Ilkley developer leaves Caribbean island (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Ilkley developer leaves Caribbean island

9:00am Tuesday 14th February 2012 in Ilkley By Jonathan Redhead

A property developer has left the Caribbean islands where he is facing criminal charges after being accused of bribing members of the former Government.

Solicitors acting for Richard Padgett, from Denton, near Ilkley, said the businessman has left the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), where he spent several years attempting to build a luxury hotel and spa resort.

They did not reveal where Mr Padgett has gone, but confirmed he is not due back in Court on the islands until April.

The solicitors, Manchester-based Pannone, confirmed they are representing Mr Padgett, but would not comment on the charges he faces, which allege the businessman and his company Oceanpoint Developments, paid more than $1 million to former deputy prime minister Floyd Hall and his Progressive National Party, during attempted construction of the Third Turtle Club in Providenciales.

“We can confirm that Sara Teasdale of Pannone is instructed to defend Mr Padgett in relation to the allegations that he faces,” a spokesman for Pannone said. “It would be inappropriate at this stage of the proceedings to comment in any way as to the detail of these allegations.

“However Mr Padgett will be responding to these allegations in due course in the appropriate forum, which is the Supreme Court of the TCI.”

It is understood Mr Padgett and eight other people, including Mr Hall, and three other former ministers, will all appear before court again to face various charges including money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the TCI Government.

The charges were filed by a Special Investigation and Prosecution Team (SIPT) set up in the wake of the British Government’s suspension of the TCI constitution and its imposition of direct British rule.

The charges against Mr Padgett relate to alleged payments uncovered by a Commission of Inquiry in 2009, led by Sir Robin Auld, the UK’s former Lord Chief Justice of Appeal, and concern the Third Turtle Club and Spa.

The building of the club, which stopped in 2010, despite Mr Padgett allegedly spending more than $20m on it, was strongly opposed by local people.