Turks & Caicos premier allegedly assaults opposition MP
Published on Monday, July 16, 2007

GRAND TURK, Turks & Caicos Islands: A confrontation on Thursday evening between the premier of the Turks & Caicos Islands, Michael Misick, and an opposition Member of Parliament, Arthur Robinson, reportedly led to Robinson being punched in the chest several times by Misick.

The incident apparently stems from an attempt by Robinson, along with Shaun Malcolm, national chairman of the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) opposition party, to videotape Misick’s return to the country by private jet on Thursday evening at around 6:15 pm.

According to Robinson, the PDM opposition planned a press conference on Thursday night at which they accused Misick of being an “absentee premier”, given that he reportedly spends the bulk of his time in California, and elsewhere out of the country.

The opposition suspects that Misick got wind of this in California and hurriedly flew back to the country on Thursday evening so that he could assert that he had been in the country all the time and thus accuse the opposition of lying.

However, Robinson and Malcolm videotaped Misick’s arrival at the airport in order to provide evidence to the contrary but, after doing so, and when they were leaving the vicinity of the airport, they were accosted by Misick and his armed bodyguards, who reportedly confiscated the video camera belonging to Malcolm being used for this purpose.

Robinson claims that Misick himself reportedly punched him (Robinson) five or six times in the chest.

In separate interviews with Caribbean Net News, both Robinson and Malcolm confirmed the reports and added that, subsequent to the alleged assault on Robinson by Misick, the premier’s office attempted to persuade the local police not to accept complaints in the matter from the opposition politicians.
This has led to further claims of obstruction of justice by the opposition politicians, as the police force in the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British Overseas Territory, is under the control of the governor, not the elected government.

In a bizarre twist to the story, one of the members of Misick’s entourage allegedly involved in the fracas was American television actor Duane Martin, who appears in the sitcom “All of Us” with Misick’s wife, Hollywood actress Lisa-Raye McCoy.

According to Malcolm, Martin, a US citizen, was allowed to by-pass the customary immigration and customs procedures when entering the Turk & Caicos Islands on Thursday evening in company with Misick.
When contacted by Caribbean Net News, a spokesperson for the Turks & Caicos police confirmed that they have received a report of the incident in question and an investigation is currently underway.

Attempts to reach the offices of the governor and the premier were unsuccessful at the time of writing.

http://caymannetnews.com/news-459--1-1--.html

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Support for Turks Island premier remains strong in Grand Bahama

By BARBARA WALKIN
Senior FN Reporter
Support of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Premier Michael Misick remains strong among Turks Islanders living in Grand Bahama, in the aftermath of publicized allegations of an altercation between Misick and opposition Member of Parliament Arthur Robinson.

According to an online report dated July 16, a heated incident between the two men resulted in Misick allegedly punching Robinson in the chest several times.

The article claims that the incident stemmed from an attempt by Robinson and Shaun Malcolm, national chairman of the opposition People's Democratic Movement (PDM) party, to videotape Misick returning to the country via private jet the evening of Thursday, July 12.

In the report Robinson said that the PDM planned a press conference at which they accused Misick of being an "absentee Premier," spending most of his time in California, with his actress wife, Lisa Rae.

The videotape was to provide evidence to solidify their case against Misick.

Reports further allege that Robinson and Malcolm were accosted by Misick and his bodyguards and the video camera confiscated. It was at this point, Robinson claimed that Misick reportedly punched him in the chest several times.

"I don't believe that the Premier should have let his temper get out of hand to the point that he lashed out at someone in public physically," said Lynn Adams, a Turks Island descendant, who now resides in Grand Bahama. "When we first heard about his engagement to Lisa Rae, some Turks Islanders were not too happy about it. A lot of things happened. Information leaked about her and people were upset that he was marrying an American instead of a girl from his hometown. But eventually that passed, they were married and life went on. There have been a lot of new developments in TCI and I believe that the Premier is doing a good job as a leader."

However, said Adams, "if he did get into a public confrontation with the Opposition Member of Parliament, I give him wrong. As the leader of a country he should be able to constrain himself in situations, no matter how frustrating."

Adams noted that she continues to support the leadership of Misick 100 percent, "but I pray he learns from this mistake. People have been trying to bring him down long before this, because he is a young man focused on bringing his country into the 21st Century.

"He should be mindful that God placed him as Premier of the country for a second term and stay focused on being a good leader."

Adams was not the only Turks Islander expressing these sentiments.

"My support for the Premier does not falter because of this allege assault," said Yvette Walkin, who migrated to The Bahamas in 1965.

"The spirit of God don't strive with man always and there are times, after being harassed and aggravated a person can become frustrated and lash out."

But, Walkin said, she does not condone the physical assault that reports claim Misick had with Robinson.

"Getting into a fist fight in public is not becoming of a leader of any country," said Ebenezer Forbes, a long time resident of Grand Bahama, who migrated in the early 60's from Providenciales (Provo). "The Premier, I believe, could have handled that matter in a different way. He should not have allowed another man to upset him that much to cause him to draw blows in public."

But, added Forbes, "I will continue to support him. He is a young man providing opportunities in Turks Island for young Turks Islanders and young Bahamians with Turks Island ties."

Forbes noted that as a young man himself, the Premier should remember that other young men are looking up to him. "So, he must not let people cause him to look bad in public or otherwise. I find that he is a good example to all young people and I continue to pray for him that something like this don't happen again," added Forbes.

"Support for the Premier has not shaken here," said real estate agent Chevette McPhee, in a phone interview from Provo yesterday. She noted that the Premier's office is denying he had an altercation with Robinson.

Instead, McPhee noted, it is being said that his bodyguards took the camera away from Robinson, who had no permission to be taping the Premier.

"As for Robinson and others claiming that he is an absentee leader, well all I can say is that the country is still running properly and there are developments coming on stream," she added.

But, like Turks Islanders in Grand Bahama, McPhee's only displeasure was the way it is alleged the Premier handled the matter. "If in fact an assault did occur, He should have remembered that he is the leader of the country and not stoop to a fist fight in public," said McPhee.


http://freeport.nassauguardian.net/national_local/307181684037822.php

Turks and Caicos version of Keod and Kenyatta!

Missick went hollywood for a ordinary merican. LOL....

At least she een ask for no visa under the table...or did she!?!?!

Missick went hollywood for a ordinary merican. LOL....
At least she een ask for no visa under the table...or did she!?!?!


Would they have that problem, seeing that they are still British? And someone should have told her about distant marriages much less relationships.......IN POLITICS.

Anyhow it sounds like his government is on a good course. i wish he handled it much better than that.