On behalf of the Members of the Opposition, I welcome the release of the Deputy Governor’s Statement on the Office of the Auditor General’s findings on the Dubai World Expo and the Cayman Islands Overseas Offices.  

The Deputy Governor’s Statement confirms that the Auditor General was incorrect in her findings in the report that the spending on the Dubai Expo and the Overseas Offices was unlawful. In her report, she wrongly concluded that this spending breached both the Constitution and the Public Management and Finance Act (the PMFA).  

What is worth considering is that both the Overseas Offices and the Dubai Expo were in the works for many months. Both had the support of the United Kingdom and the Governor’s Office, given their strategic importance to our Islands – particularly to Financial Services. 

I have said before, including in my public statement in February, that in our view, the Auditor General was gravely mistaken in several areas of the report. Today’s statement by the Deputy Governor confirms this. The Deputy Governor said categorically, “there was no breach of section 12 of the PMFA or the Constitution.” 

It is unfortunate that the report, with its inaccuracies, was unlawfully leaked. The consequence of the leak was to have the reputation of hard-working civil servants tarnished by the serious, albeit inaccurate, allegations levelled in the report.  

A further consequence of the leak was to have some in the media wrongly accuse members of the Progressives Government of wrongdoing.  Indeed, the Statement from the Deputy Governor refers to the views that were aired publicly as being skewed and inaccurate.   I am pleased that these inaccuracies are now being corrected.  

His Excellency The Governor highlighted his disappointment with the leak and the shameful repercussions caused in the aftermath. I trust he and Deputy Governor will also work to complete an inquiry into how the document was leaked and who leaked it and take appropriate action.