| Charges dropped against Civre for $4,750,000 | | Print | |
| Written by Richard Green/richard@fptci.com | |||
| Friday, 06 July 2012 11:44 | |||
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Bribery charges against millionaire developer Jak Civre have been dropped in return for his payment of $4,750,000 plus $250,000 in costs, Attorney General Huw Shepheard announced July 5. “I took this decision having considered the public interest, primarily because of Mr. Civre’s age and state of health,” Shepheard said in a press release. “I consider this to be a proper and proportionate outcome of the case against him.” Civre, developer of Seven Stars, was charged with bribery for giving one of former government Minister Floyd Hall’s businesses $150,000 the day before elections in 2007. He has said the payment was a campaign contribution, not a bribe. “I have been under for investigation for almost two years now,” Civre said in a July 5 press statement. “While I have always maintained my innocence of any crime whatsoever, the strain of that investigation has had a severe effect upon both my health and the well being of my family. After careful consideration, I have therefore decided to agree to enter into a civil recovery order to avoid any further lengthy and contested proceedings. It is a huge relief to me that this case is now over.” This is the second time the attorney general has taken cash in a civil settlement of criminal prosecution in cases brought by the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team (SIPT). In December Shepheard agreed to accept $1.25 million from U.K. businessman John Gill to settle all criminal and civil issues discovered by SIPT. No details of the allegations against Gill have been revealed. Gill was once a business partner of developer Richard Padgett, and together they bought the Blue Horizon Resort on Middle Caicos. Gill is now sole owner of the property. Padgett has been charged with bribery for paying government ministers to get special treatment on his stalled Third Turtle development. Charges are still pending. In Gill’s case, Shepheard explained that the 2007 Proceeds of Crime Ordinance allows the attorney general to seek the recovery of property from a person who has not been convicted of a crime, even though that person could be charged and prosecuted. Property also can be recovered after prosecutions, but the SIPT recommended civil recovery in Gill’s case instead of prosecution. “The prosecution of those persons who are suspected of serious crime and charged with offences as a result of the SIPT’s investigation will continue,” Shepheard said in the announcement in Civre’s case. “The Crown will also continue vigorously and wherever possible to recover assets that are the proceeds of wrongdoing.”
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