Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Reporter

#TurksandCaicos, September 24, 2023 – The corruption case against Senior Police Inspector ALVIRTO SMITH and two others, namely: PAUL ANGENORD and WESLEY CAMPBELL is still underway in the Providenciales Magistrate’s Court before Her Honour Mrs. Oreika Selver-Gardiner.

The men were jointly charged with conspiracy to commit corruption, aiding and abetting corruption and a number of corruption charges dating back to an Integrity Commission investigation in 2020/2021.

The conspiracy trial that the learned Resident Magistrate has to consider and reach a decision on,(when the case arrives at it’s final date) are allegations that sometime on or around May 4, 2021, Smith and Angenord, who is a police mechanic ‘did act in a corrupt manner with one Christopher Hall in regards to a rifle firearm that Christopher Hall failed to declare.’

Wesley Campbell is also named in the alleged financial conspiracy deal or illegal agreement.

Christopher Hall, an accomplice in these proceedings went to a lawyer and then to Integrity Commission and got immunity for the firearm if he provided evidence against the others in the sordid case.

There were alleged cash and wire transfer payments to facilitate the alleged offenses.

This case has been partly-heard for months since arraignment in 2021, but there have been held, some consistent day by day proceedings over the past four weeks.

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer 

#UnitedKingdom, September 24, 2023 – For the first time since 2021, the Bank of England has decided to ‘hold steady’ on interest rates rather than increase them.

The decision comes following an unexpected fall in inflation in the European country.

It means UK consumers’ interest rate remains at 5.25 percent.  According to the BOE reports tabled on September 21st, only 5 of the nine members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted to keep the rate steady.

The Bank expects the inflation rate, currently at 6.7 percent, to reach the two percent target by mid-2025 and food inflation is going down.

But at the same time, the UK’s Gross Domestic Product GDP declined in July and growth is expected to stay weak, plus, unemployment is on the rise in the country.

“The Labour Force Survey unemployment rate rose to 4.3 percent in the three months to July, higher than expected in the August Report,” the bank explained.

The US also recently held steady on its interest rates after a significant period of increase.

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, September 24, 2023 – The Government expects to amend the Turks and Caicos Constitution this legislative year. In a follow-up to the opening of parliament on September 14th, the Government shared a list of the legislative changes they expected to see before the House of Assembly this parliamentary year. Included in that list was a Constitution Amendment Order.

The last time a constitutional order passed regarding the Turks and Caicos was in 2011 during the UK government takeover.

The UK and Turks and Caicos are already working to update the document to give the local Government more operating power. The country has hired Jeffery Jowell to consult on the updates but no communication on what those might look like has yet come from TCIG.

With bipartisan support,  Washington Misick, TCI Premier, is decisive in what he wants from the new document.

“As we decisively demonstrate our capacity to govern with competence and integrity, the UK must recognize, accept and endorse that we have the authority over domestic affairs. We are not asking- we’ve paid our price,” he said in the 2023 State of the State Address.

An upcoming meeting on the constitution between the UK and TCI is set for next month.