Dr Lee in denial over court findings
(CNS): Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee has claimed that he had acted in what he believed to be the best interests of the public, despite the findings of the judge in the Doctors Express case, Justice Robin McMillan, who said he acted improperly and knew it. “At all material times I acted in good faith in the public interest for the protection of Public Health,” Dr Lee said Tuesday.
The short statement was issued following the publication of the damning ruling in the case, which concluded that the raid on Doctors Express to seize their lawful medicinal cannabis products was illegal and those involved acted with improper motive, including Dr Lee.
In the release, the CMO pointed to evidence given by another witness who had said his cease notice to the clinic was a “necessary response to a potential serious risk to public health”. However, this contradicts Dr Lee’s own admissions that he knew there was no risk to anyone’s health posed by the products that Doctors Express had legally imported into the Cayman Islands.
The judge said there was no basis in fact or in law for Dr Lee to issue the stop notice, which in any event was never served on Doctors Express until the raid. Justice McMillan also said the CMO acted for an improper purpose and there was no reasonable basis to issue the notice, noting that correspondence between Dr Lee and other parties demonstrated quite clearly that he did not think there was one either.
Dr Lee, who has become a famous face in Cayman for his role in steering the country through the COVID-19 pandemic, was recently awarded an OBE. But it is apparent from the evidence in this long case, and as outlined by the judge, that Dr Lee’s role in this case raised significant questions of integrity.
The CMO is the first person to respond to the case and the shocking conclusions by the judge that the authorities effectively colluded and targeted a private medical clinic and unlawfully seized their legal medications in the middle of the afternoon when patients were being treated.
CNS contacted Deputy Governor Franz Manderson about the implications for those civil servants involved in the case who the judge said acted based on improper motives. In a brief preliminary response he told us that, given the length of the ruling, he was still in the process of going through it very carefully.
“Once I have completed that exercise, I will consider what steps, if any, should be taken in relation to any of the officers identified by the Court who were involved in the matter and fall within my remit,” he said. “As the Head of the Civil Service, I will look into any serious adverse views made by the Court against civil servants but at all times, I am bound to abide by the principles of lawful administration which include natural justice, reasonableness and fairness. I will therefore not be making any assumptions about any officer or officers and acting on same, simply based on the ruling.”
Manderson added, “Notwithstanding the Court’s views, I am confident that public trust in the civil service and its core values will not be undermined by the outcome of this case. That said, I believe in constantly examining the delivery of our services to our clients to see where we can improve. Lessons learned from this case will certainly form part of that exercise moving forward.”
He also revealed that was “also the possibility of an appeal”, despite the judge’s comments in the ruling about the government’s decision to pursue this case in the first place and whether it truly understood the seriousness of the case made by Doctors Express.
Justice McMillan had questioned the way that the Attorney General’s Chambers had handled this case in the first place and why, given all of the evidence, it had made it to the court. The judge questioned whether the government’s lawyers who were representing customs, the police and the CMO had ever come to terms with “the breadth of the case made against them”. He also found that the attorney general’s counsel made “highly implausible”, even “false and dangerous”, submissions.
See the full judgment in the CNS Library.
Category: Courts, Health, Medical Health
Two tiered justice system. A private citizen would already be in jail.
Charles Clifford heads CBC and should be taking responsibility for Reg appalling behavior at his end.
15 officers (some armed) to do an inspection and ‘raid’ a simple establishment !? Looks and sounds like harassment to me. Completely inappropriate.
A simple establishment that had invited the RCIPS DTF to come and visit and inspect their stock and discuss what they were doing, and had a scheduled meeting with them – which RCIPS didn’t turn up for! – the day before the raid. They could have walked in but decided to execute a warrant instead – 15 officers, guns, with patients there. Inappropriate ? More like deliberately designed to f$&@ them over. Well guess what – the damages for reputational damage and loss of business are going to make your eyes water. Of course CBC, Chuckie and Dr Lee don’t have to pay them – the tax payers do.
To be guilty of perjury, the person must act with the intent to deceive.
Dr.Lee might try to play this card- he did not knowingly made a false statement. A “mistake of fact” is a perfectly legal defense to perjury.
Not really in mistake territory here are we though? Explicit statements of fact in email contradicted by sworn evidence. Three times.
It seems clear that he did knowingly make a false statement with the intent to deceive. He intended to deceive the court into thinking he had actual medical concerns in his mind when he issued the Cease Notice, when in fact he had political pressure and reservations about the level of medical cannabis prescribing on his mind. There is clear evidence of this. I don’t think he can play that card.
Intent? I thought ignorance of the law is no excuse. Mistakes usually entail ignorance. I’m no lawyer but, can he really just say oooooops made a mistake by bad!
He might try. But look at the wording of his second affidavit , the careful avoidance of any reference to when he had knowledge of the CDC evidence relied on, and the complete omission of his e mail to Mr MonDesir, then try and tell me there was no intention to deceive the court.
There is now a move to cover up this situation now by those at CBC at the very top who gave the instructions by blaming a senior officer and his junior officers who will take the fall for this as their doing to protect the guilty do not let this happen Cayman hold those who engaged in this despicable situation to account .
When is Dr. Lee resigning?
Oh… wait a minute… he is cooking amd having fun at Cayman Cookout leaving a normal life.
If he did not quit field of medicine when his “error” caused death of a patient, he is probably working now on defenses to perjury.
If you read about that case you would find that he received guidance in respect to undertaking that procedure that was incorrect. If you, in your own undertakings, were provided instruction and guidance to a task by an expert and it turned out to be wrong, I suspect you would also expect to be acquitted of personal wrongdoing. It just happens that in the field of medicine, particularly during surgeries, the stakes are higher. Putting error in quotation marks would also make an implication in respect to the situation that most certainly is inaccurate. Go crawl back under your rock.
Okay, I stand corrected.
Wait. What? Source please!
just read comments, the source was provided
That’s a low blow – anyone working in high risk areas of medicine such as surgery or anesthesia can expect to have patients die because they have made errors – you or I make a mistake at work, it doesn’t tend to be fatal for anyone, but that’s not to say we don’t make mistakes and that doctors can be expected to be perfect. If every surgeon resigned when that happened, we wouldn’t have a lot of surgeons around! Its a different story if you are making more than your fair share of fatal mistakes or bad judgment calls.
I am sure that case haunts Dr Lee, but to suggest that he is blase to it or doesn’t care because he didn’t leave the field of medicine for a single, albeit fatal, mistake 20 years ago, or that alone makes him a person indifferent to criticism or unwilling to accept responsibility is simply not reasonable.
All that being said, the case here is not a professional mistake – although the judge found he had no legal authority to issue that notice is a matter of law in which we cannot expect him to be expert. The problem is in many ways worse, since there is a clear claim that he misled or even lied to the Court about it, and a strong inference that he deliberately used his position to try and achieve a goal which he ascribed to but which was not provided for in the law by using said powers. That is a very different kettle of fish.
Thank you.
So let me get this straight. Senior Law Enforcement members, and other senior civil servants, have been proven to have lied, perjured themselves and attempted to pervert the course of justice, in Grand Court no less.
The DPP, Deputy Govenor and the Govenor have not began the process of removing these persons and do not have any intention of doing so any time soon.
So my question is why was the Police Officer who placed on suspension for four years and his wife persued so vigorously for the same offence of attempting to perverting tbe course for a simple traffic matter that ultimately proven as being false and that Senior Members of the RCIPS were in fact hiding the document thst ultamately proved the officers innocense. What became of those same senior officers?
Has any attempt at remidation been attempted by the RCIPS, and Govt, for the destruction of this officers life.
CNS is absolutely right. The law allowed Doctors Express to sell those products and the CMO had no legal right to refuse based upon his personal belief of possible health consequences. The studies from the FDA and I guess the CBC are not absolutes and I am also sure that alcohol also has some major and significant health consequences for some people but no raids taking place on legal establishments selling legal alcohol. This is what Doctors Express did and were targeted it seems according to the court ruling by a person or persons who believed they could override the law. I am glad Doctors Express but am saddened that one of our more respected members of the community has been shown by the court to be actively involved in the wrongful raid
The Attorney General is a big part of the problem. AG cozies up to whoever’s in power and, when a new party comes to power, AG strikes again. So, just look at all the judicial review and constitutional actions in this last term, some which have not yet been heard, others have and some are being appealed. Wait until all these different unlawfully and unconstitutionally wronged parties finished their legal public law actions and (in certain instances start private actions, where feasible). Government has already passed legislation providing statutory indemnification for certain private entities carrying out a public function, but we (the people) will, ultimately, have to pay for it. I wonder if it’s just that principle that too much power corrupts absolutely (or enough to change you for the worse). When it comes to positions of power, their is (usually) an expiration date, but some people’s time is up sooner than others. Alden is out, Dr. Lee is done, the AG has lost all credibility, Chucky is finished, Franz should go too. Our with the corrupt and in (hopefully) with good governance, which we have not seen for decades. If ever it was a time to vote responsibly, the time is now. I am just really glad that Doctors Express got justice — James did a superb job as counsel navigating the matter for Sam.
I think this is it for the Attorney General now. What a mess!
Don’t forget the CMO and Chucky.
This was one of the biggest cases of abuse of public office I have ever come across. The email from Lee admitting he was only serving the notice because he was under pressure to do so is his smoking gun. Clifford and CBC should be disciplined severely. The JP who signed the warrant and managed to dodge giving evidence in court should be ashamed of herself be have the position taken away from her.
It’s not too strong a word to call this a conspiracy.
There are so many news reports of abysmal results of litigation conducted by the government’s legal department. Is there no monitoring of this? Is there no accountability at all?
No, there is not.
Abysmal indeed! That Attorney General’s Chambers and Legal Department needs a complete overhaul, from top to bottom and, yes, accountability. Disgraceful.
Robin McMillan used to work in the Legal Department back in the nineties before leaving for the private sector. It’s worse now than it was then, one of the reasons being that Government cannot ever hope to retain first class lawyers ( like McMillan) as they are quickly “poached” by the private sector paying them salaries that vastly higher than the Government scale.
And because no one wants a moron as a boss.
The thing speaks for itself.
Perhaps there ought to be a compulsory course on a) ethics, and b) the relationship between what the law says and what is permitted, that must be completed before anyone is appointed to a senior civil service position. Perhaps the people in the AG’s Chambers ought to take that course as well.
If I understand the article and the DG’s apparent rejection of reliance on the judgement of our Grand Court, he does not think that he can rely on the judge’s understanding of the law. Guess he must have learned more (or less) while attending the Cayman Islands Law School than some of us thought.
He learnt not to bite the hand that feeds him. He doesn’t mess with the system, pols keep signing the cheques, the civil service doesn’t query what the pols do and the pols ensure that government employees are protected from accountability.
Why are u blaming the Legal Dept?! They recommended to settle out of court. They didn’t commit the offenses – they were just given the job of trying to defend the indefensible.
5:19. Really. How did you arrive at that conclusion.
Okay let me explain it to you like you are a 10 year old.
Th3 DG is saying that before any action can be taken there has to be a process. Where the civil servant are presented with the evidence against them and are giving an opportunity to respond. Exactly how is that a bad thing.zzzzzzzzz wake up!
Appeal is probable. The more damning and authoritative any independent finding of fault is, the more likely it is to be defended by the upper echelons of the civil service. They tend to defend the indefensible at all (our) costs rather than improving the institution. We pay and the senior civil service does not improve.
Jon Jon not sure what language I have to say this in for you to understand sine you are a man of so many languages.. but here is it in English
The people of Cayman Islands has lost all respect and confidence in Dr Lee he needs to be fired… how can we believe him when he lied to the highest court of the land.
Time for him to go..
Yeah, we know – you thought the public interest was in curbing medical cannabis prescriptions. Taking the latest form of it to be imported off the market was how you were going to do that. But it was unlawful and then you lied about it under oath. Truth is not like pain Dr. Lee, it cannot be massaged away.
James Austin Smith has balls of brass. Not afraid to take on the government over human rights, and not afraid to say CBC, RCIPS and the CMO not only acted outside their lawful authority but did so deliberately – and some of the individuals actively misled the Court to cover it up, and that the AGs office abused the process of law to obstruct justice being served.
Good on him and on Campbells for taking the case and standing up for their client, irrespective of the heavyweight vested interests on the other side. Come to think of it, wasn’t it Campbells that represented Justice Henderson in relation to his wrongful arrest on an improperly obtained warrant, and wasn’t Mr MonDesir involved in that mess too? Seem to recall damages that time were over $1 million – wonder how much Mr Doctors Express is going to get for this one.
James Austin-Smith deserves a hero’s day award.
No wotes in that. “Heroes” are about the wotes.
He should get Lee’s gong…
Careful what you wish for..
Not to worry. He is protected by the DG, Minister and the establishment.✌
Didn’t Franz lie when he said that he was cleaning-up and improving the Civil Service? I haven’t seen any improvements yet!!
3:54. If you don’t see improvements you must be blind on in complete denial
Did you see the PAC awards to the civil service for immaculate account.
Wake up!!
James, you are obviously living in some alternate reality mi dear. Nothing has changed!
Telling lies also seems to be an acceptable behaviour so there will be no accountability.
I’ll give you this, one area in which the Civil Service excels, is the rewarding of persons for doing their job.
trying to do their jobs
3:54 what are you talking about? How could you be so ill informed?
Appeal???? That would be a waste of time in terms of changing the outcome, a total waste of public funds that will not benefit the Cayman Islands in any way, and will just prolong the pain. So it will probably happen based on past practice.
3:35
But the same sex appeal and the cruise port appeals were all successful.
Were either of those appeals run by the legal department or did they bring in an outside QC – kind of proves the point.
On points of law – but in practical consequences complete waste of time.
Yep. Gives them cover for a while to say “oh, its being appealed so we shouldn’t do anything for the moment”(shades of Big Mac)and hope everyone has forgotten by the time the court of appeal hands down its judgment. And no surprise if in the meantime Dr Lee decides not to renew his contract and go off to another jurisdiction where no one knows about this with a large severance payment in his pocket, and Ms Schneider will have been given a cosy job in a different government department, whereby CIG will shrug and say nothing to be done as the key parties no longer involved (apart from pay Doctors Express an obscene amount of money in damages)
3:35. You like the same sex and cruise piers appeals were a waste of time?
Yeah right.
Anybody seen the Chuckster recently?
The learned judge’s judgement, setting out carefully considered formal findings of fact and law, and based on the overwhelming evidence before him, is not some ill-informed random statement that ought be ignored. The DG ought to understand that.
Those given authority to ensure compliance with the law, quite possibly the RCIP and the DPP, ought to require a formal investigation with respect to culpability and the appropriate consequences for those involved.
With respect to the statement of the DG, I appreciate the need for due process. I also appreciate the express provisions of the Public Service Management Law, which the DG is obliged to follow and apply irrespective of what the police and the DPP decide to do. That law expressly provides what is expected of public servants, including the DG:
5.(1)In the course of employment, a public servant must comply with the Public Servant’s Code of Conduct specified in subsection(2) and failure to do so in a significant way shall be grounds for discipline or dismissal.
(2)The Public Servant’s Code of Conduct is as follows—
(a)a public servant must behave honestly and conscientiously, and fulfil his duties with professionalism, integrity and care;
(e)a public servant must not, at any time, engage in any activity that brings ….. the public service or the government into disrepute;
(f)a public servant must obey the law…
However,that is just the law. It remains to be seen whether it has anything to do with the management of our civil service.
The following quote from the DG’s statement means that Franz will do nothing:
“Once I have completed that exercise, I will consider what steps, if any, should be taken in relation to any of the officers identified by the Court who were involved in the matter and fall within my remit,” he said. “As the Head of the Civil Service, I will look into any serious adverse views made by the Court against civil servants but at all times, I am bound to abide by the principles of lawful administration which include natural justice, reasonableness and fairness. I will therefore not be making any assumptions about any officer or officers and acting on same, simply based on the ruling.”
There are no words in Absurdistani for “I was wrong” or “I resign”.
Shaggystan – Wasn’t Me.
He should at least be stripped of the OBE. It’s an embarrassment that he holds one!
Yes and strip the bush gong as well. It is all about Other Buggers Efforts.
3.18pm Sorry but Caymanians have absolutely no say in this.
Franzie boy in denial too sound like.
2:44. Leave our DG alone. He will always do his job. Why don’t you stick to yours.
He is too busy attending events to do his job.
9:28 are you jealous. Attending events is part of his role. The lack of knowledge is astoun
Attending events is part of his job. Leave him alone! You jealous or wha?
As always, and the truth will set you free eh. What a joke.
You mean, quite apart from what he did had nothing to do with censuring Doctors Express for advertising – which is not a matter for him anyway.
This is the same guy “advising” the cayman government to keep their unsustainable isolation policies despite the fact that Covid isn’t even remotely as dangerous as people thought in the beginning. Don’t forget that Dr Lee hasn’t missed a single government paycheck this entire lockdown whilst he destroyed countless small businesses and families in the cayman islands.
Also the one that has admitted that the reason for many of the positives is he is running those test cycles to the limit! 🤬 He is testing the hell out of samples to keep getting “positives” yet many of those are other viruses being detected due to overamplification.
COVID deaths were overinflated. Doctors are now correcting statistics, because of liability exposure to the medical practices.
**CNS: You didn’t give a source but I couldn’t find any recent reference to this. This particular conspiracy theory was spouted a lot during 2020 but was thoroughly debunked over and over. Here is one example in Scientific American. The figures are going to change – mortality rates are initially provisional and it can be several years before the final tally is published, but experts in the field predict that it will be revised up, not down, as the reason for deaths is established.
Check the current statistics, which have now been adjusted, and see for yourself.
**CNS: Again, you don’t give a source and I can find no reference to it but here is the official data from the CDC. I’m using the USA because that is where most of the conspiracy theories originate, at least the ones that end up here in Cayman
The idea, it seems, is to get people vaccinated through scare tactics, which is rooted in fear of unknown.
**CNS: This is right wing talking head BS. Read this: Murdoch receives COVID-19 vaccine as Fox News host casts suspicion on campaign. Rupert does not believe the nonsense Tucker Carlson spouts to drive ratings.
Apparently, COVID is pressure to get vaccinated and the vaccination supports population control. The question is what’s next?
**CNS: This is just crazy stuff. It’s up there with the flat earth theory and QAnon.
Will one’s right to choose whether or not to be vaccinated, ultimately, be the determining basis for whether someone can travel to and from the Cayman Islands?
**CNS: This is a reasonable requirement and would not be unique. You have to get a Yellow Fever vaccination before travelling to most countries in Africa, for example. The thing about your right to choose is that you have to live with the consequences of your decision, but governments are entitled to protect their people from the consequences of your choices. you don’t have the right to negatively affect the lives of other people.
Have human beings been test-dummies in a larger worldwide agenda? Why are vaccinations so important when the they do not even have FDA approval?
**CNS: Two vaccines, the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines, have been given Emergency Use Authorization. To understand what this is, see here.
Do a little digging and it might be surprising what accurate facts are uncovered. Very shocking!
**CNS: However, you have to be very careful where you do that digging. There is a lot of disinformation out there and sadly millions of people are getting sucked into the a vortex of BS.
Dr. John Lee has had experience in the courtroom before, having been acquitted 20 years ago of manslaughter charges in the death of a UK 12 year old boy where Dr. Lee (pediatric anesthesiologist) injected an anesthetic into the spine of the patient, rather than intravenously. The boy sadly died 5 days later. Mistakes happen, and Dr. Lee was found NOT GUILTY…point is that with that kind of harrowing memory in the courtroom, one would assume that Dr. Lee would have learned not to perjure one’s self! One has to come clean with the whole truth when in the witness box.
Perjury lives in the shadow of other human frailties like deceit, arrogance and fraud. We need someone we can trust in a role so important as CMO. This Doctor’s Express issue will follow him for the next 20 years and call his veracity into question.
Separately, it is widely observed on the island that he is very bristly when his methods or actions are questioned. He just may be tired of all of this. Who wouldn’t?
Given that he was never trained or worked professionally with viruses or vaccines…until COVID, should Cayman not call in some experts with MDs in those disciplines to help Dr. Lee? If Cayman is so wealthy, why not hire McKinsey, BCG or Bain who are all helping other countries/nations negotiate the virus and vaccinations? Can the Premier and Minister of Health help right this ship or are they too busy with elections?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1114654/
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/jan/06/claredyer.sarahhall
2:01 yes, I saw information about this previous case and quite frankly found it alarming. Mistakes happen but when a 5 year old dies as a result and your methods/ intent are called into question…. there are no words. We need someone trustworthy and without a jaded past as CMO.
2.01pm and 3.19pm What about the Caymanian doctor who caused the death of a patient a few years ago, by making a critical mistake during a routine tracheotomy. Nobody ever raised tragedy here and we only found out about it at the Coroner’s inquest in the U.K. We are still none the wiser as to what if any action was taken against the doctor.
That doctor wasn’t given a gong nor was he in charge of a global pandemic on this island. There is NO comparison.
Yeah, but he has done and is doing a great job controlling the pandemic,
My apologies, I meant 12 year old*
WOW! Just WOW!
I would have quit practicing medicine after that.
It seems that medicine has became a field where one can pretty much get away with anything. Patient examination is a history. Yet, in a visit summary that they now give to a patient, thorough examination is shown as performed. And if you complain, they simply “terminate” you from their practice.
No no no, you just move to a Caribbean island that glosses over background checks. And I’m not talking just doctors… I mean we all remember that one from Canada/South Africa that was embezzling that worked at a LAW FIRM (lol) and was even a big part of the Chamber of Commerce, so… I also personally know of a guy that was high up in his construction company that, had they done a background check, would have found arrests and charges that would not have passed a police clearance for a work permit.
If you were to do a background check on some of our expat doctors, you WILL find skeletons. Fo reals.
Syed
Fair enough, but no one can argue that Dr. Lee, as CMO, has helped get these islands to where we are with the pandemic situation and vaccines, despite not being a virologist or immunologist. It must be noted that as CMO, the role of adviser to the Government includes all medical matters, specialist or not.
As is most likely the case, Dr. Lee would have consulted with the necessary specialists at PAHO, UK, WHO etc., He may be whatever some have accused him of but I bet he’s no moron!
The result speaks for itself!!
Which result – the control of the pandemic here, or the government now facing a huge damages claim for their actions over Doctors Express? Or is your case that his efforts in relation to public health on the pandemic mean that he gets some kind of get out of jail free card?
He is also the one that is holding us hostage by making sure he runs those tests enough times to get “positives”. The guidance has changed significantly throughout the pandemic but Dr. Lee still uses fearmongering to have us think we’ll all die if we catch Covid.
Are vaccines beneficial? I think not, but what does my opinion count for anyway?
With respect to the wider clueless nations of the world, that continue to do it all wrong, and are killing their citizens with flawed policy, we disagree. Cayman is one of only a handful of populated locales not battling record second wave deaths/hospitalizations, and with no community transmission. So if you believe in redemption, maybe cut Dr Lee some well-deserved slack. For all our problems, COVID-19 is mercifully not one of them.
True but many persons have been unable to get other medical care including cancer diagnosis and treatment.
We’ve done brilliantly on the Covid front but haven’t changed our plans as knowledge of the virus changed. Dr. Lee still acting like it’ll kill everyone that catches it outside of quarantine yet 400+ positives have done just fine.
EXCUSE ME?? We are a 28 x 3 miles spit in the Caribbean Sea. An ISLAND that can close the border. NZ had done the same as have other ISLANDS that have that ability.
This will get downvotes, but Trump did try to close the borders to China and other Asian countries but was called racist. lol even though this is where it originated…
Anyway, anyone could have done what he did. They chose him because of his demeanor and ability to ‘control’ him.
Fight me. Convince me otherwise.
2.01pm The case in which he was found NOT Guilty has nothing to do with the present situation, but at least it went to court, unlike the case mentioned below by 4.36pm where a patients death at the George Town hospital was covered up locally, and the Caymanian doctor got away scot free.
Great comments. Does CIG have a succession plan for CMO’s or for that matter anyone in leadership? Flying by the seat of one’s pants is no longer an option.
Well said.
This is wrong on so many levels, disturbing to think those trusted to uphold the law can decide and act upon what they think the law should be. Sadly this happens all too often in Cayman and those involved at minimum should be made to pay damages and removed from their posts permanently.
Well said.
Paying damages, written apologies and investigations are what justice calls for, but will there be resistance?
i believe dr lee.
Sorry, I’m confused. You believe what he said in court or what he said in the email which he failed to disclose and lied about?
Then you are a fool
What a ding dong…
So you didn’t mean to leave off the middle part of that email when you submitted it to evidence? Then you didn’t mean to lie about it? Dr lee, this is ridiculous and you know it.
If what the judge is saying is true then all involved might need to be fired in order to restore trust and confidence in the government. The country can’t have people in senior positions that have clearly demonstrated that they can’t be trusted.
Quite true but if your suggestion is actioned, they need to start with McKeeva Bush and there are many more in Parliament, Central Government leadership, SAGCs leadership, etc. and down the ladder before they reach Dr. Lee!!!
No the Deputy Governor will continue to call them “World Class” and the Governor will give them another Badge of Honour! LOL You can’t make this up!
You can’t have it both ways Dr. Lee, “acted in good faith for the public health” yet ruled unlawful. Can I steal from the rich and give to the poor?
Ruh Roh!
I expect in true Cayman kind spirit, Mr Alden will brush off this concerning manipulation of justice, just as he did with Mr Bush.
Third world indeed.
I’m very angry with this doctor hiding behind the public interest. He needs to do the right thing and resign. A petition is in the works.
Any advertising in Cayman must adhere to the code of conduct. Doctors Express breached that by sending text messages advertising a product.
Dr Lee went about the censure in the wrong manner. The Cayman Islands Medical & Dental Council should have reminded DE not to advertise their services ( not just in this instance but repeatedly via radio etc).
11:34, is it you again? I thought CNS has explained what is being discussed here.
No I’m not 11.34
@12:44 – There is no advertising “code of conduct” in the Cayman Islands ergo Doctors Express can advertise their legal product in any manner they so chose.
There is but no one follows it.
Oh Imma believe your nameless comment.. .LOL
Source please.
I import cigars and alcohol and we all know they are a serious risk to public health but they are as legal as what Doctors Express was doing.
Why are you not stopping the pharmacies from importing OxyContin based on your reasoning.
Good luck Franz. You will need it. Your ongoing platitudes as to the highest standards upheld in the civil service are no longer believed.
Lied under Oath in the highest Court in Cayman.
Must be fired, arrested and charged
Fired, charged and arrested, I would suggest.
You’d have to arrest for questioning before being charged.
CIG circling the wagons – AGAIN ? Trying to cover up what appears to be a crime, or sweeping the dirt under the carpet, only makes the situation worse. Turning a blind eye to the possible misdemeanors of colleagues could lead to the Public losing all faith in them.
COULD lead? So when he says, for example, that there is nothing untoward about the failure to prosecute certain quarantine breachers because their personal circumstances justify that, and there is no underlying conspiracy or failure by the regulatory authorities, we should just believe him? Because its not as if he didn’t help CBC do something completely improper and then try and prevent the Court from finding that out, is it?
Lee Shane on you!! You know what you did was beyond wrong and you have NO EXCUSRS! I am beyond tired of the lies, corruption, excuses and lack of accountability! You should be removed from your position. The AG Chambers demonstrate incompetence over and over. The AG LEADING BY EXAMPLE has forgotten his role to safeguard the public interest. Instead he and his chambers are enablers of the systematic corruption and defend this when the perpetrators are caught. The real tragedy here is we the caymanian people pay for all of this while our children get subpar education and have to beg for charity. Shame on you all!!! You all need to go!
No matter what Dr Lee has to say his integrity is shot. Further, the more he now says the deeper the hole he is digging for himself. Mr Manderson’s confidence in the public trust in the civil service and its core values not being undermined by this case is laughable. If he were ever to have to deal with most of the departments in the civil service as a member of the public he would be shocked at their ineptitude and lackadaisical approach.
And you all gave him an honer award for him to do his job! He was doing his job like everyone else in this Pandemic but yet we treat him like a God! Please! He needs to go! Replace him I can’t imagine what’s this mess is going to cost the public purse in damages! chucky also needs to go ….although he was following Dr Lee’s lead.
not me, our idiotic Governor gave him that award…He needs to resign and go as well.
People don’t understand when you see these people cozying up to you that their intentions are not to always do good to you.
Manderson is so lost and out of his depth.
I really don’t think that he fully understands some of what he has been quoted as having said about the ruling.
So sad for Cayman.
Manderson is a major part of the issues in Cayman, so we shouldn’t expect any better.
Oh yea
“At all material times I acted in good faith in the public interest for the protection of Public Health”
The court found otherwise. He either accepts, whatever his eminent credentials in his field, that he is not a law unto himself, or he demonstrates the peculiar “I know better” arrogance of credentialed professionals acting outside of their sphere of authority or expertise.
Certainly, the matter may be appealed, but it is entirely inappropriate for a doctor – even the best doctor in the world – to fail to recognize that the administration of a public office is subject to the rule of law, and not the arrogant whim of one who seems to chafe at any authority other than himself.
It’s called “God Complex”.
I get the bit about acting in good faith for what he may personally have thought was a desirable outcome in relation to public health. I can even accept he didn’t really understand the niceties of the law and the limits of his powers – he’s a doctor, not a lawyer, although he apparently took legal advice first. I can even believe he didnt understand that CBC would use the premise of his order to raid Doctors Express during working hours and seize their inventory, leaving the general public with the belief that they were illegally supplying cannabis vapes, even though they were not.
What I struggle with is how he then filed a carefully worded affidavit with the court that inferred his actions were based on a research based belief that the vapes endangered the public – citing research without stating when he came into possession of it – when an e mail he had conveniently forgotten specifically stated the opposite. Not sure how misleading the court has any relevance to public health, or how it is acting in good faith.
Our DG has greatly improved accountability in the civil service.
If you don’t believe me visit the civil service appeals commission website.
The immigration corruption case has sent all of the right messages across the service.
How so when some went to jail and the others (specifically females) all got suspended sentences?? The message it sends is once you have a vagina, they will take it easy on you. The end results of that case were not fair. They should’ve all been incarcerated, as they were all guilty of the same crime. Justice in this country really is a joke.
CIG getting ready to circle the wagons – AGAIN ? When will they learn that a crime is bad enough, but trying to cover it up, or.brush the dirt under the carpet makes it far worse. One day they have to accept that they cannot always turn a blind eye to the possible misdemeanors of their colleagues.
Does it make it worse? It seems like it works well for them and that we never see justice. As you said, hopefully one day they will be held accountable but it will be up to us the people to make that happen!
The Attorney General needs to answer for the way the representatives of his chambers handled this case. No more hiding behind cozy positions.
YES!
Attorney General has remained quiet, but isn’t there a responsibility? Why not address situation if nothing to hide? What secrets does the Attorney General have? The people want to know!
Our DG is right. We need to hear from the Civil Servants involved before any decisions are made. Everyone deserves to defend themselves before any action is taken against them.
That is exactly what Dr Express is asking for. So what is good for the goose is good for the gander.
His response is written as a defense of the civil service, effectively saying that this case is insignificant and doesn’t change anything. Expect a weekend lessons learned exercise.
Yeah, lesson one being don’t put something incriminating in an email. Lesson two being don’t beat up on anyone who can hire a hire powered law firm.
Nothing to see here. Move along.
It’s just perjury and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice (see paras 375-376 of the judgment). Nothing worth getting worked up about.
CNS, you should be aware that the FDA and CBC put out an advisory/warning in September, that it is studying incidences of short-term and long-term respiratory damage/illness caused by vaping.
Not very responsible for Doctors Express to put out mass text messages to the general public urging them to “hurry, while supplies last!”. Not quite how doctors make the community aware of prescription drugs.
CNS: No idea why you are addressing this point to us. Opinions, yours or anyone else’s, on whether Doctors Express should have advertised their product is entirely irrelevant to the case or the actions of those involved. The point is that DE was legally allowed to prescribe the product and to advertise this. The judge (not CNS) found that the raid was illegal. The greater issue is not the advertising of a legal medicine, which seems to be an effort at whataboutism, but that it appears as if people given the job of enforcing the law decided to enforce what they think should be the law, not what is the law. That is of huge concern.
👍👍👍to CNS
👎👎👎 to 11:34
11:34 – you presumably agree though however tacky the ad may be, what they were doing was entirely legal – hell, Dr Lee had approved the importation in the first place. Or do you think Customs and RCIPS should raid people based on what individuals think the law should be, rather than what it is? Whats next – Dr Lee decides like his home state that chewing gum should be banned and you get raided for that? Or tacky adverts are a criminal offence? Or, to recall another embarrassing episode for CBC, that the should raid shops selling personal massage devices?
12:28p – Something about what you said and how you said it… I like this comment.
Downvote to OP upvote to CNS sidebar.
Appears only 18 years old visitors imprisoned swiftly. White collar crimes and violence agains women not even frowned upon in Cayman
Legalize ganja and leave the doctor alone
DG already on the defensive and no doubt the protected ones like Clifford, Lee etc will have nothing done against them . They should both be disciplined. Appalling abuse of public office.
And what about the HPC and all those people behind the scenes pulling the strings on this….??
FDA oversteps its authority in foreign jurisdictions. Thousands people from over the world were getting relief from all kind of ailments by getting shipments of LDN (low dosage naltrexone)from a Singapore company, by literally halting its operations and interrupting treatments and leaving suffering people in limbo. That is how safe, inexpensive, homeopathic in essence (.5-3.5mg), but very effective medicine was made inaccessible to people. The bizarre thing is it is approved by FDA for off-label use, yet, good luck finding a doctor who would prescribe it to you.
You may have missed it but, the Vape hysteria that hit all the news, when a few teenagers got sick, and seemed to get more news that COVID did for months. Fox news in April only spent 5% of their air time on COVID, but 15% on the Clinton foundation.
Anyway my point is that the CDC release that the issue was blackmarket cannabis vapes that had been diluted with vegetable oil (containing Vitamin A) was the issue, made barely any news anywhere.
Thanks CNS, and that rests with the AG and his agents!! Dr. Lee didn’t and could not have authorized the raid!! That was a legal enforcement matter which is Attorney General territory!!
Why is Dr. Lee taking the flack instead of Sam Bulgin??!!
Umm – 2 reasons. First, the raid used the cease notice that he had issued as a pretext to obtain the warrant. Second, there is a suggestion that Dr Lee at best misled the court and at worst lied about what he knew and why he issued the notice. But you are right – the AG should get flak too, not least for the manner in which they conducted the trial.
U need to read the full transcript. This was Lee’s responsibility. Legal Dept just did their best to defend the indefensible. They can’t pick and choose their cases.