ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY APRIL 16, 2015 High of 88 Low of 74 Smooth to slight with wave heights less than 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 MR. BUSH’S MOTION: EXTREMELY SERIOUS, POTENTIALLY SENSATIONAL SPORTS | PAGE 17 NORCECA STARTS IN CAYMAN AGAIN Seven Mile Beach is favorite venue Premier Health BritCay has one word to describe policy holders. People. People, not policy holders BritCay prioritises the needs of patients with efficient access to benefits. That’s why we settled 209,003 health insurance claims in 2014, 96% in 5 working days. BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE AGENCIES 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 BUSH MOTION Conspiracy claim on hold for now BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush’s request for an independent review of the alleged in- volvement of senior local and U.K. officials in a “conspiracy to remove the then-constitution- ally elected premier” won’t be heard in this legislative session. Premier Alden McLaughlin said Wednesday that the private members’ mo- tion filed by Mr. Bush on Tuesday – a day be- fore the Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly meeting began – was too late to be considered in the current meeting, which is expected to run through next week. Mr. McLaughlin did not comment on whether the motion would be heard at a later date. The next available meeting for the Legislative Assembly would be its annual budget session expected in late May or early June. Mr. Bush said earlier in the day that he had “challenged” Mr. McLaughlin to hear the mo- tion in the House next Monday and that he felt the premier wasn’t taking seriously his request for an independent inquiry into the issue. Mr. McLaughlin told the Cayman Compass earlier this week that he believed the mo- tion showed Mr. Bush “has finally taken leave of his senses” and that the opposition leader should “be careful what he wishes for.” Mr. Bush’s motion alleged “unconstitu- tional interference” and “violation of the indigenous population’s rights” involving the territory’s former governor Duncan Taylor, Premier McLaughlin, Police Commissioner David Baines, and other unnamed local politi- cians and civil servants in connection with the 2013 general election. The motion stated that Mr. Bush had in his possession “irrefutable documentary evidence” of interference by the governor’s WOMAN DIES IN RUM POINT CRASH JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A 23-year-old woman was killed in a traffic accident in North Side in the early hours of Wednesday. Kimberly Bush, from George Town, was the passenger in a silver BMW that crashed into a wall on Rum Point Road just after 1 a.m. The driver, a 22-year-old woman, suffered serious injuries in the collision. She was in a stable condition in the Critical Care Unit of Cayman Islands Hospital on Wednesday af- ternoon, where she was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and on MAN KILLED IN JET SKI COLLISION CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man is dead and a woman injured after two Jet Skis ran into each other in the wa- ters off the Westin resort on Seven Mile Beach early Wednesday afternoon. The accident marks the ninth water-related death in Cayman this year. Emergency services said they transported both accident victims to the hospital. The woman is in stable condition, they said. Rod McDowall, operations manager with Red Sail Sports, said the man and woman were on a Jet Ski together and had rented it Bridger not interviewed in criminal case BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former Cayman Islands cor- ruption investigator Martin Bridger confirmed this week that he has never been interviewed in connection with a criminal probe that is apparently going forward against him. It was revealed in February that Mr. Bridger, the former head of the ill-fated Operation Tempura police corruption probe, was under a criminal in- vestigation related to an alle- gation of crime he made to the RCIPS last year. Mr. Bridger was present in the Cayman Islands Grand Court to hear the allega- tions against him at that time. In August 2014, RCIPS Commissioner David Baines al- luded to the possibility that Mr. Bridger, Tempura’s former com- manding officer, could be in trouble over statements he made regarding the Tempura case, par- ticularly criminal allegations Mr. Bridger made against the territo- ry’s former governor and current attorney general. “Whilst the criminal allega- tions made by Mr. Bridger failed, were unsupported and unproved HospiceCare thanks Derek Haines Cayman HospiceCare recognized Derek Haines at the organization’s annual general meeting on Tuesday for his contributions to raising money to build a new hospice facility. Mr. Haines raised more than $1.1 million for the group with his successful bid to run six marathons last year. Chris Duggan, chairman of Cayman HospiceCare, right, presented Mr. Haines with a framed copy of the front page of the Cayman Compass that featured the runner crossing the finish line in his sixth marathon in Cayman in December. See related story on page 5. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL NEWS Thursday april 16, 2015 • Cayman Compass Twenty-eight primary and high school students who won prizes in the Royal Commonwealth Society 2014 essay competition were pre- sented with their awards at a ceremony at Government House last week. The top winner overall was St. Ignatius Catholic School with 19 awards, fol- lowed by Cayman Prep and High School with seven awards. Two students from Edna M. Moyle Primary School won junior silver and bronze awards among gov- ernment schools. At the presentation cer- emony, Governor Helen Kilpatrick congratulated the winners. Delivering remarks on behalf of Education Minister Tara Rivers, who could not be present, Ministerial Councillor Winston Connolly said the achievement of the Cayman Islands students was especially laudable since the competition at- tracted more than 10,000 entries worldwide from 44 Commonwealth countries. “You should be extremely proud of yourselves,” he told the youngsters. Karim Murray of St. Ignatius Catholic School, who earned a senior silver award, netted the Elliott Cup for 2014. Both the se- nior bronze awards were won by St. Ignatius stu- dents – Daniela Granados and Japhia Agustine. Bobby Lomax from Cayman Prep and High and Hannah Wood from St. Ignatius won junior gold awards. The Junior silver award winners were: Shammara Wishart of Edna M. Moyle Primary School; Marisol Smith, Amari Larsen and Ewan Wilson of Cayman Prep and High School; D’Vonte Joseph, Lance Jefferson and Kai Dobbin of St. Ignatius. The Junior bronze award winners were: Monica Tatum of Edna M. Moyle Primary School; Bella Kingsley-Bates, Sophie Sherlock and Alexandra Rodrigues of Cayman Prep and High School; Adam McWatt, Ethan Duval, Hannah Foster, Azuka Obi, Jonah Sigsworth, Kendra Harrison, Liora Vandendries, Nathan George, Shayana Windsor, Shrinjan Datta, Elizabeth Thoppil and Jenna Gansebom, all from St. Ignatius. 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. FURIOUS 7 - 3D (PG13) 12:45 I 1:30 2D I 3:45 I 4:30 2D I 6:45 I 7:30 2D I 9:30 2D I 9:45 THE COBBLER (PG13) 1:00 | 3:40 | 7:20 | 9:40 GET HARD (R) 1:15 I 7:10 THE LONGEST RIDE (PG13) 12:30 | 3:30 | 6:55 | 9:50 INSURGENT - 3D (PG13) 4:00 2D | 9:55 HOME - 3D (PG) 12:20 I 2:40 2D I 5:00 I 7:15 2D *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - THURSDAY - $8.00 Relationship Counseling by Joan Summers 25 years experience in counseling broken relationships. Help to repair marriages, boyfriend and girlfriend issues, family troubles and emotional problems. Help with stress related problems. Call for free consultation. 305 290 0888 CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two police constables ap- peared in Summary Court on Wednesday charged with common assault after an in- cident allegedly involving use of a taser. Austin Etienne, 44, and Cardiff Ainsworth Robinson, 29, are charged with unlaw- fully assaulting a named man at John McLean Drive, East End, on May 3, 2014. The men have appeared in court twice, but on this occasion Crown counsel Scott Wainwright went into some detail about the charge. He did so because attorney Natasha Bodden, speaking on behalf of Etienne, said she had not re- ceived all of the disclosure she requested. She told Magistrate Grace Donalds that the information she wanted was relevant to the defense, but it had not been sent to her. Mr. Wainwright said he had been advised that some of the information requested was not disclosable. He explained the alle- gation – that two officers acting in the execution of their duty used excessive force by using a taser on a person in custody. One item of informa- tion sought by the defense is the training log of all of- ficers trained in taser use, Mr. Wainwright said. He added that 17 matters had been requested for disclo- sure. Some of the material requested was sensitive and he understood that every- thing that was going to be disclosed had been. Ms. Bodden pointed out that some of the material she requested did not even belong to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service; it belonged to international organizations. Attorney Dennis Brady, who represents Robinson, said he did not think it was up to the Crown to say what is relevant to the defense, and there would have to be legal arguments on the question. “We say what has been disclosed is inadequate for our clients’ defense.” The magistrate set the matter for mention again on May 27. Two officers accused of excessive force with taser All charges were brought too late, Crown agrees CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The last of six charges against Advanced Road Construction & Paving Ltd. were dismissed on Monday when Crown counsel Kenneth Ferguson agreed that the charge of failing to pay wages had been brought outside the six- month time limit allowed for Summary Court matters. Magistrate Philippa McFarlane explained that defense attorney Clyde Allen provided email cor- respondence not previously seen by the Crown. It con- firmed that the Department of Labour and Pensions had actual knowledge of the complaint from as early as September 2013. On that basis, the charge laid in May 2014 was out of time. The charge related to a sum of $2,857 claimed by an employee for the period September 2007 to May 2013. This charge was dis- missed, as were five others in December 2014 for the same reason. At that time, the magis- trate said, “The Department of Labour and Pensions should ensure that imme- diate efforts are made to en- sure that charges in sum- mary-only matters are laid without delay once it has formed the view that there are reasonable and prob- able grounds for believing that a potential defendant has committed an offense. “Moreover, the Department of Labour and Pensions should also en- sure that its inspectors un- derstand the distinction to be drawn between evidence which is sufficient to jus- tify the commencement of proceedings, as opposed to evidence which is sufficient to found a conviction.” Mr. Ferguson said the department would have to start charging employers without negotiating first. The emphasis had been for department officers to at- tempt to obtain for em- ployees what they were en- titled to by law rather than simply seeking a conviction. Last wages charge against paving company dismissed Commonwealth essay winners celebrated Winners of the Royal Commonwealth Society 2014 essay competition receive awards at Government House. Shammara Wishart with Ministry of Education Acting Chief Officer Christen Suckoo. The emphasis had been for department officers to attempt to obtain for employees what they were entitled to by law rather than simply seeking a conviction. 3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday april 16, 2015 SILVER SPONSORSGOLD SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS OTHER SPONSORS Saturday , 18 April 9am - 7pm Family Life Centre Sm all Bus ines s exp o For More Information: 244-2278 Cocaine shipment washes ashore Drugs with estimated street value of $350,000 wash up on beach James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Serious crime squad of- ficers are investigating the source and the intended des- tination of an estimated $350,000 cocaine shipment that washed ashore in the Cayman Islands. A bag containing the 23 packages of compressed co- caine was discovered by resi- dents walking on the beach in East End on Saturday. Police suspect the drugs may have been part of a shipment lost by interna- tional drug rings that use the Caribbean Sea as a shipping route. They have not ruled out the possibility that the stash was intended for sale in the Cayman Islands. The northwest Caribbean area is known for drug traf- ficking, and it is not unusual for drugs to wash ashore in the Cayman Islands. Drug traffickers some- times use low flying aircraft to evade the attentions of the U.S. Coast Guard by dropping shipments at sea, relying on boats to use satellite phones or GPS to pick them up. Detective Superintendent Robert Scotland said there were a number of possible scenarios for how such a large amount of cocaine ended up on an East End beach. “It could have resulted from an air-to-sea ship- ment where certain packages missed the drop zone. It could have been a vessel that over- turned,” he said. “We have no way of telling how long these items were in the water before they washed up on the beach.” He said the package could have drifted from anywhere between here and Cuba, or potentially from east of the Cayman Islands depending on ocean drift and tide patterns. He said it was possible that the drugs were intended for the Cayman Islands, but said, “Traditionally we have not seen that level of product destined for Cayman.” Police are partnering with authorities in the U.S. to look into the find. “We are investigating how it got here and where it was headed. We will look at all angles and approach it from an objective view,” added Mr. Scotland. Cocaine shipments typ- ically tend to be heading north from South America, while marijuana is more com- monly coming from Jamaica or St. Vincent, according to Detective Scotland. The level of trafficking in and around Cayman’s territorial waters varies depending on which shipping routes are favored by the drug rings as they at- tempt to evade the attentions of law enforcement. Police could not imme- diately provide statistics on how often drugs wash ashore in the Cayman Islands, but they say it is not uncommon. Typically the packages tend to be marijuana rather than cocaine. “This would be one of the larger packages we have seen,” said the detective. Anyone who finds drugs washed ashore is advised to hand them into police imme- diately. Anyone who keeps the drugs could be charged with unlawful possession of a con- trolled substance with intent to supply. He added, “The concern would not only be from a law enforcement perspective. If the people who had lost the package found out they were in possession of it, they would have personal safety concerns as well.” Police released this photograph of the cocaine found on the East End beach on Saturday. Man sentenced to eight months for ganja found on beach CarOL WiNker cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man who admitted finding more than 9 pounds of ganja on a beach in June 2012 was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment for possession of the drug with intent to supply. Errol Anthony Ricketts had pleaded guilty to simple possession, and not guilty to the intent charge. Ricketts, who was 24 at the time of the offense, told the court that he was afraid to call po- lice after finding the ganja because he thought that, as a young Jamaican male, he would be locked up. He said he planned to keep a small amount for personal use and then have his mother call her pastor to accompany him to see the police. Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn on Monday accepted that he had found the ganja, citing the Crown’s evidence that police had discovered ganja on beaches four times between June 2013 and April 2014. She did not accept that Ricketts did not call police because of fear, pointing out that he had admitted finding one bag and then looking to see if there were any more. “His hope of finding more ganja strongly suggests that he was hoping to financially gain from his find,” she said. Ricketts had not been afraid to move the ganja from the beach, transport it in his car and keep it in his bed- room, she observed. Defense attorney Prathna Bodden had argued against the possession with intent to supply charge, noting that there was no evi- dence of money, scales or wrapping materials. She called the defen- dant’s mother as a witness. The woman said her son called her the afternoon be- fore he was arrested and she had then tried to call her pastor but was not suc- cessful. The magistrate in- dicated she did not find the witness truthful. Magistrate Gunn noted that at the time of his ar- rest, Ricketts had not made any financial gain from the drugs. Police found a bag and bucket of ganja in his room. In a refrigerator they found an olive jar with 1.2 pounds of ganja; a coffee jar with a little over 4 ounces; a plastic bag with 2.3 ounces; and a foil wrap with a little over half an ounce. After the guilty ver- dict, a social inquiry report was ordered. It showed that Ricketts started using ganja when he was 16. He came to Cayman when he was 18 and knew ganja is illegal here. He said he consumed the drug because of financial stress, but had not consumed since January this year. Ms. Bodden produced ref- erences from Ricketts’s em- ployer, the mother of his two children, and his current partner. She asked for a sus- pended sentence or commu- nity service order. The magistrate concluded a community service order would send the wrong mes- sage in relation to the seri- ousness of the offense.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. The charges that led to the collapse of the govern- ment of former Premier McKeeva Bush, and of which he was subsequently acquitted at trial, were serious. The allegations that Mr. Bush is now levying against officials in the U.K. and Cayman Islands are far more serious. In a private members’ motion filed Tuesday with the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Bush asserts that he has in his possession “irrefutable documentary evidence” of a triumviral conspiracy — involving U.K.-appointed officials, rival Cayman politicians and Cayman civil servants — to overthrow his democratically elected local government, in violation of rights protected by the constitution, the United Nations Charter and European Union regulations. Specifically, Mr. Bush alleges that from 2011-2012, while he was under investigation in various criminal probes (eventually resulting in charges related to alleged credit card misuse), meetings were held and communications exchanged to discuss his removal as premier and the possible composition of an “interim government.” Mr. Bush says his evidence consists of written correspondence between then-Governor Duncan Taylor, the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office and local officials. While Mr. Bush has long maintained — before, during and after his arrest, trial and acquittal — that he was the target of a concerted, wrongfully motivated effort by British authorities, his new private members’ motion is an explosive elaboration on the earlier court- house revelation of emails, from Governor Taylor to an official named “Tony,” that criminal charges against Mr. Bush would call for a “quiet bottle of bubbly” and engender “a huge sigh of relief across the Cayman Islands, including a loud one from this office.” When asked Tuesday for a comment, now-Premier Alden McLaughlin quipped, “I think the Leader of the Opposition has finally taken leave of his senses.” Off-the-cuff though it may have been (and, there- fore, somewhat understandable), Premier McLaugh- lin’s response appears overly cavalier and not equal to the gravity of what is being alleged — especially since much of what Mr. Bush is claiming has already been demonstrated as veracious (and persuasive) in court before judge and jury. By submitting the motion, and requesting an inde- pendent inquiry into the circumstances of his removal as premier, Mr. Bush is attempting to situate the debate in Cayman’s version of the Roman Colosseum: the Legislative Assembly, where, for elected members engaging in political blood sport, there are few rules and only one referee — House Speaker Juliana O’Connor-Connolly. Readers will recall that Ms. O’Connor-Connolly suc- ceeded Mr. Bush as premier in the interim 2013 gov- ernment (before she pledged allegiance to the Pro- gressives government after the election). Her ability to remain neutral and objective in moderating what promises to be an extremely contentious floor debate on Mr. Bush’s motion presents an apparent concern. It is important to note that lawmakers enjoy two unique powers in the Legislative Assembly, “parlia- mentary privilege” and the ability to “table” docu- ments. Those privileges will enable Mr. Bush — and Mr. McLaughlin, and any other member of the Assembly — to assert, allege or even scream about anything they want with legal impunity. By tabling documents, such as evidentiary emails, they also have the ability to make public immediately almost any piece of informa- tion they so choose — without the oversight of a judge ruling on its relevance or admissibility. Of one thing we are certain: If this motion makes it to the floor of the Legislative Assembly, which it cer- tainly should, it will be political theater of the highest measure with a local and international audience. The Compass has already reserved its seat — in the front row. Mr. Bush’s Motion: Extremely serious, potentially sensational Thursday apriL 16, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Economics lesson: Is deflation bad? Fortunately the key insights about inflation or deflation are fairly intuitive and easy to un- derstand. Stable prices – i.e., zero inflation – is best; fully anticipated inflation (or defla- tion) is second best; and in- flation/deflation surprises are bad. If you would like a bit more detail, read on. Inflation and deflation Inflation refers to the rate at which the value of money (average prices usually mea- sured by a consumer price index – CPI) changes over time. Zero inflation, constant purchasing power of a cur- rency over time in its local market (e.g. the value of the U.S. dollar in the U.S.), is best because all of the other fac- tors impacting the supply and demand for individual goods that potentially change their prices relative to other goods and services can be expressed in terms of a constant unit of account, a constant mea- suring rod. This makes com- paring prices stated in that unit of account, especially over time, much easier. Imagine if the length or weight of something had to be expressed in units of weights and measure that themselves were always changing. Economic re- sources are better allocated to the satisfaction of public demand when the relative scarcity of each good and ser- vice can be clearly discerned. Decisions about the alloca- tion of resources (whether to build a new factory to pro- duce a new product or more of an old one and/or to hire more workers, etc.) are neces- sarily forward looking. The entrepreneurs’ ques- tion is what will people pay for something next year and the year after and what will it cost to produce it and how does this compare with pro- ducing something else. This is more difficult to do when the forecast of prices needs to mix in the changing value of the currency in which they are stated. Anticipated inflation However, a decent second best is a rate of inflation (pos- itive or negative) that is steady and predictable. The inflation target of 2 percent chosen by many central banks, if reli- ably achieved, provides an example. If the inflation rate is fully and correctly antic- ipated, whether positive or negative, all other relative prices, including interest rates and wage contracts, can and will take the anticipated rate into account when setting prices in contracts for the fu- ture (e.g., a wage contract). If borrowers and lenders are willing to contract for a loan for five years at 3 per- cent per year with zero in- flation in the value of the money borrowed and repaid, they would both be willing to undertake the same loan at 5 percent if they both expected inflation of 2 percent per year over those five years. If that expectation were rather un- certain, a suitable risk pre- mium would need to be added to the interest rate. If everyone expected with certainty a 2 percent deflation over the same period, the loan would carry a 1 percent nom- inal rate. In both of these ex- amples, the so-called real rate of interest – the rate adjusted for inflation – would be 3 per- cent. Thus, modest deflation does no harm if everyone fully and correctly anticipates it. Unanticipated inflation Unanticipated inflation, however, is bad because con- tracts written in dollar terms (so called “nominal” terms) will turn out to have a dif- ferent real value than was ex- pected. Normally a voluntary contract benefits both par- ties to it; it is win-win. But when the inflation outcome was not anticipated, it will produce unexpected winners and losers. Debtors benefit from unanticipated inflation and creditors lose. More to the point in our current, over-indebted envi- ronment, a deflation that was not anticipated when the money was borrowed, will in- crease the real value of the money that must be repaid. Lenders will benefit from the unexpected windfall only if borrowers actually repay their loans. But the unexpected in- crease in the real value of the debt being repaid may result in a larger number of defaults. So central banks are trying to avoid deflation, or more accurately are trying to achieve their inflation targets (generally 2 percent) in order to avoid making the econo- my’s excessive indebtedness even worse. Across borders The above discussion con- cerns the value of a currency in its own country. But given the very extensive commerce across borders and the fact that most countries use their own currencies, cross-border payments require exchanging one currency for the other. If the exchange rates of all currencies were fixed and never changed, the above anal- ysis would apply globally as well. However, the exchange rates of many currencies, such as the USD/Euro rate, vary continuously and sometimes very significantly. The USD/ Euro rate has fallen (i.e., the dollar has appreciated) 30 per- cent in the last 12 months (on April 9, 2015). This represents an enormous and very disrup- tive shock to the value of U.S. trade with Europe, increasing the cost of our exports and reducing the cost of imports from Europe by very large, un- predicted amounts. Following the collapse of the gold standard, which fixed the exchange rates of most currencies, in the early 1970s, a costly financial market of insurance against exchange rate movements has devel- oped. The total daily value of FX related transactions (spot, forwards, swaps, options) are estimated at around US$4 tril- lion. Yes, that is daily and yes, that is trillions. These added costs of international trade would be eliminated if all or most countries returned to credibly fixed exchange rates or better still one globally used currency. The enormous gains in the standard of living from this trade could be ex- tended even further. The world is now “blessed” with a variety of monetary policy regimes. All of them aim in one way or another to deliver stable value for their currency either domestically or relative to another cur- rency. The major industrial countries generally target inflation domestically and allow the exchange rates of their currency to float against other currencies. Many smaller countries fix or target the exchange rate of their currency to the U.S. dollar or the Euro or the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights (SDR) thus causing the domestic values of their currencies to reflect the inflation rates of the cur- rency to which they are fixed. The ‘Real SDR’ Two major reforms would establish a global monetary system with stable money (zero inflation). The first would be to change the IMF’s in- ternational reserve asset, the SDR, from a currency whose value is determined by a basket of key currencies (the USD, Euro, U.K. pound, and Japanese yen) and allocated on the basis of political decisions, to a currency whose value is determined by a basket of real goods that is issued on the basis of market demand in ac- cordance with currency board rules. The above reform in the SDR would include an interna- tional agreement to replace the U.S. dollar and Euro in inter- national pricing and payments with the reformed SDR, which I call the Real SDR. The second reform would follow naturally given the greater stability of the Real SDR. Countries would fix the exchange rate of their na- tional currencies to the Real SDR or replace them all to- gether with the Real SDR (the equivalent of dollarization). If all or most countries did this, the world would enjoy the benefits described above of a global currency with a completely predictable and stable value relative to a “typ- ical household consumption basket” across the globe. It is worth fighting for. Warren Coats, a former director of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, and former senior monetary policy advisor to the Central Bank of Afghanistan, Iraq and Kenya for the International Monetary Fund, is on the Editorial Board of Cayman Financial Review. These added costs of international trade would be eliminated if all or most countries returned to credibly fixed exchange rates or better still one globally used currency. WARREN COATS Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday april 16, 2015 178459_PRINT-Butterfield-4colx12Page 1 4/15/15 1:48:15 PM Hospice facility to break ground this year Charles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman HospiceCare plans to break ground on its new West Bay Road facility some- time this year, thanks to more than a million dollars raised by Derek Haines’s successful bid to run six marathons in a year, according to the organi- zation’s medical director. Dr. Virginia Hobday said the organization recognized Mr. Haines for his support at its annual general meeting this week. She said the ar- chitect is already working on options for a new building, and that they hope to have the exact property lines from the Dart company, which is donating the land, in the coming weeks. The organization’s staff and architect John Doak traveled to the United States last month to look at hos- pice facilities in and around Charlotte, North Carolina, and met with another archi- tect who specializes in de- signing hospice buildings, Dr. Hobday said. “We want to try to com- bine all the best things we’ve seen, and adapt them to Cayman and our community,” she said. The organization will main- tain its home-care program to help keep people comfortable and work with their families when they choose to stay at home at the end of a terminal illness. The new building will be designed to give people and their families a private, calm space during end of life, Dr. Hobday said. She said she wasn’t sure exactly when they would break ground on the new building, but it would be some time this year. In addition to the $1.1 million raised by Mr. Haines, Dr. Hobday said, the orga- nization has received “quite a few in-kind donations” to help with construction. She added that the orga- nization still needs to con- tinue raising money for day- to-day operations providing free care to people in Cayman facing terminal conditions. “We still have patients to look after,” she said. Once the new building is complete, Cayman HospiceCare will move its patients and programs, in- cluding its support groups, to the new West Bay Road facility. The goal of the new building, the medical director said, is to provide “a peaceful, contemplative space” for pa- tients and families. She said the design will fit the Caribbean character and sur- rounding landscape. The Pink Ladies Volunteer Corps handed out dona- tions to local charities re- cently after raising money at their popular annual bazaar last year. Governor Helen Kilpatrick, patron of the volunteer corps, hosted the group’s an- nual meeting and handed over the donation checks to the recipients. Checks of $5,000 each were presented to The Pines Retirement Home, the Health Services Authority/ Caring for Life Foundation, the Special Olympics, and Lighthouse School. A donation of $500 was also made for the continued support of the Blue Iguana named “Lady Pink” at the captive breeding program at the National Trust’s Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. In addition, the Pink Ladies Volunteer Corps ear- lier made a $5,000 dona- tion to the National Council of Voluntary Organisations, which was pledged prior to the NCVO’s annual telethon in October last year. The governor also assisted with presentations to mem- bers of the volunteer corps, who were recognized for their hard work and dedica- tion over the years. The Pink Lady of the Year award was presented to Nancy Gammerdinger for her work at the annual bazaar, her individual fundraising activities and her support work in doing the laundry each week for the coffee shop at the Cayman Islands Hospital. The coffee shop is run by the Pink Ladies. Three members who had stepped down from the vol- unteer corps’ executive com- mittee this year, Pamela Webster, (director), Barbara O’Donnell (treasurer) and Janice Wilson (NCVO) were thanked and given gifts for their service. A thank-you gift was also presented to the group’s past director Nancy Whitefield, who worked for a number of years as coor- dinator of the coffee shop and had recently handed over the main role. The Pink Lady of the Year award was presented to Nancy Gammerdinger. Pink Ladies give $20,000 to charities Governor Helen Kilpatrick presents a $5,000 check to Olga Gourzong and Lewin Solomon of Lighthouse School, on behalf of the Pink Ladies Volunteer Corps. The organization still needs to continue raising money for day-to-day operations providing free care to people in Cayman facing terminal conditions.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 16, 2015 • Cayman Compass 19 Compass Dr iv e • 949.6233 • e:arw ashbur n@mar ksons .k y • w:www .mar ksons .k y • Rugs • Art • Bedding • Throw pillows • Lamps • Furniture More items added daily..... Pre-Inventory TENT SALE Everything below cost! THURSDAY, APRIL 16 BRAC POLICE: The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service holds an open house for prospective recruits to chat with officers and get 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 to 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 17 PLANNING DEPT.: Staff of the Department of Planning will undergo PRIDE (Personal Responsibility in Delivering Excellence) training today and Monday, April 20. Staff availability will be limited. SATURDAY, APRIL 18 OUR LITTLE MIss: The pageant committee hosts the official registration and rehearsal from 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at the George Town Town Hall. Anyone interested in competing should attend this registration. More information may be obtained by emailing caymanolm@gmail.com. SUNDAY, APRIL 19 BACK TO NATURE: Family fun day at the QEII Botanic Park, Frank Sound Road. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Organized by park and National Trust staff. Tours, scavenger hunts, workshops, exhibitions, games. Refreshments on sale. 25 percent off all plants. Admission is $5 for adults; kids 16 and under, free. TUESDAY, APRIL 21 BOUNDARY COMMIssION PUBLIC MEETING: Aston Rutty Centre, Cayman Brac. 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to share thoughts on single- member constituencies. The proposed change would mean each voter casts only one vote. In the present system, voters may elect a varying number of candidates to the Legislative Assembly, depending on the district in which they reside. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22 AsTRONOMICAL sOCIETY: Meeting is at Pedro Castle, Savannah, 7 p.m. Please dip headlights on arrival, and no parking on the grass. If more than 50 percent cloudy, the meeting will be canceled. If in doubt, phone Chris (no text) at 925-7657 around 6 p.m. BOUNDARY COMMIssION PUBLIC MEETING: PWD hurricane shelter, Little Cayman. 6 p.m. The public is invited to share thoughts on single- member constituencies. The proposed change would mean each voter casts only one vote. In the present system, voters may elect a varying number of candidates to the Legislative Assembly, depending on the district in which they reside. ROTARY FUNDRAIsER: The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise hosts an art exhibit and social, upstairs at the George Town Yacht Club 6–8 p.m. The event is in support of Guaruma, a project in Honduras that helps students ages 9-18 develop skills using photography, digital technology and the Internet. All are invited. There will be a welcome address by a representative of the Honduran Consulate. Music, art, food and drinks available for purchase. For more information, contact drjohnlee@mac.com or visit www.rotarysunrise.ky or www.guaruma.org. THURSDAY, APRIL 23 BRAC COURT: Summary Court is in session at the Aston Rutty Centre from 10 a.m. today and tomorrow. BOUNDARY COMMIssION PUBLIC MEETING: East End Civic Centre, 7.30 p.m. The public is invited to share thoughts on single-member constituencies. The proposed change would mean each voter casts only one vote. In the present system, voters may elect a varying number of candidates to the Legislative Assembly, depending on the district in which they reside. FRIDAY, APRIL 24 MARRIAGE CONFERENCE: First Assembly of God at 195 Old Crewe Road hosts a Marriage Conference at 7 p.m. today and at 3 p.m. tomorrow. There will also be a session for singles at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Guest speakers are Richard and Cynthia Nicholson. All are welcome to attend these free events. Contact 945- 2182 or 916-0291. LAW sCHOOL GALA: The Truman Bodden Law School Student Society hosts a gala 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. SATURDAY, APRIL 25 DEALs ON WHEELs: The Red Cross mobile thrift shop will be in West Bay at the Lord’s Church compound, junction of the West Bay town hall from 6 to 10 a.m. Items available include clothing and shoes for men, women and children; household linens and other items; ladies’ bags and accessories, books, toys and more. CONCERT AND FIsH FRY: Red Bay Church of God (Holiness) holds a fish fry and open air concert featuring the Red Bay Gospel Band at 6 p.m. on the open lot next to RBC, Shamrock Road, Red Bay. Free admission. Fish fry $10. ‘PLAsTICs IN PARADIsE’: Lecture by Heidi Bassett Blair at the National Gallery. 6-7:30 p.m. Admission $5 for non-members; free for National Gallery members. Refreshments will be served. MONDAY, APRIL 27 BOUNDARY COMMIssION PUBLIC MEETING: Mary Miller Hall, George Town. 7 p.m. The public is invited to share thoughts on single-member constituencies. The proposed change would mean each voter casts only one vote. In the present system, voters may elect a varying number of candidates to the Legislative Assembly, depending on the district in which they reside. TUESDAY, APRIL 28 BOUNDARY COMMIssION PUBLIC MEETING: Sir John A. Cumber Primary School Hall, West Bay. 8 p.m. The public is invited to share thoughts on single- member constituencies. The proposed change would mean each voter casts only one vote. In the present system, voters may elect a varying number of candidates to the Legislative Assembly, depending on the district in which they reside. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29 BOUNDARY COMMIssION PUBLIC MEETING: Bodden Town Primary School Hall. 7 p.m. The public is invited to share thoughts on single- member constituencies. The proposed change would mean each voter casts only one vote. In the present system, voters may elect a varying number of candidates to the Legislative Assembly, depending on the district in which they reside. THURSDAY, APRIL 30 BOUNDARY COMMIssION PUBLIC MEETING: North Side Civic Centre. 8 p.m. The public is invited to share thoughts on single-member constituencies. The proposed change would mean each voter casts only one vote. In the present system, voters may elect a varying number of candidates to the Legislative Assembly, depending on the district in which they reside. YOUNG AT ARTs: Today is the deadline for performers ages 12 to 17 to book an audition for the Intensive Summer Term. Auditions will be held at the Harquail Theatre on May 9 and May 16, 10 a.m. to noon. For more information, visit www. artscayman.org/young-at arts. To book an audition, spot email cayfest@candw.ky or call 949-5477. GENERAL INTEREST VOLUNTEERs NEEDED: Volunteers needed for the CONCACAF Under 15 Boys Youth Tournament in Grand Cayman from Aug. 11–23. The Cayman Islands Football Association is appealing to those interested in volunteering their time and services to email voluteers@ cifa.ky, call the CIFA office at 949-5775 or visit www. caymanfootball.com. 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. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.compasscayman. com/caycompass/portal/ community-calendar.7 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday april 16, 2015 • Specializes in professional fi ber glass pools and spas installation with over 17 years in business. • Exclusive dealer in the Caribbean for Viking Pools and Blue Hawaiian Pools. • Over 70 pools and many designs to choose from. • Will have you swimming in 7-10 days. • Provides 25 year warranty on all pools. The quality of BODDEN POOLS is not what we put into it, it’s what the customer gets out of it... 916-5453 • www.boddenpools.com Exclusive Distributors for Trilogy Fiberglass Swimming Pools Gov’t land sale could net $10M Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands gov- ernment could earn mil- lions from the sale of “sur- plus” properties it owns, but the figure projected by Premier Alden McLaughlin’s government is far less than what private sector consultants estimated. “The expected value is in the region of $8 mil- lion to $10 million total, de- pending on the updated val- uation and prices obtained when sold,” according to a statement provided by Mr. McLaughlin’s office. According to the Ernst & Young consultants report, which was completed last September, government was advised to seek to sell $65 million worth of “surplus” properties by the end of 2015. The premier said earlier this week that all lands con- sidered for sale were viewed as “non-strategic” by the gov- ernment, meaning the Crown had no particular purpose identified for them in either short-term or long-range plans. Properties involved in the sale were located in all districts in the Cayman Islands, and a business case for the sale was being devel- oped, the premier said. Public tendering would commence for sale of the lands when that process was completed, he added. The identification of properties to be sold was done following a review by the government Lands and Survey Department. The EY report also rec- ommended that government seek to enter into purchase and lease-back arrangements with private sector investors to free up capital needed to pursue current infrastructure development projects. “Government presently holds some 170 operational buildings, the majority of which are described as spe- cialized and of which 16 are described as non-special- ized,” the EY report stated. “The ascribed value of these properties is $285 million.” Mr. McLaughlin said the Progressives-led Cabinet had not accepted EY rec- ommendations to sell or create lease-back arrange- ments for a number of gov- ernment assets, including the Water Authority–Cayman, the Government Administration Building and Radio Cayman. Land and buildings The EY report looked at the specific proper- ties owned and leased by the government, which in- cluded 155 acres of “opera- tional lands” and 5,415 acres of what were determined to be “non-operational” lands. The value of the non-opera- tional lands was estimated at nearly $67 million. Operational lands include parks and landfill space. The non-operational lands in- clude undeveloped parcels, mangrove and swamp areas, ponds and coastal areas. The report identified 154 op- erational specialized build- ings and another 16 op- erational non-specialized office buildings. The govern- ment did not specify which particular parcels or areas it would put up for sale. EY reviewers found 20 government-owned build- ings that are also considered non-operational, with an es- timated value of nearly $3 million. Those include small vacant commercial and resi- dential properties. The report did not pro- vide an estimated value for 180 acres of “heritage sites” owned by the government. It also does not evaluate infra- structure or highway assets. The government cur- rently holds leases on 60 building sites at a cost of $5.2 million per year, EY consultants noted. “The expected value is in the region of $8 million to $10 million total.” Premier’s Office statement The government did not accept the EY report’s recommendation to sell off the Government Administration Building. - PHOTO: CHRIS COURTThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Thursday april 16, 2015 • Cayman Compass office in conspiring, along with local elected represen- tatives and civil servants, “to topple a democratically elected government while misusing the power of the state and its judicial and law enforcement arms.” Mr. Bush did not make any of this “irrefutable evi- dence” public when he held a press conference Tuesday to discuss details of his private members’ motion, but promised to do so if the motion was heard by the Legislative Assembly. Mr. Bush, while under a criminal investigation, was removed from the premier’s office in December 2012 fol- lowing a no-confidence vote of the Legislative Assembly against his government. An interim government, made up of five members of Mr. Bush’s former United Democratic Party, led the Cayman Islands between late December 2012 and May 2013, when the current Progressives-led coalition was voted into office. “The indigenous people of these islands have had their rights infringed by using the jurisdiction as a[n] instrument to further the economic designs that were contrary to the in- terest of the indigenous people and, through sys- temic policies of discrimi- nation, that constitutes a gross violation of their fun- damental human rights protected under the United Nations Charter and the European Union regula- tions,” the motion read. In addition to calling for an independent commission of inquiry, Mr. Bush’s mo- tion also sought to mete out “appropriate responsibility” by making the inquiry public and allowing it to initiate legal action, if re- quired, “at the appropriate international legal forum.” Mr. Bush also asked for what he called an “in- dependent historical re- view” of legal measures taken by U.K. authorities “that has led to the mar- ginalization of the indig- enous Caymanian popula- tion and disrepute of its financial industry.” Bush motion Conspiracy claim on hold for now CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 suspicion of causing death by drunk driving. Friends of Ms. Bush, also known as Kimberly McLaughlin, paid tribute to the former John Gray High School student on Facebook on Thursday, describing her as a “beautiful soul.” Police said in a state- ment that officers on mo- bile patrol “came up on” the scene of the collision just after 1 a.m. The female pas- senger was trapped inside the vehicle and was de- ceased, the statement said. The second woman, said to be the driver of the vehicle, suffered multiple injuries. The vehicle appeared to be significantly dam- aged. One side of the ve- hicle was caved in and the windshield was shattered. At least one of the air bags had activated. The collision is under investigation by uniform officers from the RCIPS Traffic Management Unit. from Public Beach. They ran into a second Jet Ski rented from the Westin. Mr. McDowall said the accident happened “a sig- nificant distance from the beach.” Beachgoers around the Westin reported seeing a large police presence. Employees with Red Sail, which runs the water sports operation at the Westin, said police had taken away the damaged Jet Skis. It was not known by press time whether the man was a tourist or a resi- dent of the Cayman Islands. He is the ninth person to die or go missing in Cayman waters since January, making this one of the deadliest years in local memory. Late last month, a 62-year-old American tourist died in a diving accident in East End. Another American, Norman Lee, a Marvel Comics artist, is missing and pre- sumed dead after disap- pearing while snorkeling off East End. Two other deaths this year occurred off East End: a 63-year-old American tourist died while snor- keling and a 71-year- old swimmer who got into distress. The other victims were a 70-year-old man from Texas who ran into trouble during a dive off Seven Mile Beach last month; a 60-year-old Florida woman who collapsed on a dive boat off Little Cayman; and an 88-year-old cruise ship passenger from Ukraine who died on Seven Mile Beach in January. The year’s first water- related death was a 51-year-old Cuban man whose boat overturned near Sand Quay off South Sound. In 2013, nine people, including seven tourists, died in water-re- lated accidents. There were nine deaths in the first six months of 2010, but most were from one incident in January when a boat capsized. Five people, including a teenage girl, were never found. An analysis of the water death statistics by the Cayman Compass shows the Cayman Islands average eight to 10 deaths a year. after analysis of all of the available evidence, it is cor- rect to say that his account and publishing of data within the media led to counter al- legations of criminal conduct being made in relation to his conduct,” the August police statement, attributed to Mr. Baines, said. “Those allega- tions remain under investiga- tion and are subject to con- tinued inquiry.” While some efforts were made to speak with Mr. Bridger in the U.K. regarding his initial allegation of crime, the two parties in the case have apparently been unable to arrange a meeting some eight months later. “I have been provided by [Royal Cayman Islands Police Service] Commissioner [David] Baines with a broad overview of the allegations that have been made against me, albeit no clarity has been provided as to who has made the al- legations,” Mr. Bridger said. “In one of the press releases Commissioner Baines made about this issue, he stated I failed to appear at an ar- ranged interview [which] was misleading. I had arranged to see the Deputy Commissioner [Stephen Brougham] in the U.K. to be interviewed. “On advice, I subse- quently informed the com- missioner on two occasions I would not be attending. These communications were written some days before the proposed interview. “On my recent [February] visit to the Cayman Islands, I fully anticipated that I would be seen and interviewed. I was not approached by anyone from RCIPS.” The accusations made by Mr. Bridger that were found to be unwarranted following a review by local police, essen- tially claimed former Cayman Islands Governor Stuart Jack and Attorney General Samuel Bulgin had misrepresented their levels of involvement in the Tempura probe. Mr. Bridger attempted to take his allegations to the U.K. Metropolitan Police Service, but was declined due to what Met police said was a conflict of interests. Mr. Bridger’s allegations were supported by Cayman’s former Police Commissioner Stuart Kernohan and former RCIPS Chief Superintendent John Jones, who he had ini- tially investigated as part of Operation Tempura. Accusations The specific allegations against Mr. Bridger were set out in a court affidavit filed by former Cayman Islands Crown counsel Doug Schofield on Dec. 19, 2014. The affidavit states: “[Commissioner] Baines has authorized me to advise the court that Bridger is currently being investigated for the fol- lowing offences (1) misconduct in a public office, contrary to common law, (2) providing false information to a public officer … (3) willfully mis- leading a police officer … (4) making a false report to a po- lice officer … “I personally as- sisted the commissioner of police in the preparation of a file for preliminary review by Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryll Richards and I was present at the DPP’s office on Nov. 28, 2014 when the com- missioner delivered that file directly into her hands.” Mr. Bridger has said there would come a time when he expected to be interviewed by the police in relation to the matter. However, he said he was uncertain of his ability to defend himself, given that cer- tain material records from the Tempura case had now been taken away from him as a re- sult of court action in Cayman and the U.K. pursued by Mr. Bulgin’s office. “If ever there came a time where I was formally in- terviewed in relation to the criminal investigation, then I would have to request access to the documents that the at- torney general has fought so hard to have returned,” Mr. Bridger said. “I would also want to make reference [to] many of the issues covered in the [2011] report authored by Duncan Taylor, written in response to my complaint, a matter that is still under the scrutiny of the courts. “I remain in possession of the documents released by [Mr.] Kernohan as part of his disclosure requirements in re- lation to the action that he has recently withdrawn against me. I … would seek permis- sion from the authors of those particular documents to also enable me to use them in my defense of the criminal allega- tions made against me, or in any other future proceedings. “Without access to and use of the documents referred to … I would not be able to fully defend myself.” man killed in Jet ski collision CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Kimberly Bush Woman dies in Rum Point crash Mr. Bush said earlier in the day that … he felt the premier wasn’t taking seriously his request for an independent inquiry into the issue. Bridger not interviewed in criminal case CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 mr. Bush mr. Bridger Small aircraft lands on US Capitol lawn; pilot in custody WASHINGTON (AP) — Police arrested a man who steered his tiny aircraft onto the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol after flying through restricted airspace around the National Mall Wednesday. One congressional of- ficial identified the pilot as Doug Hughes, a Florida Postal Service worker who took responsibility for the stunt on a website where he said he was delivering let- ters to all 535 members of Congress in order to draw attention to campaign fi- nance corruption. “As I have informed the authorities, I have no vio- lent inclinations or intent,” Hughes wrote on his web- site, thedemocracyclub.org. “An ultralight aircraft poses no major physical threat – it may present a political threat to graft. I hope so. There’s no need to worry — I’m just delivering the mail.” The Senate aide said Capitol Police knew of the plan shortly before Hughes took off, and said he had pre- viously been interviewed by the U.S. Secret Service. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the investigation. Capitol Police declined to confirm the man’s identity. A member of a bomb squad pulls something off of a small helicopter and throws it after a man landed on the West Lawn of the u.s. Capitol on Wednesday in Washington. - Photo: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Kerry still confident on Iran nuclear deal U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday he is confident that the U.S. administration can conclude a nuclear deal with Iran after President Barack Obama agreed to sign legislation giving Congress the right to reject an agreement. Cayman Compass • Thursday april 16, 2015 Website: www.caymaninternationalschool.org Tel: 1-345-945-4664 Fax: 1-345-945-4650; Email: cis@cayintschool.ky Cayman International School 2015/16 Scholarship for Academic and Leadership Excellence A FULL scholarship will be provided for a new student entering Grade 9 at Cayman Inter- national School. The scholarship includes full tuition for four years (8 semesters) until graduation as long as academic and leadership requirements are maintained by the scholarship student. The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program is offered for students in Grades 11 and 12. Applications and information about the school are available on the school website (www.caymaninternationalschool.org) or by contacting the Admissions Officer (admissions@cayintschool.ky) at 945-4664. Age Criteria / Time Frame Applicants must have Caymanian Status and be 14 years old prior to October 1, 2015, to enter Grade 9, or be enrolled currently in Grade 8 (or Year 9). Applications will be received until 4:30 pm on May 1, 2015. Application Requirements Only complete application packages will be considered. A complete list of required attachments is included in the application. Selection criteria is heavily weighted to select students who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership and financial need. Cayman INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Character Knowledge Service Cubans hail removal from US list of state terrorism sponsors HAVANA (AP) — Cuban of- ficials and ordinary citi- zens alike hailed the is- land’s removal from the U.S. list of state sponsors of ter- rorism, saying the move by President Barack Obama heals a decades-old insult to national pride and clears the way to swiftly restore diplomatic relations. “The Cuban govern- ment recognizes the presi- dent of the United States’s just decision to take Cuba off a list in which it should never have been included,” Josefina Vidal, Cuba’s top diplomat for U.S. affairs, said Tuesday night. Cuban and U.S. foreign- policy experts said the two governments appeared to have taken a major leap to- ward the reopening of em- bassies in Havana and Washington after four months of complex and occasionally frustrating negotiations. “This is important be- cause it speaks to Obama’s desire to keep moving for- ward,” said Esteban Morales, a political science pro- fessor at the University of Havana. “Now there are no political obstacles. What re- mains are organizational and technical problems, which can be resolved.” In a message to Congress, Obama said Tuesday that Cuba’s government “has not provided any support for international terrorism” over the last six months and has given “assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future.” Cuba will officially be re- moved from the terrorism list 45 days after the presi- dent’s message was sent to Congress. Lawmakers could vote to block the move during that window, though Obama would be all but certain to veto such a measure. What remains to be seen in coming weeks is whether Cuba will allow U.S. diplo- mats to move around Cuba and maintain contacts with citizens, including dissi- dents, the second point of contention in the nego- tiations on restoring full diplomatic relations. Cuba is highly sensitive to any indication the U.S. is supporting domestic dissent and that issue may prove considerably tougher than amending the terrorism list. The Obama administration made little pretense in recent years that it believed Cuba was supporting terrorism. Cuba was put on the list in 1982 because of what the U.S. said were its efforts “to promote armed revolu- tion by organizations that used terrorism.” That included support for leftist guerrilla groups in- cluding the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the Basque separatist movement ETA in Spain. Cuba also sheltered black and Puerto Rican militants who carried out attacks in the United States. Among those was Joanne Chesimard, who was granted asylum by Fidel Castro after she es- caped from a U.S. prison where she was serving a sen- tence for killing a New Jersey state trooper in 1973. Cuba renounced direct support for militant groups years ago and is sponsoring peace talks between the FARC and Colombia’s gov- ernment. Spain no longer appears to be actively seeking the return of inac- tive ETA members who may be in Cuba. For Cubans, the ter- rorism list was a particu- larly charged issue because of the U.S. history of sup- porting exile groups respon- sible for attacks on the is- land, including the 1976 bombing of a Cuban pas- senger flight from Barbados that killed 73 people aboard. The attack was linked to Cuban exiles with ties to U.S.- backed anti-Castro groups, and both men accused of masterminding the crime took shelter in Florida, where one, Luis Posada Carriles, lives to this day. “It’s really good that they finally took us off the list even though the reality is that we never should have been there,” said Rigoberto Morejon, a member of the Cuban national fencing team who lost three training part- ners in the bombing. He added that the hoped “we can keep advancing in the re-es- tablishment of relations.” Beyond the emotional im- pact, the terrorism list hob- bled Cuba’s ability to do business internationally. A vendor gives a thumbs up to the camera as he sells shoes and paintings of Cuba’s revolutionary hero Che Guevara in Havana. Cubans hailed the island’s removal from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. - Photo: AP What remains to be seen in coming weeks is whether Cuba will allow U.S. diplomats to move around Cuba and maintain contacts with citizens, including dissidents.Next >