The Tribune

A decade-long corruption trial in the Turks and Caicos Islands ended on Wednesday with guilty verdicts against the territory’s former premier, his brother and a former cabinet minister, closing one of the most consequential legal sagas in the country’s modern political history, according to reporting by the Miami Herald.

The case centred on allegations that senior officials accepted bribes and illicit benefits in exchange for selling government-owned land at steep discounts to developers during a period of rapid resort development. A judge found that the scheme involved tens of millions of dollars in loans, luxury property and financial perks tied to controversial land deals across several islands.

Michael Misick, the former premier, was convicted alongside his brother, attorney Thomas Chalmers “Chal” Misick, and McAllister “Piper” Hanchell, the former minister of lands and natural resources. Justice Rajendra Narine ruled that the men engaged in bribery, conspiracy to defraud the Crown and the Turks and Caicos government, and violations of the Proceeds of Crime Ordinance, following a four-hour hearing in Providenciales that was broadcast publicly.

The court found that Michael Misick knowingly received inducements to grant favourable concessions and Crown land to developers, including a multimillion-dollar loan, a luxury villa and access to an elite credit card that financed millions of dollars in spending. Narine concluded that the evidence supported the inference that the benefits were accepted intentionally in exchange for corrupt acts.

Hanchell was found guilty of accepting bribes connected to land deals on Salt Cay and West Caicos, with the judge rejecting arguments that his personal wealth made corruption implausible. Chal Misick was convicted on multiple counts of money laundering, with the court linking him to transactions used to cover debts and expenses connected to the scheme.

The verdicts come more than two years after a related case involving other members of the former government produced mixed outcomes. The broader investigation, sparked by allegations of systemic corruption, led Britain to suspend self-governance in the Turks and Caicos Islands from 2009 to 2012 after a commission of inquiry found widespread abuse of power.

The prosecution argued that the corruption was tied to resort developments, particularly projects involving Salt Cay, where vast tracts of Crown land were transferred or leased at discounted rates. The judge found that payments and benefits flowed to officials while developers received land concessions reserved for locals, despite not qualifying for that status.

All three men remain on bail and are barred from leaving the country as they await sentencing on May 4. The court increased their bail amounts, and prosecutors said they will seek to confiscate tens of millions of dollars in assets, the Miami Herald reported.