False documents directly involve CoP
David Baines, Cayman Islands Commissioner of Police (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)
(CNS): Commissioner of Police David Baines has confirmed that the RCIPS is looking into allegations that documents related to a lawsuit between the premier and the opposition leader are forged and that some of the correspondence involves him. As a result, the senior cop said he is not involved in the probe but has handed the enquiry over to Deputy Commissioner Stephen Brougham.
“I can confirm that an investigation is underway into the origin and authenticity of a number of documents as described by Premier Alden McLaughlin,” Baines stated in an email following the revelations in the LA Thursday.“The matter was reported to me by the premier … After initially receiving his report, I handed over the oversight and investigation into the matter to DCOP Steven Brougham and recused myself, as being the alleged author of some of the correspondence presents a conflict of interest. In the interest of transparency it is important the investigation is conducted without my oversight or involvement. I am unable to comment further,” Baines added.
CNS has learned that the documents in question not only have the forged signature of the commissioner but also those of the former governor, Duncan Taylor, and the attorney general, Samuel Bulgin. It is understood that some of the fabricated documents may have been doctored emails with the original text taken out and forged copy inserted.
The premier revealed yesterday the existence of fabricated communication between Baines and Taylor which involved him that carried a forged signature of the commissioner. This revelation emerged as the opposition leader was closing his debate on a private member’s motion requesting government change the make-up of the Anti-Corruption Commission. In an effort to illustrate his point that the commissioner and auditor should be removed because of what he said “they got up to” in relation to his case, McKeeva Bush read from correspondence he said he had received during his trial.
Bush was acquitted of the charges that related to the misuse of his government credit card last year. But in his defence his attorney had used some correspondence to illustrate claims that the premier was the victim of trumped up charges and a conspiracy to oust him from office.During proceedings in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, Bush attempted to read more of the correspondence, which he said was from the commissioner of police to the governor talking about McLaughlin, who was leader of the opposition at the time, “being in agreement” with something.
However, he was stopped from reading further when the premier interjected and revealed that this particular document was one of four documents that appear to be forged.McLaughlin said, “The leader of the opposition knows that in response to the writ and statement of claim that I filed against him for defamation he filed a defence … in which he claims, among other things, that he is in possession of documentation that tends to show my involvement in the conspiracy that he has alleged. My lawyers served on his lawyers a notice to produce this evidence. They (Bush’s lawyers) have produced four documents. The one just referred to, which purports to be from the commissioner of police to the governor on the 10 December 2012, the day before Mr Bush was arrested, is one of those such documents.”
The premier said Bush knew full well that the lawyers had made repeated requests for the provenance of the documents.“There is a police investigation underway because the documents are fabricated and fraudulent. The document that the leader of the opposition is proposing to read from has been made up. The question for him, which he must answer if not here somewhere else, is where did it come from, who fabricated it and how did it come into his possession?”McLaughlin said these were “very, very serious matters”, adding that allegations were being made about him based on what he and his legal team knew to be fabricated documents.
“Fabricated documents are in the possession of the leader of the opposition and he needs to tell the country where those documents came from. They were not disclosed in the criminal trial against him,” the premier noted, adding that the documents emerged in this civil action but no one on Bush’s side was prepared to say where they got them from.
“Perhaps he and others will tell the police how they came to have fabricated documents with forged signatures on them,” the premier said.
Bush said the only way he could say anything about it all was if he was allowed to read the entire document but the speaker had prevent either of the men from talking further about the case.
The opposition leader said his lawyers were dealing with the allegations that the documents were false. “We are ever ready to defend anything that they have produced … We get information and we use it accordingly and then the courts will have to decide accordingly.”
Well, we all know the investigations in Cayman are based on collisions between friends, family, and/or business associates to endure the alleged criminal being investigated gets acquitted and/or a court ruling in his/her favor. Evidence of a crime can be found everyday in Cayman. It is a jurisdiction the preserve False documents, register them to the courts or government agency, and have these systems approve it’s validity. I call it “laundering documents” via a court and government agency- just as money is laundered through the a bank or commercialized business.
Just as a note to public. Money Laundering & Document Laundering are real; it take the illicit or falsified, and make it legally light.
When you see fraud report it, and inform affected parties no matter where they are domiciled.
I am assuming that you have taken the steps that you ask others to take, with the information you obviously have in your possession, with regards to “document laundering,” or, are you some bitter person, half way around the world hating on Cayman on the internet?
If you know something, and have the evidence to back up your claim, do something. Send it to the FCO, or shut the hell up.
ps For God’s sake, proof read your posts before hitting send.
And I certainly didnt put “says” or 14/08/2015 at 4.40pm” in either. Forgers everywhere…John Grisham was right!
OK, So let me ask, are these documents proven to be forgeries, if so an arrest should a follow I assume. Or are these allegedly forged documents. From what see some documents were produced and Alden said they were fake, is that the end of it or has there been an actual investigation into their origin.
I’d really like to know the outcome of this because it would be good to know that if some personally damaging documents appear on me, all I have to say is they are fakes and that will be the end of it.
The headline in this story seems to interpret the CNS actual has proof or has seen the proof that these are fake. If not it may have been a little premature to print that they were faces in lieu of allegedly being fake.
By Hay everyone has their own agenda.
WaYaSay, you are confusing the issue. If I accused you of having beaten your wife in the last year, the burden of proof does not lie with you of having to prove that for every single day and night in the last year you did NOT beat your wife.
McKeeva has produced a document which Alden and the Chief of Police say is false, or has been manipulated. McKeeva has to show the source from which he obtained this printed document (that’s what that big word provenance means) or withdraw the document and apologize for placing false information before the court.
Anon 9;25. Hold on a cotton picking minute,………… if you want to make a point of your own, please do so, just don’t misconstrue what I have said to make yours. I agree you are confused, but, don’t blame me for your confusion.
The three points I made in a nutshell are; CNS appears to have left out the word “allegedly” just because the Premier said the documents are forged. I assumed they were reporting only the facts and wanted to know if they should inform me and the public that indeed the documents were proven forgeries. I voiced my doubts that RCIPS were efficient enough to have completed said investigation.
I have not seen said documents so I have not commented on their authenticity nor lack thereof.
My second point is that the CoP cannot recuse himself and exert NO influence on an investigation, that includes himself, by passing the file to his subordinate. The fact that he will have to approve expenses associated with the investigation will mean that he could influence the actual investigation. At the very least, he will have to be appraised of something involving the investigation, in order to make an informed decision on expenses.
The third was on a “point of order” within the LA when the Speaker allowed the Premier to state categorically that the documents were forgeries, without using the word “allegedly”.
I trust this clarification of my post will help to unconfused your simple mind. I made NO comment on the request by the Premier, of the Leader of Opposition to prove provenance ……………… a word that is really not considered that BIG by educated people standards.
You claim to not only know all the facts of this case, you appear to purport to know the facts of the outcome as well …………….. a very, very dangerous and concerning situation!
.
Provenance is what the whole investigation is all about, fairness and justice demands that everyone waits for it to take its course.
CNS, I am aware of your policy with regards to repeating oneself, however I pray you will indulge me this once, this poster is attempting to misrepresent what I actually said.
“…The RCIPS is looking into ALLEGATIONS that documents related to a lawsuit between the premier and the opposition leader are forged…”. Try reading the article.
How noble of you, yet in another post you are insinuating that the documents are not really forged but that there was some deliberate crash of Government computers to hide the fact that they are genuine. You are fooling no one.
I personally do not believe that the people of these beloved islands will ever see the truth when the top cop did not have the fore sight to bring in an outside source other than the RCIPS to investigate where one of their own was alleged to be involved. GREAT JOB BAINES. As usual.
Yes 9:14am that’s exactly what many like u would like us to think. Now you plant the seed of doubt and contempt! Problem is and the question is Who benefits?? but people just like you. I have never seen anything so vicious vengeful, and so systematic just to get one man. You all better be careful with your demonization program the last guy who you did this to is now one of our national hero’s.
Anon 4:49. There are at least three things revealed in this article that cause concern to me, that particular paragraph happens to be one of them. I assume CNS is reporting accurately, therefore, they have seen the actual evidence and talked to the only person in a position to make that determination, the Deputy CoP Brougham. That appears to indicate a rather speedy investigation by the DCoP and I applaud that, if indeed that is the case, however, given the track record of RCIPS, I have my doubts. I look forward to a full disclosure of the fact-finding investigation and exactly how the documents are proven to be false in a follow up article on CNS, including which professional did the forensic determination of the authenticity, or lack thereof, of the body of said documents and said signatures. As in the recent case of Jeremy Jackson, Justice delayed is Justice denied!
The other part of this story that causes me concern is the CoP Baines’ assertions that he has recused himself completely, by handing over the investigation to his Deputy. Are you kidding me? There is indeed a member of the RCIPS, working on taxpayers payroll, who is being paid to report to the CoP on his work outputs, who now does NOT have to report to the CoP, but instead is charged to conduct an investigation into allegations involving the CoP and who is expected to not breath one single word of what he accomplishes on a daily basis to his boss? Surely Baines at least knows what his Deputy accomplishes on a weekly basis, if for no other reason than to justify said Deputy’s paycheck.
What happens if/when the true answer is that he is paying a forensic document expert to check the authenticity of documents he is investigating? Who approves the cost of such a professional? The Governor? If it is Baines, how does that conversation go without mentioning, in any way, the remit and progress of said professional?
Assuming no one has the facts yet on all the details, how does that conversation go, in the unlikely event that a signature of Baines, the Premier or Duncan Taylor is indeed authentic, or, that the body of one of the documents, baring said signature is indeed authentic. I just do not want to see another TEMPURA fiasco, where at least two of the same official offices, the Governor’s and the Cop’s, were intimately involved. Justice should not only be done, it should appear to be done!
The third thing that concerns me about this article is that the Premier was allowed to state categorically in the LA, without the speaker stopping him on a point of order, that “Fabricated documents are in the possession of the leader of the opposition and he needs to tell the country where those documents came from.” “Perhaps he and others will tell the police how they came to have fabricated documents with forged signatures on them,” the premier said.
The investigation had certainly NOT been completed at that time, so, statements like this from the Premier should be struck from the record.
Today he is rushing to judgment about McKeeva Bush, tomorrow It may be you and/or I and the Speaker would also have to allow it, due to the precedent she has set in this instance!
Let me close with a disclaimer/clarification. I hope McKeeva draws no comfort, or indication of innocence/guilt, from my observations, XXXXX however, justice and fairness is justice and fairness.
Far be from me to be a McKeeva supporter in my lifetime or to suggest he was good for Cayman, or me.
If I didn’t know better I’d say you sound like a man trying to form his own political party. A lot of campaigning in your messages! Remember, let the one without sin cast the first stone.
No one shall stone anyone, until I blow this whistle.
Truly well thought out argument as usual if I don’t say so myself. Dammit.
WaYaSay, you are such an inspiration! Instead of running a politically charged campaign in CNS comments under a fake name, you should stop hiding like a coward and speak in public! You aren’t fit for government if you can’t even show your face. Stop embarrassing yourself.
The irony of it all…………an anonymous brave heart, accusing another anonymous poster of being a coward because they did not give their name…………… How divinely ironic.
Signed anonymous because I am scarrrrrrrrred of you and not brave enough to let you know who I am. LOL
Dude: your poster name is LOL. How the heck do you get off criticizing anyone for being anonymous! I hear we will soon have a proper mental health facility; feel free to check-in once open!
When you announce you are running for Governement, are you going to jump out of a box on stage and say “guys, I’m wayasay! Are you all so impressed with my comments? Aren’t you going to vote for me!?”
OK Don Quixote, I will consult you, if and when that happens. So far……not on my agenda, however, I do intend to continue to speak out.
What do you say…….
Remember that at some point there was supposedly a total “crash” of the Govt computer system and supposedly a lot of data was lost. No always wondered how or why something like this could happen.
Good catch 1:20 😉
My how things have changed……….years ago they would have to burn down the entire Government Administration Building to purge the records!
Please explain what that has to do with this story.
You sound like someone who suspects that the documents will be found to be forged so you are trying to question the integrity of the investigation beforehand.
Just another day in Paradise
You need some fresh material Barefoot. With all the stuff going on you should be churning out satirical hits!
“CNS has learned that the documents in question not only have the forged signature of the commissioner but also those of the former governor, Duncan Taylor, and the attorney general, Samuel Bulgin. It is understood that some of the fabricated documents may have been doctored emails with the original text taken out and forged copy inserted.”
WTF kind of reporting is this??? Does cns know as a fact the signatures have been forged???
Never imagined even Kim Jun Mac would sink this low. How is it his blind followers still prop him up like some stuffed puppet.
Shame on anyone who still believes in the UDP who have repeatedly shown themselves rotten to the core….all of them.
You soon see who and who is rotten to the core; may surprise you to see how many of your own have sold out for money and greed.
And the PPM are clean as the driven snow….They all need to be retired..
These people have Cayman for a real joke mann any fabrication or fraudulent activities is inevitably control or run by them in this little place. Crime is merely another tool in their arsenal to maintain control of this place. How sad for Cayman so many people are either asleep or indifferent to the reality of what is happening. We see change yet we have little say or input in the very harmful direction Cayman is being turned.
4:20 you count us as a democratic society after what you just wrote. Other than that you hit the nail on the head.
Must be the Jamaicans again.
It’s the Jamaican support and money from their rich that keeps Mac in business.
Favors from powerful politicians is how Jamaicans do business.
The last blogger is incorrect. Bridger did not just simply back out of the interview in the UK. He wrote to the Commissioner on two separate occasions to tell him why in all the circumstances he would not be attending the interview in the UK.Baines failed to acknowledge any of the communications but simply chose later to say publicly that Bridger failed to attend the arranged meeting intimating that the RCIPS were present waited for Bridger and he did not appear……
Bridger was later in the Cayman Islands and available for interview even arrest if Baines chose to take such a course of action….Baines did not and the opportunity to interview Bridger passed by.
The blogger should be aware that Bridger will be making a statement to the Information Commissiner re the non release of his complaint findings and the alleged criminal investigation that has been ongoing against him for two years.
Fact…..not speculation……The authorities know the damage Bridger can cause but are unwilling to resolve matters sensibly in the best interest of the Cayman Islands….So be it that is the Cayman Islands and FCO choice.
These are the facts and not the rumblings of an ill informed blogger.
3:16 assuming you are replying to 5:17 below. Bridger was asked to make a statement about this by Jan Liebaers back in April but apparently so far hasn’t ‘for legal reasons’.
However, another involved party has confirmed to the ICO that they were one of several people who made complaints to Baines that the allegations Bridger made to MPS (the Metropolitan Police Service) in a statement dated 4 March 2104 constituted criminal libel and false allegations that another person had committed a crime. Whether or not Baines ever properly investigated this is another matter.
As for the Aina report – last year Bridger was given the opportunity by Governor Duncan Taylor to shortcut the $million+ litigation that is currently still on-going and he refused to cooperate. Why he then turned up at uninvited at the last hearing is still a mystery.
Oh, and I’m not an ill-informed blogger but someone very closely connected to this who, for obvious reasons, has to remain anonymous.
Sorry my 12:51 should read 4 March 2013 not 2104.
I’ve been asked to point out that one of the issues raised with Baines is the false allegation that, ‘On the 3rd September 2007 an entry was made into one of the two national newspapers in the Cayman Islands (Cayman Net News) by an employee who bypassed the alarm.’ As Mr Bridger was well aware (after all he had all the witness statements) the alarm was not bypassed but simply switched off by an employee using their access code. The wording of the complaint seems designed to falsely imply illegal interference with the system.
Garbage. If it was not a bypass, why was it turned off? If there was no criminal intent, why do it without notifying the owner and switch off the alarm? How can you search for evidence without a warrant? If there is reasonable grounds to suspect, then why not get a warrant? Who authorized it? This was a burglary under the Penal Code, and anyone who authorized, hired or assisted are criminally liable, and they all know it. Bridger is copping out too, because none of the people which he claimed knew about it can authorize it willy nilly. Their actions must be reasonable and justifiable. What reasonable cause can there be under the circumstances? What justification can there be to break into the office of a newspaper editor in order to look for evidence? Evidence of what? State secrets? Not even the geniuses involved can claim that.
I am anti ppm, udp. Cdp and don’t like the long standing cayman retailers. I believe it is all their fault.
Oh so you are a C4c member or you just didn’t want to bring them up.
It is a pity Baines couldn’t run into some of these burglars, and eliminate them. He should still be running over that thief and many more. Hi five to him for being so smart. Stop condoning these criminals.
Its not only the thieves that need to be run-over but also the silent, normal-looking, people – who buy the stolen goods…
Wha choo talkin bout Willis?
Totally agree. Some fool complained earlier about the level of “violence” Mr.Baines employed in collaring that scumbag who’d held a gun to the head of an innocent minutes earlier. Give me a break. We need more of the commissioner’s type to sort out these animals.
The real problem is that in normal jurisdictions this tax payer funded nonsense involving Bush and McLaughlin would not happen. It’s high school playground stuff. It speaks yet again to the petty small island politics of the whole thing and I would love to know how Ezzard and people like him who want independence would explain to the voting Caymanian population “yes, we are ready”.
Well, to some of the Cayman population, the playground antics ARE the indication the we are ready
Independence may come, whether ready or not. Just sayin.
More likely a UK takeover…
What tax payer funded nonsense Bobo? This is a a private civil suit. One man is defending his reputation against the false, apparently now forged, accusations of another. Happens every day all over the the Western world. I wonder what your reaction would be if it happened to you. Would you turn the other cheek Bobo?
How can an accusation be “forged”? Do tell.
Huh? Who told you that it is “tax payer funded”? These are very serious matters.
I suppose Mac could always say he was walking outside the LA one day and saw an envelope on Ezzard’s windscreen which was labeled, “To Whom It May Concern”. He then decided to pick it up.
When he opened it, he saw documents with alleged signatures of Baines, Taylor, Alden and others talking about pushing him out as Premier.
A previous blogger made a very valid point. How can the Deputy Commissioner of the RCIPS investigate any matter of this nature involving the RCIPS Commissioner of Police – his boss and bosom buddy from the UK ? Surely this does not happen in other UK police forces ?
Usually a Chief Constable or his designate from a different police force in the UK will investigate another senior officer in rank, to avoid the show of prejudice and a conflict of interest.
A good example of this was when Bermuda police officers came to Cayman to re-investigate a local police officer who was alleged to have committed suicide. Or when RCIPS officers went to other UK overseas territories (Baines included) to investigate matters of interest involving other police officers.
I dont see a problem with the Deputy handling the investigation…
My wife investigates me all the time – and not only performs the duties of the Investigator, but also acts as the Judge and Jury…
Cayman investigate forged documents or the validity of them? This is rarely heard of. As many questionable documents circulating Cayman. I know of cases where the Justices fail to exercise legal process to valid documents. I wish them all the best in this discovery and investigation.
This is serious. If proven, sent them to jail!!!!
Don’t forget the prominent lawyers that have been internationally shamed and sanctioned for falsifying documents, on behalf of clients. Cayman needs to pay attention to worldly news. I’m just waiting to see the day that they are not just fined, but incarcerated. It’s coming together nicely.
Damn, everyone is getting in on these documents…did I get a mention too? I mean, I deserve too, I been bloggin’ away on this for ever and a day…
Are you saying the “Anonymous” signature wasn’t your handwriting? GASP!
The investigation should have been conducted by an outside police service. To have your deputy investigating his boss is a nonsense and no other democratic state would tolerate such behaviour, how can anyone have confidence in such a process. It was the same with Tempura Baines dismissed the allegations made by Bridger Kernohan and Jones. None of them were interviewed. The evidence they had in their possession to support the allegations was never viewed by the investigation. Who was in charge of the investigation? Guess who Brougham…….the lap dog for Baines. What happened Bridger was put under investigation two years ago nothing has happened except the alleged investigation has stopped the release of the findings of Bridgers complaint to the Governor. Guess what the Governor is hiding?
Never before have experienced officers in the Uk and America have ever heard of an allegation being dismissed without the victims being interviewed.
Our group is regularly in touch with Bridger and he would welcome an interview……..will it happen……
It is about the time that people woke up in the Cayman Islands smelt the coffee . Soon Baines and others behaviour will be exposed.
Ask yourself why Baines owes others ……..When he ran over a suspect robber the DPP said no charge……..Was the level of violence used by Baines reasonable in all the circumstances? In any other democratic society the decision should have been one for the courts not the DPP.
4:20 Quote, “Our group is regularly in touch with Bridger and he would welcome an interview.” Whoever you and your ‘group’ are they clearly do not know all the facts.
Baines made arrangements for an interview by an RCIPS officer to take place in the UK. Bridger originally agreed to this then without explanation backed out.
I’m not disputing the fact that Baines is playing games with the allegations to help out the Governor but the fact is that Bridger has never made any attempt to sort this out. He’s also repeatedly unloaded material on the media that has turned out to be complete BS and told them that he has evidence of this, that and the other but when pressed has refused to hand anything over. Bridger’s just his own worst enemy.
And when you next see him ask about the condos he bought in Orlando.
4:20 In fairness to Bridger he’s always cited ‘legal reasons’ for not handing all this evidence he apparently has over to the media although what they are isn’t clear.
Getting back to the original point – Bridger’s actually been let off pretty lightly. Baines could have filed criminal charges against him for the removal of hundreds of documents from the Tempura investigation in 2008 but instead chose to pursue it as a civil action. He was then accused of contempt for the comments he made at the OffshoreAlert Conference in May 2014 but no action was taken. In this latest round of allegations he’s been accused of make false complaints of criminal activity, exactly the same charge he unsuccessfully filed against Lyndon Martin in 2008, and been allowed to walk away from it. It’s like he’s Teflon coated. The Met have even handed over about £500K of taxpayers money to cover some of his legal costs.
As for the condos he bought in 2008/9? Three have been sold and the last time I checked the other two are still for sale – there are videos of them on YouTube. The three he sold made him a nice profit.
Hello, Baines isn’t being investigated, the source of the document with his forged signature is. He has merely recused himself because his name has been used in a potential crime.
4:20 Obviously doesn’t understand the matter in hand so decides to bring up something totally irrelevant.
I’d also be interested to know how 4.20 would have handled the armed robbery situation when it was three against one. Probably just driven on past, then complained that the police aren’t doing enough.
Is the COP being investigated or the authenticity of documents bearing his signature? Just asking?
Baines is not being investigated. What is being investigated is whether these documents are forged or not. Baines has recused himself because at least one of the documents purports to bear his signature. Either you are very dim or your post is an attempt at misdirection.