ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Monday June 29, 2015 High of 90 Low of 78 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. ABCDE NATIONAL WEEKLY World Haitians’ struggle worsens11 Politics Hillary Clinton is no quitter 4 Lifestyles Where to get out and play 17 5 Myths About Jeb Bush 23 ‘I woke up. He was in the room. I didn’t know who he was.’ A poll finds 1 in 5 college women have been violated — experiences that are both common and traumatizing PAGE 12 THE WEEK OF SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2015. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE wASHIngTon poST College sexual assault Editorial | pagE 4 Beneficial ownership: The BenefiTs of cayMan’s regiMe SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA U.K. inspectors say many of the current facilities at both Northward (pictured) and Fairbanks ‘should be demolished and the rest should undergo complete renovation.’ - PHOTO: CHARLES DUNCAN PrisoN iNsPectioN rePort charles duncan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com A new inspection report on prisons in the Cayman Islands, while noting improve- ments, is still highly critical of conditions, policies and procedures at Northward and Fairbanks prisons. Located on a nondescript side road near Bodden Town, Northward prison spreads out surrounded by concrete walls and layers of concertina wire and fencing. It’s quiet and peaceful outside the walls. The sounds of traffic don’t reach through the thick of trees and swamp. Inside those walls, according to a new in- spection report, almost 200 men and boys serve out their sentences in conditions called “squalid” and under threat of “unregulated and arbitrary” punishment by guards. While conditions at Northward prison and at Fairbanks women’s prison remain “very poor” in the assessment of inspec- tors from the United Kingdom, the inspec- tors noted some improvements in prisoner safety, better leadership for prison staff, and refurbished facilities for young inmates at Northward. The report from the HM Chief Inspector ROTARy RAffLE CASH STOLEN iN HOmE iNvASiON charles duncan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Three armed men forced their way into a Governor’s Harbour home at about 9 p.m. Friday and stole an undisclosed amount of cash raised in a Rotary Sunrise car raffle, ac- cording to police and Rotary. Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Chief Inspector Brad Ebanks said two of the men carried what appeared to be handguns and a third had an apparent long gun during the home invasion in Raleigh Quay. Christine Mathews, president-elect of Rotary Sunrise, said, “While we are disap- pointed that funds raised to benefit the com- munity were taken, we are grateful that none of the family members were harmed during the attack.” Mr. Ebanks said the police are looking for three suspects. The first is a dark-skinned man, about 5 feet, 6 inches tall, who was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, dark blue jeans and a light colored bandana over his mouth during the robbery. Police described the second subject as about 6 feet tall with dark skin. The man had braided hair with green and red beads. He had silver earrings and wore a mint green and grey jacket and hooded sweatshirt, with a grey bandana over his face. The third man was only described as wearing a black hooded jacket that zipped up to the neck. Ms. Matthews said the organization was still trying to figure out how much was stolen, but most of the cash was deposited on an on- going basis during the raffle. “The vast ma- jority of the funds had been deposited in the bank prior to the incident on Friday evening,” she said. The draw for the car went ahead as planned at the Cayman 27’s Island Living show Saturday. Ms. Mathews said the funds Bryce Merren gets 9 years, US$75,000 fine BrenT fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Cayman Islands businessman who re- ceived a nine-year prison sentence on U.S. drug possession conspiracy charges last week will likely serve the bulk of his jail time in Miami, Florida. U.S. District Court officials in Puerto Rico recommended that Gilroy Bryce Merren, 48, be transferred from Puerto Rico to serve his 108-month sentence. Merren’s attorneys re- quested that he be allowed to serve the prison sentence in his home country, but the court indicated that application would have to be made to the appropriate authorities following incarceration. In addition to the prison sentence, Merren had a five-year probation period tacked on, along with a US$75,000 fine to be paid immediately. It is possible the Cayman Islands man could get time off his sen- tence for good behavior. He could also be deported, rather than serving the five-year probation period in the U.S. Merren was arrested in March 2014 on al- legations that he was attempting to set up a money laundering operation to cover for planned cocaine shipments through Puerto Rico. Records from the U.S. District Court in- dicate that Merren revealed at least one other northward remains ‘decrepit and squalid’ PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Monday June 29, 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. y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - MONDAY - $8.00 INSIDE OUT 3D (PG) 12:40 I 1:10 2DI 3:10 I 4:00 2D I 6:45 I 7:00 2D I 9:10 I 9:30 2D SAN ANDREAS (PG13) 12:45 I 7:15 INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 3 (PG13) 3:30 I 10:10 TED 2 (R) 1:00 I 3:50 I 7:10 I 10:00 JURASSIC WORLD 3D (PG13) 1:00 I 1:30 2D I 3:45 I 4:15 2D 6:30 I 7:00 2D I 9:15 I 9:45 2D www.tonymosleylifeinsurance.com Bullet in purse costs tourist $1,000 Airport X-ray catches illegal object Carol Winker cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A visitor from Texas had her vacation extended unex- pectedly when security ser- vice staff at Owen Roberts International Airport found a bullet in her purse. The woman, Jennifer Stutts, had been scheduled to return home to Texas on Wednesday, June 24, but was obliged to stay until Thursday for appearance in Summary Court. She pleaded guilty to pos- session of an unlicensed firearm – one .380 round of ammunition. Cayman’s Firearms Law includes am- munition in the definition of a firearm. Crown counsel Greg Walcolm said Stutts placed her bag on the conveyor belt for a security check and an object was seen that resem- bled a bullet. The bag was searched and the round recov- ered. She was then escorted to a search room, where she was arrested and cautioned. The Customs Narcotics Enforcement Team attended. In her interview, Stutts said she had been moving homes at the beginning of the year when she found the bullet on the floor. She explained that she threw it in her purse and forgot it was there. Stutts was bailed until Thursday, when she ap- peared before Magistrate Philippa McFarlane. She en- tered her plea and apologized to the court, saying it was an honest mistake. The magistrate told her, “In this jurisdiction we take such matters ex- tremely seriously. Don’t let it happen again.” She added that the courts have dealt with such offenses before and she imposed a fine of $1,000. The defendant indi- cated that she hoped to leave the island on a 4 p.m. flight. A Customs officer volun- teered that Stutts’s bail had been set at US$1,250, so the money being held could be used to pay the fine. CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — At only 26 years of age, Jesus Casanova has already earned a degree in journalism, is the owner of a South American swimming championship and last year was crowned Mister Venezuela in this beauty-ob- sessed nation. Now he wants to add a new title to his achievements: congressman. Along with a cadre of ath- letes, hip-hop artists and TV personalities, Casanova is one of several minor celeb- rities, most of them political novices, competing Sunday in primaries to select candi- dates for the ruling socialist party for December’s legisla- tive elections. Analysts say President Nicolas Maduro is counting on the fresh faces to court young, uncommitted voters at a time when support for his socialist administration is being eroded by widespread shortages and triple-digit in- flation. His United Socialist Party, or PSUV, has mandated that half of its candidates be under the age of 30 to match the demographics of Venezuela’s 19 million voters. “The polls show it. People want to see young, new faces, new projects and fresh ideas,” Casanova told The Associated Press as he wrapped up cam- paigning in the western city of Barinas. More than 1,100 can- didates were competing in Sunday’s vote, from which 110 of the candidates for the National Assembly’s 167 seats will emerge. The rest will be proposed by party leaders. While there’s little polit- ically distinguishing those running, turnout will be a key test of the PSUV’s elec- toral machinery. With the opposition heavily favored to take con- trol of congress for the first time since the late President Hugo Chavez was elected 16 years ago, Maduro’s govern- ment is counting on its supe- rior ground game to rally its base among the poor, espe- cially in far-flung rural areas where the economic crisis is more severe but the opposi- tion has little reach. Pro-government candi- dates are also helped by near- complete socialist control of state institutions, a still- strong loyalty to the legacy of Chavez and the opposi- tion’s scant access to televi- sion and radio. In the last parliamentary election, in 2010, the ruling party failed to secure a ma- jority of the popular vote but still retained nearly 60 per- cent control of the legislature thanks to Venezuela’s compli- cated electoral math. The opposition is also courting the youth vote; a third of candidates in its primaries last month were under the age of 40. If it takes control of congress, it’s likely to set the stage for a refer- endum to cut short Maduro’s presidency before his term ends in 2019. Casanova goes by the nickname “The Triton of Sabaneta,” a reference to his prowess in the pool and roots in the same sunbaked village that was the birthplace of the late Hugo Chavez. His father was a friend of the future Comandante growing up and Casanova says he wanted to enter poli- tics from an early age to de- fend the poor. “I always wanted to make this step but I never imagined it could be such a big one or happen so quickly,” he said. “Winning Mister Venezuela al- lowed me to occupy a space that nobody of my political ideology could have won.” Firearms trial set for two Carol Winker cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two men pleaded not guilty to three firearms charges on Friday and had their trial set for Oct. 19. Keith Rohan Montaque, 25, and Walter Jordan McLaughlin, 26, entered their pleas in Grand Court before Justice Malcolm Swift. Crown counsel Toyin Salako advised that the Director of Public Prosecutions did not seek to proceed against a third man, Bill McCoy McLaughlin, 61. The formal document for this procedure was not ready, but would be presented to the court on Tuesday, she indicated. “The case is going to be dropped against you,” Justice Swift told Mr. McCoy McLaughlin. However, this defendant will need to comply with his bail condi- tions until then. All three men were ar- rested after firearms were found at a home off Frank Sound on Sunday, Feb. 8. Montaque and Walter McLaughlin are charged with possession of an unli- censed .38 revolver, a 9mm pistol and eight rounds of .38 ammunition. Defense attorneys Michael Snape and Amelia Fosuhene agreed that the trial was likely to take five days. “In this jurisdiction we take such matters extremely seriously.” PHILIPPA McFARLANE, magistrate Venezuela’s ruling party taps celeb candidates to woo youth vote CorreCtion In a graphic accompa- nying a story that ran in the Cayman Compass on June 23, titled “Tracking FIFA’s Cayman connection,” and on an online graphic on caymancompass.com, a number of companies, including Florida-based Abakan Inc. and its Cayman-based subsidiary AMP Distributors SEZC, were erroneously referred to “front companies,” which corporations are in fact not connected in any way to the ongoing investigation into FIFA’s Cayman connec- tion. The Compass apolo- gizes for the error. the Cayman Compass strives for accuracy and is committed to correcting errors that appear in the newspaper. those interested in contacting the paper for that purpose can email the editor at newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com. Guantanamo prisoner on lonG hunGer strike to be sent home MIAMI (AP) — A prisoner who has been on a nine- year hunger strike to pro- test his confinement at the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, can now return to his native Saudi Arabia, a government review board said Friday. The Periodic Review Board, which has been re-evaluating dozens of Guantanamo prisoners previously deemed too dangerous to release, said in a statement published on its website that Abdul Rahman Shalabi can be released to take part in a Saudi government rehabil- itation program for mili- tants and would be subject to monitoring afterward. Shalabi, 39, was among the first prisoners taken to Guantanamo in January 2002. He was never charged with a crime but the government said he had been a bodyguard for Osama bin Laden and had links to the external oper- ations chief for al-Qaida, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who is facing trial by military commission at Guantanamo. The board, which was created by the administra- tion of President Barack Obama in 2011 as part of the effort to close the prison at Guantanamo, did not clear Shalabi of wrongdoing and said it “acknowledges the de- tainee’s past terrorist- related activities.”3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Monday June 29, 2015 YOU DESERVE YOU DESERVE TRE ATMENT . Government IT problems widespread BrenT Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Several basic, but poten- tially catastrophic problems involving the security of in- formation within a number of government departments have been revealed within the past two years. Problems such as the lack of a formal backing up pro- cess for computerized data, improper security protocols that inadvertently allowed anyone using the government network to access informa- tion and lax password or user authorization procedures are some of the issues putting the government at risk. A number of problems have been flagged up in sep- arate Internal Audit Unit reports issued since the beginning of 2014. Other dif- ficulties were discovered by the Cayman Compass news- paper in the course of re- porting on different tech-re- lated stories. The Cayman Islands Auditor General’s Office has also been looking into the matter. The public sector enti- ties affected ranged from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, to Cayman Airways, to the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environmental Health. In addition, there are concerns about government’s overall financial management software and various law en- forcement computerized data management systems. Cayman Airways Internal auditors per- forming a general IT controls review for the territory’s na- tional airline in 2013-2014 found that Cayman Airways lacked a formal disaster re- covery plan. In other words, in the event of system crash or multiple hard-drive failures, Cayman Airways had no spe- cific plan to mitigate against data loss or how it would keep operations running in the event crucial data was unavailable to employees. “A disaster scenario may result in business inter- ruption, financial loss and reputational damage,” au- ditors cautioned in the June 2014 report. In addition, auditors looking into deficiencies within computerized backup data at CAL noted a number of problems, including that a paper-based backup log sheet was being used at the time and that failed at- tempts to backup computer- ized data at the airline “were too frequent.” “In our test samples, two of the five daily backups failed during the week the testing was conducted, no weekly backups were suc- cessful in the month of September 2013 and the monthly backups of August and September 2013 were ei- ther missed or failed due to bad tapes,” the report found. In both cases, airline man- agement acknowledged the auditors’ findings and were in the process of addressing the various problems identi- fied. Fixes were promised by the end of 2014, according to airline management’s re- sponse to the report. Sungard-IRIS Two audit reports com- pleted in 2013 and in 2014 that revealed significant problems with separate gov- ernment data management systems have so far been withheld from public release for fear that disclosing them might reveal serious security weaknesses in the informa- tion technology systems. One report concerning the government’s integrated re- source information system, known as IRIS, which is op- erated by Oracle Financials, was presented to lawmakers in 2013, according to the Auditor General’s Office. The IRIS system is used to keep track of central govern- ment departments’ revenues and expenses. A separate audit, which looked at the then-Portfolio of Internal and External Affairs’ (now the Ministry of Home Affairs) Sungard OSSI information system, was completed in 2013 by the government’s Internal Audit Unit. An open records request for the report filed in November 2013 by the Compass was denied. The portfolio pledged in 2013 to release the audit when the security prob- lems had been addressed. The document has never been released. Sungard Public Sector sold the Cayman Islands gov- ernment a number of prod- ucts, including the com- puter-aided dispatch system used by the 911 Emergency Communications Centre and the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Jail and Records Management sys- tems, among others. The Sungard system pro- vides a common public safety software platform that allows all informa- tion to flow between each law enforcement-related en- tity, allowing departments to share information. Missing files An open records request in February 2014 seeking details of certain expenses and maintenance data for the Joint Marine Unit that was initially “lost” in a com- puter hard-drive crash has apparently been either de- layed or ignored for the past six months, with officials still unable to put their hands on the relevant records. Officials with the Cayman Islands Information Commissioner’s Office con- firmed in May that they would have to open an ap- peal against the police to re- trieve the records if they did not receive a response. The issue of the “lost” files of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Marine Unit has been ongoing since June 2014 when the Compass was told that a number of rele- vant records had been com- promised after multiple hard-drive failures at the Citrus Grove building. Last October, police officers noted they still could not open computer records they be- lieved had been restored fol- lowing the computer crashes. The Computer Services Department indicated in October that the relevant re- cords had been restored. In mid-May, RCIPS Superintendent Adrian Seales said, “The data has not been restored. Two re- store links were provided from [computer services], the first was done and placed in the corrupted folder, which ended up being corrupt. The second restore link returned folders within the drive but data is missing.” Environmental Health An audit completed in late 2014 on the Department of Environmental Health re- vealed that trash fees had not been charged to hundreds of local businesses that were supposed to pay them. The Compass reported on those issues last week. However, the review also flagged up more basic man- agement problems within the department’s IT infrastruc- ture, including that at least six employees had privileged access to the trash fee man- agement system – known as EVMAS – when they did not require that access. In at least one other case, a person who had left the department maintained privileged access to the system. The report noted that there was “no formal policy or documented standard process for managing ac- cess in EVMAS.” It continued, “Unnecessary granting of privileged database access, untimely revocation of access and insufficient profile segre- gation within EVMAS com- promises the security and in- tegrity of the system.” In addition, the IT evalua- tion revealed that the EVMAS system was being operated on an “obsolete platform.” EVMAS uses the Tru64 oper- ating system, which expired in 2012 and Oracle 9i, the extended support for which ended in 2010. “This means that [the gov- ernment Computer Services Department] is without vendor support if EVMAS en- counters issues related to the core operating system or da- tabase,” auditors stated. Department manage- ment said they would make a funding request to up- grade the EVMAS system and hopefully have a new op- erating system in place by this month. Troubles with system access were due to be addressed by the end of last year. Agriculture Lack of understanding regarding basic computer technology and information system access protocols led to the potential for major security breaches in the Department of Agriculture. A report by the Internal Audit Unit in February 2014 indicated that department managers were unaware of proper security proce- dures for various computer- ized operations dealing with the “Counterpoint point- of-sale” system the depart- ment used, so those proce- dures were not reported to the government Computer Services Department. For instance, access to the information system used by the Agriculture Department was not restricted to autho- rized users only, internal au- ditors found. “According to the as- sistant director of the Department of Agriculture, he was unaware of this secu- rity issue,” the report found, indicating that computer services was relied on to “configure best practice se- curity on their network.” “This means that any government employee with basic computer knowledge who tinkers around the network and accidentally finds the network folders owned by the Department of Agriculture could modify data, create fictitious data, or delete critical files and information and disable the [system] by deleting critical configuration files.” Agriculture Department management noted in its response to the audit that the Computer Services Department had since been asked to fix the issue, noting “they are responsible for [the] operation, maintenance and security of the server and network.”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 June 29, 2015 • Cayman COmpass A parent can be a child’s biggest fan, or fiercest critic ... Often both. So it’s nice to receive positive affir- mation, on occasion, from people “outside the family” who are likely to be less partial. The relationship between the Cayman Islands and our dear old Mother England is no different. Some of the most stinging cri- tiques of Cayman’s financial services sector originate from lawmakers in London. For example, while speaking to the topic of the ongoing FIFA bribery scandal, prominent Labour MP John Mann took a nasty swipe at British Overseas Territories, saying, according to The Observer: “The problem is that the Serious Fraud Office here can’t investigate these tax havens, and that anomaly needs rectifying. They are centers for money laun- dering in a very big way .... They are becoming a serious problem for the world.” (Ouch.) From a policy perspective, in late 2013, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced plans to create a publicly accessible central registry of informa- tion on beneficial ownership of companies in the U.K., and he called on Crown Dependencies to follow suit. Earlier this year, then-Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband promised, if his party were to come to power, that Mr. Cameron’s “request” would be converted to a “demand” – and U.K. territories would have six months to publish those central registers. Mr. Miliband’s hard-line stance on “tax havens” evi- dently didn’t resonate with U.K. voters, at least not enough to prevent the May 7 general election blood- bath that resulted in an outright majority in Parliament for Mr. Cameron’s Conservative Party, and the resigna- tion of Mr. Miliband as leader of the Labour Party. So for the time being, the status quo on benefi- cial ownership information remains as is: Cayman will continue to make information on beneficial ownership available upon request – in adherence to current inter- national standards on accountability and transparency, but will not be pushed into implementing new regula- tions ahead of our competitors, particularly the world’s largest nations. Meanwhile, Cayman’s government has announced plans to strengthen our current informa- tion-sharing system and to speed up the process of obtaining information on companies for foreign tax authorities and law enforcement agencies. Cayman’s compliance and cooperation has not gone unnoticed on this side of the Atlantic. Recently, New York County District Attorney Cyrus Vance (whose jurisdiction is mainly the borough of Manhattan) told U.S. lawmakers that Cayman – due to our beneficial ownership regime – is better positioned than the U.S. to police terrorism financing. Mr. Vance said, “On a near daily basis, we encounter a company or network of companies involved in sus- picious activity, but we are unable to glean who is actually controlling and benefiting from those entities, and from their illicit activity. In other words, we can’t identify the criminal. “This is not because the entities are incorporated in an offshore tax haven like the Cayman Islands. That country actually collects beneficial ownership informa- tion. Often, that entity is incorporated in the United States – and it’s incorporated in the U.S. precisely because we don’t collect beneficial owner information. In this important way, the prosecutor sitting in the Cayman Islands is better positioned to root out ter- rorism finance in her own markets than I am in ours.” Mr. Vance and his predecessor have long backed federal legislation to ensure that law enforcement offi- cials, with valid cause, would be able to obtain ben- eficial ownership information on U.S. companies – in essence, bringing the U.S. up to Caymanian standards … a standard that, for the record, many other major jurisdictions currently fail to meet – including, notably, the City of London. Beneficial ownership: The benefits of Cayman’s regime Queen shows Germans useful side of monarchy Leonid Bershidsky As I write this, hundreds of Germans are waiting patiently in front of the Hotel Adlon, where Queen Elizabeth II is staying. Very few people here would like to see Germany become a monarchy, but many like the British queen for the very reasons that make monarchies still viable in the 21st century. She’s been here for four days, and everywhere thou- sands have turned out to see her. It’s a spectacle, of course: The British monarch and her husband, Prince Philip, travel with pomp and cere- mony, and Elizabeth wears colorful clothes. Yet it’s more than that. In Berlin, she made a speech in the presence of Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron, in which she said: “We know the division of Europe is dangerous and that we must guard against it in the west, as well as in the east, of our continent. That remains a common endeavor.” Buckingham Palace offi- cials have denied the words had anything to do with Cameron’s plans to renego- tiate Britain’s membership in the European Union, but German news media didn’t buy it. The queen “pushed the limits of the permissible” for a monarch who is not supposed to meddle in poli- tics, to stress that European unity is a priority, Jochim Stoltenberg wrote in the Berliner Morgenpost. According to a recent poll, only 9 percent of Germans would like their country to have a king or queen instead of a largely ceremonial pres- ident. And even at the top, Germans don’t understand how rigid and ritualized monarchs can be. President Joachim Gauck presented the queen with a painting of her as a girl astride a blue horse. She wasn’t impressed. “That’s a funny color for a horse,” she said, adding that she didn’t recognize the man standing next to the horse as her father, King George VI. Yet what Germans liked about the queen – namely, her common-sense defense of European unity – is just another side of her tra- ditionalism. The name of Elizabeth II is, in the words of the German tabloid Bild, “a global brand” precisely because she is pitch-per- fect at playing the role for which modern monarchs are best suited: that of slightly stuffy but right-minded role models. The demand for that kind of function in govern- ment may even be increasing. Last year, when the queen visited Australia, polls showed that the most mon- archist age group in that country, where she is the formal head of state, was the 18-to-24s. The same is true for Germany. That may be because of the royal pag- eantry’s entertainment value, but my guess would be that elected politicians are no more legitimate to many young people than are kings and queens. This makes a figure who stands above the political fray and gently ar- gues for reasonable things (while wearing pretty cool dresses and jewels) unex- pectedly attractive. Almost all the surviving monarchies – 10 in Europe alone – are popular in their countries. That’s also true for the monarchies of the Middle East, where kings actually rule over the region’s eight most stable countries. They are good at mobilizing “cross- cutting coalitions of popular support, coalitions that have helped to forestall mass op- position,” wrote Seam Yom and Gregory Cause in a 2012 paper on “Resilient Royals.” I sometimes wish the re- maining monarchs would take on a more active role. There would be loud objec- tions if Elizabeth vetoed at- tempts to pull Britain out of the EU, but she does have veto power and, contrary to popular belief, sometimes uses it. So why not speak up in a matter of such grave im- portance for her country and Europe as a whole? I’m pretty sure, too, that if Constantine II, dethroned in 1974, were still king of Greece, he could have made the country’s negotiations with creditors less stressful and more dignified just by engaging in the kind of di- plomacy that gets Elizabeth II such respect in Germany and helped Pope Francis – an elected monarch of sorts – bring about a thaw in U.S.- Cuban relations. Elected politicians don’t always make decisions in the interests of their voters, and I’m not suggesting mon- archs should usurp their powers when that happens. Still, there is no harm in their being able to call time-out when things are getting too hot, so that everybody can get their wits back. Leonid Bershidsky, a Bloomberg View contributor, is a Berlin-based writer. © 2015, Bloomberg View 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” Almost all the surviving monarchies – 10 in Europe alone – are popular in their countries. That’s also true for the monarchies of the Middle East, where kings actually rule over the region’s eight most stable countries.5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Monday June 29, 2015 Premier Health BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE AGENCIES LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, Grand Cayman KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 12 Kirkconnell Street, Stake Bay, P.O. Box 254, Cayman Brac KY2-2101 Tel. 948-1760 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International: insurance, health, pensions, life British Caymanian Insurance Agencies Ltd. acts solely as an agent on behalf of various insurers; it does not act as an insurance broker on behalf of its customers. Premier Health. The health plan that works at one speed. First for service and benefits! Speed and efficiency enabled BritCay to settle 209,003 claims in 2014. 57%* of claims were auto-adjudicated. 96% of claims were settled in less than 5 working days. As a group, CGI settled 638,901claims in 2014 with the same speed and efficiency. *2014 results CALL 949-8699 or visit www.britcay.ky Two-thirds of students to graduate from tourism school James WhiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s new tourism school could accept as many as 50 students into the program in September after a successful first year with 16 youngsters ex- pected to graduate. Of the 25 who entered the program in September, around two-thirds are ex- pected to qualify. Four stu- dents have already found jobs in the industry, while two others are going overseas to continue their studies. Wayne Jackson, director of the School of Hospitality Studies, said government was looking to double the intake of students to next year’s program. The students did a mix of classroom work and job-training in local busi- nesses ranging from The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman hotel to Red Sail Sports. They are completing exams and work-experience mod- ules through the summer and will ultimately re- ceive a City and Guilds trade qualification. Mr. Jackson said, “The partnership with the hos- pitality industry has en- abled them to get broad- brush exposure to the industry, including the air- port, the ports, the hotel and restaurant sector, and water sports.” The students were also part of major island events like the Cayman Cookout and Cayman Thanksgiving. Restaurant owner Markus Mueri, one of the founders of the program, said it had been a wonderful first year. “You have 16 amazing young people who are per- forming fantastically in their jobs and in the class- room and are going to be very valuable people in the industry in the future,” he said. “Quite a few have jobs already or are going on to further education. “We have to be frank also, it is not all roses. Some did not want to do the work required and those are the ones that will not make it.” He said the program was demanding and some had dropped out along the way. “The biggest challenge is the transition from being at school to the reality of work,” he said. “You have to be 10 minutes early, you have to be smiling and have a good attitude and be able to work with people. That has been the biggest problem for many of the stu- dents and it has taken nine months for some of them to be comfortable.” The program qualifies students for entry-level jobs in the tourism industry. They have the option of going on to further studies. Four students impressed enough on their work place- ments to get jobs in the hotel and restaurant industries. Mr. Mueri believes there is scope to expand the pro- gram and get more young Caymanians involved in the tourism industry, but he believes it may be ambi- tious to go up to 50 for the second year. He said the right at- titude was essential for would-be students. “We are very strict on who we are taking,” he said. “The ones that dropped out this year did not want to be there. We need to do a better job of explaining what the expectations will be and the standard that will be set for students on the course.” Mr. Jackson said there had been 41 applicants so far for next year’s course. The tentative deadline for applications is July 31. Tyson joins UWI Open Campus Catherine Tyson has joined the University of the West Indies Open Campus as the local ad- ministrative assistant and Cayman representative. According to a state- ment released by the univer- sity, Ms. Tyson, who took up her appointment on June 1, will oversee the daily opera- tions of the university in the Cayman Islands and work with the manager of the UWI Open Campus British Overseas Territories Sites, Dr. Phyllis Fleming-Banks, who is based on Anguilla. Ms. Tyson holds a bache- lor’s and a master’s degree in social work and has worked in the fields of education, training, counseling and so- cial work in the public and private sectors. The Open Campus is the fourth campus of UWI and serves more than 20,000 stu- dents in 17 English-speaking Caribbean countries. It works in conjunction with the three residential campuses as well as other tertiary institutions and development agencies throughout the Caribbean, of- fering both face-to-face and online programs. Speaking about her ap- pointment, Ms. Tyson said, “I am excited to join an es- teemed university system and would like to see more Caymanians access the level of education and programs that the University of West Indies has been offering for many years. “Education is power and something that no one can take away from you. It is so much more than just school and books, it is the rich learnings of life through experiences, con- nections and value added opportunities. I am happy to lend my expertise in the further development of the Cayman site as we offer Caymanians and all other locals quality education through distance learning.” Wayne Jackson, director of the School of Hospitality Studies, said government was looking to double the intake of students to next year’s program. Catherine Tyson is UWI’s new Cayman representative.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 ATHENS, Greece (AP) – Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras says the Bank of Greece has recommended that banks remain closed and restric- tions be imposed on trans- actions, after the European Central Bank did not increase the amount of emergency li- quidity the lenders can ac- cess from the central bank. Sunday’s move comes after two days of long lines forming at ATMs across the country, following Tsipras’s decision to call a referendum on creditor proposals for Greek reforms in return for vital bailout funds. Tsipras gave no details of how long banks will remain closed or what restrictions will be placed on transac- tions. Banking officials said lenders would remain shut for at least a day, with some media reporting the institu- tions would remain closed for at least a week. The country’s negotiations with its European creditors have been suspended, with both sides accusing each other of being responsible. The European Central Bank has left unchanged the amount of emergency li- quidity available to Greek banks, putting further pres- sure on the system and heightening the chances of capital controls being imposed. The European Commission says it has re- leased the text of its proposals on Greek reforms, which are the documents Tsipras has asked his countrymen to vote on in a referendum. The Greek government is advocating a no vote in next Sunday’s referendum, saying the proposals were humili- ating for Greece and would have pushed the country’s already devastated economy further into recession. But the proposals Greeks are being called on to vote for haven’t been officially re- leased until now, or trans- lated into Greek. The commission said it was releasing the text of the proposals “in the inter- ests of transparency and for the information of the Greek people.” It has been a longstanding demand of Tsipras’s gov- ernment that creditors offer some sort of debt write down or forgiveness, arguing the country’s debt is too big to be repaid. However, the commission said, neither the latest ver- sion of the document nor a deal could be finalized be- cause of “the unilateral deci- sion of the Greek authorities to abandon the process on the evening of 26 June.” The Greek vote next Sunday on approving credi- tors’ demands for Greece will be the country’s first refer- endum in 41 years – and the logistics of it are daunting. The referendum that Parliament approved early Sunday sees citizens voting July 5 on two creditor pro- posals – one of which is a very technical debt sustain- ability analysis. These have not even been translated yet into Greek. Others argue the vote won’t be on documents, it will be a vote on whether or not Greece stays in the euro. Ballot officials for each voting precinct must be called up, but these must be headed by lawyers, who often have to travel to remote places. The last Greek referendum was when voters abolished the monarchy in 1974. France’s Prime Minister Manuel Valls urged Greece and other nations to do whatever they can to keep Greece in the 19-nation bloc that uses the euro currency. Valls said Sunday that “we don’t know – none of us – the consequences of an exit from the eurozone, either on the political or economic front. We must do everything so that Greece stays in the eu- rozone.” He was speaking on France’s i-Tele TV. Valls added that “means respecting Greece and de- mocracy, but it’s also about respecting European rules. So Greece needs to come back to the negotiating table.” Meanwhile, Germany’s foreign ministry is advising travelers to Greece to ensure they have enough cash on them before they depart. An updated version of the ministry’s travel ad- vice issued Sunday noted that people seeking to with- draw cash in Greece could face “significant waits” and possible shortages at cash machines. While some machines in Greece were running out of cash, others were being replenished. Another top Greek financial official urged Greeks on Sunday to remain calm and not withdraw all their savings. Monday June 29, 2015 • Cayman Compass IT'S TIME FOR US ALL TO SAY of Prisons, released last week, follows up on a highly critical 2012 report that condemned inmate treatment and living conditions at both prisons. Inspectors noted ganja was easily available in the prisons and found that guards would punish prisoners arbitrarily and with no oversight from senior management. “Fairbanks resembles a storage facility and was an oppressive environment that provided no stimulation for those held there. Much of Northward was decrepit and squalid,” the inspectors wrote in the new report. “Many of the current facil- ities at both Northward and Fairbanks should be demol- ished and the rest should un- dergo complete renovation,” inspectors write. The Cayman Compass reached out to prison officials for comment on the report but they had not responded as of press time Sunday. The report states both prisons need “replacement or refurbishment.” Aside from the work done in the wing set aside for young offenders, the inspectors note that the “run- down and decrepit” living conditions at Northward had not improved since the 2012 inspection report. “Most cells were dark and cage-like, and communal areas grubby, bare and devoid of equipment,” the report states. Inspectors pointed to the A wing as “particularly squalid.” The report continues, “The dormitory accommodation was sparse but clean and relatively spacious, although the women were afforded little privacy. The main com- munal space, called the day- room, was a large wire cage, [which] contained some soft furnishings.” Neither prison has air conditioning for inmates, with the exception of rec- reation rooms and class- rooms for young offenders at Northward. Prisoners at both Fairbanks and Northward re- ported little ventilation in- side the facilities. At Northward, the report states, “Multiple layers of bars at the windows of cells meant that natural light was severely restricted and venti- lation poor. Some additional fans had been introduced to the wings but the high tem- peratures and general lack of ventilation were an ongoing cause for prisoner complaint and an issue raised repeat- edly at the prisoner council.” Inspectors note that both prisons have adequate tele- phone access, an improve- ment from the 2012 report. Health services improve Prisoner surveys by the inspection team show that most inmates at both facili- ties “said that access to the nurse and the overall quality of health services had im- proved.” The Northward health center is currently in a temporary facility and “the whole environment required refurbishment to meet pri- mary care and infection con- trol standards.” Prisoners with long-term health issues reported im- provements in their care, done through the Health Services Authority. The report notes health- care at Fairbanks had gotten better since the 2012 in- spection “and there was a systematic and female-fo- cused approach.” Mental healthcare at the prisons has changed since the last report, primarily due to the new Mental Health Law that paved the way to give involuntary treatment to people with severe mental disorders. The report states: “Mental healthcare was avail- able but relatively unsophis- ticated” for inmates. The prisons implemented a new case management system for at-risk inmates and those in crisis situa- tions. The report calls the new system “a welcome im- provement.” Incidents of self- harm, including suicide, at the prisons are “thankfully low,” according to inspectors. “Neither prison had experi- enced any self-inflicted deaths in custody and there had been no incidents of self-harm in the previous six months at either prison. However, the prisons held prisoners with self-harm histories, including attempts to commit suicide,” the report notes. Inmates are no longer able to buy tobacco prod- ucts in the prison shop, a change since the last inspec- tion. But the report criticizes the change: “Paradoxically, cigarettes could be handed in by relatives. This was in- equitable and could poten- tially lead to debt and bul- lying problems.” ‘Appalling’ kitchen Inspectors singled out cooking facilities as an urgent problem. The re- port states: “The kitchen at Northward was in an ap- palling state and should be replaced immedi- ately.” Northward’s kitchen also prepares the food for Fairbanks. “The kitchen environment and standards of cleanli- ness were extremely poor. A large amount of kitchen equipment was broken and out of action. The kitchen required complete and im- mediate refurbishment,” the report continued. The 2012 report also called for the kitchen to be replaced. In the prisoner surveys, more inmates at Northward reported that the food was good or very good than in the 2012 survey. Women at Fairbanks had a dif- ferent view on the food, according to the report. “Female prisoners com- plained of the poor quality of the food they received from Northward,” it states. The report states that prison officials are actively looking for the means to re- place the kitchen. Some prisoners had access to prepare their own meals. Prisoners in Northward’s F wing have their own kitchen and relatives can bring food in for inmates to prepare on their own. Fairbanks also has a kitchen, but the women there are only allowed to use it on weekends. Prison insPection rePort northward remains ‘decrepit and squalid’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Greek banks to close Monday People line up to withdraw funds from an AtM cash machine at a bank in central Athens on sunday. - PHOTO: AP7 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Monday June 29, 2015 BritCay BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, Grand Cayman KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 12 Kirkconnell Street, Stake Bay, P.O. Box 254, Cayman Brac KY2-2101 Tel. 948-1760 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International insurance, health, pensions, life A helping hand towards the preservation of our island habitat and history. The National Trust has been "Protecting the future of Cayman's heritage" since its inception in 1987. A not- for-profit organisation, the Trust has been created to preserve and protect environmentally sensitive and historically significant sites across all three Cayman Islands. The area of Trust-owned environmentally important lands has risen steadily, and now stands at 3,133 acres thanks to land purchase (possible though cash donations), gift or crown transfer. John Cameron, General Manager, British Caymanian Insurance presented a donation to Danielle Watler, Marketing Coordinator for the National Trust. Farmers lament stolen material for new market Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Thirty-five rolls of roofing material has been stolen from the new open-air Farmers Market being constructed on Thomas Russell Way. The Royal Cayman Islands Police are investi- gating the reported theft of $3,000 worth of wind and water seal missing from the roof of the Farmers Market job site Friday morning. “I’m sad and disappointed that as a community we have such criminal-minded people here that came and stole this stuff,” said Hamlin Stephenson, the farmer spearheading the initiative. Mr. Stephenson was at the Farmers Market Friday with fellow farmer Kirkland Nixon discussing the crime and their future options. The self-adhering roofing under-layments, designed to protect homes from wind and rain, were placed on the brand new wooden roof Thursday morning by forklift. When workers turned up at 7 a.m. Friday, they discovered it was gone and called police. “You really wouldn’t think that overnight they would do that,” Mr. Stephenson said. Mr. Nixon said, “A lot of people gave, gave, and gave – that’s why it’s so sad you know.” Work on the 6,000 square- foot building on Thomas Russell Way across the road from the Red Cross building began in December 2014, said Mr. Stephenson, who had hoped the site would be operational in the next two months. Despite this setback, Mr. Stephenson said there are sufficient funds to finish the roof but there is a lot of work to be completed. “We have all the stalls to put in, and we need to get the floor cleaned and sealed. We also have to complete all of the land- scaping and paving,” he said. The new venue is es- timated to cost vendors around $300,000 to construct. To date, they have spent about $140,000. When completed, the building will have 32 stalls and vendors will pay a small fee to offset cost of utilities and upkeep. “We are sure that someone must have seen something, so if you know anything, please contact the police,” Mr. Nixon said. People wishing to report any information regarding this theft should call their local police station or the Crime Stoppers tips hotline at 800-TIPS (8477). Ashani Francis-Collins contributed to this story. FIFA extradition request deadline looms Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com American authorities have until Friday to submit extra- dition requests for the seven indicted FIFA officials who were arrested in Zurich May 27 on racketeering charges. Among those awaiting word on the extradition are Caymanian businessman Jeffrey Webb, FIFA’s former vice president, and long-time Cayman Islands resident Costas Takkas. Last week, the Swiss courts refused to allow one of the defendants being held in connection with the case to be released on bail pending extradition proceedings. Swiss court records indi- cated that one of the defen- dants, a citizen of Uruguay, had requested release from detention due to his age and declining health. Eugenio Figueredo, 83, the head of the Uruguayan football federation, is the only Uruguay national among those arrested on May 27 just ahead of FIFA’s annual meeting. Switzerland’s Federal Office of Justice representa- tives said none of the seven defendants had agreed to waive extradition proceed- ings and that they were all being kept in different lo- cations in the Canton [county] of Zurich. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York has declined to comment on the status of the extradition request for the seven defendants, who are all accused in various bribery and money laun- dering schemes in a 47-count U.S. federal indictment out of the eastern district. The indictment generally alleges that the various FIFA officials sought, facilitated and/or accepted bribe pay- ments from sports marketing companies in exchange for granting those companies the commercialization rights to world and regional foot- ball tournaments. Many of those alleged bribe payments ended up being funneled through U.S. banks. Hamlin Stephenson displays an example of the stolen wind and water seal. - Photo: Jewel levy Mr. Webb8 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 June 29, 2015 • Cayman Compass Cayman 27’s Island Living show was held Friday and Saturday at Camana Bay’s Arts and Recreation Centre. The annual show featured local compa- nies big and small. The booths showcased the diversity of business in the Cayman Islands, from local art to in- ternational banking services. Sharaine Chin, right, and her daughter Alyssa Chin, show off jewelry, shoes and accessories from The Finishing Touch. Donna Daije at the Little Darlings booth. - PHOTOS: CHARLES DUNCAN Winifred Wollery, Rosalie Mendez and Rochelle Mendez tour the show. Milena Conolly visits the show. From left, Tawnie Farinez, Maia Muttoo and Dexter Benliss, all with Camana Bay, show off local produce. Cory Allenger on guitar and Charles Ebanks on drums play outside the Island Living show Friday. Scotiabank’s Heather Anderson, Kirstie Ebanks and Dorbin Scott staff the bank’s booth. Michelle Hayes of Morritt’s, left, with Noelle Kelly of Cayman Villas, and young Jacob Kelly pause a lively conversation to pose for a photo at the Morritt’s booth. Carol Hay, right, shows off her pepper jelly, made from peppers she grows at home and buys from the prison farm, with her sister Sandra Solomon. Sisters Nora, left, and Corrine Scott attend their first Island Living show last weekend.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Monday June 29, 2015 On June 19, 2015, in Venice, Florida, Sallie Kaye Johnson’s tired body could no longer contain her vivacious spirit. Sallie was released from her body after 72 adventurous years, and she is currently exploring the universe. Sallie was a fun-loving, energetic person who cared sincerely for everyone around her. She was a mother, a SaSa (grandmother), a sister, an aunt, a friend, and a ‘helping hand’ to the thousands of people she encountered during her adventure. Sallie was an artist at heart, and she would use her creativity to brighten the lives of those around her. She also had a passion for being close to the sea and chose to reside in the Cayman Islands for the majority of her adult life. Sallie was raised in Mobile, Alabama, and graduated from Murphy High School in 1961. She attended the University of South Alabama where she received a bachelor’s degree in Art. Sallie had a very successful career which included teaching, sales, and several entrepreneurial endeavors. She was the founder and co-owner of Vision Marketing and Signs of Paradise, both companies are located in George Town, Grand Cayman. Her kindness and generosity was evident through her active participation in charitable organizations which supported abused women, impoverished children, and animals in need. In 2010, Sallie retired to Venice, Florida. Sallie is survived by her two sons and their wives: Berry and Maria Kirksey of Eagle River, Alaska, and John and Leslis Kirksey of George Town, Grand Cayman; her grandsons Tommy, Brian, Aaron, and William Kirksey; and her great granddaughter Allison Kirksey. She is also survived by her brother Herman Johnson; her sisters Laura Woodard and Francis Johnson; and her beloved Yorkie, ‘Billie’. A service was held last week at Radney funeral home in Mobile, Alabama and a following service is to be held in Grand Cayman. Per Sallie’s wishes, she will be buried in the peaceful deep blue waters o the coast of her island in the sun, Grand Cayman. Sallie Kaye Johnson man – an employee at his Cayman Islands trucking business – was involved in negotiations during 2013 and 2014 for cocaine ship- ments with two undercover federal agents. However, that man has not been charged, as far as the Cayman Compass is aware. Merren pleaded guilty in December 2014 to one count in an indictment alleging he conspired with other in- dividuals to possess co- caine. It was one of the three charges initially filed against him. The other two, alleging money laundering and drug possession, were dropped as part of the plea deal with federal prosecutors. “This is a difficult time for our family, particularly for our mother and Bryce’s daughter,” read a statement by Merren’s brother, Randy, who attended the sen- tencing Thursday afternoon in San Juan. “In his statement to the court, Bryce expressed re- morse to his family, his friends and his country for his actions and took respon- sibility for the choices that led to this outcome.” Other statements of sup- port for Bryce Merren were filed with the Puerto Rican court on Thursday. “I know that [Merren’s] time incarcerated has [taught] him how his lack of self-control and extreme emotional state influenced his resorting to his actions and he has vowed that, if re- leased, he would in no way look down that road ever again,” wrote Constance Sheow, a U.K. resident who lived in the Cayman Islands for many years. “I have known Mr. Merren for the past 47 years. The younger children in the commu- nity would look up to him as he would always ensure that in the summer they all had jobs, working in his family business … a well- known supermarket in the Cayman Islands.” U.S. District Court of- ficials declined to change sentencing guidelines, which would have low- ered the potential sentence Merren could receive. Also, the court indicated that Merren had no specific offender characteristics that would have allowed it to consider changing the sentence. If he had gone to trial on the charges against him, Merren could have faced a sentence of 30 years or more. In motions filed with the Puerto Rican court on Dec. 17, 2014, U.S. attorneys asked that certain records related to Merren’s plea in the case be restricted, with access given only to selected parties. “The [United States] is filing the pleading with the requested level of restric- tion because [it] … is nec- essary to protect the con- fidentiality of the matters detailed in the pleading and of the law enforcement activities affected by the pleading,” the motion to re- strict access states. In the initial probable cause affidavit filed just after Merren’s arrest, U.S. Homeland Security agents provided details of several meetings in Puerto Rico between Mr. Merren, his associate and two under- cover federal agents. In one of those meet- ings, on Nov. 6, 2013, be- tween Merren and the two undercover agents, court records stated that details of the alleged money laundering scheme were discussed. “Merren explained to [undercover agent #2] that he has legitimate busi- nesses in the Cayman Islands and Curacao where he receives funds from cus- tomers from all over the world that conduct credit card transactions utilizing his businesses’ merchant machines in order to con- vert foreign currency into U.S. currency,” the prob- able cause affidavit states. “Merren charges a per- centage for the exchange and then wire transfers the bulk amount of the currency back to its corre- spondent owner. “Merren also pre- pares purchase receipts for the customers in order to make it seem as if they are purchasing or paying for services,” the court records stated. Royal Cayman Islands Police have refused to com- ment on any aspect of the Puerto Rico investigation involving Merren. were intended for Rotary Sunrise’s service projects in the upcoming fiscal year. Starting July 1, she said, “The Club’s focus is on lit- eracy and youth and planned projects include adopting a school library, purchasing dictionaries for students, school meals and sponsoring various youth programs.” Rotary’s auditors con- firmed for the club over the weekend that the car raffle it- self was not jeopardized and all tickets were accounted for. Police ask that anyone who was in the area of Raleigh Quay or the immediate area around 9 p.m. Friday night contact the George Town Police Station Criminal Investigation Department at 949-4222. Bryce Merren gets 9 years, US$75,000 fine CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “Bryce expressed remorse to his family, his friends and his country for his actions and took responsibility for the choices that led to this outcome.” Randy MeRRen, brother Rotary raffle cash stolen in home invasion PoPe aPPlauds ecology advocates in Rome fRom many Religions VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Sunday encour- aged people of different re- ligions to work together in caring for the Earth, which he called our “common house.” Speaking from his window in a Vatican palazzo to tens of thousands of pilgrims and tourists, Francis singled out a few hundred people who had marched to St. Peter’s Square under the banner “One Earth, one family.” The marchers included Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and others who had walked from near the French embassy to remind people of a key U.N. cli- mate change conference in Paris in December. “I encourage the collabo- ration between persons and associations of different re- ligions on behalf of an inte- gral ecology,” Francis said, of- fering good wishes to young people discussing what he described as “the care of the common house.” In a recent encyclical, or church teaching docu- ment, about the environment, Francis wrote passionately about the world’s moral duty to save the Earth and move away from business systems that pollute. For Francis, efforts to pre- serve the environment are an excellent way to bring to- gether secular and non-sec- ular forces, and especially members of various religions. Love for the environment also expands his papal agenda of highlighting social justice is- sues like poverty. In his encyclical, Francis noted how the poor often suffer the most from pol- lution and from other en- vironmental damage in de- veloping countries. The Vatican is putting on a panel Wednesday to draw attention to a conference in Rome later in the week being organized by the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace and by Catholic groups that work on development issues. Scheduled to join a Vatican cardinal on the panel is Naomi Klein, an author whose recent book “This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate” explored the relationship be- tween economic powers and the environment. Two arrested for removing Confederate flag COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Two people arrested for re- moving the Confederate flag from the front of the South Carolina Statehouse have been released from jail in the state capital. Officer L. Tucker of the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center said 30-year-old Bree Newsome and 30-year-old James Ian Tyson were re- leased from jail Saturday after posting bond. Both Newsome and Tyson are from Charlotte. Newsome was about halfway up the more than 30- foot steel flagpole just after dawn Saturday when officers of the South Carolina Bureau of Protective Services ran to the flagpole and told her to get down. Instead, she con- tinued up the pole and re- moved the flag. She and Tyson, who had both climbed over a wrought- iron fence to get to the flag, were arrested. The flag, which is pro- tected by state law, was raised about 45 minutes later, well ahead of a rally later Saturday by supporters of keeping the flag where it is. Sherri Iacobelli, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Safety, said Newsome and Tyson were charged with de- facing monuments on state Capitol grounds. That’s a misdemeanor that carries a fine of up to $5,000 and a prison term of up to three years or both. A staff member at the Alvin Glenn Detention Center where the two were taken said she did not know if they had attorneys. According to the crowd- funding website Indiegogo, the “Bail for Bree Newsome” fund had raised just over $77,000 in nine hours as of 8 p.m. EDT. The fund was set up to pay for her bail and legal expenses. About the time of her ar- rest, Newsome released an email statement to the media. “We removed the flag today because we can’t wait any longer. We can’t continue like this another day,” it said. “It’s time for a new chapter where we are sincere about dismantling white su- premacy and building to- ward true racial justice and equality.” Calls for removing the flag have been renewed since nine black churchgoers were killed in what police charac- terized as a racist attack at a Charleston, South Carolina church last week. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1Next >