Arlington Musgrove versus TCI Integrity Commission

Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, January 20, 2024 – Arlington Musgrove, Minister of Immigration and Border Services has been granted a judicial review into a recent ruling by the Integrity Commission accusing him of having a conflict of interest and directing that he be removed from his ministry.

The case stemmed from an  August 2023 decision by the Integrity Commission regarding Musgrove’s ownership of a property rented to the government as a Migrant Detention Centre. The Integrity Commission indicated that by holding positions both as owner of the building, and Minister of Immigration, Musgrove had breached the Code of Conduct for Persons in Public Life.

In November 2023 Musgrove brought an application for judicial review against the decision.

In court documents of that application seen by Magnetic Media, Musgrove maintains that he rented the building to the then-Governor in 2009, over a decade before he was elected.

The four year lease was renewed thrice, most recently in 2019, prior to his appointment. The minister says he indicated to the government he wished for vacant possession of the building when the lease expired in 2022. He acknowledged though, that repossessing the building without first finding another suitable home for the Migrant Detention Center would not be in the public interest.

“Musgrove states that he receives no benefit from the day-to-day operations of the Detention Centre, other than the receipt of rent which has not been increased following the expiry of the last renewal term. He also states that he has no intention to renew the lease or to seek any increase in the rent,” the document explained.

Musgrove asked the courts to review:

•  the decision from the Integrity commission declaring that he has a conflict of interest,
• and the mode of delivery via letter in August 2023.

The judge sided with the Minister and ordered the judicial review. The November 14 ruling also puts a stay on the Integrity Commission’s order to have Musgrove shuffled from the Immigration Ministry to another.