Cayman News Service (CNS) have published a reply on their website together with the source material from Dr. Herbert Thomson.

Wendy Ledger, CNS journalist says:

“Since CNS has always maintained a policy of publishing source material so that its readers can make up their own minds, we were more than happy to publish the email exchange,” Ledger said. “In any case, Thompson’s original response to inquiries about any monetary gift in exchange for the former premier’s honorary doctorate appeared to endorse the article rather than prove any political spin. Far from refuting that such a gift existed, Dr Thompson clearly states that ‘the gift was returned’. However, the question of where the gift came from was not answered and we would still be grateful if he would answer that.”

The only threat that Dr Thompson has so far made, other than “appropriate action”, is that he will “go to all the media houses in Cayman”.

“How the Gleaner translated that into a threatened law suit is most peculiar,” said CNS General Manager Nicky Watson. “We have not so far received any correspondence from the UCC lawyers or any demands that we remove all or part of the article, and while he clearly does not like it, Dr Thompson has yet to explain what is factually wrong with Wendy’s article. And we are quite sure that any media house that is interested in this story will contact UCC, rather than the other way round, and would hope that Dr Thompson would answer their questions more fully than he answered ours.”

To read the full CNS reply go to: http://www.caymannewsservice.com/local-news/2013/05/21/cns-stands-honorary-degree-article

Gleaner article

By Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter, The Gleaner, Jamaica

Dr Herbert Thompson, the chancellor of the University College of the Caribbean (UCC), yesterday threatened the Cayman News Service with legal action and at the same time accused the media entity of political bias.

In an email addressed to Wendy Ledger, the reporter who last week penned an article which said Cayman Island police and the Anti-Corruption Commission there were investigating a money transfer of US$1 million made allegedly to the UCC in relation to an honorary doctorate that former Cayman Islands Premier McKeeva Bush was scheduled to receive from the institution, Thompson said his comments, as used in the article were taken out of context.

“I have consulted with our UCC lawyers and before we proceed to take the appropriate action, we demand that you publish in full your letter to me and my response to your letter,” Thompson wrote yesterday.

He further demanded that the publication be done “with immediate effect or we will go to all media houses in Cayman and expose the facts re your seeming political preferences based on the twists which you have put on my letter to you”.

Arrested in December

Bush was arrested last December in his homeland following investigations by the Financial Crime Unit of the Royal Cayman Islands Police. Bush was formally charged with corruption in March.

Bush has denied the allegations.

Last Tuesday, Ledger wrote to Thompson seeking his comment on the saga. In her letter, the reporter said she was following up on information from sources in Cayman that indicate a significant sum was donated to the UCC ahead of the planned honorary doctorate being bestowed on the former Cayman Islands premier at the end of last year. She added that following Bush’s arrest, the donation was returned after the doctorate was not bestowed.

Thompson responded a day later saying “I have shared your request with the UCC administration re gift to the UCC Foundation last year. As you have noted, Mr Bush was not conferred and the gift was returned.

“The UCC administration is satisfied the matters were amicably and adequately handled and does not wish to make any further comment at this time.”

Meanwhile, the UCC chancellor yesterday declined to comment on the allegations contained in the article saying a press release would be sent out by the institution yesterday. However, none was received at press time.

For more on this story go to:

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130521/lead/lead2.html