Former TCI premier Michael Misick, two others found guilty in long-running corruption case

A judge will hear sentencing submissions on May 4 for former Turks and Caicos Islands premier Michael Misick and two co-defendants after they were found guilty on Wednesday on multiple corruption-related charges stemming from a decades-long investigation.

Justice Rajendra Narine delivered the verdict following a four-hour, judge-only hearing, convicting Misick, his brother attorney Thomas Chalmers “Chal” Misick, and former government minister McAllister Hanchell on a series of bribery and money laundering charges linked to alleged illicit payments and fraudulent land deals exceeding US$20 million.

The three men were granted bail pending sentencing but are barred from leaving the island. Bail was set at US$15 million for the former premier, US$13 million for his brother and US$4 million for Hanchell. The court is also expected to rule at a later date on the confiscation of properties valued at an estimated US$25 million.

Misick was found guilty of three counts of bribery related to transactions involving the Beaches resort group and Crown land on Salt Cay and West Caicos. Hanchell was convicted on two counts of bribery tied to land deals on Salt Cay and West Caicos, while Chal Misick was found guilty on four counts of money laundering.

The court heard that the scheme involved corrupt payments totalling approximately US$14.2 million linked to Salt Cay developments, US$4.7 million tied to West Caicos and about US$2 million connected to Beaches-related transactions.

Prosecutor Andrew Mitchell, KC, said the defendants accepted unlawful payments and inducements from developers in exchange for favourable government decisions concerning Crown land and development projects.

Michael Misick served as premier from 2006 to 2009 before resigning amid corruption allegations following a British Commission of Inquiry that found clear signs of financial misconduct and improper dealings involving Crown land.

After the inquiry exposed systemic abuses, the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team (SIPT) was established in 2010 to pursue criminal cases against former officials. Charges were first laid in 2011, but years of legal challenges and procedural hearings delayed the start of the trial until December 2015.

Misick was arrested in Brazil in December 2012 and later extradited to the Turks and Caicos Islands. He was convicted of accepting unlawful inducements between 2006 and 2008 from developers connected to the Logwood Development Company and related entities in exchange for acting contrary to the standards expected of public officials.

Chal Misick was convicted of concealing or disguising the proceeds of criminal conduct between 2003 and 2009, while Hanchell was found guilty of accepting inducements from developers and businessman Mario Hoffman in connection with land deals on West Caicos and Salt Cay.

When asked by the judge if they wished to address the court ahead of sentencing, the defendants indicated they would speak through their attorneys.

The case has spanned more than a decade and has been split into multiple proceedings due to plea deals, the withdrawal or death of some defendants and judicial changes, including the death of Justice Paul Harrison in 2021. The first related trial concluded in September 2023 with convictions for former ministers Floyd Hall and Clayton Greene on bribery and money laundering charges.

The current trial involving Misick, Hanchell and Chal Misick began on Dec. 2, 2024, and concluded its evidentiary phase on June 6, 2025. All three defendants elected not to testify or call witnesses in their defence.

caribbeannationalweekly.com