GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, (Reuters) – Embattled Cayman Islands Premier McKeeva Bush faced growing pressure to resign yesterday after his arrest on suspicion of theft and corruption in the offshore Caribbean financial center.
A defiant Bush, who has blamed his troubles on the governor of the British overseas territory, has said since his detention that he did nothing wrong and has no plans to step down.
But opposition leader Alden McLaughlin, who took the first steps toward getting the premier removed by parliament on Friday, has publicly called on members of Bush’s own cabinet to oust him and appoint someone from their own ranks to serve as head of the government.
“Mr. Bush is plainly treating the matter of his arrest with utter impunity and is determined to return to business as usual,” McLaughlin said in a televised address on Thursday night.
“It is untenable that for the foreseeable future, business people will have to explain to any foreign investor or person doing business in Cayman how it is that the premier of the Cayman Islands continues in office after having been arrested and bailed on suspicion of having committed serious offenses,” he said.
Bush, 57, was arrested on Tuesday by members of the Financial Crime Unit of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. He was released on police bail until February, pending the possible filing of criminal charges against him.
Authorities have declined to give specific details of the probe targeting Bush, saying only that it included allegations of theft and misuse of a government credit card.
