Premier explains Stan Thomas transaction
Following Thursday’s publication in the Caymanian Compass of details of two letters concerning a land deal that is the subject of a police investigation, Premier McKeeva Bush has responded to specific questions about the transaction.
Mr. Bush said he was speaking up now because he had been patient long enough.
“I’ve waited all this time to say anything because I didn’t what to do anything to impede the investigation or to interfere in it,” he said.
However, Mr. Bush said the investigation has been going on for 26 months and he wasn’t prepared to remain silent any longer, especially with so much being said by others on the subject.
Copies of two letters signed by Mr. Bush from Windsor Development Corporation, a company owned by Mr. Bush’s wife, to Atlanta-based developer Stan Thomas detailed a bill for US$750,000, payable in three separate payments. The first letter was sent 21 April, 2004, and then there were two subsequent letters – one that has been in the public domain since last year – both dated 7 October, 2004.
The initial letter refers to “real estate sales commissions” and the second letter of 7 October refers to “consulting fees for work carried out and advice given by Windsor Development Corporation”.
Mr. Bush offered an explanation of what services the company provided for the payment, saying that Ron Zimmer, whom he had known for many years, brought Stan Thomas to him to assist in purchasing some properties owned by Gil Freytag.
“My job was to convince Gil Freytag to sell the property to Stan Thomas,” he said, adding that Mr. Thomas wanted to create a large resort development called Poseidon, which would have been anchored by a Four Seasons Hotel.
Mr. Bush said there was another developer interested in buying the property, but he was able to convince Mr. Freytag to sell it to Mr. Thomas instead, which is why his company earned the sales commission.
He said that Mr. Zimmer acted in the capacity of Mr. Thomas’ local agent. He said he wasn’t sure about the arrangement between Mr. Thomas and Mr. Zimmer and whether Mr. Zimmer was a partner on the project or whether he was supposed to be paid a commission on the deal.
“All I know is what [Mr. Thomas] agreed to pay [Windsor Development Corporation],” he said.
As far as he was aware, Mr. Bush said he didn’t think any other real estate company had a listing on the property. He said Mr. Freytag originally wanted US$30 million for the property but the price was negotiated down to around US$28 million. Mr. Bush also said he knew of no other real estate company involved in the sale.
Commissions are usually paid when real estate companies are involved in sales. For a benchmark, the standard Cayman Islands Real Estate Brokers Association commission rate on properties selling for more than $9,995,000 is four per cent, meaning a commission paid on a $28 million sale handled through an Association company would have been more than US$1.1 million. Non-CIREBA members often charge commission rates that are different than CIREBA’s established rates.
Although real estate commissions are usually paid by the seller in the Cayman Islands, they are sometimes paid by the buyer, especially on large sales where reducing the gross amount of the sale – which includes commission – can mean significant savings on stamp duty.
Speaking without context of the issue, long-time realtor and past Cayman Islands Real Estate Brokers Association president Billy Culbert said that sometimes buyer’s agents will becoming involved in a transaction.
“CIREBA doesn’t lend itself to that, but buyer’s agents are used on occasion.”
Mr. Culbert said that when buyers pay the sales commission, the purchase price is less, so the amount of stamp duty would be less, unless a government assessment of market value indicates the property is worth more.
On a real estate commission of more than $1 million, more than $75,000 could be saved in stamp duty from having the buyer pay the commission, if the market price assessment doesn’t exceed the sales price.
Mr. Bush said all the details of commission were worked out by Ron Zimmer.
“I was working with Ron Zimmer,” he said. “The whole thing was guided by Ron Zimmer. My whole role was to chase Freytag and get him to sell it to Stan Thomas. I did a lot of work for that.”
Asked about why the second 7 October, 2004 referred to “consulting fees”, Mr. Bush said: “I considered myself a consultant agent.”
Las Vegas
The sale of the property from Mr. Freytag to Mr. Thomas was registered in February 2004. That same month, Mr. Bush said he met Mr. Thomas in Las Vegas so that they could tour the Four Seasons Hotel, which was the brand Mr. Thomas wanted in his Cayman project. Mr. Bush said Mr. Thomas also wanted to have gaming on his property, something Mr. Bush was advocating for Cayman at the time.
“It was a fantastic tourism project for the Islands,” Mr. Bush said of Mr. Thomas’ proposed Poseidon project. He said he told Mr. Thomas the gaming aspect would necessitate a change in the law here in Cayman.
While in Las Vegas, Mr. Bush said Mr. Thomas gave him a $20,000 cash deposit on the commission owed to Windsor Development Corporation.
“That’s all documented.”
Subsequently, Mr. Thomas made another payment on the amount owned in commission of US$355,000 by wire transfer to the Windsor Development Corporation accounts. According to the first letter from Mr. Bush to Mr. Thomas on 7 October 2004, there was a balance remaining on that day of US$350,000.
Mr. Bush said that he never collected that $350,000.
“I wanted to get the money and I made many attempts to get it,” he said, adding that Mr. Thomas wouldn’t take or return his calls. “After a while, I gave up on it and went on to other things.”
Mr. Bush said he believes Stan Thomas accepted that he owed the money and said that he never heard from Mr. Thomas or his local attorney about there being anything amiss with the money Mr. Thomas had already paid toward the total amount owed.
Rezoning
Seemingly at the crux of the investigation is the implication that Mr. Bush used his position – which was Leader of Government Business at the time – to get the land purchased by Mr. Thomas from Mr. Freytag rezoned from low density residential neighbourhood commercial and mangrove buffer to hotel/tourism.
Mr. Bush was adamant that the amount he charged to Mr. Thomas was for his services rendered in the sale of the property.
“It had nothing to do with rezoning,” Mr. Bush said.
Official Legislative Assembly Hansard Reports from 29 July 2004 indicate the process to rezone the land had actually started in October 2002, when Mr. Freytag owned the land. The Central Planning Authority approved the rezoning on 14 May 2003. Rezonings have to also be approved by Cabinet, which happened after the matter was deferred on several occasions, and then by the Legislative Assembly on 29 July, 2004.
In the first letter from Mr. Bush to Mr. Thomas on 7 October, 2004, the second sentence reads: “I have ensured that all of the proposed re-zoning issues have been agreed and approved by Cabinet.”
This week, Mr. Bush said he did not write the letter or sign the letter, that it was his political assistant Richard Parchment who worded and wrote the letter and then put Mr. Bush’s digitalised computer signature on it before sending it. Mr. Bush said he had been out of his office and had asked Mr. Parchment over the telephone to send Mr. Thomas a bill for the remaining amount owed on the real estate transaction.
Mr. Bush said that when he returned to the office later that same day and saw what Mr. Parchment had written, he immediately saw the implication of the first letter and then had Mr. Parchment write another letter, which Mr. Bush then signed and had faxed to Mr. Thomas.
“Dear Stan,” the two-sentence letter began. “I need to clarify to save any misunderstanding that the bill sent to you today for the West Bay Seven Mile Beach purchase transaction is for consulting fees for work carried out and advice given by Windsor Development Corporation. The rezoning was done before and without Windsor participation.”
On Thursday, Mr. Parchment confirmed Mr. Bush’s description of events. He said that the police had interviewed him for a statement last year and he told them the same thing.
Although the first letter of 7 October has a date stamp of 15 October, Mr. Parchment said that both that letter and the second letter dated 7 October were sent on 7 October.
He said he did not know why the first letter had a different fax date stamp than the date of the letter.
“They were both sent on the 7th,” he said.
The issue of whether Mr. Bush used his position to influence the Cabinet decision to rezone the land was a topic of discussion on Rooster Radio’s Cayman Cross Talk show on Friday, 4 May. Show host Gilbert McLean, who was a member of the Government Cabinet with Mr. Bush at the time of the rezoning, said he recalled the rezoning issue coming to Cabinet at a time when the economy was bad.
“We were more than happy to approve that because we were glad that it was going to usher in some certain development that was badly needed at that time,” he said, adding that he didn’t even know the name Stan Thomas at that time, only that Cabinet was being asked to rezone a large piece of land.
Later, Mr. McLean was asked by two callers to the radio show if he were coerced into rezoning the property.
“No one coerces me into doing anything that I may have doubts about,” he responded to one caller.
“I was never present when there was any attempt to coerce anyone in the Cabinet,” he said to the other caller.
Mr. McLean said he had been questioned by the police “a long while back” and he told them the same thing.
Another Cabinet member at the time, Frank McField, then called the radio show and agreed with Mr. McLean.
“Yes, I was in Cabinet when this happened,” he said. “Yes, I shared collective responsibility. Yes, I believe it was good for the country. And yes, I went ahead and did it and nobody held any gun on my head or my leg to do so. I did so because I thought it was right to do so.”
Like Mr. McLean, Mr. McField said he didn’t know the name Stan Thomas at the time. Unlike Mr. McLean, however, Mr. McField said he has never been questioned by police about the matter.
Scanned documents referenced (click to view):
The below documents were used in the publication of Tuesday’s story in the Caymanian Compass: http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2012/05/08/Bush–No-deception-or-smuggling-with-blasting-issue/
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Thank you to the Compass for publishing this information, although I am not sure that all has been told. It would appear that the value of the property increased significantly as a result of the Cabinet and LA approvals of the re-zoning, which from the time line in the story happened not long after the February payment of the 20K deposit payment in Vegas. In another coincidence, following the approval by the LA and Cabinet the request for the remainder of the payment was sent. It would be interesting if the Compass could add to the information and timeline when the transfer of land to Mr. Thomas was finalized in the land registry which should be in the public record, whether the purchase by Mr. Thomas was conditional on the re-zoning, and why the approval by Cabinet was delayed from the time of the May 2003 approval by the CPA until after the initial Vegas payment. Who had control over when that re-zoning application went to Cabinet?
… and folks, this concludes our demonstration of why one should never involve oneself in even the mere perception of proceeds gained by way of political appointment.
Granted, there may be a perfectly logical and legal explanation for all of this – but life has taught me that any situation that requires such a long explanation is best left alone in the first place.
(Personally, I am somewhat pleased that the transaction was not finalized. 750,000.00 consultancy fees to be paid to our Premier?! Why then are the rest of us educating ourselves and busting our butts out here in the real world?)
Mr. Bush said that he never collected that 350,000.
I wanted to get the money and I made many attempts to get it, he said, adding that Mr. Thomas wouldn’t take or return his calls. After a while, I gave up on it and went on to other things.
Now who in the world would just give up on collecting 350,000.00? That’s a (expletive) load of money….You would have to be mighty rich for that not to bother you!
If that’s all true then I can go back to believing in the Tooth Fairy.
@ Completely Baffled – The onus is on you to prove that he is guilty and what he says is not true. If you had no FACTS that prove McKeeva was guilty before he spoke in details about it, it just proves to me that the tooth fairy (of mere belief and speculation) had deceived you from long time.
Just setting the record straight :o)
Thank you, Premier for clarifying what went on between you and Stan Thomas. Now I can get back to work and the country can get back to recovering the economy. THIS INVESTIGATION WAS A (expletive) WASTE OF TIME AND POLICE RESOURCE!
As I said before, there is nothing about this entire transaction that warrants an investigation that has continued for two full years! It is just senseless and is a prefabricated political bridge to nowhere!
This is nothing but political propaganda against the premier. It is wrong to try to deceive the masses just because you believe they have no knowledge of how a business or transaction works or what is involved.
A Real Estate or Associate agent or Broker, works for a commission which is their wages paid to them.
A Broker like Mr. McKeeva Bush representing his wife’s company receives part of the commission which is shared or in real estate terms broken with the Agent or Associate.
Property sales is now a more sophisticated business and calls for more educated real estate consultation on site. The broker often is forced take on consultant responsibility in order to secure or manage the sale professionally, and is paid for doing so, this service is not for free!An attorney is normally retained as a legal advisor to the Broker or real estate firm as well, this can be expensive.
There is no wrong doing on the part of the premier and to pursue this further whether by the opposition, police or anyone else, can only mean that it is a political ploy. To continue to pester the premier on this subject matter is a waste of valuable time and just because he is the premier does not mean that he cannot make a living or work in his wife’s real estate company enjoying the same right to sell real estate like anyone else who chooses to do the same.
Perhaps some disgruntled realtor may be pushing the envelope out of envy, as there is a lot of politics in the business. However being the case or not, lets bury this dead horse, its not going anywhere and the opposition has lost.! Just as I predicted.
Let the premier get on with the business of running the country, people are out of work, we need development and we need to give our elected officials the necessary breathing space. They need to now create an environment that will create jobs, and put our people back to work. I dare say that if the UDP engages in an aggressive effort to regulate the law firms, the local businesses that are abusing our people, and protect the middle class workers, who are the political decision makers and voters; that they could very well be re-elected in 2013. The best man wins as they say! But no government can be re-elected with a high unemployment rate, it just does not happen. So there’s a lot of work to be done Mr. Rolston Anglin and Mr. Mario Ebanks. Prove to the people that you can indeed deliver to them job opportunity so that our people can be self sufficient, live with dignity and support their families.
Party politics is the least to be concerned about, it is only dividing the country. Our personal, social and economic development is more important.
God bless the Cayman Islands.
Mr. Bush said Mr. Thomas gave him a 20,000 cash deposit. That said what happend to that money was it earned in the US??? Are income taxes due ? Was He working in the US without the proper paperwork or is he a US citizen ? Was the Cash spent in Vegas ?
Or did he travel with it and report the large amount he was carrying ? and in cayman was stamp duty avoided? just some thoughts …good morning
Taking all this at face value, and as I’ve said before, those who support him will believe it, those who don’t support him won’t. What I am struggling with is that Mr Bush would be using his political assistant to assist in running (his wife’s) real estate firm a scant 4 weeks after hurricane Ivan hit. The last thing on my mind back then was chasing up on invoices and I would have expected that the leader of the country would have been focusing ALL his efforts on the country. He also seems to have been very involved in his ‘wife’s’ real estate business. I don’t believe in bringing in politician’s family to debates, for me they are off limits, but having access to someone that high up in the country and facilitating business is a very bad idea.
Perhaps Bodden, NJ2Cay, and Tiger should goand read the statement that Brian Wight gave to the police regarding this whole matter. Here is how it was prefaced:
This statement consisting of 6 pages each signed by me, is true to the best of my knowledge and belief and I make it knowing that, if it is tendered in evidence, I shall be liable to prosecution if I have wilfully stated in it anything which I know to be false or do not believe to be true.
Even if you are not inclined to believe what Brian says, it does fill in a lot of details which will make everything a lot clearer.
Mr. Bush is speaking under legal advice.
Most likely the money stayed in the US which is not a problem legally!
He seems to be smart enough to bank there, a wise move.
Like I said before people are going to put whatever twist they want on this story in order to benefit their own agenda. Its clear even from the comments here that the Anti-Bush click will stop at nothing to destroy his image. So I am left only to believe that this won’t be that last of it just like the comments from XOXO you can see that people are already preparing their next complaints about Bush. I am sure his opponents are doing the same. I simply cannot wait to hear their responses to this.
The one thing I get from this looking at the whole picture is on One side I see a man trying his best to turn the economy around be it with some unusual ideas, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And on the other side I see a group of individuals with no ideas of their own doing everything they can to stop him.
In the long run all this will do is push more people in the support of Bush.
I am starting to truly think that his opponents believe their only chance at winning the next election is to get Bush out of office before then by any means necessary. Which mean they do not believe they can win on their own merits
As someone who first voted in the 1980 general elections, and based solely on the thumbs up or down to certain comments posted here, I have to say that I am deeply saddened by the level of corruption that people are willing to tolerate.
Anyone else notice the large number of votes on each comment. It is abnormally high, and my guess is all from the same IP address.
Re: last comment. We would expect this story would generate more than the ‘usual’ interest, but could be wrong. Maybe no one cares about an exclusive interview with the country’s leader about the issue peope have been speculating about for the past two years, but then again….
My goodness folks! This is the day we have all been waiting for and the opposition has been demanding. Now that the premier has come forth you are still complaining? What do you think, that there would only be 1 or 2 posts, the Compass gave you a heads up yesterday that it would be interesting. Look at the Las Vegas photo! This is a final discussion on the premier that has been under investigation for 2 years, and we have just heard from him something you all have been crying for all along!
For those of you accusing the Compass of the posts being from the same IP, that is a cheap shot at ignoring that the opposition has lost the biggest fight against the premier.
The compass does not allow that kind of behavior.
Just celebrate the victory with the premier this is two down and one to go!
Have a nice weekend.
The Premier just drop a pile of (expletive) on the people of Cayman Islands and he’s basically embarrassing the RCIPS, but don’t fall for this explaination this man should be called the deceptor-in-chief.
I’ve waited all this time to say anything because I didn’t what to do anything to impede the investigation or to interfere in it, he said.
Wha ya say Mr. Premier? Are you referring to the same investigation that you claimed over and over again that you knew nothing about/didn’t exist? OMG!
I am completely baffled by the fact that people will believe there is corruption based on what people say when there’s no proof that even the RCIPS can bring forward.. Everything that’s going on now is only based on people preference of particular politician over another and has nothing to do with the facts.
I have no idea whether these allegations against Mr Bush are true, but it seems clear that if they are, the only person who could prove them would be Stan Thomas himself.
Mr Thomas is unlikely to substantiate these allegations since to do so he would also have to implicate himself in corruption and leave himself open to the threat of prosecution.
So whether it’s true or not, it won’t go anywhere. Time to move on. Cayman’s good at that.
Pirates I tell you! there be pirates in these here waters. They make you toll at the paperwork, and when it come time to pay, they try to keel-haul you and make you walk the plank.
Time to see the invoice for this two year investigation, someone must be getting paid..
To NJ2Cay amd Jose P
What the majority of Cayman’s citizens who are all worked up over this is missing is this…
There is an official law-enforcement investigation ongoing on this matter; it was not for Premiere McKeeva Bush to interfere with or influence this investigation by having anything to say publicly on the matter while the invesigation is continuing except that…
Any reasonable amount of time that it should have taken has long past and the longer it turns up nothing..the more speculation the public will make…either for or agianst him.
He had to eventually say something and until the RCIP makes a public statement on its findings, his is the only word that anyone has to go by.
What really disappoints me as a Catmanian, even though I now permanently live abroad, is that this hollabaloo is a common occurence in Cayman when it is approaching an election year but…
This time it seems more vitriolic and hateful than in years past…and distracting and disruptive as well.
It appears that just when Cayman has been given more constitutional power from the UK, Cayman’s society is proving totally unable to handle the responsibility that goes along with it.
In this respect, the political opposition should be ashamed of their behaviour; they are acting no better than Bush…
The man that they claim in unsuitable to run the country but…
Can their example be used as any evidence that they are better suited than him ?
The truth is, Cayman’s voters might very well decide that he is the better of two very bad choices come next year if they take their despicable behaviour into account.
Anyone notice how the PPM New Service, oops I mean the Cayman News Service has nothing to say about Mr. Bushs statements..
They must need extra time to put their own negative twist on it..
Someone should ask Mr. Bush to come clean on the deal he made with CL Financial/Clico? Did someone say something to do with CIMA?
I’m just wondering why no one is up in arms over the fact that the RCIPS has taken 26 MONTHS, and yet the investigation continues? Seriously, how hard can it be to question, what, 5 or 6 people involved in these allegations? Come now…this is just plain beyond the ridiculous!
JustCanadian, I hate to say this, but no one is up in arms, because they view the British system as a clean and decent system. PERIOD!
I have a hunch that to maintain UK colonial rule over this territory, it requires preventing territories from becoming too economically independent, because when that happens the special interest behind socalled names like Foriegn Office have no way of maintaining a control of wealth and power to shape the territory into the image that they want. That Governor Taylor and Mr. Bellingham (although publicly denying that they are not stalling Caymans success), would publicly declare to the news media that the Premier is under two more investigations, demonstrates that they have no regard for Caymans international reputation, which is linked to Caymans economy and investors coming here to invest. Anyone that thinks colonialism is not alive and that it is all a CONSPIRACY, are naive about the history of the FCO and what they are capable of. I suggest they study well what is going on behind the scenes with Turks and Caicos. There you had one man, the Premier, found with corruption who could have been legally prosecuted in his own country. However, they allowed him to travel the Carribbean for two years, smearing TCIs name, before freezing his assets and making a warrant for his arrest. Meanwhile, they decided that everybody else in TCI must suffer for their power-grab by causing their largest bank to go into liquidation and dissolving their Constitution, preventing them from holding elections, and ruling them with an iron fist, which is no doubt a dictatorship.
Moreover, like you made reference to allowing two years of the first investigation to carry on without charging the man for the offense. It is I feel, to cause more division on this island and more speculation.
There is nothing new that they are doing. It is how they have dealt with other places before and they feel like they can undermine us because we are so small and the people here are looked down on as mere natives. If you ever open your eyes and go to the UK and hear how they talk about us and how they compare us to ROYALTY, you will understand where I am coming from.
But no way, that can never be, they say. The only devil there is, is Bush! It seems like all the blame is pointed at him. No one is mindful of the fact that the Foreign Office has a sinister agenda of acquiring and maintaining power.
Well,at least the Premier has notfallen victim so far in this attempt to frame him!
Of course it is an attempt to frame him as the only wrong his opponents can come up with is that he used the wrong fax machine!
I truly hope the opposition and independent members are not paying their advisers for their service, they truly are making a Mascot of the opposition! Don’t they at least have one brain child amongst them? A cat, a dog anyone!
As some of us guessed there was a real estate owner who wanted a bigger piece of the action from the Stan Thomas sale purchase. He is obviously mad with the premier for handling the sale! a sake if this magnitude would have some spirits rising, even if their hearts are unrehearsed.
The so called affidavit signed and handed to RCIP is full of ‘HEAR SAY and is very weak with no legs to stand on.The old folks told us long ago that Hear Say cannot go to court! This is ludicrous !
Realtors should educate people instead of misleading them. They should use their skill and expertise explaining to the people that a sale such as the one in question called for a clause with real estate sales language reading contingent upon planning approval! I am certain it had to be in the sales contract.
Why try to mislead people just because they don’t know anything about real estate sales, and how it works. This is so unfair to the people and unfair to the premier.
As soon as planning approves zoning for a property whether for Stan Thomas, me or you or anyone concerned as a seller; The next step is for cabinet or the realtor (in this case Mr. Bush) is required in writing to NOTIFY THE BUYER OF PLANNING APPROVAL!At that point the buyer is required to pay up any outstanding fees or commissions in order to consume the sale! This kind of politicking is absolutely ludicrous!
Sorry but the opposition lost again!
RCIP not only will take 2 yrs on this one but I believe Forever because if they dare
try to bring charges against the premier or anyone else on mere ‘HEAR SAY and an affidavit with third party content… Judge Henderson will not be the only high profile figure laughing all the way to the bank with a million dollar check or more……They know better! So will the premier.
The realtor in question using the opposition to fight the premier on this knows full well this is not a case and it is not going anywhere, its just another political football to mislead people who do not know any better.
It is a total sham.
In my humble Independent opinion this is an Investigation that is going nowhere.
Public speculation that perhaps there may have been an angry realtor other than Mr. McKeeva Bush
involving with the Stan Thomas sale purchase. This has been confirmed with findings that the other realtor’s service to Stan Thomas was limited to the role of mediator.
The person also submitted a sworn affidavit to RCIP. I have looked at it closely, and
the document appears to have third party information apart from the realtor admitting
he received 10,000 as mediator. I presume it was a referral fee.
This is real estate politics mixed with political party politics. Nothing more and nothing less.
Let us set the record straight HEAR SAY cannot go to court! This is ludicrous !
No doubt the sale was contingent upon cabinet approval of the rezoning this is usually
the language used in such contracts. Those who know nothing about R.E sales can easily be misled.
We should not mislead our people it is unfair to them and unfair to the premier and unfair to Cayman.
Such contracts require that as soon as planning or cabinet approves zoning for a property whether for Stan Thomas,or anyone making application;The next step is for the realtor/Mr. Bush or his Assistant, to NOTIFY THE BUYER OF PLANNING APPROVAL! This is done by way of a memo written to the buyer.Mr. Bush acting like a responsible CEO did notify his client of cabinet approval as soon as it was passed.
Mr. Bush appears to have done absolutely nothing wrong! RCIP not only will take 2 yrs on this one but I believe Forever Please, do not hold your breath. Should the RCIP try to bring charges against the premier on mere ‘HEAR SAY Judge Henderson will not be the only high profile figure laughing all the way to the bank with a million dollar check or more……I think the comm of police has that much legal sense. The opposition is using this perfectly legitimate situation to fight the premier on the political front. Anyone familiar with real estate sales if fully aware that there is nothing here to prosecute. In my opinion, in the absence of substantial evidence this accusation is indeed not going anywhere!
This is simply just another political football to mislead people who do not know any better.
The opposition again lost another battle against the premier.
Rather than having proponents and opponents of McKeeva proposing one hypothesis after another, all the Premier has to do is leak a copy of the agreement with Stan Thomas to the Compass as was done with the rest of the documents.
If there is no signed agreement with Stan Thomas for a commission to be paid then it is extortion, and abuse of public office necessarily follows.
Editor’s note: http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2012/05/10/Bush-s-real-estate–bill–obtained/