Governor under investigation, suspended from office
Cayman Islands Governor Anwar Choudhury at Government House, George Town
(CNS): Cayman Islands Governor Anwar Choudhury has been temporarily suspended from his posting and has been recalled to London, where he is currently under investigation as a result of complaints that have been made against him. The announcement was made by Premier Alden McLaughlin in statement from the UK, where he is leading a delegation to deal with the recent spat with the British government over public beneficial ownership registers. McLaughlin said he was called to the office of the overseas territories minister, Lord Ahmad, last night and given the news.
“The minister formally advised me that His Excellency the Governor, Mr Anwar Choudhury, has been temporarily withdrawn from his post as governor of the Cayman Islands to allow the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to investigate a number of complaints against him,” McLaughlin said early this morning, adding that he was told the investigation could last four to six weeks.
“The minister insisted that no further details could be provided at this stage and indicated that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office did not intend to make a public statement regarding the matter,” the premier added.
Deputy Governor Franz Manderson will act as governor until whatever the issues are regarding Choudhury, who has been in post just three months, are resolved. The premier said that he has already spoken to Manderson, who has informed the chief officers.
“I have advised the speaker, the Cabinet, the Government Caucus and the leader of opposition accordingly,” McLaughlin said. “While this development was unforeseen and is most unfortunate, I am confident that it will not affect the continued good governance of the Cayman Islands.”
No other details were given about the 58-year-old governor, who had so far received a warm welcome in Cayman. There is no indication of the nature of the complaints, whether those complaints were made by people here, in the UK or during any of Choudhury’s previous postings.
CNS will be seeking more information and will publish any further news on this unexpected development.
Category: Government Administration, Local News, Politics
Anonymous: he was a good men, there nasty politicians are don’t like him. All the people was happy on his work. Cayman Islands missed a real good person.
As a people, we are so fearful. It is as though we need a banner over us so we can belong with other lemmings.
I am a Liberal, I am a Conservative, I am a Christian, I am a Muslim, I am an atheist, I don’t know what I am, etc, etc.
What about just simply, I am me?
We are all very capable individuals and it is dangerous to go into an ideological box. Boxes have walls but other things exist outside boxes, things that we will never see if we choose to remain inside.
The Almighty God transcends time and space and is the only One who is not constrained by a box.
He has given each of us His very own essence and we insult Him by belonging to a sect controlled by men. In bowing to men, we sacrifice our greatness.
Democracy as we know it is one of the biggest frauds ever perpetrated on mankind.
We are whipped up into a frenzy every 4 years or so to select a person who is already bought and paid for.
Once the elections are over, no radical change happens, government just gets bigger, entrepreneurs get squeezed and then we rinse and repeat.
If Satan does indeed exist, he most certainly invented money and it is his vehicle of control.
Oh well, back to work. Gotta make some cash to pay dem bills. 🙂
All this talk about “burning away” and such is so infantile. For goodness sake, can we at least keep things on an adult level? Thank you.
What would you prefer, “trim the fat”, “take out the trash”, “streamline operations”, “remove operational obstacles”?
It boils down to the same thing, get rid of inefficiencies in government.
If you are a government employee, I can see where you are coming from, but it is the private sector that bears the responsibility for feeding the behemoth that is CIG.
No, sportsfan, merely language of an adult nature. Wonderful stuff about my being a government employee, very exciting. No, really.
What an interesting range of choices you’ve provided. Thank you.The second seems a bit offensive, so that one’s out for sure. Not sure I’d prefer any of the remainder, to be honest. Uncertain you can see “where I’m coming from”. It’s simply about using grown up language. Have a think about it.
Boy things really happenns fast in the Cayman Islands today . People hurry and open your eyes and see where the Islands are headed .
Please do tell
3:24 am , to where you can’t open your mouth to say anything publicly , and the government can be the only one who can . Is that scary to you ?
What are you going on about? Yawn
At least the Compass is put back where it belongs. Not prancing around the Governor’s Office like they own the place writing puff piece editorials and articles. They stuck the flag in-between Choudhury and his printer for that photo. That cracked me up
A new Governor? Oh boy here we go again…. That was exactly how I felt when I first heard we were getting him. However they say a first impression is a lasting one and it certainly was. This Governor did not need a script to recite from he spoke from his heart, he didn’t need people to open the door for him he held the door for them, he wasn’t too busy to get out and mingle with the people and mostly he wasn’t afraid to touch those sensitive areas in the Civil Service that truly needs to be dealt with. Leadership is not about the title or position you hold, it’s about influence. To see a man’s true character give him power. This man, Governor or not brought hope to the Civil Servants who have been desperately waiting for change. The Civil Service needs true leadership, people of influence, leaders who are not afraid to be held accountable. To many of these people in high positions feel entitled and do nothing to make a difference for the better. This is where the Civil Service should cut from, let’s start from the top and work our way down. You want a World Class Civil Service, let’s start with World Class Leaders. It’s sad that so many Civil Servants day in and day out get ridiculed for being “lazy” when you have so many dedicated hard working ones who are eager to see change and just get dishearten when change doesn’t come. Governor Anwar, whatever the outcome, thank you for stirring the pot, for showing these people what true Leadership looks like and for allowing us to get a reminder of what true humanity, humbleness, and accountability looks like. My prayers are with you and your family.
I hear he was sitting in on Chief Officers’ meetings and trying to get them to perform. I mean, can you imagine the nerve of the man? He’s the Head of the Civil Service (though he delegates these functions to Franz) and was trying to get accountability. “Not today, bobo”.
Really! You mean to tell me the Governor was sitting in meetings uninvited and critiquing the members? And they complain to the FCO? Nah! I don’t believe it ?
I thought we had a chance to change this beneficial ownership request. But now that the new Governor has been called to answer some trumped up hocus pocus. They will find someone new who won’t ruffle feathers or meddle with the elite shifting market share.
There is no chance of a change to the beneficial ownership legislation. It is not a request it is a legal obligation. Which politician in the UK is going to mount a campaign for legislative reform to permit tax havens maintain privacy?
I don’t know about all that 11:03am but that person of which you are referring to was sending WhatsApp messages to the certain chosen individuals before this was even known here. ?????
Mr. Choudhury would have been one hell of a shock to the Caymanian government and the FCO.
I mean, here is a man with principles. He has quickly identified the issues in government and publicly stated that he wants to make government more efficient to serve the people. This would mean shedding jobs, introducing efficiencies through better automation and possible privatisation.
Not a good situation for our politicians whose companies have lucrative contracts with the government.
I can just imagine the very brief meeting of our leaders and their FCO handlers.
“Oh. Shit! He has to go.”
The Caymanian Compass carried this story very well and I believe they had an editorial espousing the virtues of our new governor.
If Mr. Choudhury was ever able to audit government in his quest for efficiency, he would have found corruption at the highest levels.
It is inconceivable that the uncircumcised toads in the CIG would have let this humble man serve our country at their expense.
To start with, very few of them would be re-elected if they had been found wanting.
Complaints against him would most certainly have arisen since he arrived. It is hard to imagine that a new Governor would be appointed under a cloud of previous suspicions.
As someone on another local website suggested, have a good look at the complainants and then follow the rancid stench of money sticking to the grubby fingers of our leprous overlords and their decaying sycophants.
Mr. Choudhury, I wish you and your family all the best. I hope that you will be vindicated because I for one believe in your integrity.
When you first came here, I thought that you might have been in the mould of that awful mayor of London, but you proved me wrong and won me over with your intelligence and humble demeanour. Forgive me.
If and when you come back, do not hesitate to call on the common people to support you.
We are a diverse people, and we have always respected goodness and integrity. Be strong, Sir.
Anonymous 4:55pm , I completely agree with everything you said in the comment , and I am sure that all Caymanians fell the same way for the Governor Mr Choudhury . I think it’s a shame and mysterious that he becomes a subject of an investigation. . Here goes operation tempera # 2 .
Anonymous 4.55 pm. Pure speculation on the source of complaints and I guess you took time out from your busy job to write this absolutely smoke and mirrored essay. That tells exactly what kind of person you really are.
4:55 pm is speculating like everyone else, but otherwise my impression is that he or she is a good person — so I am not sure what 6:33 am is referring to.
Actually, 6:33 am — your post tells me a lot about YOU.
I noticed that the Compass is reporting the view that these complaints actually came from within the rarified atmosphere of the Governor’s Office!! How interesting!! Were they threatened by Governor’s Choudhury’s identification with the local population?
I do hope that he returns — I had begun to hope that he might be able to break through the barriers to change and make a difference.
When hes finished bumbling in the UK enter Boris Johnson.
Now that would be pass the popcorn pahaaaaaaaa
‘Temporary Suspension’ Suggests a sham. One is normally ‘Suspended Until Further Notice’
This is just a pretend investigation to satisfy someone, and nothing will come of it.
Hope so. We need him here doing what he has set out to do. I really like this guy!
Only if you come from these backward islands. In the UK, where he is employed from, he is temporarily suspended whilst an investigation is undertaken. Suspension is not a presumption of guilt and should be as temporary as possible. The time frame of 4 to 6 weeks is the acceptable timeframe in the UK for such matters to be concluded unless there are extenuating circumstances.
No one should be suspended until further notice, it is an archaic throw back to poor employment standards and has no place in the modern world. But then again this is Cayman so what should we expect when civil servants remain on suspension for months and even years at public expense. Not only is it a waste of money, but it is a cruel and demeaning punishment when guilt has not been proven. If evidence exists of wrongdoing, 6 weeks should certainly be enough to investigate and charge.
lol!
Too hands on? He’s the first Governer I can remember that not only spoke directly to the press but made it clear to them that his job here was to kick ass and sort the mess out.
By accounts that I have heard, Mr. Choudhury was keen improve the civil service.
If he ever tried to do that, the powerful Lodge interests in Government and FCO would not have tolerated this.
The public purse is nothing more than a slush fund for our politicians and their friends in London.
“Bloody Hell, Charles, do you fancy a junket to the Caribbean?”
“Why yes, Archibald. What is it this time?”
“You will be going to the Cayman Islands Grand Court to argue for a legal precedent.”
“How much?”
“The usual, they have lots of surplus cash. Dilligent folk over there.”
“Tally Ho, Right said Fred. I am in. I’ve had my eye on a nice spread in the Cotswolds.”
“Right you are then, Charles. See you when you get back next month. We’ll meet at the gentleman’s club.”
“Haw, haw. I suppose the drinks will be on me? By the way, what is the legal precedent that I am supposed to argue.”
“Don’t worry about that. The Chief Justice and Attorney General will see to everything. Just make sure you have the wig dry cleaned before you go.”
Joking aside, Mr. Choudhury should have kept a little quieter until he had something concrete, XXXXX.
It is getting sad around here.
People are getting so afraid to speak out against anything these days. Our government has become so shady and untrustworthy.
To the people of the Cayman Islands, abandon this fake democracy that has enslaved you, flee the UK and create a system of transparent government never yet seen.
Rule by the will of the people, not 19 Lodge members who do not have your best interests at heart.
Make no decisions without the people’s consent and make all official records available in the public domain in real time. Let the foundation of our government be truth.
When people are honest with each other, they can judge correctly. When subterfuge exists, darkness rules.
The way I see it now, darkness is ruling in the Cayman Islands.
God has seen everything and your day of reckoning will soon be here.
Don’t think that a few empty platitudes and a couple of Christmas carols will get you out of this one.
CNS: I XXX’d out the names because so far we have no idea what this is about. You have jumped to the conclusion that this concerns things he did here that people did not like but we just don’t know. It could very well be about matters that have nothing to do with the Cayman Islands.
Understood CNS.
We’ll just let this thing play out and hope for the truth to emerge.
I hope this does not relate to Cayman and the Gov is back in office soon. He is doing great so far and I expect great things from him.
Rick , I think that’s the problem , some people seen that the Governor was doing too well , and they didn’t like it .
You can be sent to prison for just cracking a joke in the UK these days. Chances are Mr. Choudhury sneezed in the wrong direction.
Not so. The any jail sentence in the UK is hard to come by; and when it is, it isa joke!
I doubt this is related to his role or actions in Cayman…Let’s wait and see.
He does fit in – just another official on “required leave” – not out of our pocket.
11:41 am, FYI The Governor and all his salary, travelling expenses, allowances, living expenses, frills, cocktail parties, cooks, servants, maids, Light, Water, Government House Expenses, Upkeep etc are paid by The Cayman Islands Government from money collected from CAYMANIAN Taxpayers, period. United Kingdom Government pays $0.00, zilch.
Cheap at half the price for keeping the Union Jack in the corner, which is Cayman’s guarantee on the international stage. Without it…well just look around and see those nearby who went alone…
No surprise when a recent exclusive party in London to celebrate another awardee was filled with certain no use ex officials who’s griping about the new gov’s aversion for the common Caymanian was alarming and not in sink with their wishes and continued colonial paradigm of keeping up appearances especially for the chosen few ehem!!! “Grey Puopon” Pleease!!! Using Choudhury’s flame thrower to burn away UK bureaucracy may very well burn away certain UK and FCO’s interest and controls, leaving them exposed to the elements and to retribution from those they have continue to victimize and persecute whilst reducing the influence of those whom they have groomed for leadership roles in our little OT’s society. That’s not a risk the FCO was willing to tolerate. So a recall and reality check for Anwar was over due before he went native and loss the plot! Hurry home sir and i hope the reprogramming goes well.
You’re going to have to run that one by me again.
Bonkers
11.03am What happened,missed your appointment with your Psychiatrist and using CNS to vent?
How dare he try to hold the DG and CO’s accountable! We cannot have change when the governance system and civil service at the highest levels is built on rewarding incompetence and systemic corruption which helps to maintain the status quo.
Thank God for you, sir. Obviously, you are informed and not alone, judging by the positive responses.
Ironic that Alan Scott should raise his head, having been the most disgraceful representative U.K. Ever sent. Using government house cocktail parties as Recruiting sessions for girlfriends.
Hence the irony in the author’s name. Lots of Governor’s have been misbehaving for a long before arriving and abusing their positions during their posting in the Caymans
Perhaps from a good man to a Governor that will have teeth and oppose our constitutional efforts
This gets even better. They recall him back to the UK. And now Manderson is our Acting Governor. From day one this Governor had compliants against him about his faith. Or, maybe the thought of our Premier traveling and meeting influencial people, is causing the special interest to worry. So the Governor has to be briefed on issue concerning keeping UK controls over these islands.
If they wanted to teach him how to keep the locals down, they wouldn’t have done it by recalling him, forever damaging his authority if he returns, and leaving the locals in charge in the meantime. All the conspiracy theorists pushing this are very likely to be wrong.
Apply Occam’s razor: the answer to a problem or question requiring the fewest assumptions (essentially, the simplest one), is the first one to try. Anwar Choudhury has been a military man, civil servant and diplomat for over 20 years. He has been here for 3 months. What are the odds he has been withdrawn or suspended, whatever anyone wants to call it, because of something that happened here or complaints that were made here? Since when does the UK listen to our complaints anyway?
You have to make all sorts of wild assumptions to conclude this has anything to do with us. He applied for this position and went through an assessment and interview process before the “No. 1 Panel” as they call it at the FCO, which deals with senior diplomatic positions, and beat all the other candidates. He would have had his career examined very closely. It is far more likely that this relates to a previous posting, and to something or a series of things that have just come to light.
I am not saying the UK does not practise its dark arts still from time to time, but things have become much more businesslike in the last 20 years, and even more so when the Coalition government of 2010-2015 made these posts competitive and able to be sought by any civil servant, rather than selected by the FCO to come spy on us. They have the police to do that if they want to do that, as we know from Tempura.
All we can do is speculate, and we won’t get anywhere with that. We will have to wait for the outcome of whatever it is the UK is actually doing.
Thank goodness we have someone …Legal Eagle…to balance the crass stupidity of the bush legal turkeys on this site. So embarrassing. They sound like the hidjuts that call into Sterling Dwayne’s show with the usual ‘when did you stop beating your wife” type arguments.
Occam Ebanks
Here come the deputy, he’s going to come and get to me
I got to get me get up and run
They got the sirens loose
I ran out of juice
They’re going to put me in a cell, if I can’t go to heaven
Will they let me go to hell
Crazy…
Stone cold crazy, you know
It is never appropriate to lift Queen’s lyrics, and use them for your own purposes.
Yes from the album, “Sheer Heart Attack”.
No idea why my previous comment was deleted.
Well I wonder who complained? Looks like he got along with everyone including opposition and the locals. Was he too in touch with the people? Was he requiring too much accountability? XXXX Again I wonder who made the complaint?
8:43 am , you really believe that , have you ever seen people who laugh in your face with you , and when you turn around they stab you in the back . Do you remember all the good words they said to the Governor upon his arrival to the Islands ?
One has to wonder if this has anything to do with his recent interview with the Compass regarding Beneficial Ownership , and upsetting the powers to be in the UK, if so then we are truly in for a long hard ride.
Doubt it. If he were that far off base, it would simply be corrected by an instruction from London. UK government doesn’t suspend governors or ambassadors lightly – how many instances can you think of – so it would appear far more likely that it involves a major issue with a previous posting. He simply hasn’t done much here that could be the subject of criticism other than local sniping which would be water off a ducks back to the FCO.
Or was he being too good a person, too professional to be Governor? Too real — too much of a stickler for protocol and the civil service focusing on getting some work done for its huge emoluments’ bill.
What we need is a fuddy-duddy like Dinwiddy or a Jack who disregards the laws and constitution and then lies about it. That is what we need. Not a straight arrow, real person like Chodhury.
We do get what we deserve every time.
“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark,” methinks.
Any comparison between what we had, that people didn’t know was here, and what we have now? He is the people’s choice.
I am guessing he is moving too fast for the Cayman Islands.
Hurry hurry put my comment up. Here it is….pahaaaaaaaaaaa! It just cant get any better!!! Popcorn anyone?
You’re so stupid.
What a foolish response to what is effecting the entire Country and in a very bad way!
Ignorance is bliss aye!
It could even be affecting it.
Why can’t deputy gov,Franz be promoted to governor? A Caymanian in Cayman’s top position sounds like a win-win!
Sorry but that won’t happen. He won’t be a puppet or spy for UK.
You mean anymore
Won’t happen as a Caymanian won’t spy on Cayman.
As with any country who is under protection of another there will be at least 1 diplomat sent to make sure the agreed “contract” is held up and to represent said mother nation. It’s not spying in the way you and whoever else is that paranoid thinks it is. Franz being promoted to the job of what needs to be a British national is just absurd.
I thought Caymanians were British nationals too?
Bad for over-all governance of these islands.
We must always have an independent Governor for these islands.
Having a Caymanian is an obvious conflict of interest given the small population of Caymanian people.
Signed: Native.
No they stab each other in the back at the first opportunity instead.
The local Deputy Governor/ UK Governor system works well. The UK Representative does all the unpopular stuff and moves on and the local provides continuity and runs the Civil Service (and if he or she is any good, gets the praise). Over time, it’s supposed to develop skills, engender self-reliance and encourage moves towards independence.
are you FLIPPING insane?!!!! OMG. I don’t even want him as DG!!!!
The Constitution already requires that the Deputy Governor be a Caymanian and allows the Premier to chair Cabinet when the Governor is off island. That’s the compromise position. In Bermuda, the Premier always chairs the Cabinet and the Governor does not even attend; they have full internal self government, and the Governor works only on the areas of special responsibility, operating out of Government House, not their equivalent of the Government Administration Building (of which there really isn’t one – the Premier has his/her own fiefdom in the Cabinet Building there, where all of his/her ministers come to meet from their own offices elsewhere). The Deputy Governor in Bermuda is also not required to be Bermudian and is sent by the FCO as well. So the fact that a Caymanian gets to even act as Governor here is a big thing, and when that Caymanian acts as Deputy Governor, the Premier is chairing Cabinet. We are essentially running the territory right now.
We have a fantastic chance here to demonstrate that we are worthy of the increased autonomy we are seeking and we can not disappoint.
Sorry – that should read “when that Caymanian acts as Governor”
8:33 You clearly didn’t have any dealings with immigration when Franz was CIO – if had you wouldn’t post a daft comment like that.
I would love to know how this does not make the Cayman Islands look bad.
Good Governance, bye-bye.
Only been in office 3 months. The complaints are likely based in other jurisdictions. How would this make Cayman look bad? UK put him here not us.
8:29 — exactly.Nothing for us to worry about.
We will just have to await the outcome of the investigation.
Is any civil servant not on paid leave??
hahaha !!! i wonder
the civil servant who knows the answer …is currently on leave.
Are you insinuating that even though they are physically present they are useless?
I wouldn’t go that far to class all civil servants as useless. There are many who are hard working and have a lot of integrity so don’t lump all of them together
Their are VERY FEW hard working civil servants in the Brac, most does whatever they wants, comes in to work late then goes and gets breakfast snacks and later does their shopping an Govt. time. Sad, very sad indeed.
Lmfao!!!! That didn’t take long!!
This is just another way the U.K. Is trying to unravel Cayman. They are probably upset because he dare to mix with the locals. I get to understand that even his house staff was against the family. BLOODY BIGOTS!!
mate, your tin foil hat fell off, you need to pick it up or the government will steal your thoughts.
Troll nonsense implying racism. That didn’t take long.
If he was an Anglo Saxon male this would be handled differently and without the public embarrassment.
If you live here, is familiar with life in Cayman and don’t know that racism and discrimination is rampant then you must live under a rock or you are part of the problem. Along with talking about changes to the Constitution we also need to talk about the endemic racism and discrimination.The discussion is long overdue on both subjects. The only way to fix an issue is to admit it and you anonymous at 8:49 is in denial and should not take part in the discussions.
Only people I see being racists are the alt right caymanians like you. My caymanian friends don’t act like you.
Don’t forget about the alt left who fabricate reverse racism. Fair balance, please
No such thing bro
Get over yourself and your conspiracies and then maybe, just maybe, you’ll be able to actually live your life.
Throw a rock in a pig pen, first one howl is the one it hit. Go ahead knock yourself out.
Get a grip – this is most likely nothing to do with Cayman. And I’ve seen a lot more bigotry directed towards him on these pages than he’s likely to experience in his professional life.UK FCO Staff with an attitude problem towards a senior diplomat would rapidly be transferred elsewhere
Have you ever wondered where the bigotry was coming from? You just made my point stronger about racism and discrimination stronger. Thanks a lot.