High of 86 Low of 74 Smooth to slight with wave heights less than 2 feet. Editorial | pagE 4 The carToon conTroversy SportS | pagE 20 schoLars rIse To ToP oF The cLass West Bay side head Premier League ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Wednesday March 18, 2015 Baines: Gov’s report ‘contradicts’ tempura rulinGs BrenT FuLLer bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com In a statement objecting to the public re- lease of a lengthy evaluation involving the Operation Tempura police corruption investi- gation commissioned by the governor’s office, Royal Cayman Islands Police Commissioner David Baines noted that evaluation seems “contradictory” to earlier legal decisions made in the Tempura case. The comments made by Mr. Baines form part of a 52-page judgment released Monday by visiting Grand Court Judge Timothy Owen. The ruling served to block – at least for the present – the release of a 2010 complaint made by Operation Tempura’s former senior investigating officer, Martin Bridger, and the 185-page evaluation of that complaint com- pleted in 2011 by U.K.-based Constitutional Silk Ben Aina, QC. It was revealed in court records that Mr. Baines, who as RCIPS commissioner was placed in charge of the remnants of the Operation Tempura investigation when he ar- rived in Cayman in mid-2009, had reviewed the evaluation, which was commissioned by then-Governor Duncan Taylor at a cost of some $335,000 to the Cayman Islands. The “Aina report” – as Mr. Baines refers to it – was done at the request of Governor Taylor to “assist him in the discharge of his constitutional duty to determine whether [Mr. Bridger’s] complaint of misbehavior against a member of the judiciary should be referred to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission.” According to Mr. Justice Owen’s ruling, Mr. Baines, having read the full report, made the following observations: “… I can state that the publication of the Aina report would interfere with any inves- tigation that [was] launched, not least as its contents cover some of the issues [which are the] subject of controversy, in addition to being contradictory in their position to the earlier legal decisions pronounced by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Chief Justice and others. “The release would, I consider, be contrary to the rule of natural justice as it would en- able one version of events relating to the sub- ject matter and deny those subject of and named in the report an opportunity to counter the version of events and defend themselves. It should be noted that some named persons have been privy to the contents of the report, the majority of individuals subject to com- ment have not been canvassed or made aware of the contents.” PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » unemployment in cayman drops to 4.7 percent charLes duncan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Unemployment in the Cayman Islands fell 1.6 percent last year to 4.7 percent, according to the new Labour Force Survey from the Economics and Statistics Office. Among Caymanians, unemployment fell from 9.4 percent to 7.9 percent. For non-Cay- manians, that number fell from 3.1 percent to 1.5 percent, according to the report. This is the first time since 2009 that overall unemploy- ment fell below 6 percent and Caymanian un- employment dropped under 9 percent. Finance Minister Marco Archer, after the report’s release Tuesday, said in a press re- lease, “I am pleased that the labor market im- proved last year, and progress is expected this year towards further reducing the overall un- employment rate.” Population grows Population, meanwhile, increased to more than 58,000, according to the report. Non- Caymanians led the population increase, growing by 8 percent over the year. The labor force grew at a slower rate, in- creasing 2.8 percent in 2014, according to the Economics and Statistics Office. The labor force includes people older than 15 who have not retired or otherwise dropped out of the labor force. Work permits increased by 1,707 last year, accounting for much of the population and labor force growth. Unemployment has been falling since 2009, when overall unemployment hit 6.3 percent. Unemployment among Caymanians has been falling since 2012, when it was 10.5 percent, its highest point in more than a decade. Even with the growing population and labor force numbers, the unemployment rate also represented a drop in the number of people unemployed. The report states: “The decrease in the number of unemployed per- sons was mainly due to 319 fewer unemployed non-Caymanians and 240 fewer unemployed Caymanians during that period.” Government releases the Labour Force Survey annually. The survey, available on the Economics and Statistics Office website, tracks details on employment, including in- come, industry and population data. The sta- tistics office staff sent surveys and carried out interviews with 1,416 randomly selected households across the districts. The size of the survey represents about 6 percent of households in Cayman, giving a 2.5 percent margin of error. Scuba diving pioneer Bob Soto passes at 88 JaMes WhITTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Bob Soto, one of the founders of recreational scuba diving and de- scribed as a Cayman Islands legend, died Tuesday afternoon. He was 88. Mr. Soto, who opened one of the world’s first diving resorts in Grand Cayman in 1957, is revered as a pioneer of the sport and one of the founders of the Cayman Islands tourism industry. Longtime friend Ron Kipp, a well- known diver who bought Mr. Soto’s dive operation in George Town de- cades ago, told the Cayman Compass, “The Cayman Islands has lost a legend. Without Bob Soto, there would have been no diving industry. Mr. Soto passed away at the Cayman Islands Hospital on Tuesday afternoon. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 2 »2 LOCAL NEWS Wednesday March 18, 2015 • Cayman Compass If the speed of your internet does not allow you to enjoy a night of binge-viewing, then why not switch to a real quality connection? Contact us about our Fibre Internet and TV options today! www. REGmovies.com SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. © Warner Bros. Pictures © 21st Century Fox CINDERELLA (PG) 12:40 | 3:15 | 6:45 | 9:20 FOCUS (R) 1:30 | 4:10 | 7:20 | 10:00 LAZARUS EFFECT (PG13) 1:00 | 3:10 | 5:20 | 7:30 | 10:10 CHAPPIE (R) 12:50 | 3:40 | 7:00 | 9:45 THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (PG) 12:45 | 3:30 | 6:50 | 9:40 BLACK OR WHITE (PG13) 1:10 | 4:00 | 7:10 | 9:55 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - WEDNESDAY - He will be remembered all over the world.” Mr. Soto, who served in the Home Guard as a 16-year- old during World War II, was later introduced to the wonders of the underwater world as a hard-hat diver in the U.S. Navy. He returned to Grand Cayman to establish his dive resort, long before the sport took off globally and at a time when the tourism in- dustry was not yet estab- lished on the island. In a profile in Grand Cayman magazine in 2013, Mr. Soto recalled bringing five sets of scuba equipment to the island and charging tourists $7 per trip. There was no certification for diving at the time, and he used his navy training guides to teach the basics to adven- turous tourists. “I built my own back- packs out of bits of plywood and aluminum metal, and made my own weights,” he recalled. “I would break up batteries, get the lead out and melt them down to make lead weights.” Scuba diving went on to become a multimillion-dollar global industry and an in- tegral part of the Cayman Islands tourism product, with Bob Soto’s Diving at the forefront. “The scuba diving busi- ness took off, and I had faith that it would, despite people discouraging me and asking me, ‘what I wanted to do that for?’” he said in the article. “As the business grew, I got better and more equip- ment, compressors, and built up quite a large dive busi- ness with a lot of dive boats. We would be taking out over 100 to 150 people per day.” Mr. Soto, who was made a Member of the British Empire in 1997, was also an avid wreck hunter, who helped salvage sunken ships across the world. Mr. Kipp believes the dive industry in Cayman owes a large debt to Mr. Soto, who is also a member of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame. “I was proud to inherit the business from him in 1980, but I don’t know any- body else that could have carved the industry out of what was here in 1957,” said Mr. Kipp, pointing out that his friend had developed the sport at a time when the technology was still being pioneered and the Cayman Islands had just a couple of hotels. He added, “Bob was a soft- spoken, thinking guy; 100 per- cent Caymanian – an honest and intelligent individual.” Mr. Soto’s son Danny said his father died at the Cayman Islands Hospital on Tuesday afternoon, surrounded by family members. Mr. Soto, who is survived by his wife Suzy, had eight children, 19 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Scuba diving pioneer Bob Soto passes at 88 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Suzy and Bob Soto Bob Soto at his home, surrounded by the memorabilia of his life as a diver. - PHOTOS: CHRIS COURT Mr. SotoThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 Cayman Compass • Wednesday March 18, 2015 The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. Wednesday MarCh 18, 2015 • Cayman COmpass “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” (Golden Rule) We refer to the Statistics (Amendment) Bill 2014 (here- after the “Statistics Bill”) to amend the Statistics Law (2011 Revision) (“the 2011 Law”) and previous Statistics Laws and the media releases relating thereto. We agree with the thrust of the Compass edi- torial on this matter. The 2011 Statistics Law makes it a criminal offense on summary conviction pun- ishable by a fine of $5,000 – or to imprisonment for one year or on indictment (Grand Court) to a fine of $10,000 – or to imprisonment for three years or to both to any person who in summary: Refuses or neglects to fill up or supply the statis- tics in any schedule or form after receiving a direction from the Director of Statistics (Director) to comply or fails to comply within a time that the Director directs or who knowingly or recklessly makes a false or misleading statement on the form. Many businesses have no audits and small businesses operate on a cash system, making compliance difficult. First, this punishment for statistics information in our opinion is harsh and excessive and the public should not be made criminals for these matters. Apparently, nearly half of Caymanians now have frivolous criminal records so government is going to increase the convictions, which are a far worse statistic. Second, government does not need all this information about private businesses. In other countries, this type of information was used for Income Tax! Change the 2011 law and make the fine civil or admin- istrative (not criminal) and make it reasonable. Third, the Director should not be given powers on the content of the sta- tistics information or to set timelines which are now done by the Cabinet. Exempt companies should not be asked for information. We believe that Minister Marco Archer has done good work but not on the Statistics Bill. Ministers and councilors should rethink the 2011 law and amendments through more thoroughly. The allega- tion that no one was prose- cuted under the previous law is a good reason to abolish the penalty. “Remove the plank from government’s eye before they try to take the speck from the public’s eye.” Government itself cannot produce the statistics that are far more important than those required of the private sector as set out below. Why does not Minister Archer first amend the laws to apply the $10,000 fine or three years imprisonment to future min- isters in Cabinet and their colleagues for the following far more important govern- ment failures: Government’s failure to have the most important sta- tistic, that of unqualified con- solidated audited accounts annually within nine months of the end of government’s fi- nancial year, which are now 10 years in arrears. Millions of dollars of public money cannot be fully audited by the auditor general. Failure to comply with all the five principles of good fiscal management of the public’s money under the Public Management and Finance Law. The use of government credit cards for private ex- penditure and for govern- ment use without proper receipts or supporting docu- ments before the card is paid by government. (Before the political parties and prior to the year 2000, ministers did not have government credit cards – still the best policy). We believe that a ma- jority of the voters, espe- cially the George Town elec- torate where there are more businesses, could be affected by the fine and imprison- ment in the Statistics law. Ministers and their coun- cilors and MLAs need to re- consider the 2011 Statistics Law penalties and the new amendments. We urge them to remove the 2011 criminal penalties and provide rea- sonable civil or administra- tive fines instead. Remember that Cayman voters go to the polls in two years! Truman Bodden John mcLean The cartoon controversy On Monday the Cayman Compass published on this page a political cartoon that has sparked an unex- pected controversy. Titled “Impossible,” the cartoon depicted a boy wearing a turned-backward baseball cap and smoking a cigarette, and many of our readers interpreted this image as being an unwarranted attack on all Cayma- nian youth. That certainly was not the intention, but we do understand and appreciate that perception. We viewed the image as a representation of a far- smaller subset of young Caymanians – those who exit our schools inadequately prepared educationally or attitudinally to secure gainful and productive employ- ment in our community. Having said that, we believe the negative reaction to this cartoon comes not so much from the subject matter – every country, not just Cayman, is strug- gling with these same youth issues – but from the appearance that we were stereotyping all of our young people in an exaggerated, unfair and negative way. Again, if intent counts, that was not ours. The editor of the Compass, David R. Legge, was asked by another media outlet if he thought the cartoon was funny. That sounded like a “trick” (or a “trap”) question, but in any case it was the wrong question. Not every political cartoon needs to be funny. Some are poignant, some even solemn, but all, when executed skill- fully, can add something of value to understanding a complex issue, almost at a glance. Great cartoon- ists have the ability to do this consistently, and we believe ours – George Nowak (aka “Barefoot Man”) – is among the best. And yes, often times the best political cartoons are provocative – even offensive to some readers. Of course, our readers will recall a recent radical example of this. A Paris satirical newspaper called Charlie Hebdo published over an extended period multiple cartoons that lampooned the appearance of the Prophet Muhammad. On Jan. 11, 2015, terrorists raided their editorial offices, slaughtering 11 cartoon- ists, editors and others. The next month, someone tried to shoot Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks and others on a panel with him in Copenhagen. (Don’t get any ideas, dear readers.) In the course of a year, the Compass publishes thousands of articles, hundreds of editorials, and well over 100 political cartoons – almost all produced under deadline conditions. No excuses here, but sometimes we’re more perfect than we are at others. When we fall short, or are perceived to fall short, we are sensitive to our critics and always open to voices and opinions other than our own. That being said, we are not in the business of talking down or being sycophantic to our audience. Our editorial tone is not one of condescension – it is the opposite. We assume that our readers are intelligent, open- minded, involved and tolerant (all hallmarks of an educated mind). No subject is “ring-fenced” or off- limits in our pages. As readers (and no doubt politi- cians) are aware, we examine serious subjects seri- ously, taking unequivocal positions on such issues as the landfill, conservation, good governance, public schools, unemployment and other matters of importance. As the community newspaper, the Compass, now in its 50th year, is integrally woven into the fabric of these islands. We are proud of the fact that more than 70 percent of our employees are Caymanian and as a company we are one of the largest contributors to, and supporters of, all things Caymanian. We annually allocate hundreds of thousands of dollars to local organizations in support of their worthwhile causes. As journalists we strive to be fearless, never foolish, and certainly not offensive. All good editors and reporters must also be good listeners. In this case, we hear what you, many of our valued readers, are saying. Writers: Amend Stats Bill Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman, KY1-1108 Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” From The Web “Taking inventory of Cayman’s unemployment problem,” March 17 There is truth in this, of course. But don’t you think that if all these people reg- istered, including their edu- cation/training/skills, then it will show the government where they can improve? Or what type of retraining they can set up? nadia Connors “George Town road widening to begin this month,” March 17 This is a good first step in improving the infrastructure in Cayman. With so many people living and working there, the roadways cannot handle the volume of drivers during rush-hour periods. A trip that should take you 10 minutes maximum, say from South Sound to Camana Bay, will take you all of 40 minutes on a Friday evening due to the traffic congestion. The next step will be to widen the roads between South Sound and East End (Linford Pierson Highway and the East-West Arterial). Once drivers can get to work in George Town in a reason- able time, this should im- prove real estate sales and development in other areas of the island. nicole mcCoubrey5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Wednesday March 18, 2015 Frank Sound Road highlighted as particularly dangerous Charles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com An independent assess- ment of Grand Cayman’s roads found that there are numerous roadside hazards, such as large trees or build- ings too close to the road along main roads, and pedes- trian safety “is poor on many roads.” But overall, the road conditions in Cayman are far better than most other coun- tries in the region, according to the report. The International Roads Assessment Programme surveyed more than 120 miles of roads across the is- land early last year. The re- searchers found that traffic deaths in Cayman happen at a far higher rate than av- erage for high-income coun- tries. The report gives two proposals for improving road safety, with a wide range on the price from $50 million to $114 million. Frank Sound Road stands out in the report as particu- larly hazardous for motor- ists, motorcycle riders, pe- destrians and cyclists, and was the only road to get a one-star rating for drivers. The report states that the high speed limit, roadside hazards, undivided lanes and poor markings are part of the low ranking. Making roads ‘more forgiving’ Marion Pandohie, trans- portation planner with the National Roads Authority, said the objective of the re- port and recommendations is to make Cayman’s roads “more forgiving.” She said, “If you make a simple mis- take on the road, it will for- give you – you won’t die.” Ms. Pandohie said the NRA is still looking at the assessment and figuring out how to implement some of the recommendations. Morgan Fletcher, an engi- neer with the International Roads Assessment Programme who worked on the report, said Cayman’s roads are much better than other countries where the organization has worked. “There are a lot more four- and five-star roads” than in other countries around the Caribbean and Central America, he said. Roads in Cayman were given a rating of between one and five stars in the study. Mr. Fletcher commended Cayman’s National Roads Authority for the condition of the road system, saying, “A lot of good things are happening” and that the roads authority seems “keen to implement” some of the recommendations. Mr. Fletcher, high- lighting some of the trouble spots in the report, said pe- destrian safety in George Town was one issue. The re- port states that pedestrian safety “is poor on many roads, with limited and often discontinuous side- walks and crossing facili- ties where pedestrian num- bers are high.” He said many of the roads are in urban areas, which keeps drivers from going too fast, and thus makes them safer. Roadside hazards The report highlighted several issues with roads that the NRA should ad- dress. “Roadside hazards are numerous,” the re- port notes. Of the roads in the survey, including every main road on Grand Cayman, 90 percent “have hazardous objects” like large trees, boulders or solid walls within 16 feet and leave less room for drivers to make mistakes. Mr. Fletcher pointed to Easterly Tibbetts Highway to show the safer end of the spectrum. The northern section of that road, thanks to divided lanes and other design features, scores four stars out of five in the as- sessment’s safety rating. The assessment, done with an automated camera system mounted on a National Roads Authority vehicle, judged safety of roads by medians, shoul- ders, curves, intersections, average speed, average daily number of cars and a number of other factors. All the various elements of a road are considered when rating safety for cars, mo- torcycles, bicycles and pe- destrians on that road. The International Roads Assessment Programme surveyed more than 120 miles of roads across the island early last year. Road safety study shows pedestrian, driver dangers The International Roads Assessment Programme surveyors mounted special camera equipment on an National Roads Authority truck to help carry out the study of local roads. - PHOTO: CHRIS COURTThe islands’ most-trusted news source 6 WEDNESDAY MARCH 18, 2015 • CAYMAN COMPASS Financial Services Industry that the Cayman Islands Financial Services Industry is the single BIGGEST CONTRIBUTOR to government revenue? 345-623-6725 | www.caymanfinance.ky DID YOU KNOW... Financial Services. Moving Cayman Forward. ALL other industries, including Tourism, Development, Construction, Real Estate, Retail, Utilities, etc. 55% 45% IN O U T $349m $286m Roads Health Housing Education Social Services *Estimated based on the 2013 Compendium of Statistics, published by the Economics and Statistics Office and an Oxford Economics study. * of government revenue of government revenue * First prize: Trip to the New York Film Academy Summer Film Camp in NY! Many more prizes and special awards. Three categories: Ages 11-13; 14-16 and 17-19. To be eligible, you MUST register online by March 31st 2015. Theme: kon? katn' SH(e)n/ noun interconn ected things or events. synonyms: series, sequen ce, succession , chain, the action of linking things together in a series. a CAYMAN For more information & registration visit: www.caymanislands.ky/film Through My Eyes Short Film Competition CONCAT E N AT ION All Cayman Islands students are invited to submit a short film based on the theme: Concatenation. con·cat·e·na·t ion Second resignation at UCCI Linford Pierson steps down as deputy chair JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A second senior member of the University College of the Cayman Islands leader- ship has resigned. Linford Pierson, the deputy chair of the in- stitution’s board of gov- ernors, handed in his resignation Monday. The decision comes less than two weeks after board chair Sheree Ebanks announced she was stepping down. The resignations follow a viability report produced by a joint study team of board members and faculty, led by Mr. Pierson. The report recommended radical cost-cutting measures, including cutting courses, re- ducing the number of lec- turers and closing the campus during the summer term, aimed at reversing the finan- cial deterioration of UCCI. Both Ms. Ebanks and Mr. Pierson said the fallout from the report, which received a mixed response, had nothing to do with their decisions. Mr. Pierson, in a letter to Education Minister Tara Rivers, wrote, “It is with much regret that due to my personal commitments I have decided to tender my resig- nation as a member of the board of governors effective 31 March.” Mr. Pierson, who was appointed to the board in September 2013 for a three- year term, co-chaired the joint study team that produced the viability report. The recom- mendations in the report, if implemented, would save the college around $500,000 a year, according to officials. Its findings are in the pro- cess of being reviewed, and it is not clear whether Mr. Pierson’s departure will have any impact on that process. He made no reference to the report in his resigna- tion letter, shared with the Cayman Compass. Ms. Ebanks faced some criticism for commenting at a press conference when the re- port was released last month that UCCI’s business admin- istration associate’s degrees were “essentially meaningless” to employers. She later issued a statement clarifying her com- ments and suggested they had been quoted out of context. She said in a statement to the Compass that the fallout from the report and her re- marks had no bearing on her decision to step down, which she said was con- nected to a conflict of interest with her role as head of the Cayman Islands Society of Professional Accountants, which works with both UCCI and International College of the Cayman Islands. She said she had made the decision in November but had been persuaded to stay on until the completion of the UCCI viability report. Minister Rivers thanked Mr. Pierson and Ms. Ebanks for their work on the board. “Some important work has begun under their leadership, and I wish them well in their future endeavors,” she said. The ministry said in a state- ment that it had not sought any resignations from board members, and the timing of the announcements, in the aftermath of the report, was coincidental. Cabinet is expected to an- nounce new appointments to the board within the next two weeks. Louisiana governor: Sell tobacco settlement for cash BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration moved ahead Tuesday with a plan to sell the state’s remaining share of a massive tobacco settle- ment, despite criticism the move would waste a valu- able asset for a quick fix to budget problems. A board that oversees the settlement agreed to the idea, though several more ap- provals would be needed be- fore any sale. Treasurer John Kennedy objected, saying Jindal’s plan is driven by desperation to find money for a budget awash in red ink. As the governor has stuck to a pledge against raising taxes, Jindal and lawmakers have refused to match the state’s spending to its yearly revenue. They have plugged budget holes with short-term financing like money from property sales, legal settle- ments and trust funds, cre- ating continued shortfalls year after year. Kennedy called the to- bacco settlement plan more of the same maneuvering, as the state faces a $1.6 billion budget gap next year. “This is about the last savings account that we have left that we haven’t taken money from,” Kennedy said of the tobacco settlement. “You never make a financial de- cision this important when you’re under this much finan- cial pressure.” Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols said the Jindal proposal doesn’t involve a one-year cash infusion, but $750 mil- lion that could be spent over eight years, mainly to pay for Louisiana’s free college tuition program, called TOPS. “The administration is specifically looking for a long-term revenue stream for TOPS. That is our interest,” Nichols said. Nichols said the ad- ministration wouldn’t sup- port spending all the money in one lump sum. Kennedy questioned whether law- makers would comply with such restrictions. “You dangle $700 mil- lion in front of the Louisiana Legislature now, and it’s going to be spent as fast as green grass goes through a goose,” the treasurer said. Mr. PiersonThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Cayman Compass • Wednesday March 18, 2015 Now serving you from 2 locations: Savannah and Seven Mile Beach Combo starts at $ 8.75 Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Compete for Cash and other prizes. Rotary Central May 10, 2014 9:30am – 3pm Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S 8TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2011 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. 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Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2011 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Compete for Cash and other prizes. Rotary Central May 10, 2014 9:30am – 3pm Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S 8TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2011 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. BECOME A SPONSOR Central Cayman Islands Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Compete for Cash and other prizes. Rotary Central May 10, 2014 9:30am – 3pm Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S 8TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2011 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. April 25th 2015 9:30am - 3pm Participants are encouraged to register online at www.rotarysciencefair.ky by the 10th April, 2015 MAJOR SPONSOR: Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Compete for Cash and other prizes. Rotary Central May 10, 2014 9:30am – 3pm Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S 8TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2011 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Compete for Cash and other prizes. Rotary Central May 10, 2014 9:30am – 3pm Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S 8TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2011 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Compete for Cash and other prizes. Rotary Central May 10, 2014 9:30am – 3pm Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S 8TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2011 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. Tempura decisions The specific “decisions” made by the Director of Public Prosecutions – an of- fice that was constitutionally created only toward the very end of Operation Tempura’s existence as an active inves- tigation – and by Cayman Islands Chief Justice Anthony Smellie, which may have been contradicted in the Aina re- port, were not discussed in the court documents. However, a number of questions have been raised over the years in various court settings related to judg- ments made in the Operation Tempura case. Admitting in 2011 during an open court hearing that he was “bewildered” by all the twists and turns Tempura had taken, former U.K. High Court Judge Sir Alan Moses raised some ques- tions about what had oc- curred during the 2007-2009 corruption investigation. Justice Moses, for in- stance, questioned why an April 4, 2008 ruling by Chief Justice Smellie, which quashed requests for search warrants against two senior RCIPS commanders, was kept a secret from both men for nearly five months. In February 2008, Mr. Bridger, as Tempura’s senior investigating officer, applied for search warrants against former RCIPS Superintendent John Jones and former RCIPS Commissioner Stuart Kernohan in relation to Tempura’s investigation of a Sept. 3, 2007 police-authorized search at the offices of the Cayman Net News newspaper. Those search warrant applica- tions were turned down. Mr. Bridger, assisted by then-special counsel to the governor Andre Mon Desir, made a second applica- tion for search warrants against the two RCIPS com- manders that was heard on March 13 and March 20, 2008. On March 27, 2008, Mr. Kernohan, Mr. Jones and then-Deputy RCIPS Commissioner Rudolph Dixon were placed on re- quired leave to facilitate in- vestigations in the matter. A week later, Justice Smellie’s ruling said there was not enough evidence against Messrs Jones and Kernohan to proceed with a search warrant, much less a criminal prosecution over the Net News search. Why the government or the Operation Tempura in- vestigative team never chal- lenged the chief justice’s April 4, 2008 decision on the search warrants application has never been made clear. Justice Moses said during the 2011 court proceedings that there may have been two separate grounds to chal- lenge the chief justice’s de- cision: First, attorneys could claim that “the decision was wrong” and second, that the chief justice “should never have heard it anyway.” Typically, Cayman Islands Grand Court justices do not hear initial applications for search warrants. Mr. Bridger’s attorney during the 2011 hearing, Anthony Akiwumi, told the court that rulings of this kind made by the chief justice were not appealable to the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal. There was no further discussion of the matter be- fore the court. The ‘burglar’ In a separate court ruling by Cayman Islands Grand Court Justice Richard Williams relative to a sepa- rate matter in the Operation Tempura case in November 2013, further issues about the Sept. 3, 2007 Net News office entry were raised. In his ruling, Justice Williams stated: “On Sept. 3, 2007 [former Cayman Net News journalist John] Evans unsuccessfully searched the office of the Cayman Net News [publisher] for a box file which he thought con- tained [documents]. [The Cayman Islands attorney general] contends that the initial focus of the operation was the investigation of an allegedly corrupt relation- ship between [RCIPS] Deputy Commissioner [Anthony] Ennis and [Net News pub- lisher Desmond] Seales. “Mr. Bridger contends that, following his appointment as the senior investigating of- ficer, he was greatly concerned with investigating the legality of the entry into and search of these business premises, which he says was organized by Mr. Kernohan, Chief Superintendent Jones and others. “Mr. Bridger is of the view that, if police re- porting procedures had been properly followed, it would have been clear that the suspicions which led to the search were baseless. Mr. Bridger states the view that the search of such jour- nalistic business premises in England would be re- garded as being plainly un- lawful as a matter of public law and tortious.” The subsequent investiga- tion into the Net News office entry and the actions of Mr. Kernohan and Mr. Jones in authorizing the search formed the basis of what became known as Operation Tempura. However, neither police commander nor the man in- volved in what was described by Mr. Bridger as the “un- lawful search,” Mr. Evans, were ever arrested or charged with a crime. “If Bridger believed [the entry was unlawful] he should have charged me, not retained me as a witness,” Mr. Evans said in response to the state- ments contained in the Justice Williams judgment of 2013. Baines: Gov’s report ‘contradicts’ Tempura rulings CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Mr. BridgerMr. Baines Israel’s NetaNyahu leads after tIght race JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ap- peared to have fended off a strong challenge from the country’s op- position leader in par- liamentary elections Tuesday, emerging from an acrimonious cam- paign in a slightly better position to form Israel’s next government. But with the sides evenly divided, a victory by Netanyahu’s Likud Party still was not guar- anteed. His chief rival, Isaac Herzog of the Zionist Union, said he would make “every effort” to form a government, and an upstart centrist party led by a former Netanyahu ally-turned-rival was set to be the kingmaker. The country now heads into weeks of negotiations over the makeup of the next coalition. Netanyahu and Herzog will now com- pete for a chance to form a coalition that com- mands a majority in the 120-seat parliament.8 LOCAL NEWS Wednesday March 18, 2015 • Cayman Compass We Buy Gold!We Buy Gold! Cash For Gold Silver, Coins and Broken Jewelry Cash Paid on the Spot! Call 927-8565 Cash For Gold • Shedden Road Grand Opening Special 4 Weeks Karate $ 69.00 4 Weeks Karate $ 69.00 Call 926-Kick (5425) caymankarateacademy.com or email: bobdaigle@me.comor email: bobdaigle@me.com New location #1 Alexander Place, Dorcy Drive Court: Fire chief not yet retired Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands Grand Court will not hear a judicial review application from the territory’s acting fire chief, who claimed in a court filing last year that he was forced into retirement. In a decision released Monday, Justice Richard Williams indicated that it would be premature for the court to hear such a case as the one brought by vet- eran firefighter Rosworth McLaughlin when no final decisions have been made and the government’s own in- ternal appeals process had not been followed. “This is not one of those cases for reviewing the de- cision-making process be- fore that process is com- pleted and a final decision reached,” Justice Williams wrote. “Importantly, in this matter, [Mr. McLaughlin] re- mains employed 7½ months after the date upon which [Mr. McLaughlin] contends the decision had been made to retire him and there still remains no notice date for any retirement.” Mr. McLaughlin continues to receive pay from the govern- ment, according to court re- cords, following his placement on medical leave last year. According to the claims in the judicial review applica- tion last year, a decision was made on April 29, 2014 to re- tire the firefighter, who has served since 1979 and had been acting as chief fire of- ficer since March 2013. However, Ministry of Home Affairs Chief Officer Eric Bush, who has respon- sibility for oversight manage- ment of the fire service, said at the time that he had made no such decision and that the ministry was actually in the midst of negotiations with Mr. McLaughlin over a “set- tlement package.” According to Justice Williams’s ruling denying the judicial review application, Mr. McLaughlin had applied in October 2013 for “volun- tary separation” from the fire service, similar to selecting an option for early retire- ment, but was told his appli- cation for separation did not meet government criteria. Then in February 2014, Mr. McLaughlin submitted an application to be considered for the full-time post of chief fire officer. He was advised at the time that the Cayman Islands Fire Service intended to restructure, eliminating the post of deputy chief fire officer, which Mr. McLaughlin held prior to becoming acting chief fire officer. That same month, Mr. Bush notified Mr. McLaughlin of the minis- try’s intention to retire Mr. McLaughlin under the Public Service Management Law to “improve the efficiency” of the civil service. Mr. McLaughlin then wrote in a March 9, 2014 letter to Mr. Bush that he “was prepared to retire early” from the fire service, as long as certain issues were ad- dressed. An agreement over the “settlement package” was discussed in various commu- nications over the next sev- eral months, but no resolu- tion was reached, and Mr. McLaughlin was never for- mally “retired.” An appeal of what Mr. McLaughlin took to be his “forced retirement” was lodged with the Cayman Islands Civil Service Appeals Commission on May 22, 2014. Again, the judge said this step was premature. “By lodging the appeal in this hasty manner, [Mr. Bush] was not afforded the oppor- tunity to consider whether he wished to move on to the final part of the process [forced retirement],” Justice Williams wrote. In the meantime, two other acting fire chiefs, Roy Grant and John Bodden, have been appointed to lead the fire service. Mr. Bodden re- mains in the position to date. Review Mr. McLaughlin claimed in court records that the de- cision to retire him appeared to have been based at least in part on a consultant’s review of the Cayman Islands Fire Service. The study was done by the U.K.’s chief fire and rescue adviser, Peter Holland. Mr. Holland was in Cayman during 2014 to dis- cuss certain issues his review had identified in the local fire service, but a full report of that evaluation has never been made public. Mr. McLaughlin stated in court documents that he has never seen it either. “Implicit in the decision of [the ministry chief officer, Mr. Bush] is an adverse finding with respect to the perfor- mance of [Mr. McLaughlin] and his suitability to hold the post of deputy chief fire of- ficer and/or chief fire officer,” Mr. McLaughlin’s judicial re- view filing states. “No oppor- tunity was given to him, prior to the decision to retire him, to respond to any evidence or allegation to that effect.” The Civil Service Appeals Commission’s decision not to hear the case amounts to a refusal to carry out a statu- tory duty, according to claims made in the judicial review ap- plication. However, according to the government statement, the commission could not properly hear the case because he had not been retired. “Due to these circum- stances, the Civil Service Appeals Commission de- clined to accept the appeal,” the statement read. Mr. McLaughlin Paul Bodden and William Chisholm tied for Livestock Farmer of the Year Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Hamlin Stephenson, a member of the Cayman Islands Agricultural Society and owner of Hamlin’s Farm, has been awarded Farmer of the Year 2015 by the Agricultural Society. Paul Bodden and William Chisholm tied for Livestock Farmer of the Year award. The awards function took place on the evening of March 14 at Stacey Watler pavilion on Lottery Road, Lower Valley, where the Agricultural Society named the winners for the 48th an- nual Agriculture Show, which took place last month. Speaking at the event, George Smith, president of the Agricultural Society, said the night was about awarding the farmers for all of their hard work and their contributions to Cayman. Throughout the night, 155 awards were handed out. The Agriculture Ministry’s deputy chief officer, Leyda Nicholson-Makasare, brought greetings from Minister Kurt Tibbetts, who was un- able to attend because of a prior engagement in Cayman Brac, and con- gratulated the farmers on their achievements. “I was very happy to be recognized as Farmer of the Year for my efforts, but I give a lot of credit to the guys that work with me and their per- severance in trying to do their best,” said Mr. Stephenson, who also received the award for Crop Farmer of the Year. Before coming to Cayman, Mr. Stephenson grew up on a farm in Jamaica, where he developed his love of farming watching his father grow vegetables and raise livestock and poultry. He did not follow in his fa- ther’s footsteps right away. Instead he chose to go into construction, but his love for agriculture was always there. “I started my first garden in 1970 when I was living on Crewe Road, and in the small garden plot I would grow things like watermelon, pumpkin and gungo peas,” he said. It would not be until 1988, after Hurricane Gilbert, when a farmers market opened in George Town that Mr. Stephenson started selling his produce. At that time, he had only one farm helper; today he has several. After retiring from his job seven years ago, he started farming fulltime. His farm produces sweet potatoes, butternut squash, pumpkins, bananas, plantains, peppers, eggplants, lettuce, to- matoes, kale, calaloo, bok choy, arugula, avocados, mangoes, sweet sops, star apples and goat meat, all of which Mr. Stephenson sells at the Market at the Grounds, Godfrey Nixon Way and Camana Bay. Hamlin Stephenson named Farmer of the Year Paul Bodden and William Chisholm jointly receive the Livestock Farmer of the Year award from Ms. Nicholson-Makasare. Farmer Hamlin Stephenson receives the Farmer of the Year award from the Ministry of Agriculture’s Deputy Chief Officer Leyda Nicholson- Makasare. - Photos: Jewel levy “Just by putting the seeds in the ground, the production, reaping them and seeing the satisfaction on people’s face that we provide gives me joy. I just love to farm. No matter what it is, I love to grow it,” he said. Farming awarD winners Hamlin Stephenson - Minister’s award for Most Outstanding Farmer of the year Paul Bodden – Livestock Farmer of the year William Chisholm – Livestock Farmer of the year Hamlin Stephenson – crop Farmer of the year Clifford Powery – Most Improved Livestock Farmer of the year Bruce Mico – Most Improved crop Farmer of the year Geoffrey Ebanks – champion Livestock Farmer of the year Clifford Powery – Local Butcher of the year Lazarus Moraes – champion exhibitor crop Farmer Clifford Powery – Grand champion Bull Smith Brothers – Grand champion cow William Chisholm – Grand champion Buck Willie Chisholm – Grand champion doe Smith Brothers – champion exhibitor – cattle Willie Chisholm – champion exhibitor – Goats Geoffrey Ebanks – champion exhibitor – Pigs Donovan Ebanks – champion exhibitor – Poultry george town – DistriCt awarDs Elio Clarke – Pole Bending champion – rodeo awards Elio Clarke – Barrel racing champion – rodeo awards John N. Lutz – Western Trail Beginner champion 5-7 years – rodeo awards Vennessa Johnson – Western Trail Beginner champion 8-10 years – rodeo award Kathryn Klienworth – Western Trail Beginner champion over 10 years – rodeo award Ethan Smith – Western Trail Intermediate champion over 10 years – rodeo award Melody Allenger – horseman Intermediate champion 10 years – rodeo award Jade Smith Panton – extreme cowboy race champion – rodeo award Acelia Davis – cook-off Winner – cooking awardsThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Wednesday March 18, 2015 GOP $3.8T budget plan boosts defense House Republicans have unveiled a $3.8 trillion budget plan that effectively breaks tight budget limits on military spending while promising big cuts to social programs. Turkey detains British woman bound for Syria ISTANBUL (AP) — A 21-year- old British woman sus- pected of trying to travel to Islamic State group ter- ritory in Syria has been de- tained in Turkey, govern- ment officials said Tuesday. The woman, identified as J.N.H., was detained at a bus terminal in Ankara late Monday and is being held pending deportation hear- ings. One of the Turkish of- ficials said authorities ap- prehended her based on Turkish intelligence and weren’t tipped off by British authorities. The officials say that correspondence and images on the woman’s cellphone indicate that she was plan- ning to head to IS territory. The two officials spoke to the Associated Press on con- dition of anonymity because of government rules against speaking to the media without prior authorization. Turkish authorities began deportation proceedings fol- lowing an interrogation of the woman. Authorities provided the AP with a copy of the wom- an’s passport and a pho- tograph of her in deten- tion with details obscured. The photograph shows the woman seated and dressed mostly in black, wearing a headscarf and a leather jacket. The British Foreign Office released a state- ment confirming the deten- tion of a British national in Ankara. It said British offi- cials are providing consular assistance, but didn’t pro- vide any other details. The woman is among a spate of young British travelers who have come through Turkey and are believed to be en route to Syria. Last week, three British teens were detained by Turkish authorities after arriving from Spain, and deported to Britain. Three British girls – identified by British author- ities as Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Amira Abase, 15 – traveled last month from the U.K. to Turkey, from where they are believed to have crossed into Syria. Earlier this month, a Turkish television station obtained video showing the girls at an Istanbul bus ter- minal before they boarded a bus to a city near Turkey’s border with Syria. There has been finger- pointing between Turkey and European countries over who is to blame for the flow from Europe through Turkey of IS fighters and supporters. But following the ar- rest of the three British teens last week, both Turkey and Britain praised the cooperation. British court bans teen from traveling A British court has banned a 16-year-old boy from trav- eling to stop him from fol- lowing his three brothers, who fought with militants in Syria. Two of them died there. High Court judge Anthony Hayden said Tuesday to “keep this lad alive,” he should be made a ward of court and pre- vented from leaving England and Wales. The boy’s name was not re- leased because of his age. But the judge said he holds joint Libyan-British nationality, is from the Brighton area of southern England and grew up in an “extraordinary family” committed to waging jihad. Martin Downs, lawyer for the local council, said the boy’s uncle had been held at the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay. Three of his brothers fought in Syria for the al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front. Major solar storm hits Earth Storm may pull Northern Lights south WASHINGTON (AP) — A se- vere solar storm smacked Earth with a surpris- ingly big geomagnetic jolt Tuesday, potentially af- fecting power grids and GPS tracking while pushing the colorful northern lights farther south, federal fore- casters said. So far no damage has been reported. Two blasts of magnetic plasma left the sun on Sunday, com- bined and arrived on Earth about 15 hours earlier and much stronger than ex- pected, said Thomas Berger, director of the Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado. This storm ranks a 4, called severe, on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 1-to-5 scale for geomagnetic ef- fects. It is the strongest solar storm to blast Earth since the fall of 2013. It’s been nearly a decade since a level 5 storm, termed ex- treme, has hit Earth. Forecasters figured it would come late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning; instead, it ar- rived just before 10 a.m. EDT. They had forecast it to be a level 1. “It’s significantly stronger than expected,” Berger said. Forecasters had predicted a glancing blow instead of dead-on hit. Another theory is that the combination of the two storms made it worse, but it’s too early to tell if that’s so, he said. The storm seemed to be weakening slightly, but that may not continue, and it could last all day, offi- cials said. It has the poten- tial to disrupt power grids but only temporarily. It also could cause degradation of the global positioning system, so tracking maps and locators may not be as precise as normal. Pollution erodes a way of life along the Arabian Sea ABDUL REHMAN GOTH, Pakistan — The Arabian Sea was un- usually choppy on a re- cent day, but fishermen here on the outskirts of Karachi needed money. So they packed into wobbly 20-foot boats stacked with nets, bait and enough food to last up to two weeks at sea. If they are lucky, they will return late this month with enough lobster, tuna and mackerel to earn each of them $30. These days, how- ever, luck seems to be run- ning out for the fishermen and other residents of this 100-year-old village who are struggling to withstand the sickening pollution of Pakistan’s largest city. “There are no fish at the shore, and all the fish are at the deep sea,” said Ali Muhammad. “Earlier we got fish even in this area, but now we have to travel five, six, seven hours continuously, and maybe there will be lob- ster or bigger fish.” Located just 15 miles from Karachi, Abdul Rehman Goth is a hardscrabble commu- nity that feels a world apart from the urban chaos nearby. But as Karachi’s population swells, that sense of distance is fading, and villagers find it increasingly hard to escape reminders of the encroaching city squalor. When Muhammad’s ances- tors settled here, the shore- line was dotted with remote fishing colonies and shaded by dense mangrove forests. But those features eroded as Karachi’s population ex- ploded from about 2 million in 1960 to an estimated 22 million today. Much of the waste generated by those people – as well as by thou- sands of textile, plastics, leather and chemical facto- ries – flows directly into the Arabian Sea. The mangroves that used to serve as a filter, protecting fish and crus- taceans, are disappearing because of sprawl and illegal cutting. Karachi has just two functional wastewater treat- ment plants, and it is largely up to individual busi- ness owners to determine whether industrial waste is stored or dumped into ca- nals, officials say. As a result, each day, 350 million gallons of raw sewage or untreated industrial waste – enough to fill 530 Olympic- size swimming pools – from the city flows into the harbor, according to Fayyaz Rasool, manager of the Marine Pollution Control Department at Karachi Port Trust. Fishing boat owner Arshad Baloch, left, and captain Mohib Baloch sort fish in the hold of a small boat as they head to the market in Karachi, Pakistan. - Photo: the Washington PostNext >