Vote Buying
In relation to the cleanup project 'NICE', which ordinarily takes place in the Cayman Islands annually
3: 40 PM – In relation to the cleanup project 'NICE', which ordinarily takes place in the Cayman Islands annually, (originally called 'PRIDE cleanup'), concerns have emerged about a statement made by Minister Myles in the Parliament during his response to a Motion brought by MP Kenneth Bryan. In his response, Myles expressed that he believed that the NICE cleanup is “nothing more than a vote-buying program.”
Now the question to ask is, is that statement being made because the Minister has a genuine reason for concern about vote buying, or was it just said for political expediency? This is important because if his statement of belief is indeed true, then it means he must have some legitimate reason(s) to believe the vote buying has and continues to take place, and if so, then such a claim carries serious implications.
Under the Anti-Corruption Law (ACL) (2019 Revision), any person, including a Minister, who has reasonable grounds to suspect corruption is under a legal obligation to report it to the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Specifically, Section 16(2) of the Anti-Corruption Law states:
“A public officer or other person who, knowing or suspecting that any other person has committed an offence under this Law, fails, without reasonable excuse, to make a report to the Commission as soon as is reasonably practicable, commits an offence and is liable:
(a) on summary conviction, to a fine of ten thousand dollars or to imprisonment for two years, or to both; or
(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine of twenty thousand dollars or to imprisonment for five years, or to both.”
This means that if Minister Myles believes the NICE program is being used to improperly influence voters, and has evidence or reasonable suspicion to support that, he is legally required to report it. Failure to do so is not just a lapse in judgment; it is potentially a criminal offense.
The public deserves clarity on whether the remarks made reflect personal opinion, political frustration, or a genuine concern about corruption in the government program funded by the public purse.
Increasingly, Members of Parliament find themselves needing to be more careful with what they say, as in this case, where this would have perhaps been simply dismissed as political rhetoric many years ago, the matter today carries more gravity, considering that the allegation potentially obligates the Member under the ACL.
Similarly, the Standards in Public Life Law is also a game changer for politicians, such as, but not limited to, who they hire and who they refrain from hiring.
We await the actions of Minister Myles to fulfil his obligations under the law to report it and or the Anti-corruption Commission to fulfill their's and investigate the statement.
