FORMER SPEAKER BUSH FORMALLY CHARGED WITH ASSAULT

Former Speaker of Parliament McKeeva Bush has been arrested and formally charged with two counts each of Indecent Assault and Common Assault (in the alternative).

A brief statement by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service(RCIPS) confirming this new development said it was in relation to an incident occurring at a formal event at the Ritz Carlton Hotel on 13 September 2022.

While it didn’t give any further details, Mr Bush who resigned from the Speaker’s chair last October is alleged to have been involved in an incident at that hotel on the date mentioned.

A subsequent series of police and political issues emanated from that with Mr Bush now sitting in Parliament as an independent MP for his West Bay West constituency.

The matter featured prominently in the public domain last year with the RCIPS issuing cautiously-worded statements.

September 14th initial release: “The RCIPS is aware of social media reports circulating of an incident/incidents of assault involving a senior politician on two women, which occurred at a formal event at the Ritz Carlton Hotel on West Bay Road, last night, 13 September. No formal complaint has yet been made to the RCIPS by either of the women concerned. The RCIPS has commenced an investigation and will interview both women to ascertain whether a complaint/complaints are to be made. There is no further information available at this time.”

October 5th: “Following a number of media enquiries on the matter, the Commissioner of Police confirms that the investigation file on the incident involving a senior politician on Tuesday, 13 September, is nearing completion, and will be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions.”

There were calls for Mr Bush to vacate the Speaker’s chair by both outgoing Governor HE Martyn Roper and Hon. Premier Wayne Panton while the investigation was ongoing

He resigned on October 12th 2022,

He was due to appear in court today to answer the charges.