Smooth to slight with wave heights less than 2 feet. High of 91 Low of 79 Wonderful Kingsley Cayman’s best beaches Photos of your faves B11 Technology Music Photography ■ Leisure Water Water Water sports sports sports galoregaloregalore sports galore sports sports sports galore sports galore sports galore sports sports sports galore sports New options for offshore fun B4 Zen on an app The Prune app may take you to a calmer state B7 Harbour Nights Rockin’ concert hits the street B3 Friday July 31, 2015 • Cayman Compass Tailor-Made Professional Real Estate Services; But without any of the restrictions. . . INTRODUCING www.thpm.ky Tel: 345 949 5134 Wonderful Kingsley Kingsley is a wonderfully happy, friendly and calm male dog who would love to find his forever home B3 Water sports galore CAYMAN WEEKENDER EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 CAYMAN’S ‘FEAR FACTOR’ MUST BE REPUDIATED AND ELIMINATED ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY JULY 31, 2015 Government paid 47 percent more for Cayman Brac land More details emerge in minister-’directed’ land deal BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands government paid nearly 50 percent more for land purchased on Cayman Brac in 2012 than the same parcel sold for in November 2010, a Cayman Compass examination of local property records reveals. Cayman Islands Auditor General Alastair Swarbrick raised questions in a recent re- port about the government land purchase, and others, concerning whether the public sector got value for money. In the Brac land purchase, Mr. Swarbrick said former Cayman Islands Minister of District Administration, now Speaker of the House Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, “directed” that government funds be used to buy the property for $125,000. The purchase was made with “unspent funds” at the end of the govern- ment’s budget year, auditors were told. The 2.1-acre property is in an undeveloped subdi- vision in Cayman Brac East. The same land had sold about 20 months earlier for a much lower price, according to property records examined by the newspaper. The initial land sale was registered on Nov. 22, 2010. It was sold by Cayman Brac busi- ness owners Garston Grant, Dervyn Scott and Hyacinth Scott to two George Town residents, David Mark Ebanks and John Elderson Evans. The land was purchased for $85,000 at the time. The agreement for sale on the property in- dicates that an initial deposit of $4,000 was paid and that the remainder ($81,000) would be fi nanced by the sellers on terms that it would be paid off in installments of $500 per month over the next 162 months – just over 13 years. The sellers did not charge interest on the fi nancing, according to the agreement. Mr. Grant said Wednesday that he and his partners in the initial land deal had intended to foreclose on the property at one stage due FORENSIC ACCOUNTANTS TO REVIEW FIFA BANK TRANSACTIONS BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com An international accounting fi rm is being brought in to assist the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority with a forensic review of any local bank transactions connected to the U.S.-based indictments of FIFA offi cials, in- cluding any transactions linked to Cayman’s Jeffrey Webb and former Cayman resident Costas Takkas, the new chairman of the mon- etary authority said Wednesday. Grant Stein, who was named to the posi- tion on July 21, said he will attend his fi rst meetings with the newly appointed CIMA board of directors next week and indicated he was keen to ensure that allegations of con- fl icts in relation to the FIFA investigation stay well away from Cayman’s fi nancial services industry regulator. The issue of confl icts arose in early June, when it was revealed that CIMA Managing Director Cindy Scotland’s husband, former government minister Mark Scotland, has worked since last year for the Cayman Islands Football Association under its pres- ident, Webb, and was in Switzerland with Webb at the time of Webb’s arrest on May 27. In addition, former government minister Cline Glidden’s wife Gloria serves as deputy head of CIMA’s banking division. Mr. Glidden was also in Switzerland with Webb for FIFA’s Contractor to rebuild fi re victims’ home JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Construction fi rm Arch and Godfrey has stepped in as project manager of a massive community effort to build a new home for a family who lost everything in a fi re at the weekend. The home in Windsor Park, George Town, burned to the ground in a matter of min- utes on Friday night after an electrical fi re ripped through the wooden building, leaving 17 people homeless. The blaze prompted a spontaneous out- pouring of community support for the Buttrum family. Now Arch and Godfrey has agreed to manage the rebuilding effort, which will be accomplished through donations of time, materials and equipment from the fi rm and other businesses. The burned-out building was demol- ished this week. Architect Eduardo Bernal is already working on designs for a two- story building to house the fi ve families. Garth Arch, of Arch and Godfrey, said the PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » A community construction team including architect Eduardo Bernal, Alwin Buttrum, Garth Arch, Johnny Buttrum and Matthew Leslie aims to rebuild the fi re-stricken home by Christmas. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY2 LOCAL NEWS Friday July 31, 2015 • Cayman Compass CARIBBEANCAFEA til 3pm Saturdays & Sundays! Cimboco ~ A Caribbean Café 94-PASTA (947-2782) Located in The Marquee Plaza Brunch & Breakfast Shabbat Candle Lighting time on Friday, July 31 6:44pm Chabad Jewish Center of the Cayman Islands jewishcayman.com-345.516.4474 TOMORROW Saturday, August 1st Barefoot Man and Sea N’B 8:00pm - 11:00pm Come for dinner Stay for Dancing No Cover “BOOGIE NIGHTS” Finally the last Friday of the Month has arrived! Friday, July 31st Old School Dance Party 70’s disco & 80’s classics Music By DJ FLEX Starting at 9:30pm NO COVER Call 949-2231 or email: thewharf@candw.ky LOTTERY LANE 5 bed, 4.5 bath, 5400s/f Large home on a large lot Near agricultural grounds Lots of fruit trees l l l l NEW LISTING! CI$475,000 Member CIREBA MLS#404714 345-945-4411 info@cirealty.ky caymanislandsrealty.com www.tonymosleylifeinsurance.com Brother gets four years for machete attack Carol Winker cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man who chopped his brother 11 times with a ma- chete and then called 911 to report it was sentenced on Wednesday to four years’ imprisonment for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Easton Rudolph Russell, 50, was initially charged with the attempted murder of Carlos Renton “Sammy” Russell, 52, at Carlos’s yard in Bodden Town on the morning of Nov. 4, 2014. CCTV showed Easton chopping Carlos with 11 full blows to his head and body. In passing sentence, Justice Malcolm Swift commented, “It’s a miracle he survived with his head still attached to his body.” In considering the aggra- vating and mitigating fac- tors, the judge told Easton, “I accept you were driven to distraction by your brother’s behavior.” That behavior included alleged threats by Carlos to Easton and members of Easton’s family. Senior Crown counsel Tanya Lobban presented the background to the charge. She said 911 received a call around 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 4 from Easton. “I think I just killed my brother,” he reported. Police found Easton holding his machete, which appeared to be smeared with blood. They ordered him to drop it and any other weapons. He com- plied and did not resist ar- rest. Meanwhile, neigh- bors were assisting Carlos, who was covered in blood. Emergency Medical Services took him to hospital. The brothers had been close, Ms. Lobban said, but since 2012 there had been a feud about treatment meted out to their ailing fa- ther, who has since died. The brothers’ relationship became more strained and Easton started reporting threats made by Carlos. Justice Swift referred to reports made to police by Easton about Carlos’s threats to kill him and about threats to Easton’s children; he pointed out that Easton had then refused to make further statements about the incidents. Defense attorney Laurence Aiolfi said when Easton went to police to complain, officers told him not to waste their resources, that it was his and his broth- er’s problem. That factor added to Easton’s frustra- tion, the attorney said. Justice Swift picked out another complaint from the file documents – the alleged use of a firearm or threat of a firearm. He noted it had been listed as a civil dispute. While there was some degree of provocation, the judge said, it did not im- mediately precede Easton’s attack. “I cannot overlook the fact that you went to his home,” Justice Swift told the defendant. He said he believed that the trigger for the attack oc- curred when, on Nov. 4, Easton’s son gave him a mes- sage the teenager had re- ceived on his phone from “Uncle Sammy,” which read: “Tell your daddy any time he ready, I’m ready.” Mr. Aiolfi said Easton did not go directly to con- front Carlos, but called him to tell him not to involve his children. He told Carlos they needed to speak about the situation: “The response he gets is more threats against him and his family,” Mr. Aiolfi said. Easton then drove to his brother’s house, didn’t see him and drove away, but then received a call telling him to come back. The agreed narrative was that when he returned he saw Carlos with a machete. Easton drove his vehicle at Carlos and knocked him down. He hit a fence and got out of his car with a ma- chete in his hand. Justice Swift said it was his opinion that although Carlos had a machete, he was not aggressive with it; he was trying to defend himself. The judge said, in addi- tion to deep, semi-circular injuries to the back of the neck, Carlos had a lacera- tion to his scalp almost 8 inches long. Bone fragments from his skull were driven into his brain. There was long-term damage to his shoulder and hand. He has difficulty walking. The vi- sion in his left eye is deteri- orating: this was especially serious because Carlos is al- ready blind in his right eye, the judge noted. Carlos underwent surgery after the incident. He needs further surgery, but hasn’t had it because he can’t af- ford it, the judge said. Mr. Aiolfi said Easton was willing to pay compensa- tion and could do so if he re- ceived a suspended sentence. The judge said this sus- tained attack and the seri- ousness of the injuries re- quired a custodial sentence. The maximum for wounding with intent is life imprisonment, but sentences have ranged from probation to 12 years. Justice Swift said he would normally take the nine- to 12-year range as his starting point. Taking nine years as his starting point, he raised that to 10 years because of the seriousness of the injuries and the sur- gery and expense Carlos still faces. Because of miti- gating circumstances, he re- duced 10 years to six years, then gave one-third credit for Easton’s guilty plea. The result was a prison sentence of four years. “I think this is a merciful sentence,” Justice Swift said. He added that he would not order compensa- tion, but the victim could pursue the matter through a civil suit if he wished. Rape, aggRavated buRglaRy suspect chaRged DNA, fingerprint links defendant, Crown alleges Carol Winker cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A 22-year-old man was charged Thursday with rape and aggravated bur- glary in connection with an attack in West Bay last week. Andre Antonio Chase, who was arrested Tuesday following a lengthy po- lice chase, appeared in Summary Court. The mag- istrate transmitted his case to Grand Court, where Chase will have a right to a jury trial. Defense attorney Alice Carver agreed to a mention date on Aug. 7. Aggravated burglary is defined as trespassing with intent to commit an offense and possessing a weapon. Crown counsel Scott Wainwright said the in- truder in this case had a piece of rope and a knife. He told Magistrate Valdis Foldats that police had DNA and fingerprint evidence linking Chase to the incident, which hap- pened on Thursday, July 23. Chase was arrested five days later, following a pursuit that included a police helicopter, Mr. Wainwright said. He added that Chase, when interviewed, an- swered no comment to a majority of the questions but specifically denied the offenses, saying he was home at the time. Ms. Carver did not make a bail application. Chase is also charged with the burglary of a West Bay residence on July 4 in which shoes and baseball caps were stolen. He also faces charges involving damage to prop- erty and theft related to an incident at the West Bay Police Station on July 18. These two files are still in Summary Court, so Chase will appear there via video link on Aug. 4. gt Road closuRe foR music festival Harbour Drive be- tween Goring Avenue and Boilers Road in central George Town will be closed to traffic Friday from 11 a.m. until midnight to ac- commodate a waterfront music festival. The Harbour Nights fes- tival stage will be erected on Harbour Drive. Police advise that while Harbour Drive will be closed to traffic, Goring Avenue and Boilers Road will remain open to allow for the free flow of traffic around the closure. clinton: lift cuba embaRgo WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign says she will call for lifting the embargo with Cuba in a Florida address Friday. In the speech, Clinton will side with President Barack Obama, who has normalized re- lations with Cuba, and deride Republican presidential oppo- nents for pushing what she calls the “failed policies of the past.”The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 Cayman Compass • Friday July 31, 2015 4975 LIME - JAMAICA Independence 2015 - Full Page Ad - CMYK - 10.33 x 15.97 - 21 July 2015 UPGRADE TO SWEET DEALS FOR ONE SPECIAL DAY RETURN We’re saluting Jamaica Independence with amazing deals only at Fosters Food Fair airport store, 10am to 2pm, Saturday 1st August. DOUBLE BUBBLE TOP-UP FLIGHTS TO JAMAICA ENTER TO WIN WHEN YOU SPEND $ 20 OR MORE WHEN YOU TOP-UP $ 20 OR MORE FROM MINIMUM TOP-UP 2 49 $ 20 $ SMARTPHONE HANDSET DEALS STRICTLY WHILE STOCKS LASTThe 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 offi ce. FRIDAY JULY 31, 2015 • CAYMAN COMPASS There are likely murderers (plural) roaming freely in the Cayman Islands, untried and unaccountable for their homicidal actions. This is directly attributable to Cayman’s prevalent culture of silence and perceived retribution. On Wednesday, Justin Devon Manderson, who was accused of killing Victor Oliver Yates Jr. on Jan. 3, was discharged from custody after multiple Crown witnesses backed out of testifying in the case. “We cannot proceed without witnesses,” prosecutor Patrick Moran said. We want to be clear that we are not accusing Man- derson of committing this or any crime. He has not been, and may never be, tried in a court of law for the charges he faced, including murder and possession of an unli- censed fi rearm. Manderson is innocent until proven guilty. Nonetheless, someone did murder Mr. Yates, and that killer is still among us. Intimidation and the fear of retribution extend far beyond murder cases, to instances such as domestic violence and sexual abuse. It even fi nds its way into white-collar government bureaucracies, business board- rooms and executive suites. As journalists, we can report that Cayman’s leaders and “ordinary citizens” are routinely reluctant to speak up on serious issues facing the country if they think their names will be appended to their remarks. In other words, they will speak freely privately but recoil from having their words associated with their names. If the proverbial “Martian” were to arrive in the Cayman Islands, he may well be forgiven for believing that the most common surnames here are “Ebanks,” “Bodden,” and “Anonymous.” In fairness, it is extremely diffi cult to discern whether the threat of retribution is real or imaginary. What is certain is that the fear is pervasive. The perception, for example, is that if one publicly criticizes the government or the civil service, there may well be retaliatory conse- quences – work permits may be delayed or declined, con- tracts withheld, paperwork “misplaced” … Our own experience is that these fears are largely exaggerated, but their widespread perception suggests that they should be addressed – and condemned – by our elected leaders and by our governor who represents the principles and values of our sovereign. After all, freedom of speech without retribution by government is a guaranteed basic right in the Cayman Islands, enshrined in the Bill of Rights of our Constitution. At the Compass, as our readers (and letter writers) know, we do not publish anonymous correspondence on our website or in our newspaper. That practice will continue and, in fact, will be expanded. For some time, we have looked upon our weekly popular online poll with growing unease because many of the comments that are included in the accompanying article are made anonymously. Additionally, publishing the results of the online poll (though we stipulate they are unscientifi c) nevertheless imbues the results with an unmerited air of accuracy, in terms of gauging the overall opinion of the Cayman public. There have also been instances where people have attempted to “hijack” some of the more “controversial” polls. For example, our recent survey on the cruise dock attracted more than 50,000 duplicate votes by unknown parties attempting to manip- ulate the poll’s outcome. Consequently, we have made the decision to cease that feature altogether. Today’s poll will be our last. At the same time, we are pleased to announce the launch of a new feature called “Sound Off” – that will appear on our website starting Monday. Sound Off is an invitation to Compass readers to tell our editors what’s on their minds, and to leave tips or other news leads, without having to register on the website, or provide a name. We won’t be publishing anonymous or unverifi able comments, but it’s our way of keeping our ears to the ground. Like the online poll, Sound Off will include a topic of the week in order to spark discussion, but we actively encourage people to send us their thoughts or informa- tion on any subject whatsoever. Cayman’s fear factor must be repudiated and eliminated 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 fi nd their own way” ‘A defi ciency in CIMA’s governance’ The fi nancial industry op- erating in Cayman is a cor- nerstone of the islands’ pros- perity. An earlier Cayman government wisely estab- lished CIMA as an indepen- dent monetary and fi nancial sector regulatory body com- pliant with applicable inter- national standards. Under the able leadership of its man- aging director, Cindy Scotland, CIMA has attracted and devel- oped a capable staff. Together these play a critical role in the success of Cayman’s fi nancial industry. Being a small island, it has always been a challenge for CIMA to fi nd professionals with relevant fi nancial sector experience without serious confl icts of interest to oversee its operations. Thus the Cayman government wisely decided to appoint a number of overseas experts to its board of directors. I was one of them, serving two and a half terms from 2003 to 2010. CIMA directors and staff rou- tinely recuse themselves from the consideration of any mat- ters with which they might have or appear to have a con- fl ict of interest. I do not know if any mat- ters related to the FIFA scandal, such as the super- vision of the Cayman bank involved, have come before CIMA, but it is disappointing that Ms. Scotland has not publicly stated her intention to recuse herself in such cases as suggested by the Cayman Compass Editorial Board (July 29). Similarly, CIMA’s over- sight board should publicly announce its policy and inten- tion to demand it of her and any other staff with potential confl icts of interest. This raises a defi ciency in CIMA’s governance that was discussed but left un- addressed when I was on the Board. CIMA’s man- aging director is appointed by and accountable to the Cabinet. Her salary is fi xed by the Cabinet. As a result the MD is less responsive to the guidance and direc- tion of the board than she should be. It is long overdue to fi x this weakness in the never-ending and critical task of preserving a fi nancial sector regulator of the highest caliber. 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. WARREN COATS WARREN COATS I do not know if any matters related to the FIFA scandal, such as the supervision of the Cayman bank involved, have come before CIMA, but it is disappointing that Ms. Scotland has not publicly stated her intention to recuse herself in such cases[.] FROM CAYMANCOMPASS.COM “Stakeholders debate long-term tourism strategy,” July 30 The numbers don’t add up positively, there’s a huge risk to the environment, this will nearly bankrupt Cayman again, and once started, successive governments will be forced to find a way to complete it while it’s another drain on Cayman’s already weak budget. Stay-over tourists, while only 20 percent of the total number, deliver 80 percent of the revenue. Is it rocket science to see who the focus should be on? I am really trying to un- derstand the business sense in forging ahead with this. Michael Davis All one has to do to see if one side or the other is telling the truth is check their number of customers. Those that are getting on Stingray City boats and buses and stores. Then go past dive boats on Soto Reef and Eden Rock and count the divers. You will see for yourself. Bring a pair of binoculars and a video camera. We need to understand the portion of reef that will be destroyed is not going to impact the diving commu- nity at all. They have reefs all around the island. In fact ac- cording to the United Nations Environmental Program, there should not be any more then 5,000 dives done on a reef site per year. Otherwise they are causing damage to the reef. So are they really worried about coral damage? I say baloney! David MillerThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 Cayman Compass • Friday July 31, 2015 Join Us For The Kick Off Of THIS SATURDAY 1st AUGUST We will be located at 9am - 4pm All School Supplies Donated Will Be Greatly Appreciated6 OBITUARY Friday July 31, 2015 • Cayman Compass 1960-2015 Andrew Lee Guthrie Andrew Lee Guthrie, 54, of Church Crookham, Hampshire, U.K., passed away on July 24 at the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice, Surrey, of complications from renal cancer. Mr. Guthrie was born in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA, on Oct. 20, 1960, to Madge Gould Guthrie of Morgantown and the late Dr. Roland Lee Guthrie. He was a 1978 graduate of Morgantown High School, and earned his bachelor’s degree in plant science and master’s de- gree in horticulture at West Virginia University. He served as vice- president of the WVU Horticulture Club and was a member of Alpha Zeta, the fraternal organization for agriculture and natural re- sources professionals. He also earned a di- ploma in botanic garden management from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London, and a di- ploma in garden design from The Garden Design School at Painshill Park, Cobham, Surrey, U.K. After completing his master’s degree, Mr. Guthrie accepted an eight- month internship at the Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Civic Garden Center, where he realized that his in- terests lay in the field of public horticulture. After a brief period of managing a wholesale/retail nursery in Pittsburgh, he became the first gardener hired by the Pittsburgh Zoo in its then 90-year history. After five years at the zoo, he took up the post of curator at the Joseph Reynold O’Neal Botanic Gardens in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. In addi- tion to the botanic gar- dens, he was respon- sible for the gardens at Government House, the of- ficial home of the British governor to the islands. In 1995, Mr. Guthrie moved to Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, to take up the post of general manager of the newly established Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. During his 15 years at the botanic park, he helped guide the facility from an idea to a fully functional botanic garden. He also served 12 years as secre- tary of the Cayman Islands Orchid Society. In 2008, the Cayman Islands government asked Mr. Guthrie to de- sign a traditional Cayman sand garden for exhibit at the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show in London. This garden ex- hibit, complete with 18-foot coconut trees and a replica of a traditional Cayman cottage, won a silver medal, and Mr. Guthrie had the pleasure of being intro- duced to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II when she vis- ited the Cayman exhibit as part of the royal tour of the show. In 2009, he was asked to create another garden ex- hibit for the Chelsea Flower Show. This exhibit was a re-creation of a Cayman coral reef using plants that looked like coral and other undersea creatures, and it won a gold medal and the Royal Horticultural Society President’s Most Creative Exhibit in Show award. In 2010, he accepted the position of garden manager at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Wisley Gardens, one of the most fa- mous gardens in the U.K. Unfortunately, after one year Mr. Guthrie was diag- nosed with renal cancer. In addition to his mother, Mr. Guthrie is sur- vived by his partner of 11 years, two brothers and two cousins. In addition to his father, he was predeceased by his first partner and an aunt. Following a private cre- mation ceremony, a Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated in the Church of England – St. Mary’s Church, High Street, Putney, London, SW15 1SN, U.K. on Sept. 1, with the Rev. Lady Ailsa Newby as celebrant. Interment will take place at a later date at Colney Wood Woodland Burial Park, Norwich, Norfolk. A memorial service will take place in Grand Cayman at a later date. Andrew Lee Guthrie7 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Friday July 31, 2015 99 TO GRAB YOURSELF A SAMSUNG S6, OR iPHONE 6 $99 DOWN AND $99 A MONTH. YOU HAVE CAMANA BAY | GEORGE TOWN | COUNTRYSIDE CHANCES HURRY WHILE STOCKS LAST IN STORE NOW SAMSUNG GALAXY S6- $99 Arsenic test results due in August; waste removal starts TAd SToner tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Health inspectors have gone home and environ- mental officials have removed a truckload of bulk waste while Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose awaits results of arsenic testing on the Frank Sound farm. Researchers from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences (ICENS), both based at Kingston’s University of the West Indies, have tested 25 people – from the Charles Powell family and neighbors – for arsenic contamination and have drilled dozens of holes in an effort to deter- mine “ground zero” for the poison. Both the soil and ground- water on the 14.5-acre Powell family farm will be assessed at the Jamaica laboratories, with results due sometime in August. “The collection of samples has … been concluded and we now await the conclu- sion of testing and receipt of the report[s] from PAHO and ICENS – which we do not an- ticipate for several weeks,” Mr. Rose said. PAHO spokesman Sebastian Oliel offered more detail, saying one PAHO of- ficial and two ICENS inves- tigators conducted the tests, but he was uncertain about the results and dates: “[E] xperts from PAHO and from ICENS … collected samples of water, soil, fruits, grass and dead animals. “Additionally, samples were taken for analysis from 25 people in the area. The samples were then sent to ICENS’s laboratories in Kingston, Jamaica,” he said. “The results of these tests and other findings of the in- vestigation are expected to be ready in August and will be delivered to Cayman author- ities. We don’t know exactly when in August that will be.” Mr. Rose said he hoped for a general release of the findings: “It is our intention to make the report public.” Neither Mr. Rose nor Mr. Oliel would speculate on post-report plans should re- sults indicate site remedi- ation is required: “As you know, the initial objective of this investigation is to assess the levels – if any – of arsenic in the environment and in people living in the area. “This information will be used to develop recom- mendations for addressing any problems uncovered,” Mr. Oliel said. Chad Powell, son of farm owner Charles Powell, said soil and water sampling – and family testing – concluded July 10. “The Water Authority was also up there with PAHO and ICENS,” he said, “although not all at the same time. “We’re going to wait for the initial results,” he said. Just prior to the PAHO and ICENS departures, he said, three workers from the Department of Environmental Health re- moved a truckload of what Mr. Powell described as “hazardous materials,” com- prising tires, paint cans, metal containers, plastic piping and general scrap. Roydell Carter, di- rector at the Cayman Islands Department of Environmental Health, esti- mated that 15 cubic feet of waste had been removed in one truckload: “Bulky items, cans, metal, it was spread all over the place.” He said they would com- plete the cleanup – “maybe an- other couple of truckloads,” – but “we have to wait until the site settles and dries out from the rains before we can do anything. We have to walk it and see what is there exactly.” He said the possibility of arsenic contamination of local land and water did not affect the bulky materials the Department of Environmental Health workers removed. “They are two different things,” he said. “The tests are on the soil of Grand Cayman for contamination, and we already knew about the arsenic. We moved what we knew about.” The removed waste was sorted and stored at the George Town Landfill. “We had to clean up the mess left by the previous contractor,” Mr. Carter said. The contractor, MC Restoration, was employed by the Cayman Islands Recovery Operation in the wake of Hurricane Ivan to aid in the cleanup. Part of the operation was centralization of bulk waste from five sites around the island and incin- eration of vegetable matter and pressure-treated wood at the Powell farm site. The wood was infused with arsenic, which occurs naturally in modest quanti- ties and is used as an anti- fungal agent to prevent rot- ting in extreme weather. Arsenic-laden post-incin- eration ash was stored on the Powell farm and ul- timately abandoned. Two injured in West Bay dirt bike crash A woman riding as a pil- lion passenger on a dirt bike was critically injured when the bike collided with an SUV Wednesday night in West Bay. The 21-year-old man op- erating the dirt bike was also hurt when it collided with a Toyota Rav 4 at the entrance of Liberty’s Restaurant on Reverend Blackman Road around 8 p.m. According to police, the collision occurred when the Toyota’s driver, a 17-year-old female, was turning right into the restaurant car park and struck the dirt bike, which was heading in the op- posite direction. The 21-year-old passenger on the dirt bike was in crit- ical condition with head in- juries at press time Thursday. The motorbike’s operator did not receive life-threatening injuries, and the Toyota driver was not hurt in the collision. A police spokesperson confirmed Thursday that dirt bikes are not consid- ered legal to operate on Cayman’s roads. 8 LOCAL NEWS Friday July 31, 2015 • Cayman Compass Aspiring vet tackles muddy mountain AshAni FrAncis-collins afrancis-collins@pinnaclemedialtd.com Melanie Moore, a Caymanian studying at Aberystwyth University in Wales, raised $300 for the Cayman Islands Humane Society by participating in a challenging mud run on a Welsh mountain in March. Muddy Mountain Aberystwyth is an obstacle- filled mud run held peri- odically on the west coast of Wales. Ms. Moore said that while preparation for the 5-kilometer race wasn’t too difficult, it was still a new and unique experi- ence for her. “I’m a pretty active person, so it wasn’t too in- tense,” she said. “To pre- pare I would run a 5k twice a week. I didn’t really know what to expect in regard to the obstacle course. There was obviously a lot of mud, but [all the participants] worked together as a team and made it through.” Ms. Moore, 20, has been a part-time veterinary as- sistant at Island Veterinary Services in Grand Cayman for the past six years. She said that working with Dr. Brenda Bush at the clinic was part of what motivated her to pursue veterinary studies. “She made me realize my full potential and that this is what I wanted to do,” she said. Ms. Moore is about to begin her third and final year studying a pre-veterinary de- gree at Aberystwyth University. After she graduates next year, she intends to pursue a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery in the U.S. Dr. Bush, who has been mentoring Ms. Moore since she was 14, said she is ex- tremely proud of Ms. Moore’s progress and her work with animal welfare. “I’ve mentored a lot of kids and she really is something special,” Dr. Bush said. “She’s been a really great part of our clinic and we’ve seen her grow into this really poised, intelligent young woman. She really puts her heart and soul into her studies.” Ms. Moore said raising money for the Humane Society was an obvious choice. “I’ve always been ac- tively involved with them over the years, volun- teering and trying to help any way I can. Even though I am studying overseas, I strongly believe that charity starts at home. “One main reason to raise money for the Humane Society was to raise aware- ness and hopefully inspire others to do the same,” Ms. Moore said. “They really need a new building, which was evident during the recent flooding that happened here. I believe some people are still unaware about the many challenges they face.” Jason Jairam, shelter manager at the Humane Society, said Ms. Moore has been an incredible volunteer for many years. “Melanie is really compassionate about animals and their well- being,” he said. “She’s gotten a lot of animals adopted and would always call and see if there was anything she could help out with. “For the past year or so we have been struggling fi- nancially, so the money she raised for us will go towards our vet bills because we have a few backed up right now,” Mr. Jairam added. “We really appreciate the money she has given us.” Melanie Moore, with her dog Bones, presents a check to Jason Jairam of the Humane Society on Thursday. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY DRug cOuNcil SEEkS PRiSON SuRvEY vOluNTEERS The Cayman Islands National Drug Council is looking for volunteers to as- sist in its latest survey of al- cohol and drug abuse among prisoners in the islands. The survey will be con- ducted between Sept. 7 and Sept. 11. Volunteers will be needed at 8:30- 11:30 a.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m. on those days to ad- minister the survey at the prison facilities. Volunteering does not require anyone to attend the prisons for the full week of the survey, how- ever volunteers will have to attend a training ses- sion prior to the survey, the drug council advised. Drug council informa- tion officer Luisa McLaughlin said the survey is done on a cyclical basis to examine the extent and patterns of drug use among inmates. “Surveys such as these contribute to a better under- standing of both current and changing rates of substance use,” Ms. McLaughlin said. Anyone who wants to volunteer or otherwise support the survey is asked to call the drug council at 949-9000 or email lmclaughlin@ndc.ky. Ms. Moore, 20, has been a part-time veterinary assistant at Island Veterinary Services in Grand Cayman for the past six years. The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JULY 31, 2015 We regret to announce the passing of Victoria Winsome Scott Who departed this life on Wednesday, 22 July, 2015. Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page Interment will follow in Prospect Cemetery. Funeral services will be held at the Church of God (Holiness) Red Bay, Sunday, 2 August 2015 at 3:00 PM. Viewing will be from 2:00 PM one hour prior to the service. The Family of the late ERNA AUDREY RYAN announces her home coming to be with the Lord on Saturday July 18, 2015 at 6:50am at the Faith Hospital on Cayman Brac. A Service of Thanksgiving for her life will be held on Sunday August 2, 2015 at 3:00pm, at the Aston Rutty Centre Cayman Brac. Interment will follow at the Stake Bay Cemetery, Cayman Brac. Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page In Loving Memory To A Special Sister Ms. Rosita Bennett My dear loved ones, there is no need to cry or be sad any longer. I am happy and in no pain, only sweet serenity. You don’t have to worry about me anymore. My heavenly father has fi tted me with my own white robe and wings. On July 30, 2013 God made me know my mansion was completed. I could go on and on about my new home but instead I am going to pray that you will one day move here. Before I go here is my new address, please pass it on. It’s behind the pearly gates and surrounded by a beautiful lake. You will always be in my heart. From your loving sister in America, Ms. Virginia Macdonald to the buyers not making some of the payments. However, he said their at- torneys – the Bodden & Bodden law firm – inter- vened and assisted in re- solving the matter. Mr. Scott said he be- lieved the two buyers, who were not Cayman Brackers, intended to use the land as a “retirement property.” Messrs. Ebanks and Evans could not be reached by press time Thursday. Government property records show that the “Governor of the Cayman Islands” [the Crown] bought the 2.1-acre parcel outright on the registered sale date of Aug. 14, 2012 for $125,000. The Cayman Compass sent questions to Speaker O’Connor-Connolly as well as government Ministry of District Administration of- ficials Wednesday seeking an explanation for why the sale price of the prop- erty had increased 47 per- cent in less than two years. Also, the Compass asked for what purpose the gov- ernment intended to use the property. No responses had been received by press time Thursday. Mr. Swarbrick’s office indicated that it had de- termined no practical re- quirement for the govern- ment to have bought the land in 2012. “Although a Cabinet paper states the rationale for the purchase as de- velopment of affordable housing, the property has never been vested with Sister Islands Affordable Housing nor is there any evidence that the agency was consulted prior to the acquisition,” the audit re- port released on July 23 stated. “[In the referenced case] there is a possible breach of trust as there was no evident government requirement [to purchase the land] whatsoever.” Mr. Swarbrick said he would take the matter to the Cayman Islands Anti- Corruption Commission at its next meeting. Ms. O’Connor-Connolly was also contacted about the allegations in the auditor general’s report on July 23. She has not responded. Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin’s of- fice also did not re- spond to Compass re- quests for comment on the auditor’s report. The Compass contacted Sister Islands Affordable Housing Development Corp. Chairman Sidney Ebanks on Wednesday re- garding the property pur- chase. After looking up the referenced property, he told the newspaper he wasn’t sure what the property was intended for and that no affordable housing projects had been started there. Contractor to rebuild fire victims’ home annual meeting prior to the arrests and was working for CONCACAF on the creation of a regional football dispute resolution court. Mr. Stein said there had been no allegations of wrongdoing against either Mr. Scotland or Mr. Glidden stemming from the FIFA probe, but he said the for- mation of a separate CIMA internal committee should quiet concerns over ap- parent conflicts. “Anybody that has any connections to anyone in the [U.S. investigation] … has been recused,” Mr. Stein said. “I think that CIMA … has and will play an impor- tant role in the reputation of the Cayman Islands as an in- ternational financial center. As the new chair, I can as- sure everyone we will be working very closely with these investigations.” Former CIMA Chairman George McCarthy said in June that the agency would create an internal committee following Webb’s arrest in Switzerland on U.S.-based charges of racketeering and money laundering. Webb is the former FIFA vice presi- dent and ex-CONCACAF pres- ident and has been accused of soliciting bribes through his attaché, Takkas, in ex- change for awarding lucrative football tournament commer- cialization contracts to select sports marketing firms. At least one current and one former Cayman Islands bank, Fidelity and Barclays, were named in connection with the U.S. federal court in- dictments, although neither bank was accused of wrong- doing in court records. The three-person in- ternal committee, consisting of CIMA head of banking Charles Ilako, head of com- pliance R.J. Berry and deputy general counsel Andre Mon Desir, will present a report to CIMA’s “non-executive board” – meaning without CIMA’s managing director being present – relative to the au- ditors’ and its own findings, Mr. Stein said. The purpose of appointing the committee, Mr. Stein said, was to separate any investi- gations CIMA and its forensic accounting consultants con- duct into the local finan- cial transactions referenced in the U.S. indictment from whoever in the regulatory authority may have “connec- tions” to Webb. In effect, the appointment of the internal review committee to inves- tigate FIFA-related transac- tions means anyone at CIMA with those connections has been recused from the inves- tigation, Mr. Stein said. For the time being, the CIMA committee and its fo- rensic accountants will focus only on the Fidelity Bank transactions identified in the U.S. indictment released on May 27, Mr. Stein said. If there were other areas of concern identified in the course of the review, the investigation could expand, he said. Mr. Stein said his appoint- ment and the appointment of three other new CIMA board members on July 21 was un- related to the ongoing in- vestigations concerning the FIFA matter. “Those were people whose terms had simply come up,” he said. Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton said Tuesday that additional ap- pointments to the CIMA board would be forthcoming shortly to provide a full com- plement of members to the regulatory authority board. company would organize and manage the building project to ensure the homes are built safely and within current building codes. “We felt that with our expertise we would be able to assist the family and the project to ensure the house gets rebuilt as quickly and as safely as possible,” Mr. Arch said. He added that several other contractors have of- fered to donate materials and expertise, and planning and building regulators have agreed to expedite the permit process. He said the construc- tion team has set the target of getting the family moved into their new home, on the same site, by Christmas. Some of the manpower for the rebuild will come from the family. “All the family will be chipping in, right down to the babies,” Alwin Buttrum told the Cayman Compass this week. “Everybody is going to help. We are a close family and we have friends in the neighbor- hood that are helping.” Matthew Leslie, of Cayman Islands Brewery, who has been orga- nizing volunteer efforts, said the support from the community had been overwhelming. He said Arch and Godfrey’s involvement would ensure the house will be safe and up to plan- ning codes. “It is not like they are getting a free mansion. It is going to be a basic struc- ture,” said Mr. Leslie. “We are going to do what is needed to get them their home back.” Tradesmen or contractors willing to assist may call Arch and Godfrey on 949-2370. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Forensic accountants to review FIFA bank transactions Mr. Stein The same land had sold about 20 months earlier for a much lower price, according to property records examined by the newspaper. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Government paid 47 percent more for Cayman Brac land “I think that CIMA … has and will play an important role in the reputation of the Cayman Islands as an international financial center.” GRANT STEIN, chairman, CIMA board of directors CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 SIERRA LEONE FACES EBOLA SETBACK 500 under quarantine FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) – Authorities in Sierra Leone said Thursday they had quarantined 500 people after a man died from Ebola in an area where the deadly virus had been gone for months, in another setback for the fight against the disease. Hassan Abdul Sesay, a member of parliament from the region, said that the victim had con- tracted Ebola in the cap- ital, Freetown, and then traveled to his home vil- lage to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Northern Tonkolili District had not had a single case of Ebola in five months, and the World Health Organization said earlier this week that the lowest number of new cases in a year had been reported in West Africa. The new case shows, however, how just one sick person can change that. The man was treated for fever at a local hospital but authorities did not call the Ebola emergency number. Ebola’s main symptom is fever, which is also found in more common illnesses such as malaria and typhoid. Now the 30 nurses who treated him and his en- tire home village are being quarantined. Authorities are also concerned because the man’s father is a taxi driver who brought his son to at least two hospitals. His family and friends buried him without fol- lowing the special proce- dures required for Ebola victims to avoid spreading the disease after death. Authorities still ex- pressed optimism that the disease would soon be contained.Next >