Request for o’seas offices made day after election call
(CNS): Governor Martyn Roper made the requests for Cayman to open two overseas offices the day after then premier Alden McLaughlin brought the election forward, according to details in the controversial report by the Office of the Auditor General. On 10 February McLaughlin, now Sir Alden, told the country the election would take place on 14 April, more than a month early. But on 11 February the governor’s office nevertheless sent out requests for ‘letters of entrustment’ for offices in Brussels and Washington, despite the real possibility that the Unity government would lose and the costly policy would be overturned.
The OAG report examines the circumstances surrounding the former Unity government’s decision to pursue the new policy just weeks before an election.
This detail in the report illustrates the PPM’s strong belief that they would win the 2021 General Election and suggests that they had not only convinced the senior civil servants in McLaughlin’s ministry but apparently the governor’s office as well, given the evidence that Roper pursued the necessary formal requests.
Responding to the leak of the report to CNS, the governor said that he would ensure that lessons were learned from the report, but was more concerned that it was leaked. Although there is no criminal investigation that would make the document sub judice and the document reveals the potential misuse of public cash, the governor felt the leak was serious.
In a statement, Roper said that his office and the government remained “committed to transparency” but said that an “unauthorised leak of an official document is a serious matter and will be investigated”.
Roper said that the report, “provided at my request, raises important matters that were already being addressed as part of the civil service’s response to the findings of the report. As this work is not yet complete, it would be inappropriate for me or any other government representative to comment substantively on it at this stage. There are undoubtedly lessons to be learned from the OAG’s report. I will ensure that they are learned.”
In the same release, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, who has direct responsibility for civil servants and their role in carrying out government policy, said the leak was “most unfortunate and unhelpful to the review currently in progress”, as he acknowledged the public interest generated by the auditor general’s findings.
“The report has rightly generated public interest. However, due to this matter currently being under review, it limits what can be shared at this time. As head of the civil service, we remain committed to ensuring transparency while following the processes and policies in place to deal with such matters. As such I ask that the process is respected and allowed to be carried out without prejudice to preserve the integrity of the review,” he added.
Manderson said the report has already been helpful to the civil service. “We are developing a policy to guide the conduct of civil servants before, during and after an election. This will include advice to government on the role of elected representatives during the election period,” he said.
In this case, many people appear to have been involved in pushing the process to open the overseas offices in time for McLaughlin to take up the post of financial services minister, the job he was hoping to have when the PPM-led coalition secured a third term.
But permission for the Brussels office was not received until the day after the election, when the horsetrading over who would form the next government was still underway. Permission to open the US office in Washington was not received until October 2021.
While the PACT policy on these offices remains fluid, during his appearance in Finance Committee, André Ebanks, the current financial services minister, raised a number of questions about the wisdom of opening them and outlined a different policy direction for this administration.
However, there are now issues surrounding the commitments that the previous government made, especially to the five Caymanians who were appointed to these lucrative positions, in some cases on five-year contracts. All of them are currently being paid while not actually doing the work they were hired to do, since the offices still do not exist.
See the report in the CNS Library here.
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Category: Government Administration, Government Finance, Politics
Lessons learnt lol.
Mr Roper, I thought you were an honest Yorkshire man. I expected better
not sure if you’re serious with this comment but, if you are, what world are you leaving in?
The singular and most fundamental principle contained in the Public Service Management Law prohibits civil servants from getting politically involved. This is essential for good governance. Unfortunately both the Governor and deputy governor have undermined this with various precedent setting appointments that the principle is no longer worth the paper it is written on. Laws were broken there must be consequences for those responsible and transparency.
Well this is one heck of a mess. So when this comes to the PAC where Roy is the Chairman, what then? We know it won’t go anywhere then..maybe that is why they are unhappy it was leaked??
Might have to recuse himself as Chairman of PAC when, ultimately, these issues are considered, because of a conflict-of-interest.
With this much heat, Franz’s posting to one of the smaller Overseas Territories as governor will now be fast tracked
not sure if you’re serious with this comment but, if you are, what world are you leaving in?
Leaving in? You reelly need to chek wot yu right befor hiting send.
Sorry to break up everyone’s bash-fest here, but am I not right in saying that no Cayman laws have been broken? The Westminster convention that UK governments shouldn’t do big things in the days leading up to an election is just that: a convention. In other words it’s not enforceable, and it applies in Westminster (where they ignore it anyway), not here.
I agree though that it’s a wise principle, and that a governor with good judgment should at least warn politicians here that it exists. But nobody is obliged to follow it.
Or am I missing something?
CNS: You’re missing a lot. Read the OAG report.
@4:28pm..Did you not read the Auditor General’s Report? Laws were broken so blatantly it make you wonder if this was just standard operating procedures.
The sad thing is the Governor and Deputy Governor are going after the Whistleblower and talking about putting added procedures in place to prevent this from happening..
Unfortunately, like everything else this will blow over and no one will deal with it. It is a criminal matter but unfortunately guess who is charge of the Police..the Governor and Deputy Governor..They would need to step aside and would never do that..
Register your concerns here: reportingconcerns@fcdo.gov.uk . It can’ hurt.
Well it will hurt your income, job, children, medical coverage and visa status.
All I can say it that I hope that someone in the Gub’s office is giving him a synopsis of these comments. He should be embarrassed and ashamed.
But sadly, he won’t be! None of them will.
Business as usual, nothing to see here…
We the people of the Cayman Islands are calling for the person or persons who leaked this report to be given Whistle blower Status and protection from any kind of retribution and recognized internationally for exposing high crimes against the Cayman Islands people by the ppm government and the Governor of the Cayman Islands. Any inquiry must be independent of this Governor who is obviously complicit with those involved and must therefore recuse himself immediately from any investigation.
All I can say is Thank You to the person who leaked this. You did your country and people a great service. Wendy kudos to you as well!!!
Wendy – your determination to provide up to the minute news to all of us living here in this little paradise is to be commended. You are undoubtedly the best journalist we have and keep on enlightening us to these disgraceful acts of corruption.
This was brave journalism and much appreciated by anyone who just wants to hear the truth. Long may it continue and may the truth be rewarded by community support.
I am guessing she won’t be getting a Christmas card from the Gov tho 😉 Lets hope he comes to his senses and doesn’t try and punish the press for releasing the the report.
Roper and his LAWLESS GOVERNMENT EXPOSED.
Oh, come on. It’s not like we all did not already know. #Leggewasrightand hasbeeneversince.
How the hell you can pay people for a job they haven’t started yet and the office is not even open?? Man I want a gowerment job too please can I get 200K and I will start on December 25th 2022. Some awful stuff is going on in our Government and those who are perpetrating it are no telling us they are going investigate those who reported it. Sounds like they are operating like another organization who keep their criminal activities a secret and punishes those who talk .Its called the MAFIA
8:44. yes we should open the offices and then recruit the staff. I am sure the public won’t mind CIG paying rent for an empty office for a few months. Zzzzzzzzz
@9:39am I think what the 8:44am was alluding to was that these things need to be planned in tandem not on the basis if you win an election.
Thank God they had not entered into contracts for offices and housing that we are on the hook to pay for as well…or will that information be in the next leaked report?
That is usual and customary in Cayman. Search CNS archives for articles where suspended officials were paid full salary plus benefits for years with no investigations taking place.
Eyyyyy don worry about itttttttt
we go sing in church and wear cool rings, you’ve known us your whole life an we’re the best you gonna get, capice?
We also know how the extent and speed gov here reponds to reports.
Its neither timley nor sufficient.
If they could address reports (as Roper says) we wouldnt be on the FATF list. The only reason we are on that list is because the ministry failed to repond to findings in the set deadline or to properly address the findings.
I would say its comical, but its actually scary!
…neither timley nor sufficient… and OR they never investigate…
In an even more controversial incident in 2015, which the police management attempted to cover up, the evidence lock-up was the target of a serious break-in when drugs and other evidence was taken. Despite concerns that the thieves had some kind of inside assistance, no RCIPS officers or staff have been charged in that case….*
Dirt bikes stolen from under cops’ noses (2016)…The investigation into the theft continues*
Would-be bike thieves target police station (2017)*
* CNS articles
Were these 3 cases closed?
That’s nothing. Many of the 2003 status grants were a DISASTER for Cayman and many of them appear tainted and without legitimate rationale. They have cost hundreds of millions to the public purse. They are directly contributing to an undermining of our economic sustainability and are an affront to the suggestion of the rule of law. Yet seemingly no investigation whatsoever.
‘committed to trasparency’ ‘anger of leak’.
Lets be honenst, this report would never have seen the light of day if it was not leaked. That is the only reason these goons are so angry.
There is an official report showing incompetence, ultra vires acts and arguably corruption leaked – whoopsie!
Real question is – now what? If you local you know the answer – nothing!
@4:38 They are looking for someone to arrest to detract and deflect the seriousness of this. The Governor should be ashamed of himself. What is he afraid of?
Sir Alden
Now i have heard alot of things in Cayman over the past 70yrs but this man calling for himself to investigate himself mann you talking about some real bull$#@! going on on this little island. They sent Mr Choudry home for wrowing with his mother in Law and wearing his hat in somebodeeee house! Why don’t you try and Go home Martin Roper and take your 2 Clowns Shady & Slippery Wid Ya. Cha mann we are sick tired of you and your bias foolishness.
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
So let me see if I can follow this nancy story.
First of all, ten days is a reasonable period for the Governor and DG to receive a draft of the Auditor General’s Report, review it, give her feedback and she finalise it. So if she finalised it on 10 November 2021, it is reasonable to believe that they had known about it from 01 November 2021 – for 3 FULL months – when, on 31 January 2022, CNS shared it with US – you and me (the people who pay them).
And what is the Governor’s reaction to us learning about it? He seeks to assure us that his office and CIG “remain committed to transparency”. Really Governor, really?
And he doesn’t see CNS sharing with us something that he and the DG have had for 3 months and said nothing about as “transparency”; he sees it as an “unauthorised leak of an official document” which in his mind “is a serious matter” and is quick to pledge that it “will be investigated”. Really Governor, really?
He acknowledges that the AG’s report raises “important matters” and seeks to assure us that these “were already being addressed as part of the civil service’s response to the findings of the report”. The DG takes over lead vocals and asks us to believe that they “remain committed to ensuring transparency while following the processes and policies in place to deal with such matters. As such I ask that the process is respected and allowed to be carried out without prejudice to preserve the integrity of the review”.
Missing from their hastily compiled jingle is ANY indication of WHEN we might expect their review to be completed (like next week, next month, next year, after the Governor leaves, after the DG retires) or of “the processes and policies in place to deal with such matters”. They obviously feel that we are not even entitled to know those policies and processes. Is that because we might find them inadequate particularly when the potential contraveners extend up to the Governor, or is this because they want to have the flexibility to manipulate “the processes and policies in place to deal with such matters”?
This attempt to sing their way out of this mess was a total flop. They would have been better off acknowledging that each had unfortunately failed in some way and pledging a full disclosure of their findings and the consequences within some timeframe. They either got bad PR advice of they didn’t follow what they got.
As I see it, this is not a matter for the Governor or DG to oversee. It is not even a matter for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, to whom the Governor reports, to oversee. Instead, every effort should be made to secure the services of someone senior from the UK’s Cabinet Office with responsibility for civil service matters. The individual should be assisted by our able Auditor General and a robust local attorney (there are a couple of fearless ones around).
That’s my advice – for 2¢.
Btw, the Cambridge dictionary defines ‘nancy story’ as “a story that is not true and that is intended to deceive people”.
The CIG Legal team is also to blame. Cabinet has its own legal advisor.
We should reward them with QC status! Franzies all round!
This whole situation can be summed up like this
* there is more concern and effort being applied to find out who leaked report than there is concern about the wrong that has been done
* Eric must be feeling a little better tonight now that Governor tangled up in this too
* the end result will be the brilliant solution that there needs to be more words on paper which is called the magic word of a policy that, will tell poor little green, innocent and naive senior civil servants what good ole common sense should have told them, wait and see the outcome of the Election and if there is a change in government then we’ll ask the new government if they support such an effort. senior civil servants should not need words on a paper to tell them what a switched on primary school child would have thought of.
world class indeed!
Two of the most beguiling questions:
Why did the chicken cross the road?
Why did the cockroach get involved in the rooster fight?
Maybe McBeater has the answers after all.
So in the 21st century a sitting governor is going to launch an investigation into who leaked the fraud but no investigation as to the fraud? What about whistle blowing? I thought this was in place for these kind of stuff?
Oh Governor Roper, you’re such a ****** stooge, a stooge so full of self importance whom has to resort to chastising the real champion in this saga to deflect his own part in the underlying issue. You need to get your head out of the *** of the steed where upon your Knight is mounted, have a look around the village of ‘Your Busted’ and accept the consequences 🛡🐎
Go home Governor Roper and take Alden, Franz and Eric with you, because they are not wanted or worthy to live in Cayman. I certainly won’t miss them.
Alden should be worried about those silver shackles now, much less losing the “Sir” (at the beginning) and “QC” (at the end), respectively, of his name.
HE Governor is knee deep in this mess (along with the Deputy Governor and Eric Bush), who all deserve to be removed or simply resign from their positions. All need to go.
As far as recent performance of duties go, the Attorney General needs to go too. Interesting to see what legal advice the AG gave, if any, in this embarrassing and unlawful fiasco.
Wonder what the Leader of the Opposition, who was, at the time, the outgoing Minister of Finance and, given that Roy McTaggart is the current Chairman of the Finance Committee, what his position to this issue will be and, moreover, whether he might have a conflict-of-interest in addressing this issue, ultimately, in future sessions of Parliament’s Finance Committee.
For clarity, it is the Public Account Committee (not the Finance Committee), which the current Leader of the Opposition is now Chairman, instead of “Chairman of the Finance Committee. This clarifies what I wrote above.
Loud and clear!
De joker said; We deserve a better breed of criminal
Legally, the election was not called until 14 February.
Prove me wrong.
Parliament was prorogued prior to 14 April 2021.
There’s a real danger in the series of reports – and in the comments that follow – of petty envy and narrow-minded spite clouding the outward-looking agenda necessary for the promotion of the interests of these islands. And that promotion is much needed, with attacks from supra-national organisations coming at us with increasing frequency.
Let’s build-up the people who are working in service of our islands (on less money than they’d make in the private sector) and not tear them down. By all means attack decisions and the rationale and the politics that sit behind them, but some of the poison evident in the trolling on these message boards is unbecoming of the Caymanian people and contrasts with “Caymankind” (which increasingly appears to be a bankrupt jingo at odds with the poison that drips from these pages and society more broadly).
Cayman: you are better than this. Let’s do better.
“Goddamn!”-Noob Noob
You are right. Cayman is so much better than this. It is so much better than our Civil Service. Too many of them are wasteful, inept, and vindictive. They have no accountability and are bankrupting Cayman. We need a new start. More automation, much greater efficiencies, and better salaries for those that earn it.
Our blacklistings arrived after years of reports, final deadlines, published warnings, and despite years of unproductive hobnobbing, junkets, and promo. It has little to do with the Financial Sector, and all about successive opaque and crime-friendly governments, provincial-minded MPs, and their appallingly out of touch counsel.
Please. The white, Anglo expatriates in the financial services sector constantly screamed murder from the time the first attempts were made to improve regulation.
They threatened Caymanian jobs, laid many off while they kept collecting bonuses and maintaining a subpar system.
They backed candidates who challenged any government’s attempt to transform the regulatory framework.
They maligned the regulator and attempted to undermine the MD and her team personally and professionally. I witnessed this first hand from my time both in the private sector and at the regulator.
And they raked in the cash day after day, year after year while the country’s reputation plummeted.
Every time a proposal was made to change the law they cried it was the end of Cayman and predicted the apocalypse. Thieves and liars.
What a load of bull. How did white Anglo expats back candidates without votes? And while you’re answering, please give some examples of your argument that the “Anglo” financial services community repeatedly tried to stop improvements in regulation.
Hear hear, don’t blame the expats. They don’t vote. Crabs in a bucket fighting over the scraps is our problem.
Crime should never be condoned..no matter who commits it..
What, even when it is many of the major law firms employing lawyers with no practicing certificates?
Even when a politician trades status grants for real estate commissions?
Even when friends of Chief Officers actively engage in fronting?
Even when lucrative government contracts are awarded to friends under systems of grace and favor?
Even when government enforcement agencies actively refuse to do their jobs?
Wow. Pretty progressive thinking you have there.
Cayman is this, was this and always will be this and not better than this. Dreams are not real. Cayman will never follow laws just because they are supposed to and will always have to pay for their actions until they finally run out of money (which has already happened so until they finally can’t get any more loans that the future will have to pay for them.) The next few years will tell if they are to survive.
Clearly many people have been caught with “their proverbial trousers down”. In the twenty-first century when the jurisdiction prides itself as a model of democracy and good governance this is a travesty which screams to high heaven. Even in a ‘banana republic ‘heads would roll over this one. If I were a wagering man I would wager that other than some pontification ,nothing will come of this fiasco.
Eminence Front
Mr. Bodden, your Caymanian patriotism and respect for upholding the rule of law shines through your comments.
God bless,
Orrie 🙏🏻🇰🇾
10.59pm Like his support of the 2003 Status giveaway?
“All decisions and acts” (including failure to act: see definitions of “act” and “contravene” under s.28, BoR) “must be lawful, rational, proportionate and procedurally fair” (s19(1), Bill of Rights) and, therefore, inter alia, it “is unlawful for a public official to make a decision or to act in a way that is incompatible with the Bill of Rights” (s.24, Bill of Rights).
There is a vital constitutional obligation to “uphold the rule of law” (s.107, Constitution read together with s.1(2)(a), BoR), which underpins our Constitution, which is the supreme law of the Cayman Islands (ss.59, 124, Constitution, which establishes Constitutional — not Parliamentary — Supremacy).
Importantly, the Bill of Rights (“BoR”), which “is a cornerstone of democracy in the Cayman Islands” (s.1(1), BoR), “recognises the distinct history, culture, Christian values and socio-economic framework of the Cayman Islands and it affirms the rule of law and the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom” (s.1)(2)(a), BoR).
“The Premier shall”, in carrying out functions, “exercise those functions in accordance with this Constitution and any other law in the best interests of the Cayman Islands” (s.50, Constitution).
“The Auditor General shall have the power and responsibility to audit the public accounts of the Cayman Islands and the accounts and financial dealings of all authorities, offices and departments of Government and of all courts, and the power to undertake value for money investigations in respect of the activities of such authorities, offices and departments” (s.114(3), Constitution).
“All Government expenses, assets and the incurrence of liabilities shall require appropriation by the Legislature, unless otherwise provided by law” (s111(2), Constitution).
Spot on.
Thank you
@4:28pm….And while Rome burns, the fiddler (CIG!)is on the hook to pay out some $500k per MONTH in possible FIXED contractual obligations!($6M/12).
It’s time for this Governor to hang up his hat. He is in this mess as thick as thieves.
Now he is wasting our money to launch an investigation to find out who leaked the document instead of launching an investment into the content of the document.
You can’t make this stuff up..Keep digging your hole Governor. You never dreamed Alden would not be back in power just like many people I know that are upset they are no longer on the PPM gravy train.
The gig is up!
Make the UK government pay their salaries since it was part of the governor’s mistake to hire them.
The leak should have no impact on the ongoing review other than to make some people in positions of power a little uncomfortable.
What is amazing is the fact the the governor seemingly sees the leak of the document to be more important than the findings outlined with the document itself.
It’s no wonder that so many people have lost confidence in senior government officials and don’t trust anything that they have to say.
The plot thickens and more embarrassment will come from this expanding steaming pile of dung that included the top levels of leadership in the Caymans
Remember the Premiers men!?
Yup. Same thing happening in the Cayman Islands. We know how you feel.
Where’s the “lol” button when you need it
Franz needs to resign he has lost all credibility with this nonsense.
Time for H.E to retire and leave early for ole blighty. the leak isn’t important the real issue is the breach of laws by Eric is the what really matters
Franz lost credibility long before this.
So they are investigating themselves? Their own actions?
Based on this report, shouldn’t a complaint be made to the FCO and an inquiry started regarding the Governor’s conduct.
I sent mine in to them. You should too. The email is is down on the bottom right of their website: reportingconcerns@fcdo.gov.uk
Went straight in the spam bucket.
Nah, too dangerous. Leaves a trail.
Governor Roper and Deputy Governor Manderson both wanted the PPM back. Now they are more concerned about what else will be revealed or leaks about the PPM government than the actual crimes that were committed by Eric Bush highlighted in the Auditor General’s report where it outlined him breaking several laws. Stop protecting the rule breakers just because they are friends and easy to control with titles and shiny trinkets.
So the Governor is going to waste more of our money to track down who caught him with his pants down. He is in this like white on rice. He knew and did nothing.
Wouldn’t he be better off turning this over to Scotland Yard and notice I said “Scotland Yard” as the Police here are within the Governor’s responsibility and that would be like investigating yourself.
I’ll bet he is wishing now that he had left when he was supposed to..Knighting Alden won’t help him this go around.
Roper wanted the PPM re-elected with his favorite native and future Knight Alden McLaughlin controlling things from behind the scenes. It’s clear he has lost the objectivity or ability to do the right thing in the best interests of Cayman. If he did Eric Bush would be suspended, investigated, charged for abuse of public office. The facts are Bush broke several laws so is not entitled to an exit package or severance pay or damages due to his gross misconduct.
I hope they never find out how it was leaked! There has been to many things of “special interest” that has been done behind closed doors, and the good people of these islands have to suffer under their regulations and laws!
The leaker of the report is the one who deserves the knighthood, not McLaughlin. Those in charge had no intention whatsoever of admitting that the public’s money was spent unlawfully. It’s thanks to the leaker that we know about it. But instead of punishing Mac and the previous government as he should, Roper chases after the leaker. Shame on both of you, Roper and Mac.
Typical CIG nonsense, public funds spent for offices that never had a chance of opening with people still on payroll for the same non existant offices.
Mr. Governor dare I say more are concerned with the constant waste of public funds than the whistle-blower.
This Governor has to go – he is such a puppet for Alden!
The UK should investigate him like they did the Governor he replaced.
Exactly!
“However, there are now issues surrounding the commitments that the previous government made, especially to the five Caymanians who were appointed to these lucrative positions, in some cases on five-year contracts. All of them are currently being paid while not actually doing the work they were hired to do, since the offices still do not exist.”
Reads article, laughs in Joker
laughs in expat voice
Are there any people in the Cayman Islands Government that aren’t thieves?
No.
I still have faith in Wayne and Andre. As for the rest…
Um nope…
Wayne? What a joke! He and Franz are thick as thieves – great friends, firmer classmates and former coworkers at a local law firm. Just go and watch the videos of the swearing in speeches after the PACT took over.
Fine the wrongdoers in an amount equal to the cost of their “mistake.” Thus, no public funds will be paid to these politically connect miscreants
The fox is running around in the hen house or maybe it is a full pack of hungry wolves! This governor is up to his eyeballs in this mess but at the end of the day who cares because the taxpayers will just foot the bill. Look at the nice Sir Alden park in Red Bay and how that is being taken care of. Like those comfortable gazebos too!
And who nominated Alden for his knighthood….step forward Mr. Roper.
And that is the biggest joke. Why anyone in Cayman gets a knighthood is beyond me. It’s the size of a UK Parish council for goodness sake.
Oh stop it with the truth.
The court jester!
How can you hire people & start paying them for a 5 year contract, before the offices were approved? Duggan has been in the states for 12 months, being paid to twiddle his thumbs. He clearly knew he had the job even earlier, as his wife & daughter were living there from the previous summer.
Advanced plotting errr planning.
“However, there are now issues surrounding the commitments that the previous government made, especially to the five Caymanians who were appointed to these lucrative positions, in some cases on five-year contracts. All of them are currently being paid while not actually doing the work they were hired to do, since the offices still do not exist.”
Laughs in Joker
Pure nepotism or worse. The Washington office, specifically, is a complete sham and waste of public monies.
@3:22pm. A complete waste of public funds for the Washington DC office. A well known law firm could/have done/and would do the job of representing Cayman’s interest in NA much better!
And only paid when and if needed.
US Congress people (House and Senate)only listen to high powered lobbyist and lawyers there as they speak the same fluid language (you scratch my back; I’ll scratch yours!).
Nuff said.
Be fair. Hundreds of civil servants are being paid while not doing the work they were hired to do.
Quite humorous of the Governor to react with such shock to a leak when the UK press regularly report that they await the publication or leak of such-and-such a Government report. But I guess what’s OK for Whitehall is not OK for George Town.
@12:49pm
If I was caught with my pants down like the Governor is right now, I would be in shock too..
He is trying to shoot the messenger now. Too late, the horse is out the gate. Stand up and take your licks with the rest of them.
Who cares about how it got leaked? Was this supposed to be top secret and not for our eyes? Was it supposed to be a cover up? Mr. Governor please stop wasting our hard earned money on frivolous revenge agendas.
So that’s why he was so upset by the leak? His office is implicated in the whole saga. Who does the ACC report to? The Governor?
That is why it is a complete farce for Governor and DG to be doing an internal review of actions they were apart of??? Laws were broken and now accountability is the only course of action.
Exactly!
Natural justice says ‘A man cannot be a judge in his own cause’. Bring in outside investigators.
@8:08pm..that will never happen..We have had numerous UK coverups in the pass and even with whistle blowers nothing was ever done.
The Governor will leave here and retire somewhere where we will never hear from him again.
They will undoubtedly find the whistleblower and if it is a civil servant will be the first one fired ever.
Q: what’s the difference between Governor Roper and a Fosters trolley?
A: a Foster’s trolley has a mind of its own.
Oh oh. Does this mean the Governor’s office may have breached the same principles others in the civil service have been found to breach? Did someone get too cosy with Alden and Eric and entourage? Methinks he doth protest too much. The leak is NOT the main problem. The ongoing lack of good governance is!
At least he’s not sitting there grinning at the camera like usual. Such BS. Why do officials think we should never have any input until after they have already decided?
1.00pm If he interferes he’s damned,if he takes no action he’s damned, try blaming the Caymanians who caused this problem.
I do. Why doesn’t he? After all, isn’t this the very reason he has responsibility for good governance?
It’s always the white man fault. This is just a diversion by PACT puppets to take the heat off of them for their ineptness. PACT has failed to enact anything they said that they would do. Someone has an axe to grind with the Governor. Unfortunately, Caymanians are quite petty. I honestly don’t see what the big deal is except these people shouldn’t be paid but then again why won’t PACT keep the offices? Do they have an axe to grind with someone? Why be upset with the Governor getting the offices? It’s diplomacy. Remember if it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have gotten all the help we needed for the pandemic. Once again ungrateful ingrates.
What are you talking about? This wasn’t a favour done for the Governor -the Governors involvement was to ask the FCO for the diplomatic authority to allow the offices to be opened. The offices were purportedly for the benefit of the Cayman Islands, and the direct economic interest of the individuals paid to run them. its not about being grateful to the Governor, its about the cronyism that led to the award of the contracts in the first place without due process. The Governor has gotten himself involved by being involved in the process, and now by blowing hard about cracking down on the whistleblower instead of focusing on whether there is an act of corruption at worst, waste of tax payers money at worst, and either way a breach of Cayman law on public finances.