A controversial former house speaker and premier of The Cayman Islands has been charged with rape in an allegation, which apparently first surfaced 23 years ago.

McKeeva Bush, 68, was indicted on Wednesday and appeared before a magistrate’s court via Zoom. He was not required to enter a plea. The local Cayman Compass newspaper reported that the charges come even as the veteran politician is already facing additional charges of sexual assault against two civil servants that he had allegedly groped during a government event nearly a year ago.

Denying all the charges and accusations against him, Bush in a statement to media houses made it clear that the charges have to do with a political witch hunt against him as it is the second time before he heads overseas on a prestigious assignment representing the string of islands just south of Florida, that police have swooped in and have laid criminal charges against him.

“It is indeed remarkable that in 2012, just weeks before I was to travel to Jamaica to have bestowed on me an honorary degree, I was charged with fraud relating to the use of my lawfully-issued government credit card. The result: acquitted. I am due to travel in a couple of weeks overseas, representing The Cayman Islands at The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) business session (CPA) and here comes a malicious accusation and charge against me, said to have occurred 20 years ago,” the former premier complained in a release.

During his time as premier, Bush had made sure that the Islands had strengthened relations with CARICOM as an associate, non-voting member with Caymanian delegations attending most leaders summits and important meetings of the bloc of nations in recent decades.

Meanwhile, controversy appears to have followed him over the decades. He is the longest serving parliamentarian with more than 40 years of service. He says he will not run for a seat in any upcoming elections.

Back in 2010, he was accused of using the government credit card at a casino in nearby The Bahamas, running up a $33,000 tab in cash transactions. He eventually repaid the debt to the state while not really admitting guilt. He last served as premier in 2012 when he lost a no confidence parliamentary vote and left office. And back in 2017, he was also fingered for allegedly groping a female employee at a resort and charged with criminal battery, while in early 2020, he was accused of attacking a female at a beach bar while allegedly intoxicated.

Bush has said that despite all the criminal charges and attacks on his integrity, he will continue to fight for the poor and underprivileged as he prepares to deal with the latest run in with the law.