A complaint verified by Former Premier Michael Misick of the Turks and Caicos Islands, claims hip- hop pioneers David Mays and Raymond Scott breached the Z & M Media LLC operating agreement, at Exhibit “A”. The Former Premier, Mr. Mays, Mr. Scott and others, are believed to hold ownership interests in Z & M Media, which is the operating company for the biweekly “Hip Hop Weekly Magazine“.
The complaint additionally seeks damages for more than a million dollars from Mr. Mays and Mr. Scott because of an alleged fraud / embezzlement scheme. Amended Complaint at ¶¶ 161-164. It asserts that Mr. Mays and Mr. Scott might have misappropriated cash from Z & M Media. Id. at ¶¶ 33-44.
In responding to the complaint, Mr. Mays denied any wrongdoing via his opposing affidavit. He also stated that Hip Hop Weekly was “the bible of the hip hop industry” with an estimated readership of one million. Opposing Affidavit ¶4. Since February 2009, the magazine has been sold by the “CVS” chain and at many other retailers throughout the U.S., according to a letter from its distributor:
(Click On The Letter To Enlarge It)
On April 20, 2009 the Court issued a temporary restraining order against Mr. Mays and Mr. Scott, which prohibited any violation of the above-mentioned operating agreement. This restraint was continued by the Court’s Order dated May 19, 2009. Via their July 14, 2009 answer, counterclaim and third-party complaint, Mr. Mays and Mr. Scott however, alleged that the Former Premier had unjustifiably brought the complaint to gain complete control of Z & M Media. The Former Premier would then supposedly sell Z & M Media and its assets to fund his defense against a “likely criminal prosecution by the British government“. (Answer, Counterclaim & Third-Party Complaint, at pp. 23-24, ¶3).
This particular allegation apparently focuses on the fact that the Former Premier was the target of a corruption probe by the British Foreign Office in London. Although the Former Premier resigned from public office in March 2009, he had been investigated by the Turks and Caicos Islands Commission of Inquiry. The Former Premier’s alleged misconduct is also described at pp.114-153 of Sir Robin Auld’s “Final Report to the Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands”:*
(Click On The Final Report To Read Part Of It)
According to Sir Robin’s Report, the Former Premier may have accepted numerous unexplained payments and possibly taken illicit monies by somehow claiming they were loans. He is also believed to have transferred hundreds of thousands in political party monies to pay for household decorations and his wife’s U.S. stylist.
*Final Report to the Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands, is reproduced under the terms of Crown Copyright Policy Guidance issued by HMSO
Copyright 2009 Fred L. Abrams