By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer 

#Canada, December 8, 2022 – A human rights organization out of Canada, Amnesty International, is accusing China of sponsoring a hacking attempt on their servers and cautioning other human rights groups.  Amnesty International made the revelation on Dec 5th, describing it as a ‘sophisticated digital security breach believed to be sponsored by the Chinese state.”

The human rights organization says they first detected the breach a month prior on October 5, when suspicious activity was spotted on Amnesty’s IT infrastructure.  Forensic investigators and cyber security experts were hired to protect the organization and to investigate.

Amnesty said it was told, based on expert investigation, behaviors, which are consistent with those associated with Chinese cyberespionage threat groups were found and “a threat group sponsored or tasked by the Chinese state” was likely behind the attack.

“As an organization advocating for human rights globally, we are very aware that we may be the target of state-sponsored attempts to disrupt or surveil our work.  These will not intimidate us and the security and privacy of our activists, staff, donors, and stakeholders remain our utmost priority,” they said.

The rights group said it was speaking publicly about the attack to caution other human rights defenders on the rising threat of digital security breaches and ‘strongly condemns state and non-state actors intent on interfering with the work of human rights and other civil society organizations.’

Deandrea Hamilton and Dana Malcolm

Editorial Staff

#TurksandCaicos, December 5, 2022 – A member of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police is under investigation after serious allegations surfaced online and others from the Force may face criminal scrutiny as the Police Commissioner is soliciting evidence about any other corrupt cops.

In a statement, which followed a string of social media comments on the weekend about the silence of Police on disturbing allegations, they revealed the criminal investigation into one of their own.

The statement, on Saturday, also acknowledged the online rumours.

“The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force is aware of comments being made on social media platforms alleging corruption by a former member of our staff.”

Police declined to name the member of staff or give any significant details in the brief nine line release.  However, prior to Commissioner of Police Trevor Botting’s comments, social media had exploded with allegations that a female officer was not only involved somehow with the TCI’s recently deceased most wanted man Brandon Rahming, but that the officer may have been feeding police intel to Rahming who was wanted in two countries for firearms offences and murder.

Magnetic Media cannot confirm these allegations, however, they apparently held enough validity to cause there to now be an investigation into the former police officer, according to the Saturday statement.

That police statement was yet another which trudged behind a firestorm of outrage over the silence of the TCI Police.  There were demands for an acknowledgment of the situation and others questioned the sincerity of statements by Commissioner Botting and others which aim to engender a relationship of trust between the Force and the Public.

“You should have long dispelled the rumours and the social media circulations by updating us with the truth regarding this —- It’s really a shame and a disgrace your department is even being named with such wrongs and questionable behaviours, but someone should have come forward and cleared the air because it’s really smokey out here.  We deserve to know the truth, should we continue doing business with them as a police officer or not?”  The resident contended.

The excerpt is from an open letter sent by a concerned citizen to high ranking officials and pointing out that if the rumours of an unethical relationship between Rahming and a serving member of the TCI Police were true, TCI residents giving information to Police in their investigations could themselves be at risk.

A point so ‘on point’ that it pulled the Commissioner out of the shadows and residents got some reassurance; that yes an investigation is on into the woman police.

Describing the unnamed individual who is now part of a scandalous probe, as a ‘former’ officer, the statement also did not divulge whether the officer was terminated or had resigned.

What is noteworthy also, in the statement from Saturday, Commissioner Trevor Botting has asked that information of any other corrupt member of the Force be turned in, directly to him.

By Deandrea Hamilton

Editor

#TurksandCaicos, December 5, 2022 – Dock Yard in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos was the site of a new shooting on Sunday where  two men were injured in the attack around 9:30am; Police say the incident “does not appear to be gang related.”

It is the first reported shooting in the islands since Brandon Rahming was gunned down by police on November 23; also in Dock Yard.

“Based on initial police reports, at around 9:27am, the Police Control Room received a call of gunshots being heard.  A team of officers were dispatched to the location.

The RTCIPF can confirm that two men were shot and remained warded in the hospital.”

No vital statistics are shared on the men; their conditions are also unknown.  Police did inform they have retrieved a firearm from the scene and are warning against sharing video described as, “part of the incident”.

Rodney Adams, Acting Commissioner of Police said, “I wish to remind the public to desist from circulating such images as they can impede the ongoing investigation.  In addition, if you are in possession of any footage taken, I kindly ask that you hand it over to the police as this may assist with the furtherance of our investigations.”

Adams said the investigators will follow the evidence to say more concretely the motive for the shooting.  No suspects appear to have been taken into custody and a fresh appeal for information in the case was made.

“…tell us what you know.  We are committed to ensuring your safety and security in these beautiful by nature Turks and Caicos Islands.”