Environment Minister Dwayne Seymour has issued a response to a claim in a judicial review application that he did not disclose a conflict of interest last December, when he presented a paper to Cabinet that recommended a developer be granted a coastal works permit.
The judicial review application states that Minister Seymour presented a Cabinet paper last December that recommended Cayman resident Marcus Cumber be granted a works permit to construct a dock on his property at Vista del Mar. The judicial review application filed by the proprietors of the nearby Salt Creek claims the development minister did not disclose in the paper that he is a business associate of Cumber.
Cumber denied last week that he has any business relationship with the minister, and Seymour made similar refutations on Monday.
“While Mr. Cumber has confirmed that I have never had a business relationship with him, I would also like to note that the only business that I own is registered at the Legislative Assembly, where it is available by appointment for public review,” stated Seymour, whose sole declared business is the airport security firm Airport Professional Services.
Minister Seymour also rebutted claims in the judicial review application that Cumber’s planned dock is more than 2,000% longer than the six-foot maximum.
“Adjustments were also made to accommodate neighbours using the same canal,” Seymour stated. “It is also worth noting that the length of the dock was never in breach of restrictions as has been publicly reported.”
The minister added that the coastal works permit was unanimously approved by the quorum of Cabinet members.
“Originally submitted in 2014, the final application was the result of considerable dialogue between Mr. Cumber and public sector officials, including experts from the Department of Environment and the Port Authority,” he stated, adding, “In the end, the matter was only unanimously approved by the requisite quorum of members of Cabinet after the applicant repeatedly demonstrated that he was willing to take on board input from Government and the community.”
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