BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – INFORMATION reaching this publication today (Mar. 19) states that an international arrest warrant was issued for the former Premier of the Turks & Caicos Islands, Michael Misick.
According to the Turks & Caicos Sun, the Helen Garlick-led Investigation and Prosecution Team (SIPT) in the Turks & Caicos Islands said that they had obtained the arrest warrant and a Red Notice through the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol).
Red Notice is an Interpol notice describing a wanted person and asking that he or she be arrested with a view to extradition.
Misick, who is said to be in hiding, is wanted in connection with allegations of corruption and money laundering.
The Turks & Caicos Sun reported that a statement today from the SIPT said, “For the past several months the SIPT has sought to secure the attendance of Mr. Misick at its offices in Providenciales in respect of allegations of corruption and money laundering during his time in office. Every opportunity has been given to Mr. Misick to voluntarily surrender to the SIPT’s jurisdiction for interview. Despite previous indications from Mr. Misick’s solicitors that he would attend for interview, he has failed to do so.”
The media house also reported that the warrant and Red Notice were announced days after Misick publicly criticised Governor Ric Todd for swearing on the government-owned Radio Turks and Caicos.
“The former Premier also issued a press statement in which he called on the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Foreign Affairs Committee of the UK Parliament to launch an investigation into the Interim Government which was appointed in August 2009 when the UK imposed direct rule in the Turks and Caicos Islands,” the media house said.
According to Cayman News Service, Mesick, in a released press statement, said, “He [Governor Todd] has disrespected the Christians that might have been listening” to him during a talk show on the state-owned radio when he used the word ‘sh#t’.
Misick claimed that the Governor’s behaivour was consistent with “an arrogant and heavy-handed approach from this colonial ruler who continues to demonstrate scant respect for the people of the Turks & Cayman Islands.
The News Service also said that Misick accused Todd of recently passing guilty verdicts on those accused in what he described as the “bogus multi-million dollar politically-motivated corruption investigation case’ before a trial has taken place. “This is nothing more than an abuse of power, because corruption of the judicial process and a monumental travesty of justice,” he added.
It also said that among the many criticisms made by the former Premier of Todd, is that he questioned the Governor’s morality because he had appointed a gay man to the post of Chief Executive.
However, as stated by the media house, Todd, in his response to Mesick, said he had apologised for the use of the word as he had misheard a caller, but noted that the former Premier’s disrespect for the people was laid bare in the Commission of Inquiry Report, which had listed in tremendous detail the probability of systemic corruption during his administration.
“These matters,” he added, “are now the subject of a criminal investigation by the SIPT. Mr. Misick should return to these islands as soon as possible to face the questions that the SIPT has for him.”
In a previous article, the Turks & Caicos Sun revealed that on June 23, 2011, Chief Justice His Lordship Gordon Ward had ordered the freezing of all of Misick’s assets, including local and overseas bank accounts, his personal residence and parcels of land throughout the Turks & Caicos Islands.
The order had prohibited all persons, real or otherwise, named “from dealing with all or any of the assets in which the alleged offender has an interest whether directly or indirectly wherever they may be situated in the world and in whosoever name the said assets may be held”.
Listed in the Court Order are the following names of the person and entities believed to have assets that belong to Misick: Lisa-Raye McCoy, Lyndon Roosevelt Gardiner, Lofton Misick, Floyd Hall, Jeffrey Hall, Chal Misick, Carlton Williams, Solana Holdings Limited, Grace Bay Plaza Limited, U-Hotels Holdings Limited, Prestigious Properties (1995) Limited, Avant-Garde Partnerships Limited, Hydronox Limited, Varcamp Holdings Limited, Secured Holdings Limited, Coral Square Limited, PRO Partnerships Debt Collection, Kasco Limited, East Harbour Nominees Limited, Schomer Limited, Nicosia, FirstCaribbean International Bank, British Caribbean Bank, Scotiabank (Turks and Caicos) Limited, Hallmark Bank and Trust, Joint Official Liquidators for TCI Bank in Liquidation, American Express Company, Interscope Development Limited, Dhow Limited, Sombra Co. Limited Lakeview Homes Limited, Terrapin Investments Limited, Belview Holdings Limited, Windsor Investment Group, Windsor West, HSBC in Coral Gables, Miami, BSBC 445 Bedford Drive, Beverly Hills California, Nettie Becker Inc, USA, Bank of America, Premier Banking 818, Los Angeles, HSBC, Market Hill, Buckingham Road, England, NatWest Law Courts, Temple Bar branch POB 17020, Strand London, J & T Banka, Czech Republic and Arling Anstalt, Lichtenstein.
The Turks & Caicos Sun had also published assets to which the Court Order applies, and among them are the former Premier’s residence at Belview in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands; 10.4 acres of land in North Caicos; a condominium at the Providenciales Golf Club; 1.2 acres of land on Leeward Highway that houses the LaRaye Cinema; 18.2 acres of land in North West Point, Providenciales; a .97-acre and also a 1.08-acre of land on the Leeward area of Provo; .35 acres as well as one acre in The Bight; .7 acres of land in Bottle Creek, North Caicos; two parcels of land totalling just over 2.5 acres in the Leeward area; a condominium in the Alexandra Resort held in the name of Windsor West Limited; accounts at TCI Bank, British Caribbean Bank, HSBC Coral Gables, Bank of America in Los Angeles, and NatWest Law Courts in The Strand London, as well as one in the Czech Republic.
Under the section Penal Notice, the Court Order states: “If you, the alleged offender disobey this Order, you may be held in contempt of court and may be imprisoned, fined or have your assets seized. Any person named above or who knows of this order and does anything which helps or permits the alleged offender to breach the terms of this Order may also be held in contempt of court and may be imprisoned, fined, or have their assets seized.”
