A senior lawyer in the Turks and Caicos Islands Attorney General’s Office has made a report to the police alleging that he was physically assaulted by Attorney General Huw Shepheard.
Police sources confirmed to that an official report was made by veteran prosecutor Leonard Franklyn who claimed that the incident occurred on Thursday December 1st, in the Attorney General’s office.
RTC News understands that Franklyn has since been placed on administrative leave with full pay, but Government officials are saying that this disciplinary action was imposed because of a heated exchange which occurred prior to the alleged incident, and not because Franklyn reported the AG to the police.
In a press statement, spokesman in the Governor’s Office Neil Smith, said: “We can confirm that a member of the Attorney General’s Chambers has been placed on administrative leave under Ordinance 8.1.11 on full pay and until further notice, following an incident yesterday, Thursday, 1 December 2011. The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force is investigating a complaint in relation to this incident.”
Police officials say they will have to take formal statements from both Shepheard and Franklyn and do a thorough investigation in order to determine whether any charges will be brought.
Shepheard, a barrister from the UK, has held the office of Crown Counsel and served as Acting Deputy Solicitor-General in the Bermudan Attorney General’s Chambers since 2007.
His previous positions have included work for a local authority in Wales and within central government for Her Majesty’s Procurators-General and Treasury Solicitor in London.
Franklyn, native of St. Vincent who also holds citizenship of the Turks and Caicos Islands, has been in the AG’s Chambers for more than two decades.
