ACC makes new arrest in ongoing probe

(CNS): The Anti-Corruption Commission has announced another arrest in an investigation that began last October. Officials from the ACC said a 35-year-old man from George Town was arrested Monday morning in connection with the ongoing corruption probe, which is understood to be one of at least four live investigations being handled by the commission. The man was arrested on suspicion of bribery of public officials, fraud on government and breach of trust, all offences under the Anti-Corruption Law, and detained for questioning at the Fairbanks Detention Centre.

CNS understands that this is the third arrest in this particular ACC inquiry, which began with the arrest of a government employee, but it is not yet clear which department is involved in this latest inquiry. No one has yet been charged in this case and ACC officials have not commented on whether or not the suspect is a government employee.

The ACC recently wrapped up an investigation into a wide bribery and corruption scandal over the English language test at the immigration department, for which it charged a dozen people. A trial is now set for later this year after 11 out of the 12 accused pleaded not guilty to all of the various charges against them.

The commission’s investigators are, however, still working on at least three other major probes, including allegations of corruption and money laundering at the Cayman Islands Football Association, in which both former CIFA VP Bruce Blake and former CIFA treasurer Canover Watson have been arrested. However, no charges have so far been filed against either men.

A new corruption investigation was revealed last week into financial irregularities at the hospital relating to the in-house security department and alleged abuses of funds regarding overtime payments.

News reports earlier this year of potential corruption and misuse of public money and equipment by the directors of both the Cayman Islands Port Authority and the National Roads Authority, regarding separate and unrelated allegations, do not yet appear to have been taken up by the ACC, though both of the public authority bosses have been suspended from their top-level jobs on full pay while internal probes are reportedly underway.

However the ACC is also understood to be undertaking a corruption investigation into customs officers as well. But a number of other customs officers and Cayman Airways staff are also facing criminal allegations in relation to a separate case involving a drug smuggling ring.

CNS would like to apologise for an earlier inaccurate posting in relation to this arrest which suggested it was linked to customs.