“UPDATE ON SIPT CASES
Published Sun TCI on 15th April 2013
The Special Investigation and Prosecution Team (SIPT) on Monday April 15th dropped all criminal charges against Samuel “Sammy” Been after he reached an agreement with them and the Attorney General’s Chambers to give up a portion of his commercial building, the Sammy Been Plaza, on Airport Road, Providenciales. The value of the settlement is approximately $850,000.
Developer Richard Padgett has agreed to plead guilty to various charges including bribery on May 31st, 2013. Because he is medically unfit to travel to the Turks and Caicos Islands, Padgett will make his plea by way of video link from the Central London Court at 10 a.m. on that date.
SIPT Prosecutor Andrew Mitchell, QC, said if Padgett is sentenced to jail, provision will be made the have him serve his prison term in England and Wales.
The SIPT cases which were heard before Mr. Justice Paul Harrison, have been adjourned until September 16th, 2013.”
Attorney general settles with Samuel Been, prosecution discontinued
Published on April 16, 2013
Attorney General Huw Shepheard said on Monday that he has agreed to settle civil recovery proceedings brought against Samuel Been, one of the defendants facing criminal charges as part of the inquiries pursued by the special investigation and prosecution team (SIPT).
Samuel Been
“At the same time criminal proceedings against him for an offence of conspiracy to defraud and acquiring the proceeds of criminal conduct, contrary to s29 Proceeds of Crime Ordinance 1998 will be discontinued,” Shepheard said in a statement.
The settlement will result in the transfer to the TCI government of property owned by Been at Sammy Been Plaza, Providenciales, valued at $825,000, he added.
Been is the former husband of Lillian Boyce, a former minister in the previous Progressive National Party (PNP) government, who has also been charged with criminal offences in relation to government corruption.
It had recently been rumoured locally that Been would escape prosecution by agreeing to give evidence against his co-defendants.
Attorney General Huw Shepheard on Wednesday issued another follow up press release in an attempt to explain why he reacted to a news report on the government radio station. Based on information supplied by family members of former premier Michael Misick, the early RTC news broadcast had announced that Misick had been granted bail and released from a Brazilian prison.
Misick had been arrested in Rio de Janeiro on an international warrant on December 7 last year and had been held in custody pending an application for extradition by Britain on behalf of the TCI.
Shepheard issued his own press release that same morning denying that Misick had been released. Later the same day, Sheapheard issued a second release saying that a Brazilian court had in fact released Misick on bail while extradition procedures were worked through,
In his latest statement, the attorney general says he was incorrectly informed by Brazilian authorities when he issued his first denial of the bail report. Shepheard has again repeated his earlier remarks stating that his office had sent the required extradition documents within the required time frame and Misick’s extradition is pending.
“My initial statement on the release of Michael Misick from custody in Brazil, was truthful to the best of my belief and was based on credible information that had been received from the authorities in Brazil. It turned out that they were mistaken and therefore that I had been misinformed and accordingly I corrected my statement,” Shepheard said.
“I take this opportunity to repeat that the extradition request has been made properly and in accordance with normal law and procedure. The TCIG has met its obligations under the Extradition Treaty to serve the papers on the proper authorities in Brazil within the set time limit. Due process must now be followed, that complies with the Treaty and with Brazilian law,” he added.
Reportedly, Misick had been granted bail because the papers from Shepheard arrived late in Brazil.
Meanwhile, Radio Turks and Caicos is claiming they are a fair and balanced media site. However, the government sponsored station has in the past come in for criticism for employing two well known members of the Progressive National Party (PNP) — current speaker of the house Robert Hall and PNP-appointed House Member Ruth Blackman — to host the Expressions radio show
“UPDATE ON SIPT CASES