Paradise lost? British government urged to investigate ‘climate of fear’ on Turks and Caicos

Witnesses too frightened to give evidence as intimidation and brutality grip the idyllic islands By Bridget Morris LURID TALES of corruption, intimidation and brutality on far-flung paradise islands owned by Britain have triggered calls for an urgent Foreign Office inquiry into the way that UK overseas territories govern themselves. With their palm-fringed beaches and coral reefs, the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) enjoy a reputation as a favoured destination for tourists looking for some Caribbean sunshine. But beneath the tropical idyll, the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) found "a palpable climate of fear" which could have come straight from the pages of a Graham Greene novel. In a highly critical report, the committee accused the Foreign Office of being "too hands off" amid concerns about "rampant" corruption... [read full story]