The Turks and Caicos Special Investigation Prosecution Team (“SIPT”) Reports that Sandals Resort Internationalhas agreed to pay the Turks and Caicos government $12 million to resolve an investigation into bribery and money laundering.

Sandals operates the Beaches Resort in Turks and Caicos, and it recently purchased the former Veranda Resort property as part of an expansion in The Caribbean Islands. Turks and Caicos is a self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom located approximately 600 miles from Miami, Florida.

In 2008, there were several reports of high-level corruption to the British Parliament’s foreign Affairs Select Committee in Turks and Caicos. Then in 2009, the widespread government corruption in the Turks and Caicos led to the United Kingdom to impose direct rule but returned the island nation to democratic government at the general election.

The country’s Premier Michael Misick was charged with having built up a multi-million dollar fortune since he was elected in 2003, when he declared assets of only $50,000 by selling off “crown land to fund current investment.” Mr. Misick was wanted for corruption charges, and in 2012 he fled to avoid arrest, but was picked up in Brazil in the Rio de Janeiro airport.

A statement from Turks and Caicos said the SIPT  and the Turks and Caicos government have reached an agreement with Sandal Resort due “in part to the cooperation of the company with the United States authorities to a degree that has been acknowledged to be both extraordinary and unique and included the early and voluntary release of valuable evidence that has been shared with the SIPT,” the SIPT said regarding the matter.

The agreement involves no admission of liability according to the SIPT. It says the agreement and the payout relate to the resort company’s cooperation with a US investigation and voluntary release of evidence that was shared with the special prosecutor’s office in Turk and Caicos.

No other details were provided on the agreement.

If you think you have a lawsuit against Sandals or any other resort in any of the Caribbean Islands, Florida, South Florida, Tampa, Sarasota, Ft. Myers, Naples, Jacksonville, Port Canaveral, Ft. Pierce, Pt. St. Lucie, Stuart, Jupiter, Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Plantation, Davie, Dania, Pompano Beach, Hollywood, Miami, or Key west, please contact Peter M. Commette, P.A. with any questions.