News
Cayman Islands: Former Premier Bush released on bail, investigation extends abroad
Former Cayman Islands Premier., McKeeva Bush. PHOTO/File
Former Cayman Islands Premier McKeeva Bush, who was arrested on allegations of corruption in December, has been released on bail for a second time as Royal Cayman Islands Police police expand their corruption probe abroad.
Bush was initially released on bail in December 2012. He was forced to resign as a result of a no confidence motion which was directly related to the criminal charges against him and was replaced as Premier by Ms. Julianna O’Connor-Connolly.
“The investigation is still very active and police are following several positive lines of enquiry,” a spokesperson of the Royal Cayman Islands Police said.
“The re-bailing of the Mr. Bush is to allow for further investigations to take place in a number of foreign jurisdictions including locations in Asia, Europe, and the United States.”
The police spokesperson further revealed that officers were “working very closely with law enforcement colleagues overseas and the investigation is being progressed as expeditiously as possible.”
It said that the team was required to follow “the stringent, and often lengthy legal processes in place within these overseas jurisdictions to obtain the necessary evidential exhibits and supporting statements.”
Official Statement of the United Democratic Party
The former Premier, Mr William McKeeva Bush, whose residence and office was searched pursuant to a warrant to look for books which were located in his official home office, was arrested on Tuesday 11 December 2012 and interviewed by officers of the Royal Cayman Islands Police. He was subsequently bailed without any charges. Pursuant to the bail, Mr Bush attended the Royal Cayman Islands Police on Tuesday 5 February 2013. Mr Bush was re-bailed to return to the office of the Royal Cayman Islands Police on 19 March 2013 to be further interviewed. Mr Bush has always maintained that he has done nothing illegal. He has not been charged with any offences.
The UDP is of the opinion that over the last 24 months there has been an orchestrated witch hunt against the former Premier in an effort to damage his reputation and remove him as the democratically elected Premier together with the Government which he led. The use of extraordinary resources of the Royal Cayman Islands Police in carrying out this objective is, in the opinion of the UDP, an abuse of official power.
Mr Bush who has served the people of these Islands for over 30 years has the full support and confidence of the UDP and its supporters, who are all working diligently and look forward to contesting the upcoming election in May this year.