SportS | page 15 jAMES WANTS TO HEAR CLEVELAND Cavs even finals series with gritty win High of 89 Low of 76 Moderate to rough with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over open water. editorial | page 4 NEW EDuCATiON BiLL: LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES FOR CAYMAN’S CHILDREN ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TuESDAy juNE 9, 2015 back to back wins www.butterfieldgroup.com Proud winner of The Banker’s prestigious Cayman Islands Bank of the Year award for 2013 and 2014. Bank of the year... Again! jAMES WHiTTAkER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com An international under-15 soccer tournament that was slated to be the biggest sporting event the Cayman Islands ever hosted, has been postponed amid the continuing fallout from allegations of corruption within the sport’s world governing body. The tournament, featuring 37 teams including Brazil and England, was scheduled to take place in the Cayman Islands in August, with some preliminary games to be played in Jamaica. CONCACAF, the association responsible for football in Central America and the Caribbean, announced Sunday evening that the event had been postponed “until further notice.” The tournament, first held in the Cayman Islands in 2013, was the brainchild of former CONCACAF president Jeff Webb. The original tournament featured 22 teams from the region and was hailed as a success for sports tourism, attracting an estimated 3,000 visitors to the island. Webb was arrested in Switzerland on jAMES WHiTTAkER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Health City Cayman Islands has an- nounced plans for a “solar farm” at the East End site that will help meet just under half of the hospital’s power requirements. The 4-acre, 1.2 megawatt farm – es- sentially a field of solar panels – will in- tegrate with the hospital’s cooling system. Ryan Smith, director of facilities man- agement at Health City, said the solar farm would combine existing technologies in a new and innovative way to save the hospital hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual power bills. The system integrates a “photovoltaic energy storage system” with the heating, ventilating and air conditioning equip- ment with the aim of cutting the facility’s electricity needs by 40 percent. The solar farm is now in the design phase and will go to planning later this year. Mr. Smith said it could be up and running by the end of the year. He said Health City is one of the first facilities in the world to use solar tech- nology in this way and is becoming an in- dustry leader in sustainability. “The integration of energy-reducing and resource conservation systems at Health City, including a recycling program, on-site medical waste management, future seawater district cooling system, rainwater harvesting, and the forthcoming installation of the solar farm, have all contributed to the goal of creating a facility that is accountable, and utilizes [sustainable] practices to further contain costs while protecting our environment.” Project Director Gene Thompson said, “We are pleased with the implementation and results of our conservation policies and systems. All initiatives have been ex- tremely positive economically, as well as good for the environment and community.” The solar farm will be installed in collaboration with a Cayman firm, which officials have not named at this stage. Soccer tourney canceled Solar farm planned for Health City Deputy Governor: public safety ‘number one’ priority Webb ’consultant’ at fiDelity When bribes alleGeD BRENT FuLLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service staff increased by about six percent at a time when the overall civil service shrank by nine percent, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson said Friday. Mr. Manderson was responding to comments made last week about difficulties the government was supposedly encountering while hiring police officers that were discussed during proceedings of the Legislative Assembly’s Finance Committee. Between June 2008 and June 2014, during the period of the civil service “soft hiring freeze” implemented by government, central government head count has reduced from 3,904 to 3,571 employees, Mr. Manderson said. During the same six year period, police service staff increased from 423 employees in 2008 to BRENT FuLLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Top officials at Fidelity Bank in the Cayman Islands confirmed Friday that Jeffrey Webb remained employed at the bank on a part-time consulting contract until the end of 2012, which includes the period when he is alleged to have solicited bribes via intermediaries in exchange for awarding the commercialization rights to certain football tournaments. Also during the period, between June and July 2012, it is alleged that two cash payments totaling US$55,000 were collected from Fidelity Bank and taken in envelopes to the offices of local financial services company Admiral Administration. The envelopes were allegedly left with the personal assistant for Canover Watson, who has been charged in connection with a Cayman Islands money laundering probe unrelated to the U.S. federal court indictments against Webb. According to court records, the cash envelopes were later handed to an unidentified third party not connected with Admiral Administration. Watson no longer works at Admiral, but was The solar farm planned for Health City will combine existing technologies in a new and innovative way to save the hospital hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual power bills, hospital officials say. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » The “solar farm” at the East End site will help meet just under half of the hospital’s power requirements.2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Tuesday June 9, 2015 • Cayman Compass MEXICO CITY (AP) – Despite widespread disillusion- ment with his government, President Enrique Pena Nieto on Monday emerged from midterm elections with an expected congressional majority that will let him forge ahead with his reform agenda without compro- mising with opponents. With 89 percent of the ballots counted, Pena Nieto’s Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, and its two coalition partners received about 40 percent of the vote in Sunday’s election. Under Mexico’s mixed system of direct and pro- portional elections for con- gressional seats, analysts predicted the PRI coali- tion will ultimately con- trol 245 to 263 seats in the 500-seat legislature. “I can assure you that Pena Nieto will be able to put together a majority with cer- tainty,” said Roy Campos, di- rector the Mitofsky polling firm. “Having 251, which is what he needs, is practically a done deal.” But “if the government measures the electoral result as an endorsement,” Campos added, “that means they didn’t understand this vote.” Halfway through Pena Nieto’s six-year term, the election was widely seen as a referendum on a govern- ment whose approval rat- ings have been hit by scan- dals over real estate deals with government contractors, a less dynamic economy than expected and ongoing secu- rity concerns, as well as sus- pected massacres of civilians and the disappearance and presumed murder of 43 stu- dents who were grabbed by police last September. But a schism in the coun- try’s main leftist Democratic Revolution Party caused by former two-time presiden- tial candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador breaking off to launch his own party, known as Morena, cost the left seats and benefited the PRI. A year after it was for- mally recognized, Morena will have its first represen- tation in Congress while Democratic Revolution, which was winning less than 11 percent of the vote in the preliminary results, could lose about a dozen seats. The third main polit- ical force, the conservative National Action of the Party that produced Mexico’s two previous presidents, main- tained more or less steady support with about 21 per- cent of the vote. Analysts noted that in many places around the country there were no local elections for mayor or gov- ernor, and voters were casting ballots for unknown congressional candidates. In such races, the PRI en- joys an advantage because of its large, entrenched political machine. “It’s a sigh of relief (for the PRI), yes…,” said Jose Antonio Crespo, a political analyst and professor at the Center for Economic Research and Teaching. “What was not re- flected was discontent with the government and the par- ties. All the indicators of dis- content did not appear … ex- cept at the local level.” 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. y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - TUESDAY - $8.00 SPY (R) 1:00 I 3:50 I 7 :10 I 9:55 SAN ANDREAS 3D (PG13) 12:45 I 3:20 2D I 7:15 I 9:50 2D PITCH PERFECT 2 (PG13) 1:10 I 4:10 I 7:15 I 9:50 ENTOURAGE (R) 1:15 I 3:45 I 7:20 I 10:05 TOMORROWLAND (PG) 1:00 I 3:55 I 6:50 I 9:45 POLTERGEIST 3D (PG13) 12:30 I 2:50 2D I 5:10 I 7:30 2D I 10:00 www.tonymosleylifeinsurance.com Teen robber gets 32 months CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Robbery of a woman walking alone at night re- sulted in a sentence for Alvin Shaquille Ebanks of 32 months imprisonment. Robbery by definition in- volves use of force, but in this case Justice Michael Mettyear pointed to the ag- gravating factors: Ebanks wore a mask that covered all but his eyes and he used a large knife or sword that had a curved blade. He put the weapon to the woman’s throat; her skin was touched but not cut. The woman told police her assailant re- minded her of a ninja. The experience must have been horrifying, the judge commented. The one mitigating factor was the defendant’s age – the robbery occurred in April 2014, when he was one month past his 17th birthday. Crown counsel Nicole Petit said the woman was walking on West Bay Road in the vicinity of Royal Palms around 10:45 p.m. She was speaking on her cell phone and had her handbag over her right shoulder. When the weapon was put to her throat and the bag taken, she was pushed to the ground and sustained minor injuries. Ms. Petit said a man who was driving by had seen two males acting suspiciously. When he and his passenger heard a woman scream, they stopped to assist. She told them she had been robbed and the two witnesses gave chase as the males ran to- wards the beach. They then abandoned their pursuit on foot and went back to their vehicle. As they drove along they saw the defendant coming back from the beach closer to George Town. The witnesses drove after him and he jumped a fence in an effort to elude them. Police were called to the scene and Ebanks subsequently emerged from an area of bush. He was identified by his clothing, his light complexion and his light hair. He denied being involved in the robbery. Ms. Petit said Ebanks con- tinued to deny the robbery and at least two trial dates were set. On one occasion the victim was not available. A third trial date was set and Ebanks pleaded guilty three days in advance of it. Defense attorney John Furniss accepted that the guilty plea was late. He told the court that Ebanks had said it was the man with him who had grabbed the woman’s handbag. However, the young man now accepted responsibility on the basis of joint enterprise. The mask, he added, was nothing more than a t-shirt tied around Ebanks’ face. The defendant has good mechanical skills, the at- torney noted, and had been using his time in custody to do an air-conditioning course. In passing sentence, Justice Mettyear praised the courage and resourcefulness of the two witnesses who had pursued Ebanks. He said the social in- quiry report made for very sorry reading, although Mr. Furniss had done his best to find something positive in it. With little parental guidance, Ebanks appeared to have chosen a life of gangs, drugs and anti-social behavior. The sentence would have been considerably longer ex- cept for Ebanks’ age, Justice Mettyear said. Starting at three years, he gave a dis- count for the guilty plea but said it would be only 10 per- cent instead of the usual one- third because the plea was entered so late. With little parental guidance, Ebanks appeared to have chosen a life of gangs, drugs and anti-social behavior, the judge said. Mexico president poised for majority despite discontent3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday June 9, 2015 Report recommends cameras in classrooms James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Staff at the Lighthouse special needs school were sent for “sensitivity training” after it emerged they had en- gaged in a game of imperson- ating their students. The game, at a parent- teacher event, was just one aspect of a broad complaint alleging a pattern of under performance at the school over a number of years, in- cluding lack of student super- vision and poor leadership. Education officials have promised sweeping changes after an internal investi- gation, including staff and parent surveys, substantiated some of those concerns. The investigators recom- mended surveillance cameras be installed in classrooms to monitor the safety and security of students and a “support plan” be developed for the school. Education officials acknowl- edged concerns first arose from a parent’s complaint about an “activity where teachers were encouraged to compete by per- forming their impressions of in- dividual students, with a prize for the best impression.” When questioned during the investigation, staff at the school acknowledged the game took place during a parent-teacher appreciation event in 2013, saying it was an annual tra- dition. But they insisted there was no mockery of student disabilities, just imitations of “catchphrases and character- istic behaviors.” According to the wider in- vestigation report, compiled late last year and passed to the Compass last week, the com- plaint about the impersonation game was investigated by a se- nior school improvement officer. “He concluded that, al- though distasteful to some at- tendees at the event and in his opinion ill-advised, there was no indication that the activity had been undertaken in a deri- sory or mocking spirit. “He very strongly advised the principal that no such ac- tivity should be undertaken in the future and pointed out that the very fact that a con- cern had been raised indi- cated that it was offensive to at least some stakeholders.” Kent McTaggart, the parent who brought the complaint, said he was shocked that staff would think it was appropriate to impersonate students. He said the incident was just one example of a general lack of sensitivity and care for the students from some staff at the school. Mr. McTaggart, who has a son at the school, said he had sent hundreds of texts, emails and Facebook messages to education leaders, including Minister Tara Rivers, but be- lieves the response had not been adequate. Education officials told the Compass they had put in place a “rigorous school support plan” and were working on a national policy for video cameras in schools before putting cam- eras in the classroom. They also confirmed that head teacher Carla McVicar has retired from the post, ef- fective September this year, though they did not link this directly to the complaints. A series of surveys with parents and teachers at the school were carried out in late 2014, following the com- plaint from Mr. McTaggart. The surveys indicated a majority of respondents raised serious concerns about the “respect, care and under- standing” afforded to students, with most indicating that staff lacked sensitivity to the phys- ical and emotional needs of children in the school. The report adds, “There is evidence arising from the investigation that both staff and parents feel that supervi- sion of students is not always consistent. This is a matter of serious concern, given the na- ture of the school.” The report also raised concerns about high levels of staff absenteeism, which it says adds to the challenge of providing the necessary levels of supervision. Almost a third of those who participated in the sur- veys suggested students were treated roughly and with disre- spect by some staff members. “There is a critical con- cern that the treatment of stu- dents by staff in the school does not consistently match the professional standards es- tablished by the Department of Education Services and the Ministry of Education. There is at least some indica- tion that staff members them- selves are concerned about this issue,” the report notes. It adds, “There is a ma- jority view by stakeholders that students are not consis- tently treated with respect and care and may be treated roughly and inappropriately by some staff members.” The report concludes that the leadership and manage- ment of the school needs con- siderable external support to address multiple issues of concern. It recommends a written school support plan be adopted, additional training be arranged for staff and sep- arate reviews of management structures and staff assign- ments take place to ensure proper supervision of children. It adds, “The Department of Education Services should take steps to investigate the feasibility of installation of se- curity cameras to monitor the safety and security of students within Lighthouse School.” Mr. McTaggart acknowl- edged that his complaint had been investigated but claims he has yet to see any signs of improvement at the school and no cam- eras in classrooms. “We wish we could say that the recommendations in the report were being im- plemented and making great changes, however we simply don’t know the specifics of the School Support Plan, as stated we would in the final recom- mendation in the report. What I can say is any progress made to date was most likely to placate the irate. I person- ally don’t believe the powers that be really get it. It is the difference between empathy and sympathy.” “The Lighthouse School needs to be staffed by sen- sitive, compassionate, well trained and qualified individ- uals without exception,” Mr. McTaggart said. “The manage- ment and administration of the school must be removed from the Department of Education and put in the hands of an en- tity that can react to the dy- namic nature and needs of the kids it serves.” Annita Cornish, senior policy advisor and manager at the Ministry of Education, said action had been taken including various training sessions for staff, estab- lishing a new behavior inter- vention team, introduction of a new supervision roster and improved procedures for monitoring staff absenteeism. “We were obviously con- cerned about the serious- ness of the issues raised in the complaint and ensured that they were adequately addressed through a rig- orous support plan.” She said the ministry was in the process of devel- oping “best practice” guide- lines on safety and privacy before introducing cameras at the school and would consult with parents and staff once the guidelines had been approved. 178476_PRINT-4x12-Butterfield-SyPage 1 6/5/15 5:47:08 PM Problems at Lighthouse schoolThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” Tuesday June 9, 2015 • Cayman COmpass The pathway toward the positive transformation of our society does not wind through the fields of immi- gration or even economics, but through the class- rooms of our schools. Accordingly, we applaud Education Minister Tara Rivers and counselor Winston Connolly for the publica- tion of the Cayman Islands’ new Education Bill, which is a comprehensive update of the outdated legislation that underpins our country’s education system. Mr. Connolly said, “The current law has been operating since 1983. It was high time that this legislation, which is effectively 30 years old, was revised to meet the changes that have occurred in education over the years.” To its credit, the bill does not delve into detailed minutiae, but comprises a high-level framework to guide the implementation of specific ministerial and departmental policies as they are developed. The highlights of the legislation include the estab- lishment of an independent schools inspection unit, the creation of a professional standards unit for teachers, and, (in our opinion, most importantly) the formulation of a legal definition for “assisted schools” — meaning, schools that receive public funding but are not managed by the government. The possibilities, on this last item, are nearly limit- less — as are the prospects for Cayman’s children. In the words of Minister Rivers, “It allows for a number of different types of schools in the country depending on the strategic direction of government.” That could mean the establishment of U.K.-style academies, known in the U.S. as charter schools, which are education institutions run by the private sector, but that receive funding from the government according to the terms of contracts or other legal arrangements, with stipulations that could (or could not) include the makeup of student enrollment, mandated curricula and performance criteria. In order for Cayman’s society and economy to continue to flourish, for the benefit of Caymanians and not just expatriates, Caymanian children must have — and they deserve to have — equal access to a world-class education system, meaning safe schools, first-rate teachers and capable administrators who empower educators to do what they do best. Impec- cably manicured campuses and beautiful, brand-new buildings simply are not sufficient, and, after a point, thoroughly unnecessary. Much more vital than any physical settings are the setting of high standards, the granting of freedom to meet and exceed those standards, and the enforcement of actual accountability for those who come up short. The question of “who” runs Cayman’s schools is irrelevant, in our view, so long as Cayman’s schools are the best, and are accessible by all of our children. The key metric is the performance of teachers and their students, not the identity of administrators. As we’ve written before, the seeds of social unrest are sown in the classroom but flower in the street. An uneducated generation is an unemployable generation. The converse is also true. We hope this Education Bill represents the first furrow in a new garden, which in time will yield Edenic bounties for future generations of Caymanians, blossoming with knowledge, responsibility and personal prosperity. New Education Bill: Limitless possibilities for Cayman’s children Saving Baltimore after decades of decay Few serious problems have a single explanation or cure. The decay of large parts of Baltimore is no exception. An interesting article in the Washington Post explores the diligent efforts of its former mayor, later the governor of Maryland, Martin O’Malley, to fix it. The Baltimore mayor de- picted in the TV series “The Wire,” Tommy Carcetti, was inspired by O’Malley. (I was surprised after watching five seasons of “Game of Thrones” to learn that the actor who played Carcetti in “The Wire,” Aidan Gillen, is Littlefinger in “Game of Thrones.” His O’Malley character in “The Wire” was much more interesting.) O’Malley went after the usual suspects, improving transportation and other infrastructure, improving education, etc. – all of the things we look to govern- ment to provide in the name of equal opportunity for all. He also instituted tough policing inspired by the “Broken Windows” theory first expounded by James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling in 1982. This introduced the in- tensive use of “stop, ques- tion, and frisk” of recent controversy in New York City. In retrospect, the ap- proach alienated the po- lice from the communi- ties they were supposed to protect, and was much in the news when 25-year-old African-American Freddie Gray died in April from in- juries received while in po- lice custody. His funeral in Baltimore was followed by riots that did much damage to the already impover- ished neighborhood in which he lived. What was almost totally missing from the Post ar- ticle was the need for jobs. While the overall unemploy- ment rate for metropolitan Baltimore is only slightly above the U.S. average (5.7 percent compared to 5.6 per- cent), black unemployment is dramatically higher. “For young black men be- tween the ages of 20 and 24, the unemployment rate was an astounding 37 percent in 2013, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s compared with 10 percent for white men of the same age,” according to CNN Money. Much of the city’s heavy industry and the jobs they provided (steel processing, shipping, auto manufac- turing, and transporta- tion) left Baltimore decades ago. Many workers moved with those jobs but some stayed. The increase in ser- vice economy jobs of re- cent years employs workers with different and generally higher-level skills than did the lost manufacturing jobs. Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Hospital are now Baltimore’s largest employers. Baltimore’s pop- ulation peaked at around 950,000 in 1950 and dropped to 622,000 in 2013. Improving Baltimore’s infra- structure for those who have stayed is pointless if they can’t find jobs. It is not that infrastruc- ture and education are not important. They are impor- tant both for the quality of life and for attracting en- terprises that provide jobs. But they are only part of the package companies consider when deciding where to lo- cate. The cost of providing and maintaining them rela- tive to their quality is im- portant as well, and educa- tion needs to be relevant for the jobs potentially attracted. Taxes, both state and local are an important port of the cost of doing business. When companies evaluate where to locate new facilities they will want the best bang for their buck. Maryland is an expen- sive state (35th from the top in CNBC’s list of the best states for doing business). During his term as governor of Maryland, O’Malley (ac- cording to Chris Edwards of the Cato Institute): ■■ Raised the top personal income tax rate from 4.75 to 5.75 percent. With local taxes on top, Maryland’s top rate is 8.95 percent. ■■ Raised the corpo- rate tax rate from 7 to 8.25 percent. ■■ Raised the sales tax rate from 5 to 6 per- cent and expanded the sales tax base. ■■ Raised the sales tax rate on beer, wine, and spirits by 50 percent. ■■ Raised the gas tax by 20 cents over four years, almost doubling the rate from 23.5 cents. ■■ Doubled the ciga- rette tax from US$1 to US$2 per pack. ■■ Imposed higher taxes on vehicle registration. ■■ Imposed a storm water mitigation fee on property owners, or a “rain tax.” The quality of government services in Maryland, how- ever, is also fairly high. Last year I incorporated my con- sulting business in Maryland as an LLC. It took me 30 min- utes online, sitting in my of- fice, from start to finish, in- cluding the email delivery of the signed and sealed docu- ment of incorporation. In ad- dition, the cost of property and labor in Baltimore is low. This is a natural market re- action to the loss of industry and residence. The city’s efforts to re- vive its poorer neighbor- hoods also need to focus on improving its competitive ad- vantage as a place for busi- nesses to locate. 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. It is not that infrastructure and education are not important. They are important both for the quality of life and for attracting enterprises that provide jobs. But they are only part of the package companies consider when deciding where to locate. WARREN COATS In this May 24, 2015, photo, police pick up a pair of shoes after a double shooting in Baltimore. One month after riots erupted in the wake of the death of Freddie Gray in police custody, homicides and shootings are up in the city. - Photo: AP5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday June 9, 2015 Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands gov- ernment will spend approx- imately $17.2 million on its prison services in the up- coming 2015/16 financial year, not counting outside rehabilitative and supervi- sion expenses, the Legislative Assembly’s Finance Committee heard last week. According to figures pre- sented to the committee, the budget for prison services – day-to-day operations – will be $10.7 million for the next fiscal year which starts July 1. The prison budget for “su- pervision, intervention and support services” totals about $6.6 million. The most recent figures re- leased by Her Majesty’s Prison Service in Cayman were $69,000 per year, per prisoner in the current budget. Prisons Director Neil Lavis told the Cayman Compass Thursday that the average prisoner roll for the current budget year has been 188 in- mates, including Northward adult men’s prison, Fairbanks women’s prison and juvenile housing facilities. The budget for prison op- erations increased by about $1 million between the cur- rent year, which ends June 30, and the upcoming govern- ment spending plan. Mr. Lavis said the main reason for the increase was the hiring of 13 prison officers and other staff. “It’s a tremendous amount of money going out to the prison services, which actu- ally is an effect from the im- pacts of our social standing in the country, social deteri- oration, whatever you want to say,” Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush said during the committee’s review. “This is what it’s costing the country. When people say we’re not spending any money on prisoners … they need to look at these figures.” As of June 8, 2014, Mr. Lavis reported there were 175 men and 15 women in local prisons. On Thursday, Mr. Lavis reported 171 males, 12 women and one juvenile being held in the prisons service. According to a U.K. Ministry of Justice report from Britain’s 2012/13 budget year, just more than $48,000 each year is spent to house each prisoner, although expenditures per person vary depending on the type of inmate and the facility where they are housed. Costs of housing U.S. pris- oners varies widely from state to state. Federal prisons figures put the annual cost of housing a prisoner from US$21,000 for lower security to US$33,000 for higher security. However, those costs can rise much higher, depending on the jurisdiction. For instance, the New York Times found in 2013 that New York City spent more than US$167,000 per year to guard, feed and house each prisoner in the municipal corrections system. Hiring Caymanians During the last recruiting process for the prison service, Premier Alden McLaughlin said that of 269 people who applied for positions, 13 were hired. Of the total number of ap- plicants, 83 were Caymanians. Three of the 13 who were hired were Caymanians, Mr. McLaughlin said. Mr. Lavis was ques- tioned regarding why so few Caymanians had been hired. “Is it the policy, like within the police force, to try and Caymanize the prison ser- vice?” East End MLA Arden McLean asked. “That is the aspiration of the public service generally,” Premier McLaughlin replied. Mr. Lavis indicated that a physical fitness test was part of the application pro- cess and some local appli- cants did not pass it. One in- dividual, who was otherwise qualified to become a prison officer, was invited to apply again during the next round of hiring, he said. Budget: $69,000 spent per year, per prisoner The main gate at Northward prison in Bodden Town. Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com In the next budget year, the Cayman Islands is not likely to put into effect the Conditional Release Law, which – among other things – eliminates automatic life sentences for prisoners con- victed of murder. According to Premier Alden McLaughlin, the delay is largely due to the government’s overwhelmed legal drafting staff and partly due to the number of additional staff gov- ernment must hire to support conditional releases and super- vision of inmates. The law was passed last year in the Legislative Assembly and has been as- sented to by Governor Helen Kilpatrick. Under the gover- nor’s prerogative of mercy, her office has approved the su- pervised release of several Caymanian prisoners who were serving life sentences. The director of Cayman’s Department of Community Rehabilitation, Teresa Echenique-Bowen, told Legislative Assembly’s Finance Committee Wednesday that regulations to the law had not been put into effect, preventing the law from coming into force. Ms. Echenique-Bowen also told lawmakers that no new staff have been hired at the de- partment, which would likely be required once the Conditional Release Law does take effect. “At this point, we have not received those resources,” Ms. Echenique-Bowen said. “I’m hoping that is something that will be considered.” Premier McLaughlin said a committee led by Deputy Governor Franz Manderson’s office is working on the reg- ulations to the law, but he couldn’t state when the group would complete its work. East End MLA Arden McLean pressed the pre- mier regarding whether the process will be completed within the next budget year, which begins on July 1. “[If it is], we will have to make [financial] adjust- ments,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “That is not contemplated in the numbers that are cur- rently in the budget.” “It couldn’t have been very important then,” Mr. McLean responded. The law, which passed unanimously in October 2014, introduces a system that sets general guidelines for the re- lease of all prisoners on license conditions. It applies to all in- mates, including juveniles, and to those already serving a life sentence without the possi- bility of parole. In criminal cases, the sen- tencing guidelines – called tar- iffs – are largely left up to the court’s discretion. The only ex- ception stated in the law is for murder offenses, which require a sentence of 30 years prior to any consideration of release on license. Even then, in cases where there are aggravated or extenuating circumstances surrounding the killing, the prison term can be set higher or lower by a judge. “It is now considered in- human and degrading punish- ment for any person to be in- carcerated for the rest of his life without the possibility of ever being released,” the bill’s memorandum of objects and reasons reads. “All prisoners serving what used to be whole life terms must have a speci- fied term of imprisonment.” According to the bill, all other offenses that carry more than a one-year sentence re- quire the offender to serve at least 60 percent of the sen- tence in prison. If the prisoner is deemed to no longer be a threat to the community, he or she will serve the remainder of the sentence under super- vised release. Sentences of a year or less require release after 60 percent of the jail term is served, barring exceptional circumstances. Governor Kilpatrick an- nounced in April 2014 her in- tention to release four prisoners serving life terms for murder from Her Majesty’s Prison, Northward, on license. Former governor Duncan Taylor granted conditional release to one con- victed killer in 2013 under the powers granted to the governor in the Prisons Law. The issue of whether pris- oners in Cayman should con- tinue to receive life sentences without parole in murder cases has been under debate for the better part of a decade. In 2006, following a re- view of six cases involving Northward inmates serving life sentence for murder, the Human Rights Committee at the time recommended that either the sentencing judge or the chief justice be allowed to review the circumstances surrounding the lifers’ crimes and determine a minimum prison term. After a seven-month re- view, committee attorneys concluded that laws that im- pose life sentences for all types of murder offenses are contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as two other interna- tional human rights treaties. Budget, legal issues hold up human rights legislation6 LOCAL NEWS Rotaract Blue recognized the special needs commu- nity at its 8th annual Open Arms Award Gala at Luca Restaurant on Saturday June 6. The “Meet us at the Carnival” theme, which included balloon hats, cotton candy and popcorn, brought an element of fun to the event that raised money for the Lighthouse School, Special Needs Foundation Cayman, Special Olympics Cayman Islands, Maple House and Sunrise Adult Training Centre. 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!) Tuesday June 9, 2015 • Cayman Compass Heather Roffey had fun at the popcorn machine. Jade Arch liked the cotton candy. John White received the Outstanding Student Award. The spirited Nikki Christian won the Spirit Award. Honorary Award winner Sheron Daley, left, with Francesca Hamann. Getting into the spirit were, from left, Tristanna Ebanks, Shane Mascal, Kellie McGee, Serginho Sandy and Sheraim Mascal. - Photos: Maggie Jackson Enjoying the pre-event reception were Louisa Gibson, Alex Cowan and Paige Smyth. Well dressed for the occasion were Lauren Langlois and Glenn Duran.The winner of the Open Arms Award, Daniel John, and his wife Abigail.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Cayman Compass • Tuesday June 9, 2015 employed at the time as the company’s managing director. Webb has never been linked to the local money laundering probe involving Watson and his personal assistant, Miriam Rodriguez. According to a state- ment provided by a Fidelity spokesperson Friday: “[Webb] resigned with effect from the end of March 2012 and remained on as a part- time consultant until the end of 2012.” Webb became CONCACAF president in May 2012. Fidelity Bank released a further statement Monday indicating that the bank has contracted with accounting firm Deloitte to “confirm they are in line with regula- tory requirements.” The bank has also con- sulted with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority regarding the internal re- view and said the authority will help prepare the terms of reference for the work, to ensure that the review covers any questions that CIMA may have. “These are matters of sig- nificant complexity, and the expertise of this ‘big four’ firm is second to none,” Fidelity Bank Chairman Anwer Sunderji said. “They have the appropriate breadth of experience to as- sess Fidelity Bank’s pro- cesses to ensure they are sufficiently robust.” US case According to federal court indictments from the U.S. District Court made public last month, separate bribe payments funneled through U.S., Hong Kong and Cayman Islands bank accounts, were negotiated in 2012 with Webb and then-CONCACAF general secretary Enrique Sanz, who is identified in the indictment as “co-conspirator #4.” The indictment states that the 2012 discussions were to negotiate the media and mar- keting rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualifier matches. These rights were being sought by a U.S. sub- sidiary of the Brazilian-based Traffic Group – Traffic USA – which wanted to buy the rights from the Caribbean Football Association, fed- eral court records state. Co- conspirator #4 was employed by the Traffic Group at the time, but later on in the year became the general secretary of CONCACAF. Near the end of these talks, co-conspirator #4 met with another now-indicted defendant, Costas Takkas, identified as a close associate of Webb’s. The meeting took place in Hungary. “Takkas told co-conspirator #4 that Webb wanted a US$3 mil- lion bribe in exchange for the [football union] contract to be awarded to Traffic USA,” the court records state. It is further alleged that the bribe was split among two companies, Traffic USA and another company iden- tified as “Sports Marketing Company C,” so that both would pay US$1.5 million to Webb. It is further alleged that Traffic USA’s payment was transmitted to Takkas through a Miami bank to an HSBC bank in Buffalo, New York, and eventually trans- ferred to an HSBC bank in Hong Kong. The indictment alleges that two wire trans- fers totaling US$1 million were sent from Hong Kong to a correspondent account in New York City for credit to an account in the name of Kosson Ventures – a com- pany controlled by Takkas – at Fidelity Bank in the Cayman Islands. The records state that the remaining US$500,000 owed by Traffic USA was paid into another account controlled by Takkas at Fidelity Bank in the Cayman Islands. “Takkas subsequently transferred the funds to an account in the name of a swimming pool builder at United Community Bank in Blairsville, Georgia,” the criminal complaint reads. “[This was] for the ben- efit of the defendant Jeffrey Webb, who was having a pool built at his residence in Loganville, Georgia.” Federal prosecutors state that Takkas’s participation in the funds transfer was “more intermediary” in na- ture and was “designed to conceal the fact that Jeffrey Webb was the beneficiary of the payment.” It was unclear from the indictment whether Webb ever received the other half of the alleged bribe money from “Sports Marketing Company C.” Cayman case Cayman Islands police in- vestigators looking into fraud and money laundering alle- gations against Watson and Rodriguez are probing two cash payments prosecutors have connected to the case, at least one of which was withdrawn from an account at Fidelity Bank, the Cayman Compass has learned. Watson faces 10 charges in Cayman Islands Grand Court for which he is due to stand trial in November, in- cluding six charges for al- leged money laundering. Watson’s former personal assistant, Ms. Rodriguez, also faces two charges of money laundering in the Grand Court and a November trial date. The money laundering al- legations against Rodriguez relate to separate amounts totaling US$25,000 and US$30,000 that she is ac- cused of handling on be- half of Watson. The money laundering charges al- lege that in June and July 2012, Ms. Rodriguez pos- sessed “criminal property” that represented, either di- rectly or indirectly, the ben- efits of criminal conduct totaling US$55,000. The allegation in the charges against Rodriguez is that while working at Admiral Administration, she received cash in envelopes from “persons involved in AIS” and “forwarded it on to a third party without disclosing the same.” The third party referred to, but not named, in court records was not connected with Admiral Administration. AIS – Advanced Information Systems [Cayman] Ltd. – is a company in which Watson had a substantial benefi- cial interest, according to Crown prosecutors, and to which multimillion-dollar healthcare-related con- tracts were awarded while he served as chairman of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority board of directors. ENTER online at caymancompass.com/competitions TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY. Must be 18 or older to enter. Deadline: noon Thursday June 11, 2015 Enter to WIN 2 FREE Entries to the Flowers Sea Swim. 2015 Pick your swim! June 15, 2015 Flowers International 5k & 10k Swims June 13, 2015 Flowers One Mile Sea Swim “[Webb] resigned with effect from the end of March 2012 and remained on as a part-time consultant until the end of 2012.” Statement from fidelity SpokeSperSon Webb ’consultant’ at Fidelity when bribes alleged CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “It is disappointing to the players firstly and to the coaching staff that have been preparing this group of young boys for the tournament.” renard moxam Soccer tourney canceled May 27 and has since been provisionally dismissed from his role as presi- dent of CONCACAF. The as- sociation’s vice-president Eduardo Li, of Costa Rica, who was arrested the same day as Webb, was also pro- visionally dismissed, while general secretary Enrique Sanz was placed on a “leave of absence.” In a short release, which made no mention of the ar- rests, CONCACAF said its new acting executive com- mittee had decided to post- pone the tournament. “In the short term, ef- forts will be dedicated in full to the successful de- livery of the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup 2015, in addition to other champi- onships which also qualify CONCACAF teams to world- wide-level tournaments, such as the men’s Olympic qualifying championship and the Under-20 women’s championship, to be played as scheduled later in 2015. “CONCACAF is com- mitted to restoring a full slate of complementary youth development tour- naments in the shortest possible time. This in- cludes our objective to re-schedule the under-15 boys’ championship at the soonest opportunity.” The association declined to comment further on the tournament or if it would be hosted in the Cayman Islands once it is rescheduled. Renard Moxam, director of Cayman’s national soccer teams said he was disap- pointed but understood the decision given the recent up- heaval within CONCACAF. “It is disappointing to the players firstly and to the coaching staff that have been preparing this group of young boys for the tour- nament. If I am honest I am not that surprised, given what has happened in the last week or 10 days.” He said he hoped Cayman would be in a position to host future editions of the tournament. Cayman Islands Football Association President Bruce Blake did not respond to calls from the Compass on Monday. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell was un- available to comment. Speaking about the tour- nament in April, Webb said, “This is but one example of how we are using football to attract opportunities for our youth, and utilizing the power of the game to inspire a new generation.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Jeffrey WebbCanover WatsonThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Tuesday June 9, 2015 • Cayman Compass Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Unsettled weather condi- tions in the Cayman Islands area are expected to con- tinue through Tuesday eve- ning as a surface trough continues to interact with an upper level trough over the western Caribbean. The surface trough is expected to move across the Yucatan Peninsula on Tuesday night, the Cayman Islands National Weather Service said. Last week, between Monday June 2 to Thursday June 5, the Cayman Islands experienced 15.59 inches of rain, more than two and a half times the average amount of rainfall for the entire month of June. Cayman Islands National Weather Service Director General John Tibbetts said the weather models have been inconsistent in fore- casting the rainfall totals with the system. “Although the interaction between the two systems is what pro- duced all the weather, the very intense showers on Friday evening were asso- ciated with a squall line that moved from the west across the area. By Saturday morning the area of unset- tled weather moved east of the Cayman area and weak- ened,” he said. Mr. Tibbetts said mid- May is typically the start of the rainy season. Average rainfall totals for May and June are 5.96 and 6.20 inches respectively. The last two weeks of May usually rep- resent some of the highest rainfall rates for the year as the 5.96 inches usually falls in only half a month. Only 3.41 inches of rain were re- corded in May this year. The wettest month on re- cord was June 1966, when 22 inches of rain fell, according to government weather data. Last week’s heavy rains caused isolated flooding of roads and homes across the Cayman Islands, as well as some power outages. However, farmers seemed not too concerned about the rain and one, Hamlin Stephenson, said it was ac- tually a blessing. Besides some slight de- lays, no airline flights were affected by the nasty weather. Leisure activities were affected, with several events scheduled to take place over the weekend postponed until later dates. 449 employees in 2014. “This trend confirms that public safety has re- mained a number one pri- ority of the civil service,” Mr. Manderson said. Last week, Royal Cayman Islands Police Commissioner David Baines stated that he had 487 jobs in the RCIPS, both civilian and police, repre- senting the total positions provided in his department’s budget for the upcoming 2015/16 year. At the moment, RCIPS is only employing 450 people. It is unclear whether all of the those jobs will be filled because, at various times in a budget year, the government will give direc- tives for the “freezing” of cur- rent job vacancies in order to save money. “I will be in the region of $1.9 million underspent on my budget this year [refer- ring to the 2014/15 budget year that ends in June], not because I didn’t want to spend it, but due to various bureaucratic pro- cedures that prevent the quick advertisement and replacement of positions that become vacant by re- tiring or leaving staff,” Mr. Baines told the Cayman Compass. “The police and other agencies that have a significant expat work- force get disproportionately hit by this moratorium on appointments as it is the short-term contract[s] that are subjected to most churn and are most af- fected by freezes.” Mr. Manderson said that in the current 2014/15 budget year, the RCIPS submitted 146 “ex- emption requests” to the moratorium committee, which the deputy gov- ernor chairs, to either fill existing positions or review fixed term con- tracts of non-Caymanian staff. Mr. Manderson said, where the officer has per- formed satisfactorily, offi- cers are automatically re- appointed for three years. All requests to the mor- atorium committee by the RCIPS during the current year were approved, ex- pect for three civilian em- ployee posts which do not qualify for automatic con- tract renewal. The police service has it easier than the rest of the civil service, Mr. Manderson said, where even specialist positions on fixed term contracts are only renewed for two years at a time. Even then, those posts are granted only after the department advertises the position, to determine whether there are qualified Caymanians available for the post. “The moratorium com- mittee’s work is not arbi- trary, nor does it consti- tute micromanagement,” Mr. Manderson said. “The government previously practiced a complete de- volution of financial con- trols to individual agen- cies and the data confirms this approach resulted in wanton growth.” Mr. Manderson said he “wholeheartedly” sup- ported the RCIPS and the other uniform branches of government. “I will continue to sup- port their recruitment ef- forts which are compliant with the budget and which afford suitably qualified Caymanians the opportu- nity to pursue careers in those fields,” he said. YOU DESERVE FIVE STAR TREATMENT. YOU DESERVE FIVE TREA Mr. Manderson Deputy Governor: Public safety ‘number one’ priority CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands Fire Service, which has taken a beating in the public eye in recent months, “showed its mettle” during weekend storms, according to gov- ernment officials. Between about 7 p.m. Friday until about 7 a.m. Saturday, local fire crews answered a dozen rescue and fire alarm calls, Ministry of Home Affairs officials said. The rescues included flooded out areas of Brinkley and Anthony Drive in Windsor Park, Smith Road and Lyndhurst Avenue in central George Town and on Jennifer Drive in Snug Harbor. The fire service also re- sponded to a report of en- trapment in an elevator on Hospital Road, a car crash on Boilers Road and a medical call on Fiddlers Way. Four fire alarms, in- cluding a possible house fire on Fairbanks Road, were responded to at the height of the storm. Flooded homes in George Town and West Bay led emergency officials to open the Red Cross shelter in George Town for residents who were in need. “I commend the fire ser- vice for its rapid response in this awful weather, es- pecially when members of the public needed as- sistance because of the flooding,” said Ministry of Home Affairs Chief Officer Eric Bush. The fire service re- sponded during the storm despite the arrest of its acting chief officer, John Bodden, a day earlier. Acting Fire Chief Ronnie Dixon was brought in to fill in for Mr. Bodden, Mr. Bush confirmed Thursday. Mr. Bush said at the time that services to the public would not be interrupted. “[On Friday] our crews once again showed their mettle and selflessness in helping out their fellow man,” Mr. Bush said. “To them, I say thank you.” unsettled weather continues to linger Embattled fire service shines during storm Last week’s heavy rains caused isolated flooding, like this near Crystal Rock condos off Selkirk Drive. - Photo: Charles DunCan9 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday June 9, 2015 Proposal Invitation CAYMAN ISLANDS GOVERNMENT On behalf of the Government of the Cayman Islands, the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (CIDOT) i your experience, expertise and compatibility with the Cayman Islands destination and CIDOT’s strategic objectives. The following provides an overview of the type of service and agency we seek to employ for either : 1) Agency of Record for Creative 2) Agency of Record for Public Relations Demonstrated experience in advertising communications and/or public relations globally and within Canada; Ability to conceptualize and deliver broad marketing campaign programs designed to inform and influence the travel planning and purchasing decisions of the following: couples, families, divers, corporate incentive travel planners, destination wedding & honeymoon couples, affluent families and others with special interests such as soft adventure/nature, culinary, sports tourism, events/festivals etc. Also to inform and influence opinion formers within the global tourism market industry; Specifically (but not exclusively) for PR Agency candidates: Demonstrated existing relationships with general media and key members of the travel industry, across all stakeholder groups, e.g. trade, consumer publications and newspapers; and special interest and lifestyle media which support the destination’s relevant markets; online media including social media; and broadcast media – at national, regional and, occasionally, international levels; Specifically (but not exclusively) for Creative candidates: Demonstrated approach to integrated advertising executions including digital marketing as a key component of the marketing mix; Proven methodology for measurement/ROI of marketing investment – this may include research services and opinion forming research; Relevant experience and understanding of Cayman's competitive tourism industry; Demonstrated capabilities and understanding of the international travel and tourism industry, including air travel, hotels and destination management companies (DMCs), etc. High level of commitment to client service in terms of quality, thoroughness of strategic approach and follow through; Ability to establish strong rapport with representatives of the Cayman Islands Government tourism staff and other program stakeholders (e.g., other agencies of record, private sector, industry associations, etc.); Existing and effective planning and cost control mechanisms; Proven track record through key success indicators and results with other client accounts; Demonstrated strong background in digital media solutions; Demonstrated track record in Social Media program strategic development. At the close of this search, our intent is to contract two agencies (providing Creative and PR services separately) for a two year time frame. nvites eligible vendors/agencies to submit their proposal to provide marketing and advertising and/or public relations services for the CIDOT in support of their Canadian marketing and PR initiatives, covering all mediums and marketing communication channels. Our objective is to ascertain o o o o o o o o o o o o o Interested parties are invited to visit www.caymanislands.ky/CAagencySubmit for more information about the process and submission guidelines. Submissions can only be made online. Deadline for submission is 5:00 PM CST on Friday, 19 June, 2015. The Cayman Islands Government will not defray any submission costs incurred by the proposing company. English as a second language classes irk MLA Ezzard Miller BrEnt FuLLEr bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com English as a second lan- guage classes being offered at a Cayman Islands business have fallen afoul of North Side MLA Ezzard Miller, who harangued the government last week about why people from other countries who are hired can’t speak English properly when they arrive. “How is it possible for people to get work per- mits for people who can’t speak English good enough to do their job?” Mr. Miller asked during a meeting of Legislative Assembly’s Finance Committee. Mr. Miller was referring to an advertisement posted by a Grand Cayman resort that indicated it was hosting English classes for new hires who come from non-English speaking countries. “The reality is that many people who work here do not speak fluent English,” Premier Alden McLaughlin said during the Finance Committee debate. “The ques- tion is... is the level of their English sufficient or ade- quate for them to do the par- ticular job that they have? “It depends on where you’re working. If you’re working on a construction site, the standard of English required would not be the same necessarily as it would be if you’re acting as a [res- taurant] server.” Mr. Miller asked the pre- mier how anyone could be qualified for a job in Cayman if they didn’t speak English properly. “[The business named in the advertisement] have got to provide training in pro- nunciation, grammar, vocab- ulary and accent-reduction,” Mr. Miller said. “That’s what the ad says. In the mean- time, Caymanians are being deprived of opportunities to work. But the immigration board is giving people per- mits to work, but they’re not qualified according to the standards set by the institu- tion that’s employing them.” Mr. McLaughlin said the premier’s office would “make an enquiry” about the ESL class. “I take the point entirely,” he said. The English language test given by the Immigration Department to work permit applicants from countries where English is not the pri- mary language is not diffi- cult. Previous versions of the test obtained by the Cayman Compass listed 10 questions about rudimentary knowl- edge of the language. Also, the individual work permit holder who arrives in Cayman for a job may have a dependent spouse or children who do not speak English fluently, even if the work permit holder does. Those in- dividuals are not required to be tested for English profi- ciency if they’re not working. Acting Chief Immigration Officer Bruce Smith said last year that around 25 percent of migrants for whom English is not their first language currently fail immigration’s English proficiency test. “You don’t need a degree in English to pass,” Mr. Smith said at the time. “How is it possible for people to get work permits for people who can’t speak English good enough to do their job?” Ezzard MillEr, North Side MLA Mr. Miller Three local applicants are in the running to become the new head of the Cayman Islands London Office, Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose told the Legislative Assembly’s Finance Committee last week. Mr. Rose said the latest recruitment exercise was the second attempt to hire someone for the position, fol- lowing the departure of U.K. Lord Blencathra, formerly known as David MacLean, from the post in March 2014. The first recruitment pro- cess resulted in the selection of a successful applicant who declined the government’s offer of employment for “per- sonal reasons,” the Cabinet secretary said. During the second at- tempt at recruitment, man- agement responsibility for the office was trans- ferred from the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Cabinet Secretary. Mr. Rose said in- terviews for the three short- listed applicants should occur later this month. “All three finalists are Caymanians,” Mr. Rose said. Mr. Rose did not state who was in the running for the job. The London office po- sition, which has served in recent years as a key lobbying position for the Cayman Islands govern- ment, has been unfilled on a permanent basis since Lord Blencathra’s contract was not renewed last spring. The U.K. peer’s raucous tenure in the office included a period where he was left idle for nearly two months in 2013 after statements made by subordinates in the office indicating he was “no longer in charge,” leaving the highly paid lobbyist un- able to work with U.K. gov- ernment officials or the British foreign office. That claim was one of several made by Lord Blencathra in a complaint filed with the Cayman Islands government re- garding the “rude behavior” of some of his staff mem- bers in the London office. The House of Lords repre- sentative served as Cayman’s London office director and the territory’s chief lobbyist in Europe between late 2011 and March 2014, when his contract with the Cayman government ended. “The London office is to- tally dysfunctional and it will have to be sorted out one way or another be- fore we have a real catas- trophe on our hands,” Lord Blencathra wrote in a June 2013 email to Cayman Islands government chief of- ficer Dax Basdeo and Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose. “If the Hon. Premier wants to cancel my contract, then so be it. But if not, then two people in the office must start behaving professionally.” It is not known if any personnel in the London office have been changed or reassigned since Lord Blencathra left. Three Caymanians short-listed for London Office top job RCIPS to InveStIgate tuRkS and CaICoS PolICe ShootIng Four RCIPS officers will travel to the Turks and Caicos Islands to conduct an inde- pendent investigation into the fatal shooting of an armed robbery suspect. The shooting occurred Saturday and was done by a Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force officer. According to the RCIPS, it is alleged that around 12:58 a.m. Saturday, armed officers were responding to an armed robbery when the officers were confronted by gunmen who pointed their guns at them. One suspect was shot and later pronounced dead at a local hospital, the second robbery suspect escaped. A request for an indepen- dent investigation was made by RTCIPF Commissioner, James Smith, to RCIPS Commissioner Mr. David Baines over the weekend. “All three finalists are Caymanians,” SaMuEl roSE, cabinet SecretaryNext >