PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (17 Feb 2006) -- PADI dive shop owner David Swain, who is on trial for allegedly killing his wife while scuba diving in Tortola, was busted for breaking state ethics laws four times when he served as a Jamestown Town Council member. On November 1, 2000, ten Jamestown residents including several town officials filed a formal complaint accusing Swain of using his government position to vote in favor of his business partner, William Munger, owner of Conanicut Marine Services. Swain later admitted the state ethics commission had enough evidence to prove he had broken the law and negotiated a settlement in late 2005 agreeing to pay a fine of only $750. The Jamestown complainants and several watchdog groups accused the ethics commission of deliberately stalling the investigation and allowing Swain to pay a minimal "parking ticket" fine that would not deter public officials from breaking the law. The commission denied that it had deliberately impeded the investigation into Swain's improprieties but admitted the delays were unprecedented. | | Accused of killing his wife: PADI 5-Star IDC Ocean State Scuba owner David Swain. Swain owns the PADI 5-Star IDC Scuba State Ocean in Jamestown Rhode Island, which sells scuba diving certification courses, scuba equipment and rents kayaks. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK |
