INTO POSSIBLE CORRUPTION OR OTHER SERIOUS DISHONESTY IN RECENT YEARS OF PAST AND PRESENT ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE

COMMISSION PRESS STATEMENT

17th November 2008

Sir Robin Auld and Counsel to the Inquiry, Mr Alex Milne, have spent two days, 10th and 11th November 2008, in the Islands examining, with the ready assistance of the Governor and Government officers, files and documents not previously made available to the Commission. Further documents have been offered and are to be provided to it.

In the last two to three weeks, more information has been provided by the Premier, his Ministers and some past and present Members of the House of Assembly in response to the Commission’s earlier requests for full and accurate disclosure of their Interests.

Where he considers it necessary, Sir Robin may by summons require, or may request, some past or present Ministers or Members to attend before him for examination on oath and to produce documents in respect of matters where their disclosure remains materially deficient or otherwise questionable. Whether he will do so depends in each case on his assessment of the information provided. Whether he will seek examination of others as to their interests and/or on any other matter within the Commission’s Terms of Reference remains for consideration.

For those purposes, and to give an opportunity to anyone to give evidence who appears to it to be implicated or concerned in the subject-matter of the Inquiry, Sir Robin will conduct oral hearings in Providenciales from 2nd to 19th December 2008. As indicated in the Commission’s Press Statement of 6th November 2008, such hearings may be held in public and/or in private, and evidence may be taken orally on oath or in writing, as Sir Robin considers appropriate. The proceedings will be recorded.

Laurance O’Dea, the Commission’s Secretary, is present in the Islands and will be available there until and throughout the hearings. He is to take the lead in the arrangements for their conduct and general administration. He will also be available if anyone has further information or documents to provide to the Commission.

Sir Robin will shortly notify those whom the Commission intends to examine on oath and/or those whose evidence he wishes to take, giving advance notice of the matters on which he wishes to hear evidence.

A further Press Statement, setting out a provisional programme for the hearings, and indicating their venue, the procedure to be followed and documentation to be provided, will be issued shortly.

The Commission continues to invite anyone who believes that he or she has information that may assist the Inquiry or who seeks further information as to the proposed hearings to contact the Secretary, at lodea@tci-inquiry.org, and/or the Assistant Secretary, Bahar Ala-eddini, at +44 (0)207 173 2400 or secretary@tci-inquiry.org.

Given the continuing and widely expressed fear of intimidation or victimisation expressed by many who have made submissions to the UK Foreign Affairs Committee and to the Commission, and who have approached the Commission with a view to giving it information, the Commission repeats that those who wish to provide information to it in confidence, should say so. Neither the information nor its source, nor anything that might suggest its source, will be made public without their express consent.

Anyone who, at any time, requires further information should not hesitate to contact the Commission Secretary or Assistant Secretary at the appropriate point of contact given above.

Laurance O'Dea, Secretary to the Commission

17th November 2008