GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (CMC):

Police have extended the bail of ex-premier McKeeva Bush to late March this year, after he presented himself to law-enforcement officers on Tuesday, in keeping with the terms of his original police bail following his arrest on suspicion of theft and corruption last December.

The Cayman Islands police said the investigation into the 57-year-old former head of government in this British Overseas territory "is still very active and police are following several positive lines of enquiry.

"The re-bailing of the suspects is to allow further investigations to take place in a number of foreign jurisdictions, including locations in Europe, the United States and in Asia.

"The UDP is of the opinion that over the last 24 months there has been an orchestrated witch-hunt against the former premier in an effort to damage his reputation and remove him as the democratically elected premier together with the government which he led.

"The use of extraordinary resources of the RCIP in carrying out this objective is, in the opinion of the UDP, an abuse of official power," the statement said.