A heated dispute between Governor Martyn Roper and former Deputy Premier Chris Saunders appears to have set off a chain of events that culminated with Saunders’ sudden exit from the PACT administration on Tuesday.
An email exchange between the two men and other Cabinet ministers, a portion of which was seen by the Cayman Compass, sheds light on what had been unfolding behind closed doors for weeks.
The row, during which the governor says he was told “go home, the sooner, the better”, escalated to the point where Saunders accused Roper of having made a “racist” comment; the disagreement is understood to have played a part in Saunders’ shock exit from the front bench this week.
In an email sent by Roper, he describes behaviour at a 10 Jan. Cabinet meeting as “astounding and unacceptable”.
While the governor doesn’t single out Saunders by name, he suggests some reactions during this meeting, including an accusation that comments he made about failure to pass a gambling bill were “racist”, were “likely” in breach of the Ministerial Code of Conduct.
In his reply, Saunders appears to accept that the comments refer to him and accuses Roper of continuously using language that is “imperialistic, offensive, and condescending in nature”.
Details of the conflict come just days before Roper’s departure after four-and-a-half years as the UK’s representative in Cayman.
Gambling Bill sparked conflict
The source of the conflict appears to be government’s decision not to vote to pass legislation increasing penalties for illegal gambling, but instead send it to a select committee.
The email thread, viewed by the Compass, shows that Roper had raised concerns about this during a Cabinet meeting in December 2022.
The subject appears to have come up again in a subsequent meeting, culminating in the tense exchange, and straining relations between the two men.
In an 11 Jan. message to all Cabinet ministers following that second stand-off, Roper states: “I accept that comments I made at the Government House Cabinet in December, around perceptions I had heard about why illegal gambling legislation was not passed, were uncomfortable.
“But to go from that to accusing me of racism and ‘go home, the sooner the better’ is frankly astounding and unacceptable. It is likely a breach of the Ministerial Code of Conduct.”
Saunders’ reply provides more detail in terms of the governor’s concerns around the bill and why the issue inflamed tensions at successive Cabinet meetings, indicating his belief that Roper had effectively insinuated there were links with criminals who run Cayman’s illegal lotteries.
“The comment that you made at the Cabinet meeting last December was not just “uncomfortable” – it was racist,” Saunders wrote.
“Your default position was that the government was controlled by organized crime. That’s the default thinking of people who see through a ‘particular’ lens,” he wrote.
The governor’s message acknowledges he did raise concerns about the gambling bill, and specifically how government not yet moving forward with an increase in penalties for the underground lottery could be perceived.
“The way to dispel any such perceptions, if they are indeed unfounded, is for lawmakers to uphold their obligations for the rule of law and pass the legislation. I have not heard any overwhelming arguments for delay,” Roper states.
Reserved power
Saunders also questions whether the governor may have encroached on the territory of elected legislators in seeking to influence the passage of the bill, which is currently with a select committee.
“Are Members of Parliament and Ministers of Cabinet subject to the direction or control of the Governor?” he asks in a missive that was copied to Attorney General Samuel Bulgin.
He also makes reference to the governor’s “previous threatening tone of the use of Section 81”, suggesting that Roper may have indicated an intent to use his reserved powers to introduce illegal-gambling legislation.
While he does not have the power to intervene in domestic affairs, the governor can enact legislation though Section 81, subject to approval from the UK, which is his reserved power.
Roper did this when he enacted the Civil Partnerships Act in 2020 after lawmakers voted down similar legislation in Parliament.
Bill in limbo
The Gambling Bill was sent to a select committee of the House for revisions amid concerns expressed during a parliamentary debate that it could criminalise ordinary citizens, particularly the elderly, who play the numbers.
During debate on the bill, Premier Wayne Panton and Deputy Governor Franz Manderson had suggested the local lottery games were linked to foreign “organised crime syndicates” that raked in up to $50 million a year.
Former Premier Alden McLaughlin was among those to highlight the prevalence of the local lottery games and indicate concerns that the bill risked a “draconian approach of sending masses of Caymanians to jail”.
It was ultimately shelved and referred to a bipartisan select committee with a view to coming up with appropriate revisions at a later date.
The governor appears to have been pressing for swifter action on this, citing his responsibility for law and order.
The Cabinet discussions around the bill came in the context of escalating armed robberies that police said were linked to the numbers games.
In a recent interview on the Cayman Compass Facebook talkshow, ‘The Resh Hour’, Roper reiterated his concerns about the impact of illegal gambling on efforts to keep Cayman safe.
“Our law enforcement experts advise me action is necessary and needed now to protect our community. I ask Cabinet colleagues to reconsider their positions and engage with the select committee process,” he said, alluding more recently to the delays in moving forward with the legislation.
Saunders, in his email, in reference to the governor’s apparent pressure to get the bill passed, added “You speak about upholding the rule of law as if we sit there and encourage lawlessness and you are the only one concerned. It is us Members of Parliament and Ministers of Cabinet that attends the funerals. It is us that console the families.”
Saunders suggests he was not the only one to take offence at the governor’s remarks, claiming that five out of eight Cabinet ministers had “left immediately” after the December meeting and “refused to break bread with you at what was to be your last Christmas lunch here”.
Wider accusations
While the governor’s apparent concerns about illegal gambling legislation were clearly the flashpoint for the row, Saunders seems to have gone on to detail wider accusations of disrespectful behaviour and made references to a “pigmentocracy”, citing pictures posted from events at Government House.
Saunders defends these views as being justified by the same “freedom of expression” that allowed the governor to opine on the Gambling Bill and perceptions of links to the criminal community.
“Because you didn’t like what I said I must now be reprimanded like some petulant child? Why? Because my opinion differed from yours? The year is 2023. Not 1823 or 1923,” he wrote in the email.
Despite that, Saunders appears to accept in the email, also dated 11 Jan., that the dispute could lead to his departure from Cabinet.
“If the Hon. Premier believes that I have nothing to offer his government, our Constitution is clear on what he can do,” he states, adding, as he did in his resignation statement this week, that the role of “MP” is more important to him than “DP”.
Governor defends his record and character
The governor’s email encouraged Cabinet ministers to observe the “highest standards, values and ethics”. It is not clear if he escalated his complaint about a “likely breach” of the ministerial code further.
At the time, he stated, “We must work to ensure that Cabinet can function effectively and that we carry out our roles with courtesy, dignity and mutual respect.
“I have worked extremely hard for Cayman and its community over 4 years, not least during Covid. I know fair-minded people recognise this. I will continue to do my utmost for the people of these Islands until I depart at the end of March.”
Reshma Ragoonath and James Whittaker contributed to this report.
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