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All We Need to Do is Ask for It
The key to the Enron Scandal may be in the Cayman Islands
by Tamara Baker
April 22, 2002 -- SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA (APJP) -- I just discovered something over the weekend that I wanted to share with everyone.
Remember how the media has reported about how the Enron partnerships and shell corporations were all set up in places such as the Caymans, because, it was implied, those places would fiercely repel any US attempts at scrutiny?
Well, it turns out that the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, the entity responsible for regulating Caymans monetary matters, is in fact more than willing to assist any official US group or individual who makes, in an official capacity, a request to examine any and all financial matters pertaining to the Enron partnerships that were set up in the Caymans. They're said so, in very clear terms, as this February 8, 2002 press release shows:
The Government of the Cayman Islands confirms its ability to
respond to requests for assistance from the United States
government in its ongoing Enron investigation. Through
established regulatory, law enforcement and treaty channels,
information exchange occurs frequently between the U. S. and
the Cayman Islands governments on a range of issues. To date,
no formal request has been made by U. S. authorities for
information on the Enron matter.Since 1990, the Cayman Islands government has provided
information on criminal matters to the U. S. Department of
Justice over 200 times. That exchange has taken place through
the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty. The Cayman Islands was
the second jurisdiction in the world to sign such a treaty
with the U. S.The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) has a well-
established working relationship with the Office of
International Affairs of the U. S. Securities and Exchange
Commission, which has facilitated mutual assistance. Any
request in the Enron matter would be treated in accordance
with Sections 30 and 43 of the Monetary Authority Law (2001
Revision), which provides for full cooperation with overseas
regulators. One of the principal functions of the Authority
is to provide assistance to overseas regulatory authorities
and it is always ready to carry out that responsibility.
Well.
Isn't it interesting that none of the governmental bodies under George W. Bush's nominal command are the least little bit interested in bestirring themselves enough to make such a request? (You know darned well that if Clinton were involved, this would have been done months ago.)
But wait!
The Bush Administration and its media allies may want to pretend that nothing can be done to get the Enron data from the allegedly-evil Caymanites, but what about the Senate? You know, that governmental body with Finance and other committees? Committees with the authority to request documents from the Caymans? Committees currently controlled by Democrats?
Hmm.
Sounds like it's time to start calling up some Senators.
The Majority (meaning Democrat) Phone Number for the Senate Finance Committee is (202) 224-4515.
Cayman Islands Monetary Authority Contact Details:
Cayman Islands Monetary Authority
P.O. Box 10052 APO
Elizabethan Square 80e
Shedden Road
Grand Cayman
Cayman Islands
BWI
General Office: 345-949-7089
Fax: 345-949-2532
Copyright © 2002, Bryan Zepp Jamieson.