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Perception corrected; UK not micro-managing TCI money and spending says Governor

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#Providenciales, Turks and Caicos – Thursday April 12, 2018 – The PDM Administration has been encouraged by the United Kingdom to draw from the country’s healthy financial reserves to expedite reconstruction following 2017’s hurricanes Irma and Maria.

The statement came as Governor, His Excellency, Dr. John Freeman opened a first-of-its-kind media breakfast meeting in Provo – where members of the TCI media core were given unfiltered access to the Governor on anything and everything related to TCI governance.

In concluding his opener, the Governor shared with media that, “I should add that in terms of identifying funding to meet immediate post hurricane renovations and repairs the UK has not restricted this in any way, and has encouraged TCIG to draw as necessary on its financial resources including if necessary on it comparatively large reserves.”  

This position contrasts starkly with the popular view that the Government has been encumbered by the British when it comes to more swiftly spending public monies on public needs.

The Governor, when questioned directly about this perception said that view is one of the long held perspectives which paints an incorrect picture of the UK’s role in TCIG spending.  The Governor, Dr. Freeman at his office in Raleigh House on Leeward Highway explained that much stringency has disappeared with the nullification of the role of the CFO.

“There is a framework agreement between TCIG and the UK Government..  is designed to help ensure the finances are soundly administered but provided the strategic goals set under that framework are being met, and currently they are.. the UK is not imposing any restrictions.  It is quite wrong when people blame the UK as some awful gorgon out there stopping you getting your hand in the till; after all the big difference between a few years ago and now is that there is not Chief Financial Officer.

The Governor frankly expressed that there was a time the CFO was controlling and approving spending directly as a UK appointed official, but those days are over.  

“The Chief Financial Officer, when he was here under the ordinance provided for, initially, every single expenditure above 10,000 I think it was, had to be approved by him, subsequently it was shifted to $75,000 but the powers of the Chief Financial Officer were extremely extensive and that wasn’t an accident.  The UK wanted that after the troubles you had a few years ago where the country was close to bankruptcy but that went last year.  We don’t have a Chief Financial Officer.”

Dr. Freeman said he was keen on the opportunity to clarify the very common misconception and explained that the UK was prepared to even see the Turks and Caicos run a deficit budget if necessary due to the catastrophic hit of the back to back hurricanes, which cost the Turks and Caicos over half a billion dollars in damages and losses.

“Though the outturn figure for the Budget for the concluding financial is now going to be significantly in surplus, it was not anticipated in December or early January that it would be and that would have required running a deficit budget, running a deficit budget. And the UK did not stand in the way of that.  And why didn’t they stand in the way of that?  Because they could see that certain monies would need to be spent and they are not trying to micro-manage everything and saying keep your hands out of the till.”

The Governor explained that any member of the Cabinet can attest to this fact.  Adding that it is really a matter for the elected administration – led by Premier Sharlene Robinson, who is also the Minister responsible for Finance – to chart the course they feel is best and fiscally prudent.

“Nobody bites into their reserves imprudently. It’s taken a long time to build up the level of reserves this territory has got and nobody should wantonly spend the money, but if there is an immediate, current need it is possible to do that.  It is also possible, if you wish, to borrow against reserves on the international markets and the UK would not oppose that.”

The TCI public has been critical of the PDM Administration and the pace of recovery post the hurricanes.  The UK has been subject to the rebuke as there has not been much work done in the aftermath of the terrible storms.

His Excellency reminded that the Turks and Caicos  enjoys a very enviable credit rating which would make borrowing easier.

Five media houses were represented at the press breakfast held today, April 12, 2017… it may be the first in a string, said Governor Dr. Freeman.

Magnetic Media is a Telly Award winning multi-media company specializing in creating compelling and socially uplifting TV and Radio broadcast programming as a means for advertising and public relations exposure for its clients.

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TCI Court

New President for Court of Appeal, Justice Alice Yorke-Soo Hon

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The public is advised of the appointment of the new President of the Court of Appeal which takes effect from April 27 2024.

Madame Justice Yorke-Soo Hon, Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of Trinidad and Tobago, was admitted to the Bar in 1982 and was appointed to the Court of Appeal in October 2008.

Prior to her appointment to the High Court Bench in 1997, Justice Yorke-Soo Hon had over 15 years practice at the Bar, more notably in Criminal Law. She obtained her LL.B from the University of the West Indies in 1980 and her L.E.C at the Hugh Wooding Law School where she serves today as an Associate Tutor in Criminal Practice and Procedure. From 2013 – 2016 she also tutored in Ethics, Rights & Obligations of the Legal Profession.

Madame Justice Yorke-Soo Hon is a member of the Board of the Judicial Education Institute of Trinidad and Tobago and a fellow of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute. She also holds a diploma in ‘Training Judicial Trainers’ from the University College of London. Madame Justice Yorke-Soo Hon has chaired a number of Committees, including the Bench Book Committee responsible for the publication of the Criminal Bench Book in Trinidad and Tobago in 2015, the Sentencing Update Handbook (2016) and the implementation of the Criminal Procedure Rules (2017). She was also a member of the Criminal Justice Reform Committee (JURIST Project), and the Chairperson of the Magistrates’ Benchbook Committee, which was tasked with the publication of the Handbook for Magistrates in the English-speaking Caribbean (2021). Presently the Honourable Madame Justice Yorke-Soo Hon serves as a member of the Sentencing Guidelines Advisory Committee for the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and co-chairs the Monitoring, Evaluating and Facilitating Committee of the Needham’s Point Declaration on Criminal Justice Reform in the Caribbean.

She has done extensive training in Criminal Practice and Procedure with both Attorneys and Judicial Officers in Trinidad and Tobago and in the region.

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Caribbean News

Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Caribbean News

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS DELEGATION ATTENDANCE AT THE NORTH CARIBBEAN SECURITY SUMMIT 21-22 MARCH 2024

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Her Excellency the Governor, Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, is in Nassau this week, leading a delegation from the Turks and Caicos Islands to the Third Annual Northern Caribbean Security Summit. The forum brings together security leads from the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, the US and the UK to focus collective critical efforts against shared threats in the region.

The delegation from the Turks and Caicos Islands includes the Hon. Minister of Immigration Arlington Musgrove, the Hon. Attorney General, Rhondalee Braithwaite-Knowles OBE KC and senior leaders from Border Force, the Department of Rehabilitation and Community Supervision, the Financial Intelligence Agency, the National Security Secretariat, the Regiment and the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. Additionally, the UK delegation includes the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Deputy Director, the Head of the UK Joint Maritime Security Centre and regional leads from the Ministry of Defence and the National Crime Agency.

Her Excellency the Governor opened the Turks and Caicos Islands’ contribution with a strategic overview of the security situation and growing capabilities. Presentations were given by members of the delegation on the Turks and Caicos Islands’ security posture to tackle transnational organised crime, coordinated efforts in developing the intelligence picture, cyber security, border security, financial crimes and wider impacts from the deterioration of Haiti.

Her Excellency the Governor held meetings with partners to discuss and prioritise areas of tactical focus and joint operations around irregular migration and securing maritime borders, including with the Commissioner of the Royal Bahamian Police Force (with his senior leadership team), the Commodore of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, senior leaders of the US Coast Guard and the US Customs and Border Protection. Outcomes of which, underpin increased operational coordination and information sharing. 

While in Nassau, Her Excellency also made courtesy visits to Her Excellency the Governor-General Cynthia A Pratt, Hon. Speaker of the House of Assembly Patrcia Deveaux, the Rt Rev Bishop Laish Boyd, the British High Commissioner to the Bahamas Tom Hartley, and the Turks and Caicos Islands Diaspora Office.

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