A major personnel shake-up is under way at the Her Majesty’s Customs Service in the Cayman Islands after two customs officers were fired and a third resigned last month.
In addition, Customs Collector Carlon Powery confirmed last week that another four officers remain on required leave in relation to unspecified investigations.
“It is important to note that placing an officer on required leave is neither an indication of guilt [nor] innocence,” Mr. Powery said Friday.
Required leave essentially amounts to a paid suspension within the Cayman Islands civil service.
“As investigations are continuing, we are unable to comment further at this time,” Collector Powery said, adding that he could not state why the two customs officers had been fired in December. Other sources, who did not want to be identified, indicated allegations against those officers involved evasion of duty.
At least one suspended customs officer has been charged with a crime and is now before the court. David Karl Lobo is accused of being “concerned in the exportation of more than two pounds of cocaine”. He was granted bail in the case by Magistrate Nova Hall and is expected to return to court on 17 January.
Magistrate Hall said the allegations against Lobo were serious, not only because of the amount of drugs involved, but because Lobo was alleged to have committed the offence during the execution of his duties. The charge against Lobo arises from an incident at Owen Roberts International Airport in Grand Cayman in September 2010.
HM Customs managers have connected the arrest of Lobo to the investigation which led to the suspension of another customs officer, Bruce Powery.
The text of an email sent to Collector Carlon Powery by Assistant Customs Collector Trevor Williams indicated: “The Customs officer [who was arrested recently, referring to David Lobo] is not Bruce Powery, who has been on suspension since this investigation began. The case file will be turned over to the legal department for an official ruling.”
At press time, the Caymanian Compass was unaware of any arrests or criminal charges involving Bruce Powery. Collector Carlon Powery confirmed last month that Bruce Powery was still on paid leave, but it was unknown if his status has changed since then.
His name was only released by the Compass because he was identified in the email from Mr. Williams.
Bruce Powery was placed on leave in September 2010 while local and United Kingdom authorities investigated the drug export case.
The allegations against Bruce Powery relate to an incident at a UK airport where three men were arrested on suspicion of cocaine possession, Collector Carlon Powery said.
The three men were all believed to be from the Cayman Islands, although UK authorities have released no information on the case and attempts to contact the relevant agencies in England about the investigation have proved fruitless.
Collector Carlon Powery said he was provided with little information as to the allegations against Bruce Powery.
The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service previously said that it is aware of the UK investigation and is working with authorities there on the case.
It was not known what involvement, if any, the three officers who were fired or who resigned in December or all four of the officers now on required leave, had in the drug export case. Collector Powery did not elaborate on the matter.
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about time !
only more than 2 pounds of cocaine ???
I think they need to keep digging, it might get a litle more interesting than 2 pounds of coke.
It seems to me that many of those actions that are against the law would be eliminated if only, everyone new the law in details. I am quite certain that, at this present time in history, law classes are required starting at a young age as much or maybe more than other school subjets. Cayman Free Press should open a debate on this matter. There is a saying that not knowing the law is not a defence well, let’s teach the law.
IloveCayman
This statement of yours cracks me up, which is better than becoming annoyed by it.
How naive can you be ?!
In the time-honoured fashion of Cayman’ authorities, the Collector of Customs has created more questions than he’s answered by not giving any indication of the offenses that these customs officers have been suspended for so specualtion is rife but…
To suggest that this is some mere ‘bending of the rules’ by not knowing the law is beyond reason.
Any professional law-enforcement officer such as the police, customs and immigration are trained to know the laws and rules they are operating under as a part of their job.
I do get annoyed with people who will convince themselves of anything simply because they do not wish to face the hard truths of some matters.
I can almost guarantee you that these cutoms officers are suspended for the investigation of some major crminal offenses, given the news that has been put out into the public realm very recently.
If this is an indication that the corruption that exists within the Customs Dept. is finally being addressed…then all the better.
Better late than never.
Hopefully the investigation will get to the root of the corruption within the Customs as this seriously impacts the country.