(L to R) Mrs Rosemary Wetherell, Gordon Wetherell, Acting Governor, Mahala
Wynns and Hubert Hughes, Deputy Commissioner of Police
By Tess Hennigan
Caribbean Net News Staff Reporter
Email tess@caribbeannetnews.com
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands: The Governor designate to the Turks and Caicos Islands, Gordon Wetherell, arrived in the country on Monday, amid unconfirmed reports that the Commissioner of Police, Edward Hall, allegedly has been, or is about to be relieved of his duties.
Mr Wetherell, accompanied by his wife and daughter, was met at the Providenciales International Airport by the Acting Governor, Mahala Wynns; Deputy Commissioner of Police, Hubert Hughes; John Farrand, Head of Governor's Office along with Shem Clarke, ADC and Alanzo Malcolm, Deputy Director of Immigration.
However, normal protocol would have required that the arriving governor be met at the airport by Police Commissioner Hall, along with other senior government officials. In the official photograph, the acting governor is shown with Deputy Commissioner Hughes in place of Hall. Commissioner Hall is the brother of Jeffery Hall, Minister of Housing.
Several unconfirmed reports have reached Caribbean Net News over the weekend, that Hall allegedly has been, or is about to be relieved of his duties, and observers have therefore attached some significance to the fact that he was not present at the airport to greet the arriving governor.
Attempts by Caribbean Net News over the weekend and on Monday, which was a public holiday in the Turks and Caicos, to obtain official confirmation or comment were unsuccessful up to press time.
On his arrival in the Turks and Caicos, the Governor designate said he has a keen anticipation and looks forward to not only having a productive time here, but an enjoyable one also.
"I come with a lot of good wishes from a lot of people in Britain," said Wetherell, "Beginning with Her Majesty the Queen, and members of government and a lot of well wishes in civil society in Britain for the Turks and Caicos Islands."
Having previously worked as Ambassador in Luxembourg and Ethiopia, and Counselor and Deputy Head of Mission in Warsaw, Poland, Wetherell's early career saw him stationed in Chad, where he worked as Third Secretary and Vice Consul, and in Germany as Third, then later Second Secretary.
At the start of the 1980s, Wetherell was stationed in New Delhi as Political First Secretary. Additionally, he has also spent time in Britain, working for the Treasury Department and NATO Defence Department.
With regard to his posting in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Governor designate noted that he has many interests, most deriving from the enormous progress that the Islands have made over the past few years; case in point, the very marked economic development. "This is one area that I look forward to being involved in," said Wetherell, "which I hope will continue developing."
Nonetheless, there were a number of other areas of importance as well, he noted, across the whole range of government, where the constitution gives the Governor particular responsibility. To this, he said: "I look forward to tackling those in cooperation with the government here, and the elected authorities of the country."
Wetherell’s arrival was originally announced for the third week of August but appears to have been moved up, possibly because of controversy surrounding the appointment of a Commission of Enquiry by former governor, Richard Tauwhare, just five days before his departure from the TCI earlier this month. He will be sworn in on Tuesday.
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