In one of our Front Page stories today we have published the whole of Premier McLaughlin’s Statement to the Legislative Assembly in response to the Chamber of Commerce’s advertising motion – see iNews Cayman story published June 11 2015 “Cayman Islands Chamber calls on the Government to repeal advertising ban/Press association condemns ban”.

Whilst the Chamber did say they were concerned “about the local and global implications of the editorial published in the Cayman Compass on 3rd June entitled “Corruption: An insidious creeping crime” they did not condemn the Editorial as much as they did the Government. They were just ‘concerned’.

The Editorial was as bad, if not worse, than the government’s adoption of the Legislative Assembly motion to ban anymore advertising with the Cayman Compass. The Legge’s subsequence actions in turning a mole hill into a mountain by obtaining police protection, seeking refuge from non-existence claims someone or more than one were out to get them because “He {Premier McLaughlin) put a target on my back, to my mind and my wife’s as well” and flying to Florida to their ‘safe house’ was utterly disgraceful but drew no immediate response from the Chamber.

What we did have, and I agree with them and still do, the “Council calls on the Government to repeal the advertising ban immediately”.

Why hasn’t the Chamber similarly called upon the Editorial Board of the Compass to apologise for that Editorial and also censor the Legge’s actions in leaving and for their rhetoric to the Foreign press that has done this country so much damage?

I can fully understand the premier’s undisguised annoyance and he plainly said so in his Statement to the LA:

“I am disappointed though that the Chamber response fell short of condemning the Compass’s offending editorial “Corruption: An Insidious Creeping Crime.” It is David Legge’s direct actions, histrionics and fabrications that have directly caused the international media stories that give the Chamber Council and me concern. Yet I do not see the Chamber publicly stating its concern for his actions.

“Not content with the damage he had done by publishing the editorial in the first place, Mr. Legge, that fearless defender of freedom of the press, falsely claimed to have been given police protection by the Governor, and departed these shores with his wife in tow because of ‘fears for their personal safety’. He then spent the following week doing the international media circuit seeking to damage the reputation of Cayman further by giving interviews to anyone who would listen to him suggesting that not only was Cayman a place that was corrupt to its core, but that it was also inhabited by a violent people who would have done him real harm had he not ‘fled’.

“I am certain that the Chamber Council must see, and they must be concerned by, the Compass’ almost daily attacks on our Financial Services Industry when it creates inferences regarding FIFA and the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority that have no real basis in fact and serve no purpose other than to sell newspapers and possibly serve some other undetermined agenda. This gives Government and me much concern.”

In view of the Legge’s actions I can fully understand now there is no way the premier can back down from the decision that David Legge took full advantage of – the motion upheld by government banning all advertising by government to the Cayman Compass.

It would have been much smarter and wiser to have done that anyway without any public motion. He had the perfect justification as he said in his Statement:

“…going forward Government advertising will be fairly distributed to other media houses, many of which have complained for years about the Compass receiving the bulk of Government business.”

However, at the end of the Statement there was an olive branch held up of sorts.

“… should David Legge and the Compass Editorial Board have a change of heart and publicly apologise to the people of the Cayman Islands for the editorial which accused the entire country of being corrupt and for his subsequent actions and statements, the Government’s position may change,” McLaughlin said.

It came with a branch that if coated with olive oil, would be very slippery to hold. But it is still an olive branch of sorts:

“But should David Legge and the Compass Editorial Board have a change of heart and publicly apologise to the people of the Cayman Islands for the editorial which accused the entire country of being corrupt and for his subsequent actions and statements, the Government’s position may change. Such an apology must be in a form acceptable to the Government and must appear on the Compass front page as well as on its editorial page and receive the same degree of international coverage as did Mr. Legge’s flight from these Islands.

It will be impossible for the Compass owner to deliver up” the same degree of international coverage as did Mr. Legge’s flight from these Islands”. The international press controls that and not Legge.

Knowing David Legge as I do and a confrontation I had with him once when he was completely out of order he couldn’t see what a blind man could that he was wrong. I will be amazed if he does anything of the sort. Perhaps there are other shadowy figures behind the scenes that might pull his strings.

I am pleased with the Statement “The Government of the Cayman Islands takes a zero tolerance approach to anyone carrying out illicit activities through the Cayman Islands. I am not sure, the foreign press are as convinced as the government are in being” satisfied that the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority is taking all appropriate action in respect of the stated involvement of Fidelity Bank and Trust in this matter and that the bank is also fully cooperating with the relevant authorities.”

I have made my views known on the situation with Cindy Scotland and how that is perceived. That she has not dismissed herself and left whilst these appropriate actions are taking place is raising eyebrows so high they are halfway up the foreign press’ foreheads. I expect the Cayman Compass Editorial Board are having a hay day at that. Why give them the ammunition?