High of 86 Low of 73 Smooth to slight with wave heights less than 2 feet. Editorial | pagE 4 ShoplifterS: Smile. You’re on camera Sweet Sassy Sassy has great enthusiasm for life and would love to find her forever home B13 Caymom Chronicles What makes a child a narcissist? B9 Technology Special Event Parenting ■ Leisure Carnival costumes Carnival costumes The backstory on Batabano costumes B10 Chats with cats An app that lets you talk to your cats. Yes, really. B8 World Poetry Day Documentary on Caribbean Poet Laureate Derek Walcott B3 Friday March 20, 2015 • Cayman Compass Carnival Costumes cayman Weekender eSTaBLISHed 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – fridaY march 20, 2015 Store owner seeks Facebook justice JameS Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Fed up with shoplifters raiding his store and getting away with it, one business owner is turning to the court of public opinion to get justice. Prentice Panton has begun posting CCTV images of shoplifters on his store’s Facebook page in an effort to shame the criminals. The owner of Reflections clothing store in George Town posted CCTV footage on YouTube and images on Facebook of three girls stealing clothes from his store. The tactic appears to be working. The footage was viewed more than 2,500 times and several people called him with the girls’ names. One of the shoplifters even contacted the store and offered to pay for the clothes if the images were taken down, according to Mr. Panton. He says he declined the offer. “They are more worried about being embarrassed on Facebook than being caught by the police. “We are going to post these videos on Facebook, on Instagram on YouTube. It is starting to work, so I don’t care what anyone says about it.” Mr. Panton says thieves target his store on a weekly basis. “We have called the police about shop- lifters countless times in the last few years and they never seem to do very much,” he said. “I’ve only been to court once.” Even when shoplifters are caught, he said, it is rare for them to be prosecuted. He be- lieves many business owners have stopped calling the authorities, saying one store of- fered thieves caught in the act the opportunity to pay double price and not be prosecuted. “We get incidents like this every week and we are fed up with it,” Mr. Panton said. “It is big business for some people – they know the chances of going to court are almost none. “Where’s the deterrent? You can see the girl in the picture doesn’t care – she is sticking her finger up at the camera. Now I put it up on Facebook. Maybe they under- stand that.” He believes the pictures will serve as a de- terrent to would-be shoplifters and an alert to other business owners to look out for cer- tain individuals. He said any other store owner who wanted to do the same thing could send him CCTV images or footage to post. The CCTV images posted on Reflections’ Facebook page this week are from a shop- lifting incident at the store on Dorcy Drive on March 3. Hospital card corruption trial set for May Brent fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former Health Services Authority Board Chairman Canover Watson and his former personal assistant at Admiral Administration, both charged in the CarePay corruption and money laundering case, will face trial to- gether in late May, a Grand Court judge ordered Thursday. Watson, 43, and Miriam Rebecca Rodriguez, 53, are charged in what Crown prosecutors allege was a fraud and money laundering scheme surrounding the awarding and imple- mentation of the Cayman Islands Hospital’s CarePay patient swipe-card system. On Thursday, Justice Charles Quin agreed with the Crown that allegations against Watson and Rodriguez related either to the same set of facts or a series of occurrences that were similar, and that joining the indict- ments against them was “very sensible.” Neither attorney Ben Tonner, representing Watson, nor attorney Laurence Aiolfi, repre- senting Rodriguez, objected to the joining of the indictments. Trial was set for May 25; a plea and directions hearing was set for March 27. Watson has said he will fight the cor- ruption and money laundering allegations. Rodriguez has not made any public state- ments about the case. Rodriguez faces one fraud-related charge under section 11 of the Cayman Islands Anti- Corruption Law and two charges of money cinico legal bills Mount in us lawsuit charleS duncan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands National Insurance Company has paid more than $150,000 in a legal fight with its former service provider in the United States over the past two years, ac- cording to records made available following a Freedom of Information request. Simplifi, which administered payments and services for CINICO’s nearly 15,000 cus- tomers, sued the insurance company in a U.S. court in July 2013 for allegedly canceling the contract without notice and not paying more than $150,000. CINICO denied breaking the contract and subsequently sued Simplifi in October 2013, claiming the company owes CINICO more than $700,000. CINICO’s chief executive officer, Lonny Tibbetts, said he “tried everything to reach an accord” but once the company was sued, “CINICO has to defend itself.” Mr. Tibbetts told the Cayman Compass that he will travel to the U.S. next week to take part in mediation with Simplifi, a nonbinding negotiation to see whether the two parties can settle the dispute without a costly trial. In 2012, one year into the Simplifi contract, CINICO put out a new request for proposals to look at other options to manage the ac- counts and payments for customers and hos- pitals. Simplifi submitted a new proposal but did not win the contract, Mr. Tibbetts said. Simplifi, he said, “weren’t bringing us what A dive flag flies at half-staff at the waterfront at the Lobster Pot Dive Shop in George Town. – pHoto: taneos raMsay JameS Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Dive flags at Lobster Pot, the original home of Bob Soto’s Diving, and other dive operations were flying at half-staff this week as tributes poured in for the man dubbed a Cayman legend. Mr. Soto, who died in hospital this week, is revered as the father of diving in the Cayman Islands and one of the founders of recreational scuba diving worldwide. Dive shop owners from across the island hailed his influence on the dive industry and on tourism in the Cayman Islands. Adrien Briggs, the owner of Sunset House and Sunset Divers, said Mr. Soto had been a big influence on him per- sonally, teaching him to dive when he was 12 years old. Mr. Briggs said he had served an ap- prenticeship helping out on Mr. Soto’s Tributes flood in for ‘father of diving’ PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL NEWS Friday March 20, 2015 • Cayman Compass Mobile: 345-323-8573 Office: 345-943-8573 / Fax: 345-949-9753 heather.richards@remax.ky / www.remax.ky Heather Richards DREAM WITH YOUR EYES OPEN! Cayman Islands Member of CIREBA Orchid Heights 4 bdrm, 4 bath. 1807 sq. ft. Sought after location. Within walking distance to Spotts Beach. Easy commute to George Town. Spacious rooms with high finishes throughout. Pool and deck make this the perfect DREAM home! MLS 404174 - CI $368,000 345.623.1400 • SALES & RENTALS • PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • COMMERCIAL LEASES • capitalrealty.com.ky THIS WEEK’S NEW LISTINGS INCREDIBLE DEAL BREAKERS CI$250,000 MLS 404213 FIVE partially built 2 bed Apartments 1200 sq feet each ! AMAR t: 926 4162 SAVANNAH HOUSE LOT CI$89,100 MLS404203 Filled ready to go! Heidi t: 525 1126 CARIBBEANCAFEA til 3pm Saturdays & Sundays! Cimboco ~ A Caribbean Café 94-PASTA (947-2782) Located in The Marquee Plaza Brunch & Breakfast Eugenio Leon Harpist Extraordinaire, serenades tableside tonight and every Friday night! Tonight! Friday Happy Hour 5pm-7pm with FREE Hors d’oeuvres + Drink Specials Salsa Tuesdays “BOOGIE NIGHTS” Don’t forget Next Week Last Friday of the Month Is Almost HERE!! Friday February 27th Old School Dance Party 70’s disco & 80’s classics Music By DJ FLEX Starting at 9:30pm Call 949-2231 or email: thewharf@candw.ky Tuesdays with DJ Flex Free lessons with Kirk starting 9.30pm Every Tuesday TOMORROW Saturday March 21st Barefoot Man and Sea N’B Starting live at 8-11pm Come for dinner Stay for Dancing No Cover Discovery Point #15 2 bed, 2 bath, 1301 sqft 2nd fl. outside corner unit Pool, tennis, superb beach Includes 1 bed lock off l l l l New Listing! US$679,500 Member CIREBA MLS#404205 345-945-4411 info@cirealty.ky caymanislandsrealty.com Shabbat Candle Lighting time on Friday, March 20 6:18pm Chabad Jewish Center of the Cayman Islands jewishcayman.com-345.516.4474 Acting fire chief ‘medical boarded’ Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s former acting fire chief, who claimed last year that he was being forced into retirement by the government, was “medical boarded” last Friday – meaning he was evalu- ated and considered to be “unfit for duty” following a lengthy medical-related absence. The decision of the territo- ry’s chief medical officer was confirmed in a letter to the government Ministry of Home Affairs this week. Home Affairs Chief Officer Eric Bush said Rosworth McLaughlin is now consid- ered to be retired, but that he will continue to be paid for a further three months “in lieu of notice.” Mr. McLaughlin was con- tacted on Thursday for com- ment, but did not return phone calls seeking comment on the situation. He did not state whether he intended to appeal the medical board’s decision. The acting fire chief sought judicial review last year, al- leging he was forced into re- tirement by the government fol- lowing a consultant’s review of the local fire service. In a decision released Monday, Cayman Islands Grand Court Justice Richard Williams indicated that it would have been premature for the court to hear such a case when no final decisions had been made and the govern- ment’s own internal appeals process had not been followed. “[Mr. McLaughlin] re- mains employed 7½ months after the date upon which [Mr. McLaughlin] contends the de- cision had been made to retire him and there still remains no notice date for any retirement,” Justice Williams wrote. According to the claims in the judicial review application, a decision was made on April 29, 2014 to retire the firefighter, who has served since 1979 and had been acting as chief fire of- ficer since March 2013. However, Mr. Bush, who has responsibility for oversight management of the fire service, said at the time that he had made no such decision and that the ministry was in negotia- tions with Mr. McLaughlin over a “settlement package.” According to Justice Williams’s ruling denying the judicial review application, Mr. McLaughlin applied in October 2013 for “voluntary separation” from the fire service, similar to selecting an option for early re- tirement. He was told his ap- plication for separation did not meet government criteria. In February 2014, Mr. McLaughlin submitted an ap- plication 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 restruc- ture, eliminating the post of deputy chief fire officer, which Mr. McLaughlin held prior to becoming acting chief fire of- ficer. That same month, Mr. Bush notified Mr. McLaughlin of the ministry’s intention to retire him under the Public Service Management Law to “improve the efficiency” of the civil service. Mr. McLaughlin wrote in a March 9, 2014 letter to Mr. Bush that he “was prepared to re- tire early” from the fire service, as long as certain issues were addressed. An agreement over the “settlement package” was discussed in various commu- nications over the next several months, but no resolution was reached, and Mr. McLaughlin was never formally “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. The judge said that 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 ser- vice. Mr. Bodden remains in the position to date. Elderly diver dies in accident Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com An elderly diver was pro- nounced dead Thursday after he was rushed to the Cayman Islands Hospital from North West Point in West Bay. According to medical per- sonnel, the man had been in- volved in a dive accident at a site off Seven Mile Beach. Emergency crews were notified of the incident around 2:45 p.m. Thursday. Police said the diver, a 70-year-old man from Texas, was with other divers in the water when he got into diffi- culty. He was helped to shore where he received medical at- tention and was later trans- ported to hospital where he was pronounced dead. The man was visiting Cayman with his son and had arrived on island Wednesday. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Joint Marine Unit is in- vestigating the man’s death. Mr. McLaughlin AssAult chArges filed in trAffic stop bust-up Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A police officer and a motorist have been charged in connection with an al- leged physical altercation between them during a November 2014 traffic stop. Glen Andrew Bush ap- peared in Summary Court on Tuesday on charges of assault, disorderly con- duct and resisting arrest. Bush said he had presented an insurance cover letter to police officers during the traffic stop on Eastern Avenue, but that the docu- ment was not accepted. A dispute ensued and Bush ended up in the back seat of a police car, where he alleges he was assaulted by a police officer. That officer, who is also facing charges of as- sault causing actual bodily harm, is due to appear in Summary Court later this month. He is a police con- stable who works out of the George Town Police Station. Royal Cayman Islands Police Superintendent Adrian Seales said the of- ficer would not be identified until his court appearance. The officer has been placed on “administra- tive duties” – essentially a desk job – until the as- sault charges against him are resolved. The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 Cayman Compass • Friday March 20, 2015 UPGRADE TO 4896 - LIME - Broadband Offer Full Page Ad - CMYK - 10.33 x 15.97 - 27 Jan 2015 SUPERFAST BROADBAND A FREE Google Chromecast and Netflix for 6 months, or An Alcatel 3G Tablet with 1GB data for just $49 SIGN UP OR UPGRADE TO AND CHOOSE FROM BROADBAND LIME Terms & Conditions ApplyThe 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. 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 findtheirownway” Friday MarCh 20, 2015 • Cayman COmpass “They are more worried about being embarrassed on Facebook than being caught by the police. “We are going to post these videos on Facebook, on Instagram, on YouTube. It is starting to work, so I don’t care what anyone says about it.” — Prentice Panton, owner, Reflections The preceding is a plea for justice from a Caymanian businessman who has lost his patience with the people who continue to steal from him, and, finally, his faith in the system that is supposed to safeguard his livelihood. The Cayman Compass’s official position on such so- called “name and shame” campaigns is we’re against them ... but that doesn’t mean we don’t empathize fully with Mr. Panton’s frustrations. For some 20 years now as he has built up his businesses, Mr. Panton has been engaged in ground- level warfare against miscreants and ne’er-do-wells. In addition to burglaries, shootings and gunpoint rob- beries, Mr. Panton’s stores have been targeted continu- ally by lower-profile criminals whose offenses — shop- lifting — may be considered petty in the individual instance, but in the accumulation pose a far greater threat to Mr. Panton’s entrepreneurial existence than any single “major” crime. It is eminently understandable that Mr. Panton is in desperate need of assistance in identifying and appre- hending the perpetrators. While the Compass would prefer that police first be contacted for help — Mr. Panton has done that, again and again over the years, but with only one offender ever brought to court. Police and prosecutors aren’t being effective, so Mr. Panton has taken matters into his own hands, by beaming images of suspected shoplifters (apparently caught in the act by CCTV cameras) into Cayman’s online community. We do not criticize Mr. Panton’s entry into “broad- casting,” but we harbor concerns about any “out- sourcing” of basic law enforcement functions. Here’s why: Whenever the private sector volunteers to pick up the slack for the public sector, it relieves government of the burden of accountability and provides an incentive for continued neglect of their official obligations. For certain, the responsibility for law enforcement and criminal justice belongs squarely in the public sector. Neither Mr. Panton nor anyone else in the Cayman Islands should have to resort to Facebook in order to get criminal suspects booked into jail. At root, all Cayman has — economically speaking — is its reputation. The supplanting of “safety and stability” by “danger and lawlessness” in the minds of tourists and investors will sink our three precious gems into the sea far faster than even the boldest pre- dictions of climate change. Admittedly, “name and shame” does possess a certain sirenic allure — as evidenced by Mr. Panton’s statement that his social media campaign has already begun to produce results. Yet, we would caution that most times those results, while immediate, will only be superficial. Just like those “hot checks” plastered near convenience store counters, it won’t be long before the photos and videos of red-handed shoplifters merge into the stream of media and subside into the background of the general consciousness, never to be viewed again. The only sure way to stop shoplifting, or any crime, is the traditional way — through arrests, charges and prosecutions, within an efficient and equitable justice system. That way, the naming occurs in due course, and the shaming is appended as necessary, according to the innocence or guilt of the individual accused. Shoplifters: Smile. You’re on camera British election campaigns are no longer class wars Marc chaMpion The campaign fight be- tween the main Conservative and Labour parties ahead of elections on May 7 is being fought on very familiar ground: Economic compe- tence for the Tories, versus fairness and a strong health service for Labour. But there’s an oddity in the campaign that requires some explanation. Regardless of what each side has said, or how dramatically the eco- nomic news has improved, opinion polls have barely moved in recent months. The two main parties remain neck and neck, with little hope that either will be able to rule alone. And one reason is that other single issue parties have changed the U.K.’s electoral landscape, perhaps for good. The budget debate and election campaign between Labour and the Tories have echoed the U.K.’s long ideo- logical war over the size of the public sector. That war broke out in the late 1970s, when an economic meltdown brought Margaret Thatcher to power and she cut the size of the public sector and its workforce as much as she could. She did so mainly for reasons of economic ide- ology (on which she was proved right), but also for po- litical reasons: Public sector workers tend to vote Labour more than Tory. So do people who rent subsidized housing from the state. So moving more people into the pri- vate sector and making home owners of them (as she did by letting them buy their state- owned apartments) made po- litical sense. You can trace this ideolog- ical battle through the public payroll. Under Thatcher, it fell from 7.4 million people (30 percent of the total work- force) to about 6 million (23 percent), according to a de- tailed report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, a re- spected U.K. think tank. Her Conservative successor, John Major, cut the public payroll further, to below 5.5 million. When Labour returned to power under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, they reversed the trend. By the mid-2000s the number of public sector workers was back above 6 million. And today, after a four-year return to Tory gov- ernment, it’s down to 5.4 mil- lion again, comprising 20 per- cent of the workforce, the lowest share in 50 years. If the Conservatives return to power, it will fall further, to as little as 15 percent of employ- ment, according to the IFS. This is what underlies Labour’s vein-popping accu- sations that Prime Minister David Cameron’s government is “extreme.” And because Britons are fiercely protective of the National Health Service, Labour leader Ed Miliband is warning that a new Conservative-led government would destroy the quality of health care and threaten the jobs of essential state-em- ployed doctors and nurses. In a half hour debate be- tween Miliband and Cameron before the release of the budget, every question that Miliband asked Cameron con- cerned the NHS. And every time Cameron answered, he tried to shift focus onto just- released record (private sector) employment growth. The new budget even included more giveaways to enable people to buy their own homes. And yet this election, un- like previous ones, may not be decided on this decades old ideological battleground. The top voter concern is immigration, which the insur- gent UK Independence Party has leveraged to achieve a massive increase in support – from 3 percent in the 2010 election, to 18 percent in a March 13 poll by the Populus agency (the Conservatives were at 29 percent and Labour at 32 percent). Yet neither the Conservatives nor Labour mentioned immigration during yesterday’s debate, because they know they can’t outflank UKIP on the issue. UKIP is unlikely to win many seats in parliament, due to the vagaries of the British electoral system. Yet its suc- cess in sucking votes away from one or the other of the established parties in each constituency could swing more seats between them on May 8 than anything Labour or the Tories induce by talking about the economy or health service in the weeks ahead. The other huge shift in this year’s election will be to- ward the Scottish National Party, which could sweep Scotland to gain as many as 40 seats, up from six in 2010. Again, the SNP’s narrowly Scottish platform got little mention yesterday (other than a barb from Cameron accusing Miliband of being in the SNP’s pocket), because the SNP can only gain from such a debate. And again, the economic argument in London is likely to have little impact on how Scots vote. I don’t think the two big parties are making a mistake by focusing on the economy and public sector as in the past. That’s still probably the best way for them to win over voters before polling day, rather than trying to chase UKIP on immigration, or the SNP on Scottish nationalism. But the disjuncture may help to explain why a torrent of good economic news has yet to have the impact on polling numbers that one would nor- mally expect. This is shaping up to be a truly unique elec- tion for Britain, one that’s no longer the exclusive preserve of two political parties and the class war they represent. Marc Champion writes editorials on international affairs for Bloomberg View. © 2015, Bloomberg News The two main parties remain neck and neck, with little hope that either will be able to rule alone. And one reason is that other single issue parties have changed the U.K.’s electoral landscape, perhaps for good.The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 Cayman Compass • Friday March 20, 2015 UPGRADE TO THE LOWEST WORLDWIDE RATES LESS THAN 15¢ PER MINUTE Call over 100 countries including Jamaica, North America, Europe, India and the Philippines. Text *140*895# from your prepaid to activate today. LIME Terms & Conditions apply6 LOCAL NEWS Friday March 20, 2015 • Cayman Compass HSA lab receives international accreditation The Health Services Authority pathology lab- oratory has received in- ternational accreditation from the Joint Commission International, meaning the lab meets quality standards people could expect at a first-world hospital. The health authori- ty’s Chief Executive Officer Lizzette Yearwood said, “We are hoping in the next two to three years to get the en- tire hospital accredited.” Marking the achieve- ment this week at Grand Old House restaurant, the Health Services Authority also cel- ebrated the existing ac- creditations of the forensics lab and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation – Mutual Recognition Agreement. In a press release, the hospital service’s medical director Dr. Delroy Jefferson said, “Accreditation dem- onstrates that our labs are committed to the highest standards of quality and safety, and we can deliver our services with confidence and pride, both internally as a medical team as well as to our valued patients.” The accreditation, which is standard for labs in the U.S. and Europe, among other places, includes the Cayman blood bank and certifies that it complies with international stan- dards. The Health Services Authority’s pathology lab does the work behind most medical tests for the au- thority and for some pri- vate doctors, including simple blood tests and screening tissue samples for cancers. Ms. Yearwood said in a press release, “This ac- creditation is not only a benchmark of quality de- livered at the time of the audit, but provides a con- tinuous stream of improve- ment opportunities for the HSA for the future – en- suring that we keep up with international proto- cols and standards of the highest quality.” From left, Health Services Authority Medical Director Dr. Delroy Jefferson; HSA board chairman Jonathan Tibbetts; HSA CEO Lizzette Yearwood; Councilor for Health Roy McTaggart and Ministry Chief Officer Jennifer Ahearn celebrate the accreditation of the HSA’s pathology laboratory at a gathering at Grand Old House. Students to participate in oratorical contest Winner will represent Cayman in Jamaica Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Eleven high school stu- dents will take part in the Optimist Club of George Town’s seventh Oratorical Contest on Saturday. The students will speak for between four and five minutes on the topic “How my optimism will help me press on to greater achieve- ments of the future.” The winner of Saturday’s contest will represent the Cayman Islands at the Oratorical International Competition in Jamaica in April. All of the Cayman stu- dents will receive certifi- cates of participation, ora- torical pins and Optimist T-shirts. The top three con- testants will receive prizes of $500, $300 and $150, as well as medallions. Mark Ray, president of the Optimist Club, said, “We are very excited to host this year’s contest, as we have continued to see growth in the overall level of participa- tion and competence of par- ticipants from year to year. The Optimist Club of George Town, Grand Cayman, is committed to bringing out the best in kids, as our motto states, and we look forward to the general public coming out and supporting our young people on Saturday,” During the international competition in Jamaica, the Cayman winner will com- pete against other orator- ical winners from the region. Thew winner at the district- level contest will receive a US$2,500 scholarship. This year, the Optimist Club received a record 31 applications from stu- dents aged 19 and younger, organizers said. The club’s oratorical con- test is designed to help young people gain experi- ence in public speaking and provide them with the op- portunity to compete for a scholarship. It is also a plat- form for students to express their thoughts and build their confidence. The oratorical contest will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, at the Harquail Theatre. The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Cayman Compass • Friday March 20, 2015 MAKE THE RIGHT MOVE FOR YOUR FUTURE applebyglobal.com Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Guernsey · Hong Kong · Isle of Man · Jersey · London · Mauritius · Seychelles · Shanghai · Zurich Appleby Scholarship Programme Since the 1980s Appleby has led the way in career development for aspiring young Caymanian lawyers through its Legal Scholarship Programme. It is the longest running programme of its kind in the Cayman Islands and supports law students by covering the cost of tuition, examination fees and textbooks required for study, as well as a living allowance and work experience. Interested candidates may submit to kyscholarships@applebyglobal.com a cover letter, curriculum vitae, educational transcripts, a sample piece of writing, proof of Caymanian citizenship and acceptance letters from the universities they plan to attend. For more information about the Appleby Legal Scholarship Programme, visit applebyglobal.com/scholarships. Deadline for receipt of applications is 31 March 2015. “If you’re absolutely determined to make a lawyer of yourself, the thing is more than half done already.” – Abraham LincolnThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Friday March 20, 2015 • Cayman Compass We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. George M. Clark Ebanks who passed away on March 12th, 2015. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Saturday, March 21st, 2015 at North West Point Cemetery at 10:00 a.m. In Memory of his life, please wear something Blue To sign the Guest Book visit: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. Rowena L. Scott who passed away on March 11th, 2015. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Sunday, March 29th, 2015 at the Craddock Ebanks Civic Centre, North Side, at 2:00 p.m. Viewing will be from 1:00-1:45 p.m. Interment to follow at: North Side Cemetery To sign the Guest Book visit: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. Rowena L. Scott who passed away on March 11th, 2015. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Sunday, March 29th, 2015 at the Craddock Ebanks Civic Centre, North Side, at 2:00 p.m. Viewing will be from 1:00-1:45 p.m. Interment to follow at: North Side Cemetery To sign the Guest Book visit: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of We have been asked to announce the passing of Ebanks Civic Centre, North Side, at 2:00 p.m. Interment to follow at: North Side Cemetery We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Ashford Donald Ebanks, better known as “Blackie” who passed away on Friday, March 13, 2015. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Saturday, March 28th 2015 at Elmslie Memorial United Church, George Town at 2:00 p.m. Interment to follow at Prospect Cemetery To sign the Guest Book visit: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com In loving memory of my Mother Virginia Del Carmen Carter July 5, 1964 - March 22, 2011 I cannot believe it has been four years, time does y. It still feels so fresh, and the sadness never goes away. I know I will see you again one day. Rest in peace my wonderful Mother. I love you mom, I miss you more and more each day. From your daughter Alba and your family. We regret to announce the passing of Richard Hall Who departed this life On Sunday, 8 March, 2015. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com Mr. Hall will be repatriated to Canada. We regret to announce the passing of Robert “Bob” Soto Who departed this life on Tuesday, March 17 2015. Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page Interment will follow in Dixie Cemetery . Funeral services will be held at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Saturday, 21 March 2015 at 2:00 PM. Viewing will be from 5-7 PM Friday the 20th at Bodden Funeral Service, 117 Walkers Rd. In Lieu of flowers please make donations to the Cayman Islands Veteran’s Association. We regret to announce the passing of Isaac Wellington Who departed this life on Monday, March 16, 2015. Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A graveside service will be held in Prospect Cemetery Sunday, 29th March 2015 at 4:00 PM. Viewing will be from 3-5 PM Saturday the 28th at Bodden Funeral Service, 117 Walkers Rd. y, ces.com at laundering. The money laun- dering allegations relate to separate amounts, totaling US$30,000 and US$25,000, that Rodriguez is accused of handling on behalf of Watson, who was managing director of Admiral Administration. The details of the charges are that between Oct. 1, 2010 and July 4, 2012, Rodriguez offered and/or gave “assis- tance to a public officer, namely Mr. Canover Watson, in the awarding of a con- tract to Advanced Integrated Systems (Cayman) Ltd.” According to court re- cords: “Evidence suggests that Mr. Canover Watson had a beneficial interest in the company Advanced Integrated Systems (Cayman} Ltd. which he failed to dis- close and obtained sub- stantial financial benefit as a consequence of the company being awarded [two] contracts.” Watson, who is also the former recipient of the Young Caymanian Leadership Award, faces 10 charges, in- cluding six for alleged money laundering. The money laun- dering charges, relating to a total of US$169,000 covering the period from Dec. 30, 2010 to June 2012, are brought under the Proceeds of Crime Law. He is also charged with failing to disclose a pecu- niary interest, breach of trust, fraud on the government, and conflict of interest. The charges relate to a period when Watson served as chairman of the Health Services Authority, during which he approved and signed the contract for the CarePay patient swipe-card system for Cayman Islands’ public healthcare system. The other contract referred to in the charges was for a comput- erized pharmaceutical infor- mation management system awarded in October 2011. It is alleged in court re- cords that Rodriguez “fa- cilitated the incorporation of AIS (Cayman) Ltd. with the General Registry of the Cayman Islands and cov- ered up the fact that Mr. Watson was involved with the company.” The money laundering charges allege that in June and July 2012, Rodriguez possessed “criminal prop- erty” that represented, either directly or indirectly, the benefits of criminal conduct totaling US$55,000. It is alleged that Rodriguez, while working at Admiral Administration, received cash in envelopes from “persons involved in AIS” and “forwarded it on to a third party without dis- closing the same.” The third party re- ferred to, but not named in the court records was not connected with Admiral Administration. Appreciation for poets encouraged Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Officials are encouraging the public to show their ap- preciation of Cayman’s poets during the annual World Poetry Day on Saturday. In a statement released by government this week, Chief Officer in the Ministry of Culture Jennifer Ahearn said the ministry thought this year would be an op- portune time “to informally observe the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Poetry Day … with a view to more for- mally and actively observing the day in future years.” To mark World Poetry Day, the Cayman National Cultural Foundation is hosting the screening of a documentary on Caribbean Poet Laureate Derek Walcott. The screening of “Poetry is an Island,” will take place at the Harquail Theatre at 7 p.m. on Saturday, after which director Ida Does will hold a Q&A session. Nancy Barnard, the Ministry of Culture’s deputy chief officer, said the min- istry is encouraging people to seek out the poetry and pub- lications of Cayman’s resi- dent poets. “Take a book of local poetry, such as Grown from this Ground by Leonard Dilbert, to a coffee shop or the beach this weekend; dis- cuss … the poetry, perhaps become inspired to create your own poetry,” she said. Local poet Nasaria Suckoo-Chollette believes that poets, artists, writers and songwriters are the soul of a country. “They give us a chance to express our inner feelings and examine our very existence. We can, through them, reflect on our past and set our course for our future. Without the avenue of poetry, I would simply go crazy,” she said. She said that when she traveled to London to rep- resent Cayman at Poetry Parnassus, she realized the work of Cayman’s poets is of a very high standard. “It was amazing to be amongst my peers and sharing my poems about my Caymanian experi- ence and having them under- stand my work,” she said. Ms. Suckoo-Chollette said poetry groups are springing up throughout Cayman, in- cluding two open-mic per- formances at Books & Books each month. “What we are lacking here is the ability to publish books. It can be a very expen- sive process. We need to en- courage more poets to pub- lish their works so that they can continue to inspire new Caymanian poets,” she said. Cayman Brac poet Quincy Brown said lots of people are writing poetry these days. He writes in both standard English and dialect using slang. One of his poems, “Mosquito turn Motorcar,” written in 1999, addresses the progress on the three islands over the years, from the days when people used smoke pans to keep mosquitoes at bay to driving modern cars and using insect repellent. Kathleen Bodden-Harris, another Brac poet, said her love of poetry came from her father, a sea captain who wrote love letters to her mother when he was away. After he died, she ran across his book of poems. “When we went on road trips, he would give me a big book of poems to read and that’s where I got my love of poetry.” Ms. Bodden-Harris’s poem for Poetry Day is titled, “Nanny’s Hammock,” which contains the lines: “I love to rock in Nanny’s hammock be- cause we snuggle nice and tight; she rocks me there whenever I like, morning noon or night.” Other active resident poets in Cayman include Roy Bodden, Alta Solomon, Damian Thaxter, Jamal Nugent, Kevin Creary, Michael McLaughlin, Melissa McField, Umberto Scano, Pal De Cruz- Jones, Krisha Arch, Gordon Solomon, Arikka Ebanks, Randy Chollette, Tish Scott, Priscilla Pouchie, Chelsea Walton, Michel Powery, Nicolas Ramos Lopez, Karolyn Smith, Matthew Hylton, Fiona Pimentel, Peter Westin, Barbara Garcia Anselmo, Lady Rabia, Sophia McKenzie and Eugene Christian. Several local groups also encourage creative writing and poetry, including Culture Jam, Nosotros, Floetry, Better Read than Dead, and var- ious personal book and poetry clubs. Hospital card corruption trial set for May CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Local poets Nasaria Suckoo-Chollette and Randy Chollette.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Friday March 20, 2015 IN LOVING MEMORY OF AVIS HARRY March 11TH 1936 – March 21st 2007 Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure... You are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure... It is so hard to realize that Life has changed and will never be the same again as we face a lonely future without you dearest. Sadly missed by your husband Harry, children, Grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brothers, Sisters, nieces and nephews DEATH ANNOUNCEMENT WATLER, MONTRIVILLE EMILE (Fenwick) 3 November 1926 - 15 March 2015 Following a brief illness Fenwick died peacefully on Sunday 15 March at the Toronto Rehabilitation Centre. Family members in the Cayman Islands where he was born and grew up, mourn Fenwick, their “Uncle Fen”. In his late teens Fenwick migrated to Jamaica and eventually to Montreal and finally Toronto, where he worked in Human Resources at Wellesley Hospital until his retirement. Fenwick lived a life filled with good friends, plants, flowers, and many accomplishments. He was a Life member of The Gesneriad Society and was active both locally and internationally. His passion for gardening, indoors and out, led to the publishing of “A Guide for Gesneriad Growers” and his solving of cryptic crosswords was an addiction of his. Family, friends, neighbours and work colleagues, everyone who knew him will forever miss his quick wit, hearty laugh and outstanding hospitality, as well as his awesome culinary creations. He will be buried in Montreal, Canada. May his soul rest in peace. To: The Best Mother & Wife we have ever known From: Carlston, Peachie (Rachel Ann), Kevin, Carlee, Chris & Melanie Today marks 1 year since you left us...Words cannot express the pain we have felt and still continue to feel... We miss you & love you VERY much Evalee / Mommy..... We wish we could see you one more time, come walking through the doors, But we know that is impossible, we will hear your voice no more. We know you can feel our Tears and you don’t want us to cry, Yet our hearts is broken because we can’t understand why someone so precious had to die. We pray that God will give us strength and somehow get us through, as we struggle with this heartache that came when we LOST YOU !!! We wish we could see you one more time, come walking through the doors, But we know that is impossible, we will Lorice Evalee Bush we needed” in terms of ser- vices for the insurance com- pany and its customers. He said CINICO sent Simplifi notice that it did not get the new contract, and that should have been suit- able notice to cancel the existing contract. CINICO’s new admin- istration company in the U.S., a partnership between Automated Benefit Services Inc. and Ascension Health, began in January. Mr. Tibbetts said the transition has been a “rough period.” In an email earlier this year, Mr. Tibbetts wrote, “At the onset of the dispute, Simplifi ceased all services which significantly dis- rupted this entire process.” That left many claims un- paid and left CINICO without an accurate ac- counting of which hospitals the company owed money. CINICO has been trying to calculate claims and get the books back in order in- house, Mr. Tibbetts said. That has not been easy for the company, and some in- voices have fallen through the cracks, he said. Since November, three lawsuits have been filed against CINICO for unpaid medical bills in Florida. Seven hospitals, across the three lawsuits, allege that CINICO owes more than $2 million. The unpaid bills range from $200 emergency room visits to hundreds of thousands of dollars for sur- gery. The two suits from late last year were settled, and CINICO paid the bills. The most recent suit, filed in January, is pending. Dueling lawsuits According to documents filed in the lawsuit, CINICO hired Ohio-based Simplifi as its third-party admin- istrator to process insur- ance claims and make pay- ments on behalf of the insurer. The agreement set a two-year term, which was to automatically renew on July 1, 2013 unless ei- ther CINICO or Simplifi gave written notice at least 120 days prior to the renewal date. The terms to end the contract are at the center of the initial lawsuit. It states that Mr. Tibbetts sent an email to Simplifi on Feb. 6, 2013 to give notice to end the contract. But, the documents show, ter- mination had to be made with a physical letter or a fax; email was not in- cluded in the contract as a way to cancel the agree- ment. Simplifi’s lawyers wrote in the lawsuit that the company stands to lose $1.8 million in administra- tive service fees CINICO would have paid for the contract year. The lawsuit states that the Simplifi representa- tive, Stoddard Lawrence, emailed Mr. Tibbetts in February and March of that year about sending formal notice to cancel the contract and about a tran- sition plan to hand over the documentation to a new administrator. Mr. Tibbetts did not respond, the suit alleges, until April 19, 2013. In the April email and in another one at the end of May, the lawsuit states, Mr. Tibbetts said he was still fi- nalizing an agreement with another administrator. In June of that year, Simplifi sent CINICO a bill for the next month’s ser- vice and the contract auto- matically renewed for an- other year, according to the suit. CINICO refused to pay that bill, and a month later Simplifi sued CINICO for breaking the contract. Three months later, CINICO filed a counter- claim against Simplifi, ac- cusing the administrator of owing CINICO more than $700,000 for not processing all payments and paying claims that had not been authorized. Simplifi denies owing CINICO any money, according to court records. Lawyers for Simplifi de- clined to comment because the lawsuit is ongoing. CINICO legal bills mount in US lawsuit boats in the early days of scuba diving in the Cayman Islands in the 1960s, before buying a boat from him and going into business himself. “He was a wonderful man and a unique indi- vidual. He had a wonderful personality. He was genu- inely one of the best people I have ever known,” said Mr. Briggs. “He was a good friend and someone I looked up to. He is also the man who put Cayman on the diving tourism map.” In the early days, Mr. Briggs remembers, the reef around George Town was pristine. The early pio- neers of the sport discov- ered countless dive sites that have since been visited by millions of tourists as recre- ational diving has exploded in popularity. “Cayman had a lot going for it as a dive destination, and Bob was the one who took it to the world,” Mr. Briggs said. Giles Charlton-Jones, one of the owners of Lobster Pot Diving where Mr. Soto opened the first scuba busi- ness in the Caribbean in 1957, said the dive flags were lowered in tribute. “It is a privilege for us to run the business out of his original dive shop,” he said. “He is a great man and has been a great landlord to us over the years. His influence has been incredible. Back when he started, the sport of diving didn’t really exist.” Steve Broadbelt, owner of Ocean Frontiers in East End, said Mr. Soto’s legacy would never be forgotten. “Bob Soto put Cayman on the map, and everybody in the dive business owes him an immense debt of grat- itude. It is impossible to imagine a Cayman without Bob Soto, his vision and what he achieved.” He said Mr. Soto was also the trailblazer for East End diving, as founder of the Cayman Diving Lodge in 1972. Nancy Easterbrook started her dive busi- ness, Divetech, in the mid- ’90s at Turtle Reef, next to the Cracked Conch restau- rant owned by Mr. Soto, whom she remembers as influential in helping her make the decision to set up shop in West Bay. “He was an inspira- tion for everyone that set up here,” Ms. Easterbrook said. “He was innovative and had the vision to look to the future and establish the industry long before my time here.” The Cayman Islands Tourism Association released a statement Wednesday, paying tribute to Mr. Soto, saying: “CITA is grateful to Mr. Soto and his family, who have been instrumental in the development of tourism in these islands, including the formation of CITA. His legacy has left an indelible imprint on many lives.” Funeral services for Mr. Soto will be held at the Cayman Islands Baptist Church at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 21. Tributes flood in for ‘father of diving’ Dive shop owners from across the island hailed his influence on the dive industry and on tourism in the Cayman Islands. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Mr. SotoNext >