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Turks and Caicos governor and public prosecutor statements

Statements regarding visitors being arrested and charged with having ammunition found in their luggage when leaving Turks and Caicos released.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

JoAnn Meloche, Turks and Caicos Islands’ Director of Public Prosecutions, said:

Two individuals travelling to the United States from the TCI were charged by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force for carrying ammunition at the Providenciales International Airport on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 April 2013 respectively. Both have been released on $4,000 cash bail. The matters were adjourned to a sufficiency hearing before the Chief Justice on Friday 7 June 2013. The investigation into these incidents is ongoing.

Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Ric Todd, said:

I have received a high number of calls and emails from well meaning supplicants who mistakenly believe that I can or should intervene in an independent investigation and judicial process, seemingly on the basis that these are damaging the tourism sector here. I appreciate that these are most unfortunate incidents for everyone concerned, but the legal system in TCI is independent. I would therefore ask everyone to show restraint and allow the investigation and legal process to take its course and allow the authorities to complete their investigations.

Published 7 May 2013