News from the Turks and Caicos Islands for
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Commission of Inquiry hearings begin
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| Published on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 |
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The Commission of Inquiry hearings have begun in Providenciales with an examination under oath of Premier Michael Misick.
However, first of all, Commissioner Sir Robin Auld QC carefully explained the procedures for the questioning of the witnesses and he emphasised that the proceedings were not “accusatorial” in nature, in the sense of a criminal trial, but were “inquisitorial”, for the purpose of gathering evidence.
The Inquiry Room at the Regent Palms Hotel was packed, with spectators arriving as early as 8 am for the hearings, which were scheduled to commence at 10:30 am. The room used for this purpose accommodates between 150 and 200 persons.
TCI First Lady Lisa Rae McCoy Misick, who the Premier now describes as his ex-wife, was in the front of the room in full view of the witness. Most of the ministers who will be called to testify at a later date were seen in the room and the attorneys representing them were introduced one by one. Deputy Premier Floyd Hall and former Health Minister Lillian Boyce share one attorney. The others have individual legal counsel.
Leading the questioning on behalf of the Commission was British barrister Alex Milne.
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Michael Misick
Turks and Caicos Premier
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Misick appeared on schedule but looked tired and under stress. The initial questions were in regard to the personal income of the Premier, in particular his direct remuneration and expenses as a government minister.
It was pointed out during the questioning that Misick's government compensation had been raised by him and the Cabinet to a point that exceeded that of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Misick indicated this was an unfair comparison and he had increased his government income as the basis of pride in the office and not necessarily to enrich himself.
When asked how much effort he put into his Premiership he responded, “Every waking moment." This was later contested when it was further revealed that he continued as a real estate salesman for Prestigious Properties and as a legal consultant for a firm that provided him with a loan of $275,000.00. Further, he was on the board of directors of private firms, as well as a rental property owner.
It was also revealed that he had a joint account at Belize Bank with Vanessa Hutchinson, a former live-in girl friend. No information was forthcoming as to whether or not this was the same “Vanessa” that, according to TCI Net News columnist Anthony Hall, released an exculpatory statement in relation to the allegations of rape faced by Misick last year.
Misick was questioned at length as to his failure to provide adequate annual declarations, which is required of all ministers, as he left much of the declaration questions unanswered. He was asked if this was a good example by the country’s Premier and he responded by saying over and over it was the practice in the TCI not to answer such questions, basing his defence on what he frequently referred to as the “cross-party culture”.
Questions on Misick's private income and numerous bank statements and related transactions, some in Beverly Hills, California, ground on and on with little or no clarity coming from the Premier.
It appears that the Commission has a large collection of evidence and they wish to obtain the Premier’s initial position on the accuracy of the documents and will resort to further questioning involving this evidence in another context.
The first day’s proceedings appear to presage a long drawn out questioning of the Premier. The first day’s transcript was itself over 100 pages long and may be read in its entirety here. | | | | Reads : 1191 |
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