Norman B. Saunders (born 27 October 1943) is a Turks and Caicos Islander former politician who served as the 3rd

Chief Minister of the Turks and Caicos Islands The Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands is the political leader and head of government. The post of premier is the equivalent to chief minister or prime minister in other British Overseas Territories. It is the highest political level that ...

from 4 November 1980 to 28 March 1985. Saunders is also the longest-serving Member of Parliament in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the first Chief Minister to win back-to-back elections with a resounding 8-3 victories at the polls in 1980 and 1984, the only ever politician in the nation to win as an independent candidate, and the first leader of the opposition.

Initial political career

Saunders was Chief Minister of the Turks and Caicos Islands in 1985 for the Progressive National Party.

Conspiracy conviction

Saunders was arrested in March 1985 together with Commerce and Development Minister

Stafford Missick Stafford () is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies about north of Wolverhampton, south of Stoke-on-Trent and northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 70,145 in ...

. Saunders was alleged by the US

Drug Enforcement Administration The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA; ) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within the U.S. It is the lead agency for domestic en ...

to have accepted $30,000 from undercover agents to ensure safe passage of drugs by permitting safe stopover refuelling of drug flights from Colombia to the United States. Video evidence showed Saunders accepting $20,000 from an agent. Saunders was convicted in July 1985 of conspiracy, though he was acquitted of the charge of conspiring to import drugs into the United States (which Missick was also convicted of). He was sentenced to eight years in prison and fined $50,000.

Later political career

In January 1995, Saunders was elected to the Parliament by just six votes. His former party, the Progressive National Party, had disowned him, forcing him to run as an independent.

References

1943 births Living people Chief Ministers of the Turks and Caicos Islands Heads of government who were later imprisoned Politicians convicted of crimes Progressive National Party (Turks and Caicos Islands) politicians {{TurksCaicos-politician-stub