September 25 - October 1, 2010
TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS
5
NATIONAL
Protestors attempt to block the Land Rover’s path.
The Governor has harsh words for police following the turbulence.
Activists have vowed to take their message as far as the United Nations.
– angry crowds swarm Governor's car after bombshell announcement timeframe.” The Bishop said the Governor was already head of the Cabinet rendering any fundamental constitutional changes futile. He urged all leaders in the country to come forward and show the international community that things are “dead wrong” in the TCI. “Elections are important because investors won’t come here while things are uncertain. “People have the right to be outraged, everything they have worked so hard for is at stake right now. “What the British Government fails to understand is that we had not been enjoying this prosperity for years and years. We had just got this breakthrough and the moment we got it it’s been taken away. “People had longed for the day when they could have a car or a home and they are now having them repossessed.” He cited irony in the fact that Mr Bellingham had left the TCI to attend a United Nations meeting on human rights and alleviating poverty. “As he heads off to talk about human rights and poverty, our human rights are being trampled all over and we’re on our way to poverty,” he said. “I think the British Government
will eventually get the public purse strong again – but it will impoverish the people as a result.” Also among the throngs of protestors were a number of former Ministers ousted from office in August last year. They included then Premier Galmo Williams who urged the Governor to make a statement. “We want to hear from him. If he don’t want to hear from us, he don’t have our support anymore,” he said. Also present was former Premier Michael Misick – at the centre of corruption investigations – who said he was “proud” to see Islanders stand up at this “defined moment in history”. “We cannot stop today,” he urged. “This has to be a movement for change, a movement to take our country back once and for all, out of the hands of these wicked people. “This is about people’s right to be free, to have the same rights as in England – the right to vote, the right to chose a government and, if that government mess up, the right to vote that government out.” He added: “Not only did they take away our right to vote but they did so indefinitely. Democracy has to be returned and not next year but before the end of this year; now.” Deputy Police Commissioner
Hubert Hughes told media that police would be reviewing the incident to ascertain if increased security and peace-keeping measures needed to be put in place. In a statement released on Thursday, the Governor said it was “unfortunate” that Mr Bellingham’s message seemed to have been purposefully misinterpreted. “I want to underline his key point that the UK wants elections to take place in the TCI as soon as practicable, but that July 2011 is too soon for the interim Government to complete its programme of reforms. “The Minister did not say that the postponement of elections would be for three years. This has perhaps been confused with the need for the TCI Government to balance its budget within three years, which is a condition for the temporary package of financial support that is currently being prepared by the Department for International Development.” Mr Wetherell urged everyone to work together to achieve the necessary “milestones” before elections can be held. He added that Mr Bellingham was expected to issue a brief statement in the next few days thanking all those who had shared their views with him.
Kate Sullivan is escorted onto the plane by police.
David Smith jailed OLINT boss David Smith has been jailed for six and a half years after pleading guilty to four charges at Grand Turk’s Supreme Court. The Jamaican-born businessman – at the centre of one of the Caribbean’s biggest ever fraud probes – admitted two counts of fraud and two of conspiracy on Thursday. Smith – who had been on $2m bail – previously faced more than 26 charges including conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to transfer criminal property and conspiracy to defraud. Prosecutor David Williams QC told Chief Justice Gordon Ward no further evidence would be offered regarding the other charges. Two charges against Smith’s wife Tracey Anne were also dismissed. Last month we revealed that Smith was facing extradition to the US to answer 23 new charges. The Chalk Sound resident was indicted by a Florida court which was told he had collected more than $200m from investors under false pretences. It is now over two years since Smith’s Providenciales home and offices were raided amid investigations by the TCI’s Financial Crime Unit.
David Smith
Assets from his two locally based foreign currency exchange companies – FX Traders and Olint TCI – were frozen in summer 2008. A statement from the Association of Concerned Olint Members (ACOM) previously claimed there were around 10,000 Olint members with total indebtedness of up to $2bn. Special prosecutor Helen Garlick – who is heading the probe into TCI government corruption – assumed responsibility for the Olint investigation earlier this year. Olint was originally started by Smith in Jamaica before being closed down by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) in March 2006. He launched operations in the TCI shortly afterwards.