The inquiry into the alleged missing government files after former Permanent Secretary – and now Minister of Tourism – Charles Clifford resigned was conducted by Gloria McField-Nixon.
Mrs. McField-Nixon, who is now the Chief Officer or Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, assumed the acting PS post after Mr. Clifford resigned.
In a letter to Mr. Clifford dated 3 February 2005, former Governor Bruce Dinwiddy acknowledge that Mr. Clifford had requested an investigation into the accusations by then Leader of Government Business McKeeva Bush.
‘There has already been an internal inquiry into this matter, undertaken at my request, by then Acting Permanent Secretary Ms Gloria McField, on 6-7 September,’ Mr. Dinwiddy wrote.
Mr. Clifford resigned as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Development and Commerce as of 31 July, 2004 and announced his intention to run for political office a few weeks later.
Mr. Bush accused Mr. Clifford of taking Ministry files with him when he left, including files dealing with the Turtle Farm, Cayman Airways, the Port Authority and on some works along Boggy Sand Road.
In his letter to Mr. Clifford, Mr. Dinwiddy stated he requested Ms McField ‘to confirm to me urgently the subjects for which papers were believed to be missing and when the papers had last been seen I the Ministry’.
Mr. Dinwiddy went on to say Ms McField informed him the next day that the files on the Turtle Farm, Cayman Airways and the Port Authority were all intact, and there was no evidence suggesting there had ever been a ministry file created on the Boggy Sands Road project.
The letter also stated that Ms McField had explained that a search of Mr. Clifford’s office had revealed some empty file covers labelled ‘Port Redevelopment’ and ‘Cayman Islands Turtle Farm Redevelopment’.
Although the letter states Ms McField reported she did not know what the missing files contained, she indicated to Mr. Dinwiddy that it would have been normal for Mr. Clifford as a board member of the Port Authority, the Turtle Farm and Cayman Airways, to hold and retain copies of minutes and papers circulated for discussion.
‘I was given to understand that directors resigning from, e.g. the CAL board, had never been instructed to return their personal papers and that these normally continued to be held by directors as evidence of their contribution to the proceedings,’ Mr. Dinwiddy wrote.
In view of the response from Ms McField, and after consultation with the Attorney General, Mr. Dinwiddy stated that he had decided not to investigate the matter further and that he had informed Mr. Bush of that decision in a memorandum dated 9 September.
Mr. Dinwiddy also confirmed that Mr. Bush was not aware of Ms McField’s inquiry, or the outcome of it, at the time of the Legislative Assembly Finance Committee meeting in which the accusations Mr. Clifford took ministry files were made.
In a response to the Governor on 15 February, 2005, Mr. Bush he was ‘amazed’ at the memorandum he received form the Governor the day before concerning the alleged missing Ministry of Tourism papers.
‘What is most amazing is that you could conduct this ‘inquiry’ without reference to me, or to the officer who acted as Mr. Clifford’s personal secretary,’ Mr. Bush wrote. ‘Not having had sight of either your letter to Mrs. McField-Nixon or her reply to you, I can only tell you the result of my own actions and my own investigation.’
Mr. Bush eventually wrote to Chief Secretary George McCarthy about the matter on 15 April, 2005. In his response to that memorandum on 22 April, Mr. McCarthy suggested Mr. Bush get two staff members – if they were prepared to – to provide written confirmation about the removal of files; about the content of the files; about whether the files were personal or office copies; and whether the alleged removal of files was ever communicated to the then Acting Permanent Secretary [Ms McField-Nixon] or anyone else in the office.
At least one staff member – Mr. Clifford’s personal assistant at the time of his resignation – responded to the Chief Secretary’s and provided a memorandum about the missing files. Mr. Bush read portions of that letter during debate in the Legislative Assembly last week, and provided a copy of the document to the Caymanian Compass on the condition the signatory’s name was not revealed.
Last week, after the allegations concerning the missing files rose afresh in proceedings in Legislative Assembly, Mr. Clifford said the files he took from his office were in fact copies of minutes of board meeting of which he took part.
However, the memorandum to the Chief Secretary stated that in the opinion of the writer, the files were not personal, and even included copies of Executive Council/Cabinet extracts, which are confidential.
‘…They contained office correspondence as a result of him being appointed on the various boards and committees in his capacity as PS for the Ministry of [Tourism, Environment, Development and Commerce],’ the memorandum stated.
Mr. Clifford suggested last week Mr. Bush might have coerced the memorandum from the Ministry staff member.
‘The only comment I have on the alleged affidavit from a former Ministry staff member is that I am aware that Mr. Bush tried to intimidate every staff member in the Ministry at the time into signing affidavits stating that I had removed Ministry files.’
On Friday, Mr. Bush denied that he intimidated anyone to sign an affidavit.
‘This was not my suggestion; this was the suggestion of the Chief Secretary, George McCarthy,’ he said.
‘I was truthful then, what I told the public, and I’m being truthful today,’ he said.
Mr. Bush said Mr. Clifford used the missing documents – including confidential Cabinet extracts and Cabinet papers – to derail his election campaign.
‘In wanting the seat I held, he took advantage of his position to sabotage me.’
Mr. Bush said he believes Mr. Clifford gave the documents to Cayman Net News ‘so that stories could be blown out of proportion so that people would think I was doing nefarious things.’
Mr. Clifford
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