is at the hear of both of the issues. Just ask the question why is the governor working so hard to keep matters hidden.
An elegant, if totally unreadable remark
LOL, Bush was in charge when Tempura started, ooops
It was McKeeva’s complaint that started Operation Tempura.
Bring it on and please do not settle Alden take it all the way. Public money would be better spent on the civil action than wasted on another so-called “independent” public enquiry.
Mr. Bush could have made an apology on the radio or contact Mr. McLaughlin lawyers directly but I guess he chose not to. Everyone needs to be responsible for their actions.
Bring on the trial, but please make this a real quest for the truth and not another political circus with out significant findings. To achieve this though, it will need to be presided over by a complete stranger to the CI way of doing these things. Import a prestigious proven judge for this case only and allow the full airing of everything that needs to be exposed. Go deep enough that the Stan Thomas matter is explained the Cohen loans are exposed. Let’s see how far Mac will pursue his claims. Alden, stick to your guns if you have the guts.
Yeah bring it on so pious Alden can be exposed for the wrong he did this country.
Seek treatment
Urgently
History repeats itself. Alden’s uncle Haig Bodden and Jim Bodden sued Mckeeva for libel and he ended up paying them for running his mouth now he will have to pay Haig’s nephew. Please Honorable Premier, Mr. Alden McLaughlin, when you get through with this PARASITE this time have no mercy, please rid the Cayman Islands of this LEACH forever and I will recommend to the UK that you be KNIGHTED.
Get rid of a shameless, disgusting parasite. Stamp that parasite out forever.