ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Monday april 27, 2015 High of 90 Low of 76 Smooth to slight with wave heights less than 2 feet. Worst Week Hillary Clinton 3 Politics Big money faces voter backlash 6 Trends Where the hipsters thrive 17 5 Myths Wildlife trafficking23 war Forty years after the fall of Saigon, soldiers’ children are still left behind PAGE 12 of THE WEEK OF SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015. IN COLLABORATION WITH Legacies ABCDE NATIONAL WEEKLY THE WASHIngTon poST Legacies of war Editorial | pagE 4 playing ‘Hide and Seek’ witH audit reportS Colorful, musical day for Junior Batabano George Town was ablaze with colorful cos- tumes and youthful energy on Saturday during the Junior Carnival Batabano. The event started with a Family Fun Day on the Glass House grounds, followed by the junior Batabano parade that looped through the streets of George Town before ending back at the Glass House. Afterward, a mixer called “Glow Teen Jam” for youths ages 13 to 17 took place at the South Sound Community Center. Several hundred chil- dren accompanied by school bands took part in the event, which was originally introduced in 2002 as a part of the annual Cayman Carnival Batabano. However, in 2005 it became a stand- alone event that takes place the weekend before the adult Batabano. For more photos from Junior Carnival Batabano, see page 6.Prospect Primary School students parading in full color.‘Fire Breathers’ from Edna M. Moyle Primary School were breathtaking. Government iGnores internal audits Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The vast majority of recommendations made by the Cayman Islands government’s own auditors during a five-year period were not implemented, a report obtained through the Freedom of Information Law has revealed. Between May 2007 and July 2012, the government’s Internal Audit Unit produced 55 reports making a total of 327 recom- mendations to dozens of public agencies seeking various operational and governance- related improvements. According to the follow-up review per- formed by the unit, 78 recommendations – about 24 percent – were considered to have east enders meet on votinG boundaries Carol winker cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Electoral Boundary Commission was left in no doubt on Thursday night about the opinions of 22 East Enders as to possible changes to their district boundary. After discussion, participant Bernadette Bodden asked people to stand if they agreed that the boundary in East End should be left as it is. Except for the people who had organized the meeting or were present as support staff, everyone in the William Allen McLaughlin Civic Centre stood. Supervisor of Elections Wesley Howell, who observed proceedings, confirmed attendance by that time at 22. run boosts Special olympics Deputy Governor Franz Manderson joins Governor Helen Kilpatrick at Sunday’s “DG’s 5K Challenge,” a fun-run to benefit Special olympics programs. For full coverage, see page 13. – PHoto: ron sHillinGFord PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » Cayman Prep and High School students took command of the stage at the Glass House. - PHotos: taneos ramsaY2 LOCAL NEWS Monday april 27, 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 CHILD 44 R 6:40 I 9:40 FURIOUS 7 3D (PG13) 12:45 I 1:30 2D I 3:45 I 4:30 2D 6:45 I 7:30 2D I 9:45 PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2 (PG) 1:00 I 4:00 I 7:00 I 9:20 WATER DIVINER R 1:10 I 3:50 I 7:20 I 10:00 THE LONGEST RIDE (PG13) 3:40 | 9:50 HOME (PG) 12:20 I 3:10 GET HARD (R) 1:15 I 7:10 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - MONDAY - $8.00 www.tonymosleylifeinsurance.com Pedestrian killed on South Sound Road AlAn MARkoff amarkoff@pinnaclemedialtd.com Grand Cayman roads claimed their seventh victim of 2015 when 46-year-old Marcia Donaldson of George Town was struck by a vehicle and killed shortly before 5 a.m. Saturday. Ms. Donaldson was either walking or jogging at the time of the accident, which occurred about 400 feet west of the Old Crewe Road junction. South Sound Road, es- pecially the section between Old Crewe Road and Walkers Road, is a popular place for residents wishing to exercise in the morning by walking, jog- ging or cycling. The vehicle that hit Ms. Donaldson, which was re- ported to be a Jeep, was driven by a 25-year-old man who was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and sus- picion of causing death by drunk driving. After the vehicle struck Ms. Donaldson, who was pro- nounced dead at the scene, it veered off the road and struck a CUC utility pole, cracking it about four feet off the ground. There were no skid marks on the road at the scene of the accident. The driver was released on bail to receive medical atten- tion for minor injuries he sus- tained in the accident. A portion of South Sound Road was closed Saturday morning while the accident scene was cleared. Later in the morning, the eastbound lane was reopened, but the west- bound lane remained closed while CUC personnel replaced the damaged utility pole. By late morning, the road was completely reopened. Ms. Donaldson was the second person not in a motor vehicle who was run over and killed in two days. Early Thursday morning, 59-year- old Donnie Ray Connor was killed on Linford Pierson Highway. Mr. Connor was ei- ther near or on his bicycle at the time he was struck by a hit-and-run driver who has not yet been identified. Grand Cayman’s roads have been increasingly dangerous for pedestrians this year. In addition to the deaths of Ms. Donaldson and Mr. Conner, seven other people have been hit by vehicles – most of them in hit-and-run incidents – and injured, some of them seriously. On Jan. 25, two American tourists, a husband and wife, were injured while on the side- walk outside of Villas of the Galleon on West Bay Road by a driver who left the scene of the accident. The husband sus- tained serious facial injuries and was airlifted to the United States for medical treatment. The following day, Jan. 26, a 14-year-old resident was se- riously injured by a hit-and- run driver while on a pedes- trian crossing at the Savannah Primary School. His 21-year- old brother was also hit in that incident but sustained only minor injuries. On March 8, a West Bay resident suffered a broken leg and other injuries when struck by a hit-and-run diver on Reverend Blackman Road. An off-duty police officer wit- nessed the incident and iden- tified the vehicle, leading to the arrest of the driver shortly afterward. A 16-year-old American tourist was critically injured after being hit by a mini-van while crossing the road outside the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort on April 6. On April 11, a 56-year-old Bodden Town man suffered serious in- juries in a hit-and-run accident on Bodden Town Road. Police are appealing for anyone who might have witnessed the collision involving Ms. Donaldson to contact Inspector Adrian Barnett at 526-2204. Taste of Cayman volunteer wins prize Stephen Aynsley, a volunteer who signed up for this year’s Taste of Cayman in February, was the main bar runner for the event – and also the holder of the winning ticket in one of the sponsors’ giveaways: He won a ticket to New York on Cayman Airways. “It was a busy night, but I loved volunteering for the event,” Mr. Aynsley said in a press statement from the airlines. “The atmosphere was hectic but so much fun. Winning the ticket from Cayman Airways as well was just the icing on some well-deserved cake. Thanks Cayman Airways and Taste of Cayman, and count me in next year to help again.” Pictured, from left, are Cayman Airways Marketing and Public Relations Manager Olivia Scott Ramirez; Senior Travel Consultant Levonna Cotes; Mr. Aynsley; and Cayman Islands Tourism Association Executive Director Tiffany Dixon-Ebanks. Grand Court jurors report date ChanGed The Grand Court jury re- port date has been changed. Grand Court jurors who are in the April 1–June 30 ses- sion are now to report on Wednesday, April 29 at 9:45 a.m. Please call the Jury Information line at 945-5072 for the most up-to-date information. BaCk-to-BaCk niGhttime liquor store roBBeries BRent fulleR bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The second rob- bery of a George Town li- quor store in 48 hours oc- curred Thursday evening at Blackbeard’s Beers, Wines & Spirits in Grand Harbour. A lone robber armed with a machete entered the store just before 9 p.m. and took some cash, according to Royal Cayman Islands Police detectives. Closed circuit televi- sion cameras inside the store captured video of the man, who was wearing sunglasses and a hoodie during the heist. No one was hurt. The suspect escaped, running toward the back of the shopping center. A similar incident, also involving a machete- toting suspect, occurred at Tortuga Liquors in the Greenery shopping center along Seven Mile Beach on Tuesday night. According to police, a 5-foot, 5-inch-tall male en- tered the store around 9:20 p.m. and demanded cash from the two em- ployees there. No cus- tomers were in the store at the time, Tortuga President Robert Hamaty said, and the employees were not physically hurt. After getting “the day’s takings,” the suspect left on foot. No arrests were imme- diately reported. Mr. Hamaty said the store has CCTV cameras in- side and that images of the masked robber were cap- tured. The man described in the Blackbeard’s robbery was described as several inches taller than the sus- pect who held up Tortuga the night before, authori- ties said. Last year, The Greenery, as well as Blackbeard’s in Grand Harbour, ex- tended opening hours from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., along with a number of other liquor stores around Grand Cayman. RCIPS Superintendent Mike Cranswick urged the public to be vigilant in the wake of these robberies and to report any suspicious ac- tivity around commercial premises “especially during the evening hours.” A similar incident, also involving a machete-toting suspect, occurred at Tortuga Liquors in the Greenery shopping center along Seven Mile Beach on Wednesday night. CUC workers replace a utility pole on South Sound Road that was damaged in a one-vehicle accident that killed a pedestrian early Saturday morning. - photo: alan markoff3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Monday april 27, 2015 Forbidden treasure a frequent find on Cayman’s beaches Cocaine and ganja worth millions washes up with driftwood James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Several million dollars worth of cocaine and ganja have washed up on Cayman’s beaches over the past two- and-a-half years. Drugs have been found washed ashore on 26 occa- sions since January 2013. In total, 60 kilos (130 pounds) of cocaine and 90 kilos (200 pounds) of marijuana have been found and turned in to police. Traffickers using the Caribbean Sea as a transit route from South and Central America to lucrative U.S. mar- kets are thought to be re- sponsible for the bulk of the lost contraband. Estimates of the street value of both cocaine and marijuana vary wildly. The U.S. Coast Guard, in its most recent estimates, uses $30,000 per kilo as the wholesale value for cocaine, estimating that the price tri- ples by the time it is sold on the streets. By that for- mula, the 60 kilos of cocaine that washed up on Cayman’s beaches in the last 28 months could be worth as much as US$5 million. A total of 90 kilos of ganja, thought to be worth around US$200,000, has also been found on Cayman’s beaches. The statistics provide a glimpse of the extent of international drug traf- ficking taking place in and around Cayman’s territo- rial waters. The island, be- cause of its location in the western Caribbean Sea, has a ringside seat in the cat-and-mouse battle be- tween drug smugglers and U.S. authorities. The drugs that wash up on these shores could have been ditched by traf- fickers attempting to flee U.S. Coast Guard boats, ac- cording to detectives in the Cayman Islands. A bag containing 23 kilos (50 pounds) of co- caine washed up on a beach in East End this month. Police believe the drugs were likely not intended for these shores, though they have not ruled it out. Detective Superintendent Robert Scotland said the northwest Caribbean is a known route for drug traf- fickers. He said they some- times used low-flying aircraft to drop shipments at sea, re- lying on boats to use GPS to pick them up. Some of the drugs that wash up in Cayman could be from such air-to-sea ship- ments that miss the drop- zone, he told the Cayman Compass last week. The U.S. Coast Guard has reported an emerging trend in the past few years, of traf- fickers using submarines to evade detection. The agency’s most recent statistics for drug seizures in the Caribbean Sea sug- gest that more than 42,500 kilograms of cocaine were removed from the waters of the central and eastern Caribbean shipping routes between October 2011 and April last year. Such a quan- tity could have a “street” value in the billions. According to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service figures, a total of 29 kilos (64 pounds) of cocaine was removed from beaches in three incidents in Cayman in 2013, 4.5 kilos (10 pounds) washed up in five separate incidents in 2014, and so far in 2015, the haul of 23 kilos of cocaine found on an East End beach this month is the only incident of that type re- ported to police. A total of 68 kilos (150 pounds) of ganja washed ashore in 13 incidents in 2013, 22 kilos (49 pounds) washed up in three incidents in 2014, and just over a kilo (2.5 pounds) has been found in a single incident this year. Police released this photograph of the cocaine found on an East End beach this month. Traffickers using the Caribbean Sea as a transit route from South and Central America to lucrative U.S. markets are thought to be responsible for the bulk of the lost contraband.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. Monday apriL 27, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Many of the Internal Audit reports released through Freedom of Information requests in recent years have undoubtedly led to much embarrassment for the civil service. Just think back to the two reports about the GASBOY fuel monitoring system that indi- cated widespread misuse of government fuel distribu- tion, and, more recently, to the review of the Cayman Islands Postal Services that showed poor manage- ment decisions and practices, and staff that willfully ignored superiors. This newspaper routinely requests a list of Internal Audit Unit reports and after inspection of that list, requests copies of some or all of those reports. That the resulting news articles have caused some con- sternation and embarrassment in the civil service is neither our goal nor our concern; our only purpose is to report the news, and the provisions of the FOI Law are but one tool we use to accomplish that task. Increasingly of late, we’re finding resistance to FOI requests that include ignoring the requests, not responding in a timely fashion or denying the requests for specious reasons. Now, the Portfolio of the Civil Service is trying to institute year-long delays between the issuance of Internal Audit Unit reports and their being made public. The premature release of the reports, the Port- folio argues, “will prejudice the effectiveness of the Internal Audit function, however this prejudice dimin- ishes over time.” Their basic argument is that the release of the reports prior to allowing the audited entities “adequate consideration of the recommenda- tions” could make the audit clients less likely to coop- erate with the audit process, rendering the unit unable to achieve its mandate. In other words, the reason for delaying the release of the reports is for the benefit of the Internal Audit Unit. What’s more, the Portfolio seems to have an issue with releasing Internal Audit reports in response to an FOI request, calling that process – which is really the basis of every FOI request made – “ad hoc.” “The practice of ad hoc disclosure of Internal Audit reports without audited entities having a clear under- standing as to when the audit reports will be released,” the Portfolio argues, “is prejudicial to the effectiveness of the Internal Audit function by harming the relation- ship between the Unit and its audit clients.” That is what the Portfolio of the Civil Service says. Here’s what we say: “Nonsense.” This is nothing more than a self-serving tactic to delay response to open records requests that are likely to reflect negatively on the way civil service operates. The delay doesn’t protect the Internal Audit Unit; it protects the civil service departments that have been audited. If the continued release of these reports on a timely basis causes personnel in audited departments to become uncooperative, then those not cooper- ating need to be removed. The civil service tail has wagged the government dog for far too long – and nearly every minister (past or present), if administered truth serum or a polygraph, will tell you privately the same thing. One of the benefits of the FOI Law is that it allows public access to records that can hold government and its employees accountable. In addition, the publication of such records can often initiate changes for the bet- terment of the country. Shortly after the Cayman Compass published a series of news articles about the way government ministers and senior civil servants were using – and in some cases, misusing – their government-issued credit cards, the government issued new guidelines aimed at preventing credit card abuse in the future. The best way to get inefficiencies in govern- ment out of government is to shine light on them. As the story in today’s newspaper indicates, only 24 percent of 327 recommendations made in 55 Internal Audit reports between 2007 and 2012 were fully implemented. Allowing the reports to “ripen,” that is remain hidden from the public for a year, isn’t a strategy for improving the “effectiveness” of the Internal Audit Unit. It is a strategy to hide those documents from the people who paid for them and own them, the people of the Cayman Islands. Playing ‘Hide and Seek’ with audit reports Obama’s Nixon Doctrine: Anointing Iran WASHINGTON – In December, President Obama said that he wished to see Iran ultimately become a “very successful re- gional power.” His wish, a nightmare for the Western- oriented Arab states, is be- coming a reality. Consider: ■■ Gulf of Aden: Iran sends a flotilla of warships and weapons-carrying freighters to reinforce the rebels in Yemen – a noncontiguous, non-Per- sian, nonthreatening (to Iran) Arabian state – as- serting its new status as regional bully and arbiter. The Obama administra- tion announces that it has no intention of doing any- thing. Meanwhile, it exerts pressure on Saudi Arabia to halt its air war over Yemen and agree to ne- gotiate a political settle- ment involving Iran. ■■ Russia: After a five-year suspension, Russia an- nounces the sale of ad- vanced surface-to-air mis- siles to Iran, which will render its nuclear facili- ties nearly invulnerable to attack. Obama’s reaction? Criticism, threats, sanc- tions? No. A pat on the back for Vladimir Putin: “I’m, frankly, surprised that [the embargo] held this long.” ■■ Iran: Last week, Obama preemptively caved on the long-standing U.S. condi- tion that there be no im- mediate sanctions relief in any Iranian nuclear deal. He casually dismissed this red line, declaring that what is really important is whether sanctions can be reimposed if Iran cheats. ■■ Syria: After insisting for years that President Bashar al-Assad of Syria “step aside,” the U.S. has ad- opted a hands-off policy toward a regime described by our own secretary of state as an Iranian puppet. ■■ Iraq: Iran’s Quds Force Commander Qassem Suleimani, director of Shiite militias that killed hundreds of Americans during the Iraq War and were ultimately de- feated by the 2007-08 U.S. surge, operates freely throughout Iraq flaunting his country’s dominance. In March, he was di- recting the same Iraqi mi- litias, this time against the Islamic State – with the help of U.S. air cover. This is the new Middle East. Its strategic reality is clear to everyone: Iran rising, assisted, astonishingly, by the United States. Obama’s initial Middle East strategy was simply withdrawal. He would enter history as the ultimate peace president, ushering in a new era in which “the tide of war is receding.” The subsequent vacuum having been filled, un- fortunately and predictably, by various enemies, adversaries and irredeemables, Obama lighted upon a new idea: We don’t just withdraw, we hand the baton … to Iran. Obama may not even be aware that he is recapitulating the Nixon doctrine, but with a fatal twist. Nixon’s main focus was to get the Vietnamese to take over that war from us. But the doctrine evolved and was generalized to deputize various smaller powers to po- lice their regions on our behalf. In the Persian Gulf, our prin- cipal proxy was Iran. The only problem with Obama’s version of the Nixon doctrine is that Iran today is not the Westernized, sec- ular, pro-American regional power it was under the shah. It is radical, clerical, rabidly anti-imperialist, deeply anti- Western. The regime’s ultimate – and openly declared – stra- tegic purpose is to drive the American infidel from the re- gion and either subordinate or annihilate America’s Middle Eastern allies, which has those allies in an understandable panic. Can an American pres- ident really believe that ap- peasing Iran – territorially, economically, militarily and by conferring nuclear legiti- macy – will moderate its be- havior and ideology, adher- ence to which, despite all odds, is now yielding undreamed of success? Iran went into the nuclear negotiations heavily sanc- tioned, isolated internation- ally, hemorrhaging financially, and this was even before the collapse of oil prices. After 17 months of serial American con- cessions, the Iranian economy is growing again, its forces and proxies are on the march through the Arab Middle East and it is on the verge of having its nuclear defiance rewarded and legitimized. The Saudis are resisting being broken to Iranian dom- inance. They have resumed their war in Yemen. They are resisting being forced into Yemen negotiations with Iran, a country that is, in the words of the Saudi ambassador to the U.S., “part of the problem, not part of the solution.” Obama appears unde- terred. He’s determined to make his Iran-first inverted Nixon Doctrine a reality. Our friends in the region, who for decades have relied on us to protect them from Iran, look on astonished. Charles Krauthammer’s email address is letters@charleskrauthammer.com. © 2015, The Washington Post Writers Group Charles Krauthammer 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 • Monday april 27, 2015 With rates so low they’ll put a smile on your face... There’s nothing like the home you own... with Scotiabank. • Payment options that match your budget • Access to funds from the equity in your home • Switch to a Scotiabank Home Loan and we will pay your associated Fees Another reason to switch to Scotiabank! †Customer must comply with the Terms and Conditions of the “Mortgage Promotional Rate” promotion and all other Scotiabank products. This 2 year term fixed special mortgage rate promotion is for applications received beginning February 6, 2015 up to and including April 30, 2015 with funding no later than August 31, 2015. Available for mortgage purchases, switches and refinances, on primary residences and owner owned properties. For Switch mortgages there is a maximum amount of Switch Fees payable by the Bank. *For further terms and conditions, please visit cayman.scotiabank.com. The Bank reserves the right to remove or to end the promotion or incentive program at any time subject to applicable law. *Trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used under license. Talk to one of our specialists today. cayman.scotiabank.com/thehomeyouown Find us at /ScotiabankKY 3.49% Enjoy a 2 year fixed rate† This limited time offer expires April 30, 2015 Discover what’s possible Gov’t sued over police ‘wounding’ incident Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A lawsuit filed against the Cayman Islands gov- ernment earlier this month seeks damages over a June 2009 incident in which a Royal Cayman Islands Police officer was alleged to have injured a man outside a Red Bay gas station. The lawsuit filed by Adolphus Myrie states that as a result of the incident, he suffered concussion and loss of consciousness, a wrist fracture, headache, back pain, light-headedness and a “growth in his left eye.” His lawsuit, filed April 9 with the Grand Court, seeks unspecified damages, exem- plary damages and attor- ney’s costs. The writ, filed by Mr. Myrie against the attorney general and the former officer, Rabe Welcome, alleges that Mr. Welcome “assaulted [Mr. Myrie] by picking him up and throwing him to the ground, slamming [Mr. Myrie’s] head into the ground and bringing his weight to bear on [Mr. Myrie’s] head and body.” According to court testi- mony from the criminal trial, Mr. Welcome said he did not know how Mr. Myrie received his injuries, but presumed his head contacted the con- crete. He said he was trying to grab Mr. Myrie’s wrists, but Mr. Myrie was fighting. Questioned by Crown counsel Kenneth Ferguson, he said he did not kick Mr. Myrie; he was simply trying to free his foot. The incident started after Mr. Welcome, who was off duty, went to On the Run for some food, jurors in 2012 heard. Mr. Welcome said he had gone earlier to Country and Western Bar, where he played pool and had three drinks of Hennessy co- gnac and three Red Bulls. Apparently, while he was in- side waiting for his order, Mr. Myrie and Shani Gordon arrived. Ms. Gordon went in- side to make a purchase and Mr. Welcome said something to her, the court heard. When Ms. Gordon went back to Mr. Myrie’s car, he asked her to go back and buy a lighter. She said she felt uncomfortable going back in because of what had been said to her. Mr. Myrie then went in and spoke to Mr. Welcome about the disrespect he had al- legedly given. He admitted using profanities, but denied making threats. They then went outside. Mr. Myrie said he and Ms. Gordon got into their car, but two men stood be- hind it to block him from leaving. Mr. Welcome came to his window and said he needed to search the car, the court heard. Mr. Myrie said he did not know the men were police and he asked Mr. Welcome for his badge. Mr. Welcome had his hands on the car and when Mr. Myrie opened the door, he said, Mr. Welcome stumbled backward. Mr. Myrie admitted taking a machete from the back of the car and waving it, telling the three men to back off. He said at that point that Mr. Welcome “hugged me up and pulled me to the back of the sta- tion.” It was there the wounding incident was al- leged to have occurred. A jury found Mr. Welcome guilty of wounding in October 2012, but that con- viction was overturned on appeal in November 2013. The Court of Appeal overturned the guilty ver- dict on a single point re- lated to the trial judge’s instructions to the jury con- cerning the “mental element” necessary in determining whether force used by a po- lice officer was reasonable or unreasonable. Mr. Welcome had been sentenced to six months’ im- prisonment, but that sen- tence was held pending the outcome of the appeal. The former officer did not end up serving that sentence. A Royal Cayman Islands Police officer was alleged to have injured a man outside a Red Bay gas station in June 2009. Permanent residence scams afoot, Police say Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Applying for permanent res- idence after eight years of living in the Cayman Islands can be a tricky process, but local po- lice are urging prospective “new Caymanians” to be wary of who they hire to help them in that effort. Police warned on Friday that an application for PR can only be made by individuals who qualify for that status and entails significant documentary evidence including the applica- tion form, a cover letter, police clearance, medical information, bank references, proof of prop- erty ownership and/or business investment and other records. “It is not within protocol of the Immigration Department to have their officers or other persons representing them ap- proach members of the public to offer permanent residency or to solicit funds to pay for permanent residency,” the Royal Cayman Islands Police Financial Crime Unit said in a statement. “If you are ap- proached by any persons who purport to be an immigration officer or any person offering to assist [you] in obtaining per- manent residency, report the matter to police.” There is at least one such case currently under investiga- tion by the RCIPS which is set to go to trial in June. Paul Anthony Hume Ebanks pleaded not guilty in November to 17 charges of obtaining prop- erty by deception in relation to an alleged immigration scam. Ebanks, 48, has been ac- cused of obtaining various sums of money by falsely rep- resenting that the cash was re- quired as payment for legiti- mate grants of Cayman status. The alleged offenses were said to have taken place be- tween July 2012 and August 2013 and involved sums ranging between $800 and $14,000. “An application for per- manent residency can only be made by persons who have resided in the Cayman Islands for a minimum of eight years,” the Financial Crime Unit warned. “The process in- volves submitting a com- pleted and signed application form as well as a number of supporting documents. “The applicant must also pay certain prescribed fees at the time of making the ap- plication to the Immigration Department. There is no other way to apply for permanent residency [for non-Caymanians who have eight years of resi- dence in the islands].”6 LOCAL NEWS Check out these photos and others by visiting caymancompass.com/photogalleries or on facebook.com/caycompass (and don’t forget to tag yourself and your friends!) Monday april 27, 2015 • Cayman Compass The annual Junior Carnival Batabano and Family Fun Day on Saturday proved to be action-packed for children taking part in the island tradition. Music, a parade and lots of special activities, games and prizes were among the day’s highlights. Joy was everywhere - and contagious! St. Ignatius School: bright students in bright colors. St. Ignatius students: in style and in step.Dazzling displays by the ‘Fire Breathers’ from Edna M. Moyle Primary School highlighted the parade. - PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY Cayman Prep and High School: high steppers East End Primary School: parading their finest. A John Gray High School student enjoys the festivities. Red Bay Primary School’s ‘Cotton Candy’ A great way to spend a Saturday!The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Cayman Compass • Monday april 27, 2015 The commission is cur- rently holding a series of public meetings in each Cayman Islands district to ascertain the views of the public as to whether the Cayman Islands should go from a six-district system to a system of 18 constituen- cies. The commission began its meetings in Cayman Brac last Tuesday and then went to Little Cayman on Wednesday. When the East End meeting began, there were 11 people in the audi- ence. Commission member Adriannie Webb welcomed them, saying, “You’re the largest number we have had so far.” More people came in as Thursday’s meeting progressed. Commission Chairman Lisa Handley told the audience that changes in Cayman’s electoral system will mean that each constitu- ency returns one representa- tive and each voter will have one vote. In the present mul- tiple-member system, some districts have more than one representative and voters in those districts have more than one vote. Commission member Steve McField said the new concept is that the number of people in the constituencies should be as equal as pos- sible, within 5 percent or 10 percent. A fact sheet handed out showed the number of voters in the different polling divisions; most were in the 1,000-range. Logically, he noted, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman should not have two Members of the Legislative Assembly because their two polling divisions had 373 and 643 registered voters, for a total of 1,016. As of April 1, East End had 632 registered voters, and North Side had 586. If combined, they would have 1,218 voters, roughly the same number as other voting divisions on Grand Cayman. “But when you look at the Constitution, it does say we have to take account of nat- ural boundaries,” Mr. McField said, adding that only because of what commissioners heard from the people would they would deviate. Mr. McField said the Constitution guaran- tees two MLAs for Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. “When it comes to East End and North Side, there is no guarantee in the Constitution,” he said. East End MLA Arden McLean said he believed that Cabinet would change the commission’s report. “I don’t think so,” Mr. McField replied, empha- sizing that the report will go to the governor and the Legislative Assembly. Ms. Handley added, “The legislature may or may not adopt our recommendations, but we would like to hear from you where the bound- aries should be.” Mr. McLean was the first person to state his posi- tion: He said East End needs to remain as it is with a single representative. Others in the audience agreed. One man asked that respect be given to the his- tory and culture of East End. Mrs. Bodden suggested looking at the map of Grand Cayman. East End and North Side are almost half the land area of the island, she pointed out, and would not be well served with just one represen- tative. Besides, if the Ironwood Development goes through, there will be more growth in the east, she predicted. Mr. McField agreed that when the East-West Arterial is finished, there will be a population shift. “We’re hoping it will finish and bring more people … Then your land mass would not look so empty.” Then, after the next census, there would probably have to be another boundary commission ap- pointed, he said. One man asked if the views of the two dozen or so people in the room that night would be in the commission report. Mr. McField said yes – everything was being re- corded and would be taken into account and be reflected in their report. That was why he was disappointed in the turnout, because commission members wanted to hear ev- eryone’s voice. However, Ms. Webb said people could still make their views known privately to the commission by calling the Elections Office and making an appointment to come in during the month of May. “We are changing a system we’ve had for 185 years,” she pointed out, adding that if people want their views heard, they could come to the public meetings or speak pri- vately next month. Commission member Steve McField prepares to respond to a comment from the audience as Lisa Handley, center, and Adriannie Webb take notes. In the background, Wintroy Randal mans the recording equipment. - Photo: Carol Winker CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 East Enders meet on voting boundaries Protests after Burundi leader nominated for third term BUJUMBURA, Burundi (AP) — Hundreds of people in Burundi protested in the capital Sunday after the country’s ruling party nominated President Pierre Nkurunziza to run for a third term. There were clashes between protesters and armed police in Bujumbura, the nation’s capital. Police fired tear gas to break up crowds and also blocked access to some parts of the city. Watchdog groups and observers had warned of possible unrest if Nkurunziza decided to run again. Thousands of Burundians have already fled the country ahead of presidential elections on June 26. Burundi’s consti- tution stipulates that a president can only serve for two terms, but Nkurunziza’s party says he is eligible for another term as popularly elected president because for his first term he was elected by lawmakers. Critics say this is not a proper interpre- tation of the law and that he should not get a third term. The U.S. government has criticized the ruling party’s decision. “With this decision, Burundi is losing an historic opportunity to strengthen its democracy by establishing a tradi- tion of peaceful demo- cratic transition,” the State Department said in a statement. More than 10,000 Burundians have fled to neighboring Rwanda citing fears of election vi- olence. Many of those in Rwanda say they left be- cause of growing pressure to support Nkurunziza’s party, which is known by its initials CNDD-FDD. Others alleged vio- lence by the ruling par- ty’s youth wing, known as Imbonerakure, according to the U.N. refugee agency. Hundreds in Burundi are protesting against the ruling party’s decision to nominate the president to run for a third term. More than 10,000 Burundians have fled to neighboring Rwanda citing fears of election violence. New rules in Mexico tackle corruption MEXICO CITY — One day, it’s police and soldiers killing ci- vilians. The next, top gov- ernment officials lapping up perks of wealth and power. After months of scandals and public outcry, the admin- istration of President Enrique Peña Nieto has endorsed new anti-corruption measures that many hope will begin to rebuild Mexicans’ lack of trust in their government. Peña Nieto’s popularity has fallen over the past year as public crises have rocked his government and contributed to an im- pression that Mexico is be- coming an increasingly consequence-free zone for political corruption. The new anti-corruption system passed this week by Mexico’s Congress, which must be approved by the majority of the states, is de- signed to give more authority and independence to investi- gative bodies. Audits of gov- ernment spending will be able to occur more frequently and at the state level. The appointment of the head of the Public Administration Ministry will have to be ap- proved by Congress. “Unfortunately, the economy in our country is built on links and relations between men of power,” Graco Ramirez, the gov- ernor of Morelos state, said in an interview. “And this re- lationship has to be revised so we have real rules of the market and so regulators can function.” Supporters of the pro- gram consider it significant because it puts more em- phasis on state spending, which has been less scruti- nized than the federal gov- ernment. There’s still plenty of skepticism about whether the changes on paper will translate into actual investi- gations and prosecutions of top officials. “This is not a panacea to change corruption. But it touches on something that is very important,” said Viridiana Rios, the founder of Mexico Como Vamos, a think tank. “It’s a beginning of a change of the discourse in this country.” Her organization’s web- site now has a ticking clock counting the time it takes each governor to approve the new anti-corruption rules. It is this type of citizen pres- sure, she said, that has helped put the issue on the political agenda. “This is the reform of civil society,” Rios said. “It is our job to push them to do what they need to do.” After more than a year of productive constitutional re- structuring driven by Peña Nieto that shook up monopo- lies, revised the tax and edu- cational systems, and opened up the oil industry to foreign investment for the first time in decades, a series of scandals have rocked his presidency. The gravest was the disap- pearance and likely deaths of 43 students at a teachers’ col- lege in the state of Guerrero in the fall. Authorities have blamed local police and pol- iticians for colluding with drug cartel henchmen to carry out the massacre. Street protests roiled the country for months. This was followed by rev- elations that Peña Nieto’s wife and his finance minister made deals to buy houses from a favored government contractor. A $3.7 billion con- tract awarded to Chinese and Mexican companies to build a high-speed train out of Mexico City was canceled amid suspicions about its fairness. Earlier this month, the head of the national water commission resigned after using a government he- licopter for a family outing. “[Peña Nieto] wasn’t aware that you also have to change the practices of power,” said the Morelos governor, Ramirez, a member of the opposition Democratic Revolutionary Party. “It’s unfortunate because he had the bravery to do re- forms that many didn’t want to because of the political cost. But it’s also unfortunate that he hasn’t corrected how poli- tics is practiced.” The new anti-corruption program comes at a time when the fairness of public spending will face one of its biggest tests. With the opening of the oil industry to foreign investment, there will be billions of dollars of contracts with international companies. For those in- vesting in this environment, the new rules could mean less risk, said Matteson Ellis, an international anti-corrup- tion lawyer who specializes in Latin America. “This will be a highly sig- nificant development for the international business com- munity,” he said. “It gets di- rectly at the issue of im- punity. No longer is a U.S. company forced to tell its Mexican business partner, you’ve got to comply with this law in the U.S. Now they can say, you need to comply with your own laws.”The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Monday april 27, 2015 • Cayman Compass been “fully implemented.” A total of 166 recom- mendations from those reports – 51 percent – had no progress indicated. Of the remaining 83 recommendations made during the five-year pe- riod, 53 had been issued more than five years from the date of the follow-up report and were “auto- matically closed” by the unit. The other 30 recom- mendations were consid- ered “no longer relevant.” “We are aware that many factors may have contributed to a delay in the implementation of these recommenda- tions,” the audit unit follow-up review stated. “Nonetheless, we believe it is imperative that the internal control deficien- cies, which prompted the recommendations, should be resolved as quickly as possible in order to minimize the risk of any further adverse consequences.” Reasons given for not implementing Internal Audit Unit recommenda- tions included deferral of those due to “other de- partmental priorities,” re- source “constraints,” and “the impact of new and changing initiatives.” Thirty-four of the 48 agencies to which rec- ommendations had been made implemented fewer than half of them, the report noted. More than 60 percent of the outstanding audit recommendations at the time of the report were more than three years old. “We are not aware of any mitigating factors that would justify this long delay in implemen- tation,” the report stated. The follow-up report was obtained as part of a Cayman Compass open records request for a number of reports com- pleted over the past two years by the Internal Audit Unit. Of the 10 reports requested in January, only two had been released this month due to a government deci- sion to start delaying the release of those reports until at least a year after they are completed. Officials with the Portfolio of the Civil Service, in their rea- soning for delaying the release of the reports, stated that government agencies might not be willing to cooperate with internal auditors if the reports were “released prematurely.” This state- ment was released at the same time as the review that revealed less than one-quarter of the audit unit’s recommendations were being followed by government. “Internal audit is rec- ognized as a critical ele- ment of good governance and, as such, prudent steps have to be taken so as not to undermine this process,” stated a memo sent to the Compass from portfolio Chief Officer Gloria McField-Nixon. “There is a strong public interest for dis- closure of internal audit reports so as to provide transparency in the way in which the government operates and in the ac- countability of entities in the achievement of ob- jectives and plans. On the other hand, there is also a public interest in maintaining an efficient and effective internal audit process.” Ceremonies mark liberation of Nazi camps 70 years ago British soldiers honored BERLIN (AP) — Holocaust survivors and officials gath- ered Sunday at the memo- rial site of the former concen- tration camp Bergen-Belsen in northern Germany in a solemn ceremony to com- memorate the liberation of the camp 70 years ago. The camp was liberated on April 15, 1945 by British sol- diers who found more than 10,000 dead bodies when they entered the Nazi camp. German President Joachim Gauck thanked the British soldiers for the liberation and honored them as “ambas- sadors of a democratic cul- ture who were not looking for revenge.” Around 200,000 people were deported to Bergen- Belsen during the Nazi reign of terror. More than 70,000 people died here – among them the famous Jewish teenage diarist Anne Frank. “Right now, we stand on one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in the world. But there are no gravestones, there are no markers,” Ronald Lauder, the president of the World Jewish Congress, said in his speech. “The victims buried here lost not just their lives; the Nazis took their identities as well.” Ceremonies have been held across Germany and Poland throughout the spring marking the advance of Allied troops as Nazi Germany neared defeat. They are even more poignant this year be- cause of the dwindling number of survivors and wit- nesses to the Holocaust, the murder of 6 million Jews by the anti-Semitic regime of German dictator Adolf Hitler. Striking a cautious note, Lauder warned his listeners at the ceremony in Bergen- Belsen that anti-Semitism is on the rise again in Europe, 70 years after the end of the Holocaust. “Today, 70 years after this camp was liberated, we hear the same anti-Semitic lies,” Lauder said. “Today, a Jewish boy wearing a yar- mulke cannot walk down the street in Paris or London or Copenhagen without fearing for his life.” Commemorations were also held at the former Flossenbuerg camp in southern Germany, where some 30,000 people died between 1938 and 1945. Flossenbuerg was liberated by American soldiers on April 23, 1945. “The victims buried here lost not just their lives; the Nazis took their identities as well.” Ronald laudeR, president, World Jewish Congress CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Government ignores internal audits Brits fuel boom as euro drop lures sunseekers to Spain Tattooing Brits in sunny Benidorm, Spain, is a booming business. At Steve Hezzell’s studio, trade in his store on Spain’s Mediterranean coast is up 20 percent as the weaker euro lures tourists, and he’s looking to add staff for the summer surge. “We’ve had our best February ever,” Hezzell said in an interview in his store near Avenida Mediterraneo, one block from the beach. “We’re going to hire another tattoo artist and a body piercer to join us ahead of summer.” The single currency’s slide to a seven-year low against the pound is fu- eling British spending on ink, drinks and partying by the sea. With tourism ac- counting for 11 percent of Spain’s economy, that’s pro- viding a boon for Benidorm and the rest of the Costa Blanca coastline, and helping the nation’s recovery. Tourism accounted for 25 percent of new jobs cre- ated in 2014, and the Bank of Spain predicts unemploy- ment will fall from a crisis high of 27 percent to around 20 percent next year as a weaker euro drives the econ- omy’s expansion. Along the coast- line, studded with golden beaches and skyscraper ho- tels, local businesses are looking to capitalize on vis- itors with more cash to splash. Overnight stays from British tourists are up 8 per- cent this year, according to Nuria Montes, secretary gen- eral of HOSBEC, a tourism association representing Costa Blanca. While night- life and hotels are among the first to benefit, the im- pact ripples out. “For 1,000 pounds, they’re getting close to 1,400 euros (US$1,522),” Montes said. “That’s having a positive im- pact on consumption.” With visitor numbers on the up, it’s not just hotels banking on the favorable ex- change rate to keep boosting business into the summer holiday season. Frank McDowell, founder of a company that organizes of pub crawls, foam par- ties and strip-club events, is hoping “free euros” at the bureau de change turn into profit for the night- life industry. On a good night, he organizes parties for 300 customers from his office in Benidorm. “For 15 euros, you can party all night and get five free shots,” he said. “That’s one drink back home.” Benidorm’s life as a hol- iday destination began under Mayor Pedro Zaragoza in the late 1950s. Often credited as the man who transformed a fishing village into a resort, Zaragoza convinced dictator General Francisco Franco to open up Benidorm for tourism after decades of isolation. Now the town of 69,000 people is deluged every year with foreign visitors looking for a good time. Ask McDowell what lures people, and he says it’s a place where anything goes: Europe’s equivalent to “what happens in Vegas.” © 2015, Bloomberg News Putin accuses US of supporting separatists in Russia MOSCOW (AP) — In a new documentary, Russian President Vladimir Putin says intercepted calls showed that the U.S. helped separatists in Russia’s North Caucasus in the 2000s, underscoring his suspicions of the West. The two-hour documen- tary, which began airing Sunday afternoon on the state-owned Rossiya-1 TV channel, is dedicated to Putin’s 15 years in office. It focused on Putin’s achieve- ments as well as challenges to his rule – which the pro- ducers and Putin blame on Western interference. Putin was elected Russian president on March 26, 2000, after spending three months as acting president, and was sworn in on May 7, 2000. The documentary showed Putin interviewed at the Kremlin in the dimly-lit St. Alexander’s Hall. In excerpts released shortly before the film’s broadcast, Putin said Russian intelligence agencies had intercepted calls between the separatists and U.S. intel- ligence based in Azerbaijan during the early 2000s, proving that Washington was helping the insurgents. He didn’t specify when the calls took place. Following a disastrous war in the 1990s, Russia fought Islamic insurgents in Chechnya and neigh- boring regions in the volatile North Caucasus. “They were actually helping them, even with transportation,” Putin said. Putin said he raised the issue with then-U.S. President George W. Bush, who prom- ised Putin to “kick the ass” of the intelligence officers in question. But in the end, Putin said the Russian intel- ligence agency FSB received a letter from their “American counterparts” who asserted their right to “support all op- position forces in Russia,” in- cluding the Islamic separat- ists in the Caucasus. Putin also expressed his fears that the West wishes Russia harm as he recalled how some world leaders told him they would not mind Russia’s possible disintegration. “My counterparts, a lot of presidents and prime min- isters told me later on that they had decided for them- selves by then that Russia would cease to exist in its current form,” he said, re- ferring to the time period around the second conflict in the Caucasus. “The only question was when it hap- pens and what consequences would be.” The latest poll by the in- dependent Levada agency showed that the approval rating for Putin, whose third term in office ends in 2018, was a whopping 86 percent in April. Putin’s interview has re- vealed the depth of his disap- pointment in the West.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Monday april 27, 2015 Vote counting in Togo presidential poll Election officials added up results Sunday after voting in the presidential election that appeared to have a low turnout. President Faure Gnassingbe, who has been in power since 2005, faces four opposition challengers. To sign the Guest Book visit: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Sylvena Nugent affectionately known as “Mama Sylvena” who passed away on Tuesday April 14, 2015. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Sunday, May 3, 2015 at George Town, Seventh Day Adventist Church, Smith Road at 2:00 p.m. Viewing: 1:00 p.m. -1:45 p.m. Interment: Prospect Cemetery A wake will be held, at 110 Dawkins Drive, Windsor Park on May 2, 2015 at 8 p.M. More than 2,500 confirmed dead in Nepal earthquake KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Sleeping in the streets and shell-shocked, Nepalese cre- mated the dead and dug through rubble for the missing Sunday, a day after a massive Himalayan earth- quake killed more than 2,500 people. Aftershocks tor- mented them, making build- ings sway and sending pan- icked Kathmandu residents running into the streets. The cawing of crows mixed with terrified screams as the worst of the after- shocks – magnitude 6.7 – pummeled the capital city. It came as planeloads of supplies, doctors and relief workers from neighboring countries began arriving in this poor Himalayan nation. No deaths or injuries were re- ported from the early Sunday afternoon quake, but it took an emotional toll. “The aftershocks keep coming … so people don’t know what to expect,” said Sanjay Karki, Nepal country head for global aid agency Mercy Corps. “All the open spaces in Kathmandu are packed with people who are camping outdoors. When the aftershocks come you cannot imagine the fear. You can hear women and children crying.” Saturday’s magnitude 7.8 earthquake spread horror from Kathmandu to small villages and to the slopes of Mount Everest, triggering an avalanche that buried part of the base camp packed with foreign climbers pre- paring to make their summit attempts. At least 17 people died there and 61 were injured. The earthquake, centered outside Kathmandu, the cap- ital, was the worst to hit the South Asian nation in over 80 years. It destroyed swaths of the oldest neighborhoods of Kathmandu, and was strong enough to be felt across parts of India, Bangladesh, Tibet and Pakistan. By Sunday afternoon, au- thorities said at least 2,169 people had died in Nepal alone, with 61 more deaths in India and a few in other neighboring countries. At least 721 died in Kathmandu alone, and the number of in- jured nationwide was up- ward of 5,000. With search and rescue efforts far from over, it was unclear how high the death toll would rise. But outside of the oldest neighborhoods, many in Kathmandu were surprised by how few modern struc- tures – the city is largely a collection of small, poorly constructed brick apartment buildings – collapsed in the quake. While aid workers cautioned that many build- ings could have sustained se- rious structural damage, it was also clear that the death toll would have been far higher had more buildings caved in. Aid workers also warned that the situation could be far worse near the epicenter. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered near Lamjung, about 50 miles northwest of Kathmandu, in the Gorkha district. Roads to that area were blocked by landslides, hin- dering rescue teams, said chief district official Prakash Subedi. Teams were trekking through mountain trails to reach remote villages, and helicopters would also be de- ployed, he said by telephone. Local aid worker Matt Darvas said in a statement issued by his group, World Vision, that he heard that many remote mountain vil- lages near the epicenter may have been completely buried by rock falls. The villages “are literally perched on the sides of large mountain faces and are made from simple stone and rock construction,” Darvas said. “Many of these villages are only accessible by 4WD [four-wheel drive] and then foot, with some villages hours and even entire days’ walks away from main roads at the best of times.” Nepal’s worst recorded earthquake in 1934 measured 8.0 and all but destroyed the cities of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan. With people fearing more quakes, tens of thousands of Nepalese spent Saturday night outside under chilly skies, or in cars and public buses. They were jolted awake by strong aftershocks early Sunday. “There were at least three big quakes at night and early morning. How can we feel safe? This is never-ending and everyone is scared and worried,” said Kathmandu resident Sundar Sah. “I hardly got much sleep. I was waking up every few hours and glad that I was alive.” As day broke, rescuers aided by international teams set out to dig through the rubble of buildings – concrete slabs, bricks, iron beams and wood – to look for survivors. First survivors of Everest avalanche reach Kathmandu KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — The first group of survivors from an earthquake-triggered avalanche that swept through the Mount Everest base camp were flown to Nepal’s capital on Sunday and taken to hos- pitals. None appeared to have life-threatening injuries. At least 17 people were killed when Saturday’s ava- lanche, set off by the mas- sive earthquake that struck Nepal, obliterated part of the rocky village of nylon tents, where dozens of teams were training and acclima- tizing themselves to higher altitudes as they prepared to make summit attempts in the next few weeks. Among those who died in the avalanche was Dan Fredinburg, a Google execu- tive who described himself as an adventurer. Google confirmed his death on Saturday. Lawrence You, the company’s director of privacy, posted online that Fredinburg was in Nepal with three other Google em- ployees climbing Mount Everest. The other three, he added, are safe. Earlier on Saturday 22 of the most seriously injured were taken by helicopter for treatment in the village of Pheriche, the location of the nearest medical facility. But bad weather and commu- nications were hampering more helicopter flights, said Ang Tshering of the Nepal Mountaineering Association. Later Sunday, a plane carrying 15 injured people arrived in the capital, Kathmandu, from Lukla, home of the closest airport to Mount Everest. Officials refused to provide details on their conditions, but most ap- peared to have broken bones or other treatable injuries. Of those evacuated, 12 were Nepalese Sherpas. There was also one person each from China, South Korea and Japan. The Sherpa survi- vors said they feared that many more people could be dead on Everest. Pemba Sherpa, a 43-year- old guide with the right side of his face bandaged, was surprised he had survived. He rushed from his tent when the earthquake hit Saturday and was standing in the open when “I heard a big noise, and the next thing I know I was swept away by the snow,” he said. “I must have been swept almost 200 meters.” Later, he regained con- sciousness. “I was in a tent surrounded by some for- eigners. I did not know what happened or where I was,” he said after being taken to Kathmandu Medical College Hospital. For generations, thousands of ethnic Sherpas, many of whom also use “Sherpa” as a surname, have made their liv- ings working on mountain- eering expeditions as guides, porters or cooks. Saturday’s magnitude-7.8 quake struck at around noon, just over a year after the deadliest avalanche on record hit Everest, killing 16 Sherpa guides on April 18, 2014. A man helps an injured woman after she is checked by a doctor Sunday at Everest Base Camp in Nepal. - Photo: AP There was major destruction from the powerful earthquake in Bhaktapur and other Nepalese villages, as well as the capital, Kathmandu. - PhotoS: AP Volunteers work to remove debris at the historic Dharahara tower, a landmark in Kathmandu.Next >