Overseas Rep apologizes for oversight

(CMR) Cayman's UK Overseas Rep issued an apology for what she calls “an oversight” earlier on Tuesday morning. CMR investigations revealed that Dr. Tasha Ebanks-Garcia was working without the proper documentation in the United Kingdom for almost a year before anyone noticed.

Initially contacted Saturday morning with several questions Dr. Garcia finally responded three days later confirming both the details of her appointment and how the error occurred.

She confirmed that her contract was signed in March 2021 for the position with the Ministry of International Trade, Investment, Aviation and Maritime Affairs. However, soon after her appointment and the general election the responsibility for the UK Office was transferred to the Cabinet Office and she joined the Cabinet Office on 1st May 2021.

This transition meant that her chief officer was no longer Eric Bush but Samuel Rose.

She also confirmed what CMR previously reported, that she traveled to the UK on July 10, 2021, with her Canadian passport. Noting that:

“As a Caymanian who was born in Canada, I possess Caymanian status, like many other Caymanians who are born overseas. On entering the UK I was open and clear with the border control officer that I was starting a new post as the Cayman Islands Government Representative to the UK; there was no concern raised.”

She went on to say that she “commenced the steps necessary for obtaining a British passport in April 2021; starting with being naturalised as a British Overseas Territories Citizen. I was naturalised on 14 September 2021.”

It is unclear why a year later she still does not have the passport.  It allows appears that she has not yet applied for it. Despite that, she denies any knowledge that there was an issue until she returned to Cayman on March 31, 2022. It was at that time that her chief officer informed her questions were being asked about her work status in the United Kingdom. She was then told she should get her British passport sorted.

She notes that she has now taken corrective action.

There has been no official word on what is happening with Chris Duggan in the Washington, DC office after it was revealed that he also found himself overseas without the proper immigration paperwork in order.