West Bay West MP McKeeva Bush appeared in court this morning charged with rape and indecent assault stemming from an alleged incident in 2000, police have confirmed.
Bush, 68, appeared via Zoom around 10am after attending the Cayman Islands Detention Centre on Wednesday, an RCIPS statement said.
The brief statement by police, which did not name Bush, but described him as a “senior politician” confirmed he had been arrested and formally charged with rape and indecent assault “in relation to a criminal complaint of a sexual nature dating back to 2000”.
Bush did not enter a plea in court Wednesday, and the matter was adjourned.
The former premier strenuously denies the charges and indicated his intention to plead not guilty at the first opportunity, saying he has “no connection whatsoever” with the woman who had made the allegations.
In a statement, sent to the Compass via WhatsApp, he indicated his belief that the charges were “malicious”.
He added, “All I have to say in relation to this, the latest in a series of malicious charges against me, is ‘truth will come out'”.
Bush suggested the timing of the charges was political.
“I am due to travel in a couple weeks time overseas, representing the Cayman Islands at the Commonwealth Parliamentary business session, and here comes this malicious accusation and charge against me, said to have occurred 20 years ago.”
Bush – who was tried and acquitted on corruption-related charges in 2014 in relation to alleged misuse of his government credit card – characterised the latest accusations against him as part of a pattern of politically-motivated persecution.
“I hereby declare that I make no apologies for my unswerving commitment to justice and human rights on behalf of those without a voice,” he claimed, referencing his recent efforts to raise the issue of reform of banks mortgage lending practices.
He went on to reference Marcus Garvey, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King as “known freedom fighters who were put in jail”.
You can read his full statement here:
In a separate message, he added he claimed the case was another attempt to “degrade” him and embarrass his wife and bankrupt him with legal costs.
“Now I have to fight on – and I will do another round of battle with them,” he said.
Back in November police said Bush was under investigation for an allegation of sexual assault, dating back more than two decades.
No further details of the alleged sexual assault were made public.
However, police said at the time that Bush had been made aware of the complaint.
Under Cayman Islands law, complainants in sexual assault cases cannot be named.
The case will now come before the Grand Court on 7 July. In the meantime, according to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Bush is subject to bail conditions that include handing over his passport, remaining in Cayman and barring any contact with the complainant.
The ODPP added that, while no bail bond has been set for these charges, Bush remains subject to a $950 personal security. This is in relation to separate, unconnected charges currently before the courts.
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