Prison deputy gets her job back
Aduke Natalie Joseph-Caesar
(CNS): Government officials have refused to comment on the legal outcome of a court challenge by a prison deputy director, Aduke Natalie Joseph-Caesar, who was sacked by the chief officer in the home affairs ministry, Eric Bush, over an internal staff scandal at HMP Northward last year. Last month, a court found in Caesar’s favour that she was not lawfully dismissed because government officials had not followed due process. While Caesar is understood to be planning to return to her job, the new home affairs CO, Wesley Howell, and Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, who is head of the civil service, have remained silent on the matter.
The court found that Caesar is still a prison employee and as well as being put back on the pay roll, must be paid her missing salary since she was terminated last November. Nevertheless, Howell and Manderson told CNS Tuesday that the case was not finalised and neither were able to comment on the issue.
Caesar was dismissed after an internal enquiry lead by Bush, who departed at the weekend for the UK to start his new job heading up the London office.
The probe was triggered after covert video and recording equipment were found in an air-conditioning duct in the office of another staff member.
Three people were suspended over the issue: a prison officer who reportedly installed the equipment, Caesar for ordering its installation and Nina White, a female manager and custody officer who was the target of the secret video as a result of allegations that she was behaving inappropriately with inmates behind locked doors in the office.
White was reportedly cleared of any wrongdoing with inmates but was later fired and is now employed by a large local security firm. The prison officer was reinstated. However, government officials have remained tight-lipped throughout the investigation and have been reluctant to reveal the chain of events and outcomes.
Caesar, a long-standing employee with the prison who was well-known for her efforts to develop rehabilitation programmes, especially the importance of literacy, was dismissed.
However, she then filed for a judicial review on the basis that the enquiry conducted by the home affairs ministry and her subsequent sacking were not lawful because, according to the law, Prison Director Neil Lavis should have been the one to conduct the enquiry, not the home affairs ministry.
While the full facts remain under wraps, the court ruling means that the government must now allow Caesar to come back to work.
Has anyone ever wondered what is the quality of decision making in the Civil Service judged by the stupidity of these facts when they are laid bare by the court cases? How many others suffer daily due to the obvious incompetence of these decision makers?
One would think that the initiative to discover major wrong doing should be rewarded, not penalized.
Do we now punish those who persecuted the ones who were trying to uncover illegal and corrupt behavior (abuse of office, etc.)? I guess not. They will simply move on to better things and higher officers. Shame.
While the Court ruled that the Chief Officer was not the appropriate authority to investigate and discipline/dismiss her, it cannot rule that she cannot be investigated and disciplined/dismissed.
Ah say whaaa!
Me get me job back?
And mi is “caymanian ” now too
Lavis, aka, “Gov” , fired the Nina White lady and then someone gave her a job at a security firm. Want to guess which one? The Govt and prison pays lip service about rehab. Maybe a good reason to have gotten rid of her and I heard she is good at it and actually cares. Oh well , who cares about locals especially the ones in jail. I also heard the guys in the video are now out.
Cayman, the proverbial rug being pulled over again.
Heard that too, real full life good for the expats but at end of day if she was whistle blower don’t blame her
I read in another publication that she was Caymanian. Really?
So what? Meaning if she is “caymanian” she should be treated differently. You are so full of it.
Why say Caymanian if she is Not?
I am wondering whether the videos were up to the quality standard as those on pornhub.com
Think you will find it it is the Ministry’s legal advice that was was wrong, that led to the process. It really is a technicality, as the facts remain the same.
Presumably this incident has no bearing on Mr Bush’s transfer to a PR job in London
Total incompetence. Note that it is only about the “firing” and not actually about what she is accused of. Have we forgotten about that?
Just Another Day in Absurdistan
Thank you former CO Eric Bush proving that incompetence is rewarded in the Civil Service by DG while the public pay the price for every lawsuit due to abuses and mismanagement from the very top. SMH
What is the appropriate investigative technique for discovering if someone if inappropriate with those under their power behind closed doors?
I find it hard to believe that the matter is not over when in fact the court has ruled or do Franz and Howell convening their own court of appeal. Court has ruled pick up the pieces and learn then move forward done!!!!
All the court found was that she was dismissed by the wrong person, not that there was no basis for her dismissal.
We are too quick to jump to conclusions. Let us first witness the final outcome this case and hope that those involved will learn valuable lessons which will be beneficial to the country on the whole.
Ha haaa haaah. Another slightly expensive faux pas. How come nobody saw this coming earlier?
Another screw up by people who keep getting promoted in the civil service!
Yay-
civil service incompetence at all levels….
welcome to wonderland…