ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Thursday april 9, 2015 Smooth to slight with wave heights less than 2 feet. High of 85 Low of 74 Health Week 1 SPECIALFEATURE CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY APRIL 9, 2015 Week Health Week Putting the spotlight on health and prevention. SpEcIAL FEATurE Editorial | pagE 4 WesT Bay road: Where inacTion endangers lives Business Insurance Pay less for more service and benefits with BritCay! insurance, health, pensions, life Employee benefits plans with Britcay are rich in benefits and deliver accurate, comprehensive reports quickly and on time. BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International: insurance, health, pensions, life Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky Cotton tree hotel to Close ‘Time to move on’ for boutique hotel The Cotton Tree, one of Cayman’s few bou- tique hotels, will close its doors at the end of the month. The Caymanian-owned and operated hotel, comprising four seaside cottages on Conch Point Road in West Bay, opened to great ac- claim in 2008. Owner Heather Lockington said the hotel was doing well and continued to get rave re- views from customers, but she said she was closing because it is “time to move on.” “I am happy I was able to create such a beautiful gem that people have so enjoyed, such a great accomplishment, and I’m so very proud being a Caymanian owner of such a wonderful true Caymanian hospitality busi- ness,” she said. “However, it’s now time to move on and [I’m] looking forward to another exciting ven- ture in the future.” For sale The hotel is taking bookings through to April 30. It has been listed for sale by Savills real estate agents, with an asking price of US$5.7 million. Ms. Lockington said it is being sold as a private residence or estate rather than as a hotel. She said the Cotton Tree business and brand are not for sale. A listing for the prop- erty on Savills’s website states, “The property would make an excellent multi-family holiday getaway or personal estate.” The hotel, near Barkers Beach, was de- signed by the architect and interiors team at MJM, led by Michael and Joelle Meghoo. CanCer regiStry doctors call for changes to bill James WhiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A proposed new law that would require health professionals to report cancers and brain tumors to a national registry should be amended so that patients’ names and ad- dresses are not collected, the Medical and Dental Society has recommended. The Cancer Registry Bill provides for the automatic reporting of cancers diagnosed in the Cayman Islands to the national registry. In its current form, the bill requires doc- tors to report patients’ names and addresses to the registry. Critics, including the Human Rights Commission, have questioned why such personal information is required. Advocates of the bill maintain that the names are useful, in the first instance, to en- sure there is no duplication of reporting. They also point out that the names will not be en- tered into the register and that the informa- tion will be available only to Cancer Registrar Amanda Nicholson. They say addresses are important for re- searchers to help determine whether envi- ronmental factors, such as proximity to cell towers or the landfill site, might contribute to increased risk of cancer. The bill is currently out for public consul- tation. The Legislative Assembly meets next week, but as of Wednesday afternoon, it was not clear whether the Cancer Registry Bill would be debated this session. The order of business for the Legislative Assembly session will not be decided until Monday, according to a spokesperson. The Cayman Islands Medical and Dental Society released a statement Wednesday in support of the bill but recommended some changes. “While it is understood that names and addresses are never included in the registry Major investment in roads on the way James WhiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The first phase of a major multiyear project to redevelop roads around George Town is under way. Work began this week on widening Godfrey Nixon Way, which connects Eastern Avenue to the Esterley Tibbetts Highway and is viewed as a key route for traffic around George Town. A plan to widen the Linford Pierson Highway to four lanes is also being drawn up. The highway is one of the island’s most heavily congested roads at peak times. Work on that project could begin in the next financial year, according to Tristan Hydes, deputy chief officer in the Ministry of Planning. Government has indicated it will invest around $5 million for various roadwork projects around the capital in the next fi- nancial year and will continue to invest in upgrades over the next few years. Mr. Hydes said the planned road im- provements, part of the George Town Revitalization Project, will help alleviate growing problems with traffic congestion. He said work on Godfrey Nixon Way and the widening of Smith Road and Humber Lane will help traffic flow more smoothly around the capital, particularly in key business areas and close to the hospitals and schools. He added, “There is quite a bit of in- frastructure work that is planned over the coming years for the revitalization project and for the George Town area in general.” PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » a bulldozer moves a palm tree during road widening work Wednesday at godfrey nixon Way in george town. - Photo: tAneos rAMsAY2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Thursday april 9, 2015 • Cayman Compass 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 y x FURIOUS 7 (PG13) 12:45 I 1:30 I 3:45 I 4:30 I 6:45 I 7:30 I 9:45 INSURGENT 3D (PG13) 1:00 | 4:00 2D | 7:00 | 9:55 2D GET HARD (R) 1:15 I 3:40 I 7:10 I 10:00 HOME 3D (PG) 12:20 I 2:45 2D I 5:05 I 7:20 2D I 9:50 CINDERELLA (PG) 12:45 | 3:30 | 6:50 | 9:40 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - THURSDAY - $8.00 Eve of Seventh Day Passover Holiday Candle Lighting time on Thursday, April 9, 6:24pm Chabad Jewish Center of the Cayman Islands jewishcayman.com-345.516.4474 www.tonymosleylifeinsurance.com Defendant also accused of aggravated burglary CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A 45-year-old man charged with attempted rape and aggravated burglary has been remanded in custody. Jerry Machado Christian appeared in Summary Court on Tuesday, when charges against him were sent to Grand Court. Christian, who is self-em- ployed in the construction industry, was charged after an incident that allegedly occurred in the early hours of April 3 at a premises in the Beach Bay Area. A third charge is possession of an offensive weapon – a knife. Defense attorney John Furniss pointed out to Magistrate Grace Donalds that the defendant and the complainant were known to each other. They had had conversations the night be- fore that apparently turned into an argument and Christian wanted to clarify matters, Mr. Furniss said. The attorney said his client accepted that he was wrong to have gone to the woman’s house at 4:30 a.m. He said Christian denied all charges, explaining that he had two knives among his work tools which were at the woman’s house. Aggravated burglary is trespassing with intent to commit an offense while being in possession of a weapon. It can only be tried in Grand Court. The magistrate refused a bail application after Crown counsel Neil Kumar explained his objections. Christian was remanded in custody until April 17, when he is scheduled to appear in Grand Court. Attempted rape case sent to Grand Court CorreCtion On April 2, the Cayman Compass printed a story which stated that Civil Aviation Authority Director- General Richard Smith had attended a March 30 meeting at Beacon House with air traffic controllers. Mr. Smith has subsequently advised us that neither he nor any other member of the Civil Aviation Authority was in attendance at that meeting. We apolo- gize for the error. two officials sanctioned by Us are promoted to VenezUela cabinet CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro has promoted to his Cabinet two officials sanc- tioned by the U.S. Maduro on Tuesday night announced that two of the seven mid-level officials sanctioned in March for al- leged human rights viola- tions and public corruption are being promoted to vice minister positions. Katherine Harrington will oversee criminal investiga- tion. As a national level pros- ecutor, she has charged sev- eral opposition members with conspiracy related to alleged coup attempts, using what the U.S. has said is fabri- cated information. Manuel Perez Urdaneta will oversee citizen safety. He was previously director of Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Police, which the U.S. says disregards human rights. Maduro calls the sanctions an act of war and hails as na- tional heroes those who have had their U.S. assets frozen and visas revoked. KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — The Caribbean region col- lectively cheered when President Barack Obama was first elected president in 2008. Calypso and reggae songs were written in his honor, the French Caribbean island of Martinique named a road after him, and Antigua’s highest mountain officially became “Mount Obama” as the small country saluted him as a symbol of black achievement. This week, Obama will try to rekindle an enthusiasm that has waned amid a per- ceived lack of attention from the American president. But more than just an ef- fort in rebuilding popularity, Obama’s meetings Thursday with Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and with other leaders in the 15-member Caribbean Community are weighted with self-interest. China has steadily ex- panded its economic alli- ances in the Caribbean, and the region is seeking to re- duce its dependence on sub- sidized oil from an economi- cally struggling Venezuela. China is providing much of the financing for new roads, bridges and other infrastruc- ture projects. “China is running away with the gold in the view of many region watchers. Its footprint is visible and ob- vious through its ‘checkbook’ diplomacy in the Caribbean,” said Anthony Bryan, an inter- national relations professor at Trinidad’s campus of the University of the West Indies, a public university system serving 18 English-speaking countries and territories. “We, in looking at the re- gion, saw that a number of the [Caribbean] countries had significant energy needs,” said Benjamin Rhodes, a White House deputy national security adviser. “At the same time, the United States has significant resources, not just in terms of our own energy production, but also in our energy infrastructure, in our ability to work with coun- tries that have formed coop- erative solutions to promote energy security.” There are growing signs that the U.S. is stepping up its focus on the Caribbean to help fill a potential void left by Venezuela’s scaled- back oil diplomacy. Earlier this year, Vice President Joe Biden hosted prime minis- ters and other top officials from all Caribbean coun- tries except Cuba at the first Caribbean Energy Security Summit in Washington. The focus was on exploring ways to help Caribbean nations obtain financing from inter- national financial institu- tions to convert diesel-pow- ered energy plants to natural gas and increase alternative energy sources. “As the economic crisis in Venezuela escalates, coun- tries reliant on Petrocaribe, the dubious Venezuela-led oil alliance, will need alter- native energy sources sooner rather than later. Look for Caribbean leaders to ar- ticulate that urgency,” said Jason Marczak, deputy di- rector of the Latin America Center at the Washington- based Atlantic Council, a non-partisan foreign policy think tank. Obama’s visit to Jamaica is the first one by a U.S. presi- dent since President Ronald Reagan in 1982. He was last in the Caribbean region in 2009 when he attended the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad. This time, Obama’s stop in Kingston comes ahead of his attendance at this year’s summit of the Western Hemisphere’s heads of government Friday and Saturday in Panama. While Obama T-shirts and bumper stickers can still be seen on Caribbean islands where many people share a similar racially mixed family tree as the U.S. president, the fact that the American leader is partly of African heri- tage is no longer heralded as marking an era of tolerance and possibility. “I think some people around here hoped Obama could make the world’s prob- lems go away, but this world has a whole heap of prob- lems that are never going away. But Caribbean people will always like Obama be- cause we can see ourselves in Obama,” Jamaican furni- ture upholsterer Llewellyn Clarke said as he waited for a bus near the U.S. Embassy in the island’s cap- ital of Kingston. The U.S., long the domi- nant influence in much of the Caribbean, remains the top trading partner of many countries in the region and their largest market for tourism. Yet for years there has been a chorus of com- plaints that other than anti- drug efforts Washington no longer pays much attention to the region once described by Reagan as America’s “fourth border.” “Any interest that the American government shows in the Caribbean is an im- provement because we have been ignored completely throughout the two terms of the Bush presidency and most of the two terms of this one,” said Damien King, a prominent economist in Jamaica who is co-exec- utive director of regional think tank Caribbean Policy Research Institute. Rhodes, the deputy na- tional security adviser at the White House, did not dis- pute the perception that the United States “has not en- gaged these countries as significantly as we should.” But he said creating part- nerships and investing in the region will help address those doubts. Energy security tops Obama agenda in Jamaica in April 2012, President Barack obama was photographed with Jamaica’s Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller at the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia. Mr. obama was to travel to Jamaica on Wednesday for meetings with officials. - pHoto: ap President Maduro3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday april 9, 2015 BritCay BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, Grand Cayman KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 12 Kirkconnell Street, Stake Bay, P.O. Box 254, Cayman Brac KY2-2101 Tel. 948-1760 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International: insurance, health, pensions, life Early office closing. Please be aware that the offices at British Caymanian Insurance will close at 4.30pm on Thursday 9th April for a general staff meeting. We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause. UK judge: Jurisdiction can decide a case Justice for the Supreme Court of England and Wales visited Cayman’s lawyers, judiciary last week Charles DUnCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com One of the most senior judges in the United Kingdom, speaking to Cayman’s judi- ciary and legal fraternities last week, said the jurisdic- tion chosen for a legal dis- pute can often be the de- ciding factor for many cases. Lord Mance, a justice for the Supreme Court of England and Wales, sits on the Privy Council, the final court of appeal for British overseas territories. He said questions over jurisdiction, meaning where a case is heard and what laws apply, depend on how quickly a court can decide an issue, how reliable that court is, and if outside pressures like political or social connections could impact a legal decision. Lord Mance said the Privy Council can, at times, “be quite mundane” be- cause many member states give a blanket right of ap- peal for almost any case. “But it can also involve high constitutional issues,” he said, pointing to a suit in St. Kitts and Nevis over election boundaries and a Cayman Islands case related to the fi- nancial services industry. The justice’s lecture, pre- sented to more than 80 people in the Grand Court, focused on what he called “heavy commercial disputes,” such as fraud or insolvency of an offshore fund manage- ment company. The Judicial Administration, Caymanian Bar Association and the Cayman Islands Law Society hosted Lord Mance on his visit. He met with several groups during the trip and visited the Truman Bodden Law School to speak with students. According to a statement from the Judicial Administration, Lord Mance “had been very keen to meet the judges” and to get “as clear an un- derstanding as he could of the local circumstances and the business coming before the courts.” During his lecture, he ad- dressed issues around juris- diction and case law that es- tablish how disputes over where a case should be held are resolved. Jurisdiction, he said, can be a deciding factor in a case because of differences in laws and ju- dicial norms. Many compa- nies in legal disputes could argue to move a case to a dif- ferent country if they think it would have a more favorable legal regime. Lord Mance gave a number of examples from British and European courts of how jurisdiction was de- cided and how it could im- pact a case. He said English courts have in the past been hesitant to send a case to India because “of evidence that it would take a decade or more to get the matter ad- judicated there.” A party has to give clear evidence that a case would not be tried fairly or promptly in order to change jurisdic- tion under U.K. law, the jus- tice said. He gave another ex- ample from a 1937 case: “the plaintiff, a Jew, … to pursue his German claim against his German employers in Germany would have had to attend in person, whereupon he would have been at risk of being arrested and put in a concentration camp.” Lord Mance said that Caribbean jurisdictions often have to consider factors out- side of their own national borders. “A company’s affairs will have international ram- ifications. Here, we are not concerned with competition between jurisdictions, but with need for effective cross- border mechanisms,” he said. Europe, he added, has devel- oped legislation to help with these cross-border questions, especially when it comes to companies that have become insolvent. But how those rules work across national lines is controversial, he said, and “led to what one might describe as a “jurisprudence of fine lines.” Little Cayman hosts exhibit of wildlife ‘above the waves’ Charles DUnCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com A new exhibit at the Little Cayman Museum will showcase two amateur photographers’ work on the island’s wildlife. “Little Cayman: Above the Waves” features photos of the diverse bird, lizard and mammal populations on an island better known for its underwater wildlife. Mike Vallee and Ed Houlcroft, dive masters by day, brought their cameras out of the water to show off the island’s wildlife on the ground and in the air. “These are two very tal- ented young men who are passionate about wildlife,” said Nicola Dorrington, co- ordinator for the museum. Mr. Vallee said he hopes to “capture that moment you can’t see with the naked eye.” He wants to bring out the detail in these moments and give people a chance to look at creatures like the green anole or red- footed boobies. He said the Little Cayman exhibit is about conservation and “showing people what we are trying to save here.” The exhibit opening will also serve as a fun- draiser for the mu- seum. Founded by Linton Tibbetts in 1997, the museum reopened last summer. Ms. Dorrington said she hopes this will be the first of many tem- porary exhibits to show off what Little Cayman has to offer. The opening, at 6 p.m., Friday, April 17, includes silent and live auctions of the prints. All proceeds go to the nonprofit museum. Photographs by Ed Houlcroft, such as this one, and Mike Vallee will be featured in an upcoming exhibit at the Little Cayman Museum. Lord Mance, left, responds to a question by Chief Justice Anthony Smellie, right. Justice Andrew Jones is center.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. 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” Thursday apriL 9, 2015 • Cayman COmpass How many more people must be injured, or killed, before Cayman Islands leaders do something about our most crowded tourism corridor, called West Bay Road? American tourist Harrison Zierenberg is the most recent victim. Vacationing here with family, the 16-year-old was struck by a Suzuki mini-van on Monday night as he was crossing the road outside the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort. The driver, a 66-year-old resident, was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving. The teenager was hospitalized with serious injuries. The driver’s behavior in this particular incident is now a matter for police and prosecutors. However, generally speaking, even those motor- ists who strictly adhere to the legal speed limit of 40 miles per hour on that strip become, potentially, dan- gerous drivers. That’s because the speed limit is far too high along the West Bay Road corridor, considering the density of development and the concentration of ambulatory tourists. Simply put, automobiles and pedestrians don’t mix. The only deadlier combination is gasoline and alcohol. Pour all the ingredients together, and the result is the lethal cocktail we see on West Bay Road. It is germane to point out the example of the Dart Group, the country’s preeminent property developer. When Dart determined to go ahead with its Kimpton resort, the first thing it did was to separate its future guests and residents, physically, from automobile traffic, even though it meant building a brand-new section of highway all the way to West Bay. (The free- flowing Esterley Tibbetts extension, not coinciden- tally, removes the primary objection one might have to slowing traffic on the parallel West Bay Road.) Similarly, now that Dart has decided to move forward with its second tourist-oriented development, this one a part of the westward expansion of Camana Bay (which is itself a “safe zone” for pedestrians), the top item on Dart’s plan is a pair of expensive “underpasses” to ensure that motorists and pedestrians not only steer clear of one another, but won’t even cross paths. Contrast that with Cabinet’s approach to the haz- ardous, but eminently addressable, situation along Seven Mile Beach. Following years of deliberations and a string of pedestrian deaths, a cross-departmental panel of government announced a plan to revise speed limits across Grand Cayman. That was back in November 2013. The panel’s proposals were sent to Cabinet in February 2014, where they have lain dormant for more than a year now, casualties of what we’ll call “inaction via unnec- essary complication.” A serious beginning to resolving the safety problem on West Bay Road is, in reality, a straightforward, two-step process: 1) Lower the speed limit from 40 miles per hour to 30 or even 25 miles per hour. Cabinet could, and should, do it this afternoon. No more public consulta- tions or island-wide speed limit reviews. Call out the sign painters and put up the signs. 2) Enforce the law, strictly. (Police can do it as soon as the new signs go up.) One measure will not suffice in the absence of the other. First, Cabinet’s radar screen. Then, the police’s radar guns. West Bay Road: Where inaction endangers lives Building sustainable economic development John harvey and Tom PhilliPs Over the past decade Cayman has learned some difficult lessons about how vulnerable its eco- nomic drivers of finance and tourism are to swings in in- ternational markets and the challenges of addressing its economic future. Is it possible for Cayman to develop a domestic eco- nomic sector that is less dependent on the global economy? Could Cayman better control its own eco- nomic destiny by creating jobs and general prosperity within the country? We be- lieve that this is possible through the careful and con- certed development of the broader property sector in Cayman – not just the large, expensive strata and com- mercial properties. Meeting our aspirations Many Caymanian fami- lies have worked hard to ac- quire their residential prop- erty, and many want to own their own home. Usually these desires are motivated by meeting personal and family needs and to, over time, benefit from the finan- cial appreciation of prop- erty. With limited land and growing demand, property values are ideally positioned for growth. We are suggesting that managed property develop- ment can be a significant contributor to Cayman’s fu- ture. While international financiers and bankers have made significant eco- nomic impacts on prop- erty that have contributed to attracting many affluent workers and visitors – some of whom invested in prop- erty here – property values have grown. High-quality property investments lifted surrounding property values for the majority of us who lack a spare million or two. There is, however, much more economic opportunity in Caymanian property in the large proportion that is not just at the highest end of the market. Economic realities and prospects Property generates wealth for present and fu- ture generations. In prop- erty sales Caymanians earn cash to pay expenses and to finance other investment op- portunities. Through prop- erty, work is created for re- altors, lawyers, bankers, accountants, planners, ar- chitects, engineers, sur- veyors, builders, business administrators and man- agers (at all levels including human resource manage- ment), skilled building trades, unskilled laborers, vehicle and equipment sup- pliers, drivers and equip- ment operators, and material importers and distributors. The growth of property requires infrastructure ex- pansion (improved roads, airports, ports, telecommuni- cations, electrical and water generation and distribution), value-added work by gov- ernment departments, and the fees that contribute to paying for schools, colleges, community/urban planning, parks, beautification proj- ects, environmental manage- ment, and the general en- richment of our society. However, unrestricted de- velopment often leads to dangerous property value “bubbles” and unfortunate environmental and health impacts. To avoid such unin- tended consequences, a coor- dinated approach is required for sustainable development. Thoughtfully planned, sustainable property devel- opment can provide well- paying employment for our under-employed at all skill levels. It can encourage our youth to, for instance, learn a trade, become a valu- able member of society and earn a good living. All of this can be accomplished by us, through our own actions that meet our needs and en- able us to be less sensitive to global impacts. Employment, training and education The recent debate about jobs has pointed out that Cayman has a “structural unemployment” problem. There are jobs available – many of them good jobs – but too few people in Cayman have the skills required to fill them. Although getting a good job in the past often did not require formal education, training, or certifications, those days are gone. Thankfully, attitudes are changing and more people in Cayman are seeking the skills needed for meaningful, long- term employment. When we have more skilled citizens employed, we will need fewer work permit holders. More money will stay in this economy, and we will be less vulnerable to global economic events. How can we do this? Currently there are costly delays in obtaining ap- provals on building plans and subsequent inspection approvals. Time really is money in the building in- dustry. Delays add signifi- cantly to costs, and unnec- essary costs eventually lead to an unsuccessful and inef- ficient property sector. While responsibility for delays is often thought to belong to the government’s Planning Department, in fact, ineffective building designers and contractors unaware of building code requirements are often re- sponsible. Faster and more efficient planning would be possible if new policies held builders and design professionals accountable. For instance, future regis- tered designers who submit plans in accordance with code requirements would receive prompt approvals. Developing the Caymanian property sector will not require more gov- ernment. Rather a reorgani- zation of current government services and a reduction in staff would occur. Consider a Planning Department that proactively supports sustain- able development and fos- ters quality assurance, rather than “police” 100 percent quality control. If we had the RCIPS manage the laws under the operating model we currently use in property we would need an officer in every vehicle. That’s simply inefficient. We need qualified people at all levels of prop- erty development and main- tenance. Quality assurance can come through contrac- tors who demonstrate their abilities to perform in ac- cordance with the building codes and regulations as re- quired in competitive, in- vestor-friendly countries. Adding to efficiency, ap- proved builders and sub- contractors would not be subject to the current 100 percent quality control by Building Control inspectors. Qualified, responsible con- tractors would be account- able for performing their duties to ensure that their practices comply with ap- proved designs. Building Control would be far more effective doing random in- spections to ensure that standards are met. Only those contractors who do not perform to standards would be subject to high-in- tensity inspections. Through these changes, efficient inspections and market pressures good de- signers and builders who generate better quality, and faster completions at lower costs would come to domi- nate the sector. The market will quickly differentiate the best and most efficient from the slow and cheap. Over a few years of more focused standards Cayman’s property sector will grow. Families will live in better quality, more affordable homes. Caymanian workers in the property develop- ment industry will be more skilled, more efficient, and earn more. Now is the time We need shift action. To seize the opportunity we need legislation passed: the Builders Law enacted this spring; the Engineers Registration Act this summer; the Architect’s Registration Act this winter. We cannot delay taking actions that reduce our vul- nerability to global economic crises, and lead to greater growth, sustainability, and independence for Cayman. Dr. John Harvey is an engineer and management consultant involved in Cayman’s construction industry, human resource development, and education. Dr. Tom Phillips is an international economist, educator, and frequent contributor to Pinnacle Media’s Grand Cayman Magazine. Both were members of the founding faculty at UCCI. Thoughtfully planned, sustainable property development can provide well-paying employment for our under-employed at all skill levels. It can encourage our youth to, for instance, learn a trade, become a valuable member of society and earn a good living. All of this can be accomplished by us, through our own actions that meet our needs and be less sensitive to global impacts.5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday april 9, 2015 Two fined for cigarette duty evasion CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two people who tried to evade paying $294 in duty on seven cartons of cigarettes have been fined $1,176. Magistrate Grace Donalds imposed the fine after Ryan Chester Whittaker and Samantha Yolanda Thompson pleaded guilty last week to evading customs duty on May 6, 2014. The magistrate explained that the penalty is the duty owed plus triple that amount. In this case, she ap- portioned the total between the two defendants so that each must pay $588. She also noted that the law per- mits the court to impose, in addition, a fine up to $6,000 or imprisonment up to five years. However, she did not impose any further fine. Both defendants asked for and received three months in which to pay the penalty. At the time, Whittaker, 27, was a ramp coordinator for Cayman Airways at Owen Roberts International Airport. Thompson, 36, was a pas- senger traveling to Miami. A third defendant, 22, was a customer service agent for Cayman Airways. She main- tained her not guilty plea, so trial was to go ahead for her that afternoon. However, after hearing submis- sions from defense attorney Sheridan Brooks, Crown counsel Kenneth Ferguson of- fered no evidence. The magis- trate therefore discharged the younger woman. Mr. Ferguson told the court that Thompson bought the cigarettes from a duty- free shop in the passenger lounge of the airport. She was subsequently paged and she approached the customer service agent, asking her to hold the bag with the ciga- rettes in it. Later, she asked the agent to give the bag to Whittaker when he started his shift that afternoon. The agent, who knew both Thompson and Whittaker, agreed. She took the bag and put it in a locker. When questioned by a customs officer, the agent ex- plained what had happened. The officer then questioned Whittaker, who admitted in- structing someone to buy the cigarettes and give them to the agent to hold for him. He said he did not inform the agent in advance that Thompson would be taking the cigarettes to her. He said he tried to call her later but she was busy working and unable to answer. Whittaker confirmed that the agent had no knowledge that Thompson was going to give her the cigarettes. Thompson agreed that Whittaker had asked her to buy the cigarettes and give them to the agent. She did not know if the agent knew what was intended and she did not know if they had spoken. The magistrate asked both defendants, who were not represented, whether they wished to address the court before sentencing. Thompson indicated she did not wish to say anything. Whittaker said he didn’t know about the law. StudentS gain duke of edinburgh awardS Students from schools throughout the Cayman Islands have taken part in an expedition to gain their Duke of Edinburgh bronze award. The expedition is one of the final requirements for the bronze award, which comprises four sections: physical, service, skill and the expedition. The first three sections must be completed over three to six months, and the expedition is a two-day, one-night unaided journey. Before the participants can undertake their expedition, they must go through var- ious type of training, such as first aid, navigation and route planning, map skills, campcraft, food and cooking, as well as various team- building exercises. The expedition involved four groups, each made up of between four and six participants, who set out from different locations in George Town. They made their way from there to the Cayman Islands Yacht Club in West Bay where they were transported by boat to Cayman Kai. The students then set up tents and prepared their dinner over an open fire. On the second day, they began their journey from Chisholm’s Store in North Side through the Mastic Trail, where they noted and took pictures of the various plants and animals along the way, to the Frank Sound dock where they completed their journey. “The overall focus of the expedition was on the culture and history of the Cayman Islands,” organizers said. “It also encouraged teamwork and a spirit of adventure and discovery amongst the par- ticipants. Therefore, the stu- dents stopped at various checkpoints, such as Heroes Square and Elmslie Church. While on the journey, the students were encouraged to take pictures and com- plete questionnaires about important milestones in Cayman’s history.” Twenty participants com- pleted the Bronze Expedition, including Matthew Rowell, Callhan Studenhofft, Javid Piercy, Anja Ruth van Genderen, Phoebe Serpell, Ciarra Jeffries, Halle Miller, Kaitlan DaCosta, Morgan McCartney, Brandon Saunders, Dylan Burke, Jacob Whewell, Brett Azan, Jennifer Robinson, Hasani Stewart, Zoe Basdeo, Jared Duval, Juanique McLean, Graeme Hill and Dylan Windsor. Students enjoy their lunch at the Duke of Edinburgh bronze award expedition. John Gray junior and senior teams crowned Scrabble Scrum champs High school students put their spelling and numeracy skills to work at the inau- gural high school Scrabble Scrum in celebration of Rotary Literacy Month. The event, organized by LIFE (Literacy is for Everyone) Ltd. and the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise, was held last month at St. Ignatius school, with four teams from St. Ignatius and John Gray taking part. Teams huddled over Scrabble boards to find the highest scoring words in a limited amount of time. John Gray’s Scrabble Slammers team, featuring Thea Foster, Jabari Waldron, Charan Senthil, Reon Torter, Jaevan Maxwell, Alle Ann Sobrejuanite, Alec Harding and Aleigha General, were crowned the Junior Champions. The Senior Champions trophy went to John Gray’s Scrabblenauts team, with Bianca Rego- Ramos, Shanann Thompson, Jaymar Myles, Enrique McCoy, Akeliah Brown, Kadar Afflick and Stephen Thane. Each student on the winning teams was awarded a $50 Books & Books gift certificate. “It was amazing to see the students so engaged in the competition and all working hard to think of high-scoring words for their team,” said Woody Foster, chairman of LIFE Ltd. and director of the Rotary Sunrise Literacy Committee. “The Scrabble Scrum competition encour- ages students to think about spelling words and also re- quires them to use numeracy skills to calculate the highest- scoring words.” LIFE and Rotary Sunrise will hold the second corpo- rate Scrabble Scrum fund- raiser in September.John Gray High School’s Scrabblenauts team in action.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community Calendar ■ Community Calendar is published Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. Thursday april 9, 2015 • Cayman Compass THURSDAY, APRIL 9 FREE HEALTH SCREENING: In observation of World Health Day, free health screenings for blood pressure and diabetes continue today and tomorrow at all the district health centers, George Town General Practice, Faith Hospital, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. FRIDAY, APRIL 10 YOUNG PATRONS CIRCLE: Residents ages 20 to 35 who are interested in supporting the arts are invited to join the Young Patrons Circle for social events and raising the profile of the National Gallery. Tonight’s function is Croquet & Cocktails, 5:30- 7:30 p.m. Admission is free for YPC members, $15 for non-members. For details about YPC and becoming a member, contact info@ nationalgallery.org. ky, 945-8111 or www. nationalgallery.org.ky. SATURDAY, APRIL 11 POLICE RECRUITMENT: The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service holds an open house for prospective applicants to chat with officers and get all information they need to apply, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the RCIPS Training and Development Unit, Governor’s Square. Applications are available online at www.rcips. ky/careers. Completed application forms should be submitted online to localrecruits@rcips.ky. ROTARY RAFFLE: Fundraiser by Rotary Sunrise offers chance to win a 2015 Audi Q5, home security system or $1,000 in gas. Tickets on sale at Kirk Market from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. for $25 each, or 5 tickets for $100. Alternatively, email info@rotarysunrise.ky to request tickets. Visit www. RotarySunrise.ky for more information. All proceeds fund programs and events in the community, including literacy and youth programs. MONDAY, APRIL 13 VEHICLE LICENSING: The Department of Vehicle & Driver’s Licensing offices in West Bay will be open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. to compensate for the limited hours during the Easter holidays. PAJAMA PARTY: Children, parents, caregivers and volunteers are invited to join the Cayman Islands Early Childhood Association family-friendly pajama party in Gardenia Court, Camana Bay, 6-8 p.m. Free and open to the public. Contact ECA at caymanislandseca@gmail.com. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15 FOOD HANDLERS: Certification courses in basic food hygiene are offered by the Department of Environmental Health. April 15 and 29; May 13 and 27; and June 10 and 24. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the DEH conference room in the Environmental Centre, 580 North Sound Road. $15 per person covers all materials and fees; pay at DEH headquarters, 580 North Sound Road, between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. Call 949-6696. FLOETRY: Join poets and performers who share their work during an open mic night of poetry and readings. Share your own work or listen to others. Free and open to the public. 7-8:30 p.m. Books & Books POLICE RECRUITMENT: The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service holds an open house for prospective applicants to chat with officers and get all information they need to apply, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the RCIPS Training and Development Unit, Governor’s Square. Applications are available online at www.rcips. ky/careers. Completed application forms should be submitted online to localrecruits@rcips.ky THURSDAY, APRIL 16 BRAC POLICE RECRUITMENT: The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service holds an open house for prospective applicants to chat with officers and get all information they need to apply. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Aston Rutty Centre. Applications are available online at www. rcips.ky/careers. Completed application forms should be submitted online to localrecruits@rcips.ky FURTHER EDUCATION: The Cayman Islands Further Education Centre invites everyone to an open house, noon-3 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. to see opportunities offered, including courses, community service projects and internships. The center is on Walkers Road across from Cayman Economy Cars, in the old John Gray campus. COMEDY PLAY: “Duets” opens tonight at Prospect Playhouse, presented by Cayman Drama Society. Show time 7:30 p.m. $25 per person, $15 for students. Show continues April 17-18, 23-25, 30; May 1-2. For tickets, contact www.cds.ky; boxoffice@cds.ky or 938-1998. FRIDAY, APRIL 24 LAW SCHOOL GALA: The Truman Bodden Law School Student Society hosts a gala evening at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort Ballroom. Cocktail reception, 7 p.m., dinner, 8 p.m. Tickets $150 per person; $95 for students; $1,500 for table of 10. Four-course steak dinner; vegetarian option available. Entertainment, dancing, live raffle and auction. RSVP to olivia.connolly@me.com or orsi_szotyori@hotmail.com GENERAL INTEREST SCHOOL REGISTRATION: Registration of students enrolling in or transferring to government schools for the 2015/2016 school year is open through June 26 at the Department of Education Services and the Cayman Brac Teachers Centre. Parents may pick up registration forms at government schools, the Department of Education Services at 130 Thomas Russell Way, George Town, or the Cayman Brac Teachers Centre. Registration for government reception classes is open for qualifying children age 4 Years before Sept. 1, 2015. GRANTS FOR THE ARTS: Registration is now open for grants from the Cayman National Cultural Foundation for art-related projects that need some financial help. CNCF hands out grants twice a year. Visit www.artscayman. org/grants-for-the-arts for guidelines and a registration form. Deadline is July 15. CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES CLOSES WEST BAY OFFICE: The West Bay office of the Department of Children and Family Services is closed until further notice. Staff have been relocated to Commerce House on Dr. Roy’s Drive. People in need of assistance should call 949-0290. HIV TESTING: Free HIV testing is available every Tuesday year-round at the Cayman Islands Red Cross on Thomas Russell Way. Anyone wishing to get tested should arrive by 9 a.m. Testing will be available every Tuesday, 9-10 a.m. Contact HIV/AIDS Coordinator Laura Whitfield at 244-2631. THRIFT SHOP SEEKS CLOTHING: The Humane Society Thrift Shop is desperately low on stock. Clothing, accessories, toys, small appliances, shoes, bric-a-brac and pictures are needed. Please bring donations to the Humane Society building on North Sound Road. BETHESDA COUNSELING CENTRE: At 68 Mary St. caters to all who seek help. Call 946-6575. Open Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Center is owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. REEF RESTORATION: Certified divers are invited to work on the Cayman Magic Reef restoration in George Town. A schedule of work dates and times is posted on Facebook under Cayman Magic Reef Recovery. Dates, times and places are listed under Events for volunteers to check and sign up. VISUAL ARTS SOCIETY: Painting open studio available Mondays 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Watler House, Pedro Castle. This is an opportunity for adult intermediate artists to work at their own pace on their own projects. To register, contact openstudio@ visualartcayman.com or 546-9422. $10 per day or $15 non-members. ART FOR STUDENTS: The National Gallery hosts free Active Learning Sessions for students of all ages. Part tour, part art activity, the tour takes students up-close with the National Collection – more than 50 years of Caymanian art history – providing links to literacy, mathematics, social studies and science. For information or to book a session, contact 945-8111 or education@ nationalgallery.org.ky. PINK LADIES: Coffee Shop at Cayman Islands Hospital is open Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for breakfast, lunch, drinks, snacks. Takeout orders welcome, call 244-2661. Funds are donated back to the community. Contact pinkladiescayman@ gmail.com. ARTISANS MARKET: Camana Bay Artisans Market every Wednesday. Visual Arts Society has artists displaying arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale between noon and 8 p.m. near KARoo. For more information about being a displaying artist, contact info@visualartcayman.com or 546-9422. MIND’S EYE: Free guided tours for up to eight people are offered at Mind’s Eye – The Visionary World of Miss Lassie, Cayman’s intuitive artist. Tours by appointment, 10-11 a.m., second and fourth Saturdays. Contact the Cayman National Cultural Foundation by email at admincncf@candw.ky or 949-5477. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also, Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Contact humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc. in good condition always needed. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Volunteers are needed on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:45 p.m. to assist with training athletes in track and field, bocce and football. Truman Bodden Sports Complex. Contact Penny McDowall, 516-2578, soci@candw.ky or pjmcdowall@gmail.com. LOST DOGS: The Department of Agriculture and veterinary students of St. Matthew’s University provide an online list of dogs housed at the Department of Agriculture Animal Rescue Shelter in Lower Valley. Anyone missing a dog can check www.smustudents.webs.com. RED CROSS THRIFT SHOP: Open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at RC headquarters on Thomas Russell Way. Book bargain every Thursday and Friday, a bagful for $5. ART TALK FOR SENIORS: This National Gallery program engages people age 60 and over in conversation about art by focusing on a particular piece from the gallery or special exhibition every other Thursday. Admission is free, refreshments provided. 2-2:45 p.m. For more information, contact education@ nationalgallery.org.ky. ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: For anyone who is a caregiver, spouse, child or friend of someone suffering from this debilitating disease. Group meets the last Wednesday of every month at the Hibiscus Conference Room at the Cayman Islands Hospital. Contact Dorothy at 924-4170 or email alzheimersgroup. caymanislands@gmail.com. C.A.S.K. KARATE: Free public Tai Chi at Camana Bay on Sundays (ongoing). 8:30- 9:30 a.m. Contact Greg Reid on 925-3367 or email caskkarate@gmail.com. WAITING FOR JOSEPHINE: This is an ongoing appeal for second-hand magazines for the waiting rooms at the Cayman Islands Hospital. Please take magazine donations to Books & Books at Camana Bay or deposit them in the big bin outside the Cancer Society on Maple Road (opposite the hospital). For more information, contact Carol Hay at 526-6932. SPECIAL NEEDS FOUNDATION OF CAYMAN: For anyone who is a parent, relative, friend or carer of a special needs child. Also for professionals interested in special needs. SNFC is a nonprofit organization providing information, resources, education and support with meetings, social events and newsletters. Contact www. specialneedsfoundation.ky. MUSEUM TOURS: The National Museum provides guided tours for students and school groups free of cost. Students will gain an understanding of Cayman’s geological formation, flora and fauna, seafaring and rope-making heritage, political history and more. Contact the museum to book a tour in advance at 949-8368 or email info@museum.ky. BUS DEPOT: The George Town bus depot’s operating hours are Mondays through Fridays, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. On the last Friday of each month, the bus depot is open until 9 p.m. for people wishing to use public transportation to attend “Culture Shock” in George Town. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.compasscayman. com/caycompass/portal/ community-calendar.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Cayman Compass • Thursday april 9, 2015 Police Constable (Recruit) Salary range: CI$31,272 – $42,096 per annum. As of July 1st, 2015 a 4% salary increase will be applied in order to reflect the cost of living allowance. Are you 18-40? Do you have what it takes to help keep the Cayman Islands a safe place to work, live and visit? If so, the RCIPS wants to hear from you! There are numerous opportunities available to officers in the RCIPS, including departments such as Neighbourhood Policing, Criminal Investigation Department, Financial Crime, and the Joint Marine Unit. All shortlisted candidates must pass each stage of the selection process. Stage One: Initial Employment Application. Stage Two: Entrance Examination Written test (Math & English). Stage Three: Physical Test. Stage Four: Structured Interview. Stage Five: Medical Test. Stage Six: Invitation to join. New recruits will have 16 weeks of initial training before hitting the streets under the direction of a Tutor Constable. All recruits must successfully complete a two-year probationary period. Applicants should be Caymanian (as defined under the Immigration Law) or Permanent Resident with the right to work; be physically fit, computer literate and have a sound educational background. Applicants must have no criminal convictions – in any jurisdiction - and truthfully declare all information requested on the application form. It’s important that potential recruits have sound social awareness and an interest in criminal law (see job description). Allowances and benefits will be determined in accordance with the Police Regulations, Public Service Management Law (2012 Revision), Personnel Regulations (2012 Revision), Public Service Pensions Law (2004 Revision), and the CINICO Health Plan. For more information visit our website www.rcips.ky/careers Follow us on CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS 30 APRIL 2015 WANTED-NEW RECRUITSWANTED-NEW RECRUITS Do YOU have what it takes? database, after thoroughly reviewing the bill, the Cayman Islands Medical and Dental Society has suggested that names and addresses also be omitted from the data collection form to be used by re- porting physicians,” the statement said. “The society supports this bill and will continue to be a strong advocate for the automatic reporting of cancers to the national registry,” it adds. Dr. Virgina Hobday, president of the society, said there is currently little information on cancer trends in Cayman. Basic data, such as how many people are di- agnosed with cancer each year or what types of cancer are most common in the territory, is cur- rently not available to health officials. Dr. Hobday said the so- ciety supports the bill as the best way to get that information. “Automatic reporting has been commonplace in cancer registries all over the world for decades and has proven to be the most reliable way to collect ac- curate cancer surveillance data,” she added. Ms. Nicholson, the cancer registrar, said re- moving the requirement to include names when the data is collected is not impossible but would create practical difficul- ties. She said officials will listen to the feedback and changes could be made if necessary. “I personally would prefer for names to be in- cluded on the form, simply because it helps prevent duplicate reports, but first and foremost we want to make sure the public is comfortable,” she said. Ms. Lockington, who ran the business with her sister and a small team of Caymanian em- ployees, said she was touched by the comments and testi- monials from guests since an- nouncing the hotel would close. Rated as a top hotel The property was recog- nized as one of the Caribbean’s top hotels by travel review website TripAdvisor in its 2014 awards. Ms. Lockington said the hotel was built from scratch on family land. She said she had seen similar, small boutique-style hotels in other parts of the Caribbean but not in Cayman. “We created a wonderful place that touched a lot of people and we are proud of that,” she added. Mr. Hydes said much of the work is still in the planning and development stages, and more research needs to be done before the various projects can be put out to tender. But key projects in and around George Town are al- ready under way. “With the proposed de- velopment of the cruise terminal, there are also a number of future works that the Ministry and the NRA recognize as a top priority,” he added. “The extension of Godfrey Nixon to North Church Street is another piece of the puzzle connecting downtown, and facilitating more efficient flow of traffic in and out of the business district, while simultaneously opening areas for renewed development.” He said there are also plans to upgrade Edward Street in downtown George Town in an effort to alleviate some of the burden of traffic on Harbour Drive. “We foresee these links, in concert with a number of other key developments, as key to relieving much of the traffic congestion in and around George Town,” he said. Cayman’s growing popu- lation appears to be putting pressure on the road net- work. The Cayman Compass reported this week that there are now 35,885 vehicles on the roads – the highest ever and an increase of more than 2,000 in a year. The National Roads Authority has declined to discuss the road redevel- opment plan. Minutes from its November 2014 board meeting, obtained through an open records request, suggest the widening of the Linford Pierson Highway is in ad- vanced stages of design. Members of the National Roads Authority board were shown a full-scale drawing with details of the proposed widening at that meeting. The minutes indicate that the aim is to widen the road along the stretch between Silver Oaks and the Bobby Thompson Way roundabout – the single lane stretch of highway where traffic from the eastern districts bottle- necks during rush hours. The minutes indicate that government’s Lands and Survey Department has esti- mated a cost of just over $3.5 million for land acquisition along the road corridor. Premier Alden McLaughlin has highlighted improving the roads around the capital as one of the priorities for the revitalization of George Town. In a policy statement last year, he said around $5 mil- lion would be allocated in the next financial year, largely to- ward roadwork in the capital. In a separate speech at the Cayman Economic Outlook forum, he said im- proving roads around the capital is crucial to the future of George Town. “We see these roads as the catalyst to the revital- ization project as they will facilitate the efficient flow of traffic in and out of the business district.” Staff at the Cotton Tree pose at one of the boutique hotel’s cottages. CanCer regiSTry Doctors call for changes to bill Dr. Hobday CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Cotton Tree hotel to close Major investment in roads on the way CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 n. Korea says Mexico holding ship; kept under sanctions UNITED NATIONS (AP) — North Korea said Wednesday that Mexico has “forcibly detained” one of its ships months after it ran aground off Mexico’s Gulf coast last year, and Pyongyang blames the United States for preventing the ship’s release. The head of a U.N. panel of experts, however, said the ship, the Mu Du Bong, is owned by a North Korean company that is under U.N. sanctions and should be “frozen,” and that the panel has received excel- lent cooperation from Mexico in tracking the company and its assets. “In the case of the Mu Du Bong, the evidence is over- whelming,” Hugh Griffiths told The Associated Press in an email. The U.N. sanctions were imposed in response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. The ship’s parent company, Ocean Maritime Management Co., was sanctioned last July after Panamanian authori- ties found two Cuban fighter jets, missiles and live muni- tions beneath a cargo of sugar in another ship the company operated. OMM responded by simply renaming most of its vessels in an effort to avoid de- tection, the panel reported ear- lier this year. North Korea has a history of using front com- panies for that purpose. North Korea’s deputy per- manent representative to the U.N. told reporters Wednesday that his country will take un- specified “necessary mea- sures to make the ship leave immediately.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 roadworks are carried out on godfrey nixon Way. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Thursday april 9, 2015 • Cayman Compass Gypsies protest ‘swindler’ definition Spanish groups representing gypsies have launched a campaign to remove a reference to them as swindlers from the world’s benchmark Spanish dictionary. Afghan soldier kills US soldier, wounds 2 US troops KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan soldier opened fire at a group of U.S. troops in the city of Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing an American soldier and wounding at least two others before he was shot dead, a U.S. official said. The incident happened after a meeting between Afghan provincial leaders and a U.S. Embassy official in the compound of the pro- vincial governor in Jalalabad. All U.S. Embassy staff were accounted for and returned safely to their mission head- quarters, the embassy said. NATO confirmed that one of its soldiers died in the attack, without pro- viding the nationality of the slain soldier, as is the coali- tion’s policy. The Washington official spoke on condi- tion of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak before the official announcement was released. It was the second fatality suffered by NATO since the beginning of the year, when the coalition launched its new mission in Afghanistan called Resolute Support. Also, an Afghan soldier killed three American contractors on January 29. The shooter was also killed in that incident. Gen. Fazel Ahmad Sherzad, who is police chief for eastern Nangarhar province where the shooting happened, said it took place immediately after the meeting in the governor’s compound and the embassy official had left. “Right after the U.S. of- ficial had left, suddenly an Afghan army soldier opened fire on the U.S. soldiers who were present in the com- pound,” Sherzad told The Associated Press. The American troops re- turned fire, killing the Afghan soldier, whom Sherzad iden- tified as Abdul Azim, from Laghman province. The motive for his at- tack was not immediately known and no group claimed responsibility for the as- sault. In 2014, there were at least four insider attacks in Afghanistan – instances when Afghan soldiers or po- licemen have turned their weapons on their fellow American or other NATO colleagues. Also, in past at- tacks, Taliban insurgents have been known to wear Afghan police or military uni- forms to stage attacks on the international troops. The U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan P. Michael McKinley was not present at the time of the incident, said Sherzad. Information was sketchy and an eyewitness told the AP that four U.S. troops had been wounded in the attack – not three as Sherzad had stated – and were being treated at a clinic on the American base in Jalalabad. In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, referring to the U.S.-led coalition, said: “We are aware that there was an exchange of gunfire in- volving Resolute Support ser- vice members near the pro- vincial governor’s compound in Jalalabad. “The incident took place after a senior U.S. official held a meeting with the pro- vincial governor. All Chief of Mission personnel of the visiting party are accounted for,” spokeswoman Monica Cummings said. Noman Atefi, the spokesman for the Afghan National Army’s eastern corps command, said one Afghan soldier had been killed and two others wounded in the shootout. It was not imme- diately clear if the fatality he was referring to among the Afghans was the shooter. Afghan policemen console each other Wednesday at the site of a deadly attack by an Afghan national army soldier who opened fire on U.S. troops in the compound of the provincial governor in Jalalabad. - Photo: AP Dzhokhar Tsarnaev convicted in Boston Marathon bombing Guilty on all 30 counts; decision still to come on death penalty BOSTON (AP) — Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was convicted on all 30 charges Wednesday in the Boston Marathon bombing by a federal jury that now must decide whether the 21-year-old former college student should be executed. Tsarnaev folded his arms, fidgeted and looked down at the defense table as he lis- tened to one guilty verdict after another on all counts against him, including con- spiracy and deadly use of a weapon of mass destruction. Seventeen of those counts are punishable by death. The jury took a day and a half to reach its verdict, which was practically a fore- gone conclusion, given his lawyer’s startling admission during opening statements that Tsarnaev carried out the attack with his now-dead older brother, Tamerlan. The two shrapnel-packed pressure-cooker bombs that exploded near the finish line on April 15, 2013, killed three spectators and wounded more than 260 other people, turning the traditionally cel- ebratory home stretch of the world-famous race into a scene of carnage and putting the city on edge for days. Tsarnaev was found re- sponsible not only for those deaths but for that of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer who was shot days later. In the trial’s next phase, which could begin as early as Monday, the jury will hear ev- idence on whether Tsarnaev should get the death pen- alty or spend the rest of his life in prison. In a bid to save Tsarnaev from a death sentence, de- fense attorney Judy Clarke has argued that Tsarnaev, then 19, fell under the in- fluence of his radi- calized brother. “If not for Tamerlan, it would not have happened,” Clarke told the jury during closing arguments. Prosecutors, however, por- trayed the brothers – ethnic Chechens who moved to the U.S. from Russia more than a decade ago – as full part- ners in a plan to punish the U.S. for its wars in Muslim countries. Jihadist writings, lectures and videos were found on both their com- puters, though the defense argued that Tamerlan down- loaded the material and sent it to his brother. Tamerlan, 26, died when he was shot by police and run over by his brother during a chaotic getaway attempt days after the bombing. The government called 92 witnesses over 15 days, painting a hellish scene of torn-off limbs, blood-spat- tered pavement, ghastly screams and the smell of sulfur and burned hair. Survivors gave heartbreaking testimony about losing legs in the blasts or watching people die. The father of 8-year-old Martin Richard described making the ago- nizing decision to leave his mortally wounded son so he could get help for their 6-year-old daughter, whose leg had been blown off. In the courtroom Wednesday, Denise Richard, the boy’s mother, wiped tears from her face after the ver- dict. The boy’s father, Bill Richard, embraced one of the prosecutors. In Russia, Tsarnaev’s fa- ther, Anzor Tsarnaev, told The Associated Press in re- cent days that he would have no comment. The others killed in the bombing were Lingzi Lu, a 23-year-old Chinese graduate student at Boston University, and Krystle Campbell, a 29-year-old restaurant man- ager. MIT police Officer Sean Collier was shot to death at close range days later. Some of the most damning evidence included video showing Tsarnaev planting a backpack containing one of the bombs near where the 8-year-old was standing, and incriminating state- ments scrawled inside the dry-docked boat where a wounded and bleeding Tsarnaev was captured days after the tragedy. “Stop killing our inno- cent people and we will stop,” he wrote. Tsarnaev’s lawyers barely cross-examined the govern- ment’s witnesses and called just four people to the stand over less than two days, all in an effort to portray the older brother as the guiding force in the plot. Witnesses testified about phone records that showed Dzhokhar was at the University of Massachusetts- Dartmouth while his brother was buying bomb compo- nents, including pressure cookers and BBs. A foren- sics expert said Tamerlan’s computer showed search terms such as “detonator,” “transmitter and receiver,” while Dzhokhar was largely spending time on Facebook and other social media sites. Also, an FBI investi- gator said Tamerlan’s finger- prints – but not Dzhokhar’s – were found on pieces of the two bombs. Clarke is one of the na- tion’s foremost death-pen- alty specialists and has kept other high-profile defendants off death row. She saved the lives of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski and Susan Smith, the South Carolina woman who drowned her two chil- dren in a lake in 1994. The scene on April 15, 2013, as medical workers aid the injured during the aftermath of the bombing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. - Photo: AP Dzhokhar Tsarnaev9 WORLD&REGIONAL Cayman Compass • Thursday april 9, 2015 We will always miss you Love Mom & Dad Kids Emma, Elijah. Javier & Jeremiah Sisters Keisha, Brittany, Paris Bro Tylor, Nieces, Nephews, Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, Grandaunts, Grandmother Loveta Bro Tylor, Nieces, Nephews, Uncles, Roen Happy 1st Birthday in heaven Gone too soon Shell’s $70 billion takeover bid could herald wave of mergers Energy industry tries to adapt to lower prices LONDON (AP) — Oil and gas company Shell has agreed to buy British rival BG Group for 47 billion pounds (US$69.7 billion) in cash and stock, in a deal that may signal a new wave of mega- mergers as the energy in- dustry tries to adapt to lower prices. Royal Dutch Shell said Wednesday it will pay the equivalent of 13.67 pounds in cash and stock for each share of BG Group, 50 percent more than Tuesday’s closing price. The deal will boost Shell’s oil and gas reserves by 25 per- cent, including offshore proj- ects in Australia and Brazil, and give it a bigger pres- ence in the fast-growing liq- uefied natural gas market, Shell said. Other energy giants may follow suit as they look to boost growth through acqui- sitions after increased pro- duction in the U.S. helped trigger a plunge in oil prices. The last wave of oil mergers took place in the 1990s after new production from the North Sea, Alaska and Mexico led to excess global capacity. “Will this be the opening shot in a new wave of mega- mergers like the 1990s?” asked Christian Stadler, as- sociate professor of strategic management at Warwick Business School in Britain. “Quite a few oil companies are under cost pressure with no sense of the oil price re- covering. Companies had got used to $100 a barrel, and many need $40 to $60 to break even so we could see more of these deals.” The international price of crude oil has plunged from over $115 a barrel last summer to a low around $45 before recovering slightly in recent weeks to trade at $58 a barrel on Wednesday. The takeover of BG Group makes sense for Shell be- cause it allows the company to replace reserves at a time when exploration budgets are being cut and after its at- tempts to join the U.S. shale boom did not amount to much, Stadler said. The boards of both com- panies recommended that shareholders approve the deal, which they say will create a more competitive, stronger company amid the volatility in oil prices. Shares in Shell were down about 7 percent while those in BG Group soared 32 percent. BG shareholders will own about 19 percent of Shell after the deal is complete. Combining the two com- panies will produce sav- ings of about 2.5 billion pounds a year, Shell said in a statement. “This an incredibly ex- citing moment for Shell,” Chief Executive Ben van Beurden told reporters. “It is bold and strategic moves that shape our industry.” BG’s Norwegian CEO Helge Lund was con- spicuously absent from Wednesday’s press confer- ence. Organizers said he re- mained at BG headquar- ters in Reading – a two-hour drive from London – in order to handle internal com- munication with the com- pany’s workforce. He will stay with BG only until the deal is completed. However, he said in a statement that BG would benefit from the takeover. “BG’s deep water positions and strengths in exploration, liquefaction, and LNG ship- ping and marketing will com- bine well with Shell’s scale, development expertise and fi- nancial strength,” he said. Other energy giants may follow suit as they look to boost growth through acquisitions after increased production in the U.S. helped trigger a plunge in oil prices. Mr. van Beurden Ex-Gitmo detainee held in Uganda over killing of prosecutor KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Hunting for suspects in the killing of a prosecutor who pursued Islamic extrem- ists, Ugandan authorities arrested a Ugandan man who had previously been held by the United States at its prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, before being released in 2006. Jamal Kiyemba was ar- rested with three others in a Kampala suburb Tuesday, Ugandan police spokesman Fred Enanga said on Wednesday. Enanga said U.S. officials helped track down Kiyemba. He said there was no conclusive evidence tying Kiyemba to the killing on March 30 of Ugandan pros- ecutor Joan Kagezi, but that detectives were questioning him about his possible role and about other offenses. Kagezi had been a prose- cutor in the ongoing trial of 12 suspects accused of being involved in the July 2010 bombings here in which more than 70 people were killed while watching the soccer World Cup final on TV. The attack was carried out by al-Shabab, the Somali Islamic extremist group. A U.S. military file signed by the then com- mander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, Brig. Gen. Jay W. Hood, said Kiyemba was arrested by Pakistani police near Peshawar as he attempted to enter Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the com- pany of a probable al-Qaida operative, a suspected al- Qaida operative and a “low-level jihadist.” The 2004 document said Kiyemba had received training in the use of the AK-47 assault in Peshawar but concluded, in recom- mending that he be trans- ferred to another country for continued detention, that his threat level was “medium” and his intelligence value “low.” Allegations in such documents are often ob- tained from unreliable third parties and are not 100 per- cent reliable. Kiyemba is a convert to Islam who once lived in Britain before he traveled to Pakistan, Enanga said. Ugandan police on Tuesday arrested at least six suspects. Kagezi was shot twice by gunmen after she left her car – in which she was traveling with two of her children on the way home from work – to buy groceries in a Kampala suburb. After shooting her in the head and neck, the gunmen fled on a motorcycle, according to police. Hearing set for July 8 in sgt. BergdaHl’s case SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Officials have scheduled the initial hearing for the Army sergeant who left his post in Afghanistan and was held by the Taliban for five years. Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. Army officials announced Thursday that his Article 32 hearing will be held July 8 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. That proceeding is similar to a civilian grand jury. From there, it could be referred to a court- martial and go to trial. Officials say Bergdahl walked away from his post in Afghanistan and was captured by the Taliban. He was then re- leased from Taliban con- trol in a prisoner ex- change last May for five Taliban commanders. He faces up to life in prison if convicted of mis- behavior before the enemy. Meanwhile, reports were aired this week that claim a 2009 NCIS inves- tigation into Bergdahl’s activities while in Afghanistan reveal evi- dence that Bergdahl was “going over to the other side with a deliberate plan,” according to Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer. Shaffer, a former mil- itary intelligence officer said two senior sources told him that the Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigation in- cluded a forensic review of his computer, which show Bergdahl’s ap- parent intent to travel to Uzbekistan. “He had made contact with local Afghans and wanted to be moved to Uzbekistan and then made contact with the Russians because he wanted to talk to Russian organized crime,” Shaffer said. Iran sends navy vessels near Yemen amid airstrikes SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Iran dispatched a naval de- stroyer and another vessel Wednesday to waters near Yemen as the United States quickened weapons supply to the Saudi-led coalition striking rebels there, under- lining how foreign powers are deepening their involve- ment in the conflict. Iran’s English-language state broadcaster Press TV quoted Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayyari as saying the ships would be part of an anti-pi- racy campaign “safeguarding naval routes for vessels in the region.” The maneuver comes amid an intense Saudi-led Gulf Arab air campaign targeting the Yemeni rebels, known as Houthis, who come from a Shiite sect. Critics say Shiite power Iran backs the Houthis, though both the Islamic Republic and the rebels deny any direct military assistance. Speaking a day earlier in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken blamed the violence in Yemen on the Houthis, and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, saying that the U.S. is committed to defending Saudi Arabia. “We have expedited weapons deliveries, we have increased our intelligence sharing, and we have estab- lished a joint coordination and planning cell in the Saudi op- erations center,” he said in a statement to reporters after meeting with Saudi royals and Yemen’s President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who fled his country amid rebel advances. Intelligence sharing in- cludes making available raw aerial imagery the coalition could use to better strike anti- Hadi forces, said a U.S. de- fense official who was not au- thorized to comment publicly. Blinken said the U.S. and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council must coordinate closely and press all parties to seek a political solution. The Gulf Arab-backed air campaign supporting Hadi, which began on March 26, has so far failed to stop the Houthis’s advance on Aden, Yemen’s second-largest city, which was declared the provisional capital by Hadi before he fled.Next >