ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Monday SepteMber 28, 2015 High of 91 Low of 81 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. ABCDE NATIONAL WEEKLY Worst Week Donald Trump 3 Politics Fiorina’s life as a CEO 4 5 Myths Classified info 23 IS BIGGER BETTER? Central Florida has builtthe nation’s second-largest undergraduate enrollment by redefining the cost andexperience of college PAGE 12 Health Hospitals say copper is golden 16 THE WEEK OF SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2015 . IN COLLABORA TION WITH THE WASHINGTON POST Is bigger better? Editorial | pagE 4 St. JaMeS point: bodden town’S tiMe to Shine SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA NEW ImmIgratIon Law Government: ‘Further work’ needed PR points system revisited brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands government will be delving back into certain areas of the territory’s Immigration Law to ensure legal issues raised by the chief justice last month are addressed. Specifically, Premier Alden McLaughlin said the current “points system” used to eval- uate applications for permanent residence made by non-Caymanians would be revisited “in so far as it will directly address the issues identified by the chief justice.” “[It] is not meant, or intended to be, a wholesale review of the legislation,” a state- ment issued by Mr. McLaughlin’s office late Thursday indicated. The issues identified in Chief Justice Anthony Smellie’s Aug. 28 judgment dealt with two major areas: First, the actions of the Immigration Appeals Tribunal in two cases where non-Caymanians had applied for per- manent residence in which the tribunal’s ac- tions with regard to those applications were determined to be a “miscarriage of justice.” Those applications were made under a former version of the Immigration Law. The second matter involved the current permanent residence system and how points toward that status are awarded to appli- cants. Chief Justice Smellie concluded in the judgment that there were “immediate and ob- vious concerns” about the current two-tiered LIME brIngs fIELd sErvIcEs In-housE Services were outsourced to Ericsson two years ago Michael Klein mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two years after Cable and Wireless com- pany LIME outsourced parts of its main- tenance services to Ericsson, laying off 39 people, the telecommunications provider has announced it is bringing the field services back in-house. The decision is part of several opera- tional changes to overhaul and improve its customer service experience, LIME said in a press statement. In 2013, LIME Cayman CEO Bill McCabe said the outsourcing was crucial to help the company stay competitive and improve its ser- vices to customers. At the time, LIME made the switch across the Caribbean and Mr. McCabe said companies worldwide were finding that subcontracting road work, such as installa- tions and maintenance, was allowing them to focus on other aspects of their business. Most of the staff laid off in 2013 were hired by Ericsson after the government threat- ened the company “must hire Caymanians” or have its operating license pulled. Earlier this year, Cable and Wireless an- nounced a merger with Columbus, which will see the group’s retail segment branding change from LIME to Flow. “We are merging the best of two great companies and Flow is renowned for its tre- mendous ability to deliver outstanding cus- tomer service experiences,” Mr. McCabe said in the statement released Friday. “It’s with this in mind, and a renewed sense of confidence, that we have taken the decision to make our field services management an in-house Huge crowd bids farewell to Cayman’s ‘gentle hero’ brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Pioneer developer, seaman, grandfa- ther of five and Cayman’s erstwhile “Santa Claus” Rex Herbert Hughes Crighton was laid to rest following a memorial service in George Town Saturday afternoon. Mr. Crighton, who passed away at age 81 on Sept. 13, was known to many in Cayman as the man with the big house in Spotts who put up an impressive display of Christmas lights and decorations each hol- iday season. However, those who spoke in remem- brance of Mr. Crighton Saturday afternoon at the Church of God Chapel on Walkers Road knew him as much more than that. Born Nov. 6, 1933, the only child of Cayman’s “Nurse Starr,” Stella Daisy Ann Crighton, Mr. Crighton, as did many men of his generation in Cayman, served during his late teens and 20’s at sea as a ship’s engineer and did not form his first busi- ness on island until 1960. It was known as the Caribbean Furniture Company, Ltd. and was done in partnership with two Jamaican businessmen. “[Mr. Crighton] often told the story that when business was slow, he would have his driver load furniture on the back of the de- livery truck and drive around town,” said Premier Alden McLaughlin, who told Mr. Crighton’s life story at the memorial ser- vice Saturday. “He would then return to the store, rearrange the furniture and drive through town again. “People saw this and assumed the fur- niture business was doing very well, and this drove more business his way,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “’That’s the art of doing PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Premier alden mcLaughlin addresses the hundreds who turned out to mourn the passing of rex Crighton Saturday at the Church of god Chapel. - Photo: brEnt fuLLEr PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Monday SepteMber 28, 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. *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - MONDAY - $8.00 * UPCOMING RUGBY MATCHES AT THE CINEMA – THURS * VISIT WWW.BIGSCREEN.KY FOR MORE INFORMATION. 18 YEARS & OVER HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 3D (PG) 12.30 I 2:50 I 5:05 2D I 7:20 9:35 2D EVEREST 3D (PG13) 12:50 I 3:35 2D I 7:10 I 9:55 THE PERFECT GUY (PG13) 1:20 I 3:45 I 7:00 10:00 SICARIO (R) 12:30 I 3:15 I 6:50 I 9:45 MAZE RUNNER 2 3D (PG13) 12:40 I 3:40 2D I 6:40 I 9:40 2D THE TRANSPORTER (PG13) 1:10 I 7:30 BLACK MASS (R) 4:00 I 9:50 East End school launches home reading program East End Primary School has launched a home reading program that encourages chil- dren to embrace books and, organizers hope, will lay the foundation for young students to become lifelong readers. At the launch of the pro- gram on Monday, Sept. 21, Minister of Education Tara Rivers read aloud her fa- vorite children’s book, “The Little Engine That Could,” to the students. She also recommended the book to the kids, in keeping with the school’s “Book It Forward” cam- paign. “Book It Forward,” created by Youtube child star Kid President, encourages readers to introduce others to their favorite books. The school’s reading pro- gram includes more than 1,300 fiction and non-fiction books, take-home book bags and reading rewards, ac- cording to a statement issued by the Ministry of Education on Friday. Minister Rivers joined the students, staff, mem- bers of the community and other guests at the launch celebrations. “Having resources avail- able for our students to en- gage in reading on a daily basis helps to provide a good foundation to build a cul- ture of readers and lifelong learners,” Ms. Rivers said. Jessica Jackson, the school’s literacy coach and initiator of the program, said, “Research shows that chil- dren who spend time en- gaged with books have more developed vocabularies, knowledge of spelling, verbal fluency and reading compre- hension skills and a wider knowledge of the world around them.” Students were invited after assembly on Monday to browse the school’s newly stocked Home Reading Library and select a book to take home for the very first time. The program is sponsored by Genesis Trust. Literacy Is For Everyone, also known as LIFE, helped the school find Genesis Trust as its partner. Paul Drake, managing director of Genesis Trust, and Roger Priaulx, director, funded the resources to start the program. “With [Genesis Trust’s] help, our students now have the opportunity to engage in daily reading at home, which will support the con- tinual development of their literacy skills and foster a lifelong love for reading and learning,” school principal Allison Wallace said in the ministry’s statement. Jury notice The Grand Court jury report date has been changed. For Grand Court jurors who are in the July 1 to Oct. 6 session, the new date is Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 9:45 a.m. Call the Jury Information line at 945-5072 for the most up-to-date information. Labour Appeals board reappointed The Cayman Islands government has reap- pointed the Labour Appeals Tribunal to serve for a one- year period, according to gazette announcements made public last week. The tribunal members were appointed for a term running between Aug. 1, 2015 and July 31, 2016. Appointed members include: Chairman Huw Moses, deputy chairs Philip Ebanks and Kirsten Houghton, members John Lemuel Hurlstone, Philip Jackson, Raquel Solomon, Nadine Watler, Betty Baraud and Richard Lewis. Brazil pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions STOCKHOLM (AP) – Brazil has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent by 2025 from 2005 levels as part of its con- tribution to a pact to fight global warming. President Dilma Rousseff announced Brazil’s targets for a landmark agreement on climate change in an ad- dress to the U.N. in New York on Sunday. In addition to its 2025 commitment, Rousseff said Brazil has an “ambition” of achieving 43 percent emis- sions reductions by 2030. Brazil intends to reach those goals by boosting re- newable energy sources in- cluding solar, wind and bio- mass and continuing to reduce deforestation in the Amazon region. The World Resources Institute, an environmental think tank, says Brazil’s emissions fell about 36 per- cent between 2005 and 2011 primarily due to efforts to re- duce deforestation, a major emissions source in Brazil. LiFe executive Director Marilyn connolly, Genesis trust Director roger Priaulx, education Minister tara rivers, east end MLA Arden McLean and Jonathan Hawkes of Genesis at last week’s launch of the east end Primary School’s home reading program. Venezuela, Guyana set to meet on un sidelines on dispute NEW YORK (AP) – Guyana’s president said Saturday he’s willing to meet with Venezuela’s leader on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly – and the U.N. chief has arranged just that. Ban Ki-moon’s Sunday schedule now shows a joint meeting with the two leaders em- broiled in a border dispute. But in an interview with The Associated Press, Guyana’s President David Granger also reiterated his belief that the International Court of Justice is the only answer to the countries’ ter- ritorial squabble. Granger said the U.N. court in the Netherlands should mediate the matter. Any attempt by him and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to negotiate the matter on their own would be “useless,” he said. “We cannot reopen a matter that was settled by interna- tional arbitration, and we’ve never committed to reopening the matter,” Granger said, re- ferring to an 1899 decision that drew the current border between the two countries. Venezuela has disputed that line for more than a half century and says the cur- rent altercation should be re- solved by a U.N. mediator. Venezuela has long claimed about 40 percent of Guyana’s territory that is rich in gold, bauxite, dia- monds and other natural re- sources. It extended its mar- itime claims recently after a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corp. announced it made a significant oil discovery off Guyana’s coast. Granger said he plans to talk with U.N. Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon during the current gathering of world leaders in New York and will meet with Maduro if Ban proposes it. But he was not optimistic that much would be accomplished. “The controversy has per- sisted for 50 years, Venezuela has not introduced any new evidence, and I’m not inter- ested in a photo opportunity,” Granger said. “I’m interested in [the] Venezuelan removal of its claim I have not seen any indi- cation from Mr. Maduro, have not received any invitation from Mr. Maduro, that he’s formed new evidence to vali- date his claim to our territory.” There was no immediate response from the Venezuelan government to Granger’s comments. Tensions between the two nations have in- creased in the last week. Guyana held military ex- ercises around the country Saturday, but Granger said the move was not aimed at inflaming the situation. “It’s impossible for Guyana to attack Venezuela,” he said. “Venezuela has armed forces of over 112,000, compared with Guyana’s 3,000.” More than 1,000 sol- diers marched through the capital of Guyana and else- where in the South American country Saturday. The chief of staff for Guyana’s military, Brig. Gen Mark Phillips, said some marches took place in the western Essequibo region that Venezuela claims. He said the 6-mile marches began at dawn. “We are ready to en- sure that we have peace throughout Guyana,” he told troops at the end of the main parade in the capital. “We are defining aggression on our frontier because we want to have peace in our country.” David Arthur Granger, President of Guyana, addresses the 2015 Sustainable Development Summit, Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 at united nations headquarters. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Monday SepteMber 28, 2015 SUPERCHARGED ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS: FEBRUARY 4-5, 2016 • THE RITZ-CARLTON, SEVEN MILE BEACH GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS • CAYMANSUMMIT.COM In its third year, the Cayman Alternative Investment Summit (CAIS) has become an authoritative platform for fresh thinking on alternative investing. It has scaled fresh heights since its inception in 2012. It brings together leading thinkers and practitioners from different segments of the global alternatives industry to explore the challenges and opportunities their industry faces and design responses that will take it to its next level of success. REGISTER NOW @ CAYMANSUMMIT.COM US cash shortage increases price for consumers Government seeking ‘alternative arrangements’ for money transfer companies Charles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Clarifying comments made last week, Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton says that the Cayman Islands currency is not being devalued by the shortage of U.S. dol- lars. But, he said, banks are charging some people fees to exchange Cayman dollars for U.S. cash and reducing the buying power of the CI dollar for transactions like money transfers that have to be done with U.S. currency. Last month, money transfer companies began accepting only U.S. cash to send money over- seas through services like MoneyGram or JN Money Services. Cayman National Bank stopped offering ser- vices to the companies in August and now they have to ship the cash di- rectly overseas to deposit it in a bank account. With the cash remittances being sent physically overseas in- stead of digitally as before, a shortage of U.S. dollars has led banks to restrict access to U.S. cash and charge fees for people who do not have bank accounts. Mr. Panton told the Cayman Compass that the cash transfer companies had initially said they took in remittances in about half Cayman Islands dollars and half U.S. dollars, but he said new information he received recently showed that the com- panies were taking in 95 per- cent of remittances in Cayman dollars. The impact of going from almost all Cayman dol- lars to doing every transfer in U.S. cash meant the shortage was “almost immediate,” the minister said. Last year, workers in Cayman sent about $180 million back to their home countries as remittances through money transfers. In recent weeks, banks began restricting U.S. cash withdrawals to customers or charging fees to people who do not have accounts to ex- change money. Mr. Panton said this has increased the average cost for the public to buy U.S. dollars from the fixed rate of 84 cents on the U.S. dollar to 86 cents or 88 cents. Many banks, including RBC and Scotiabank, are only exchanging U.S. dol- lars for customers. Others like CIBC FirstCaribbean are charging people who do not have an account with the bank CI$50 to exchange Cayman cash for U.S. cur- rency and restricting the exchange to US$500. Those added fees are increasing the costs for consumers. One clerk at a Scotiabank this week, when asked about exchanging money, said only account holders can get U.S. cash and, she added, “We don’t have any anyhow.” Mr. Panton said govern- ment is working to find al- ternative arrangements for the cash transfer compa- nies and stressed that the shortage should only be temporary. The currency shortage has forced some banks to ship U.S. dollars into Cayman, something the minister said is not common. Most U.S. currency comes to the is- lands with tourists, he said. Possible solution Mr. Panton said Wednesday that at least one money transfer company is close to a deal to have a cor- respondent bank handle its transactions in Cayman. He would not name which company was working on arrangements to return to normal business, but he did say it was a global company with enough leverage to get a bank willing to do the work necessary to comply with the growing regula- tions over cash transfers. In August, Cayman National Bank, the only re- maining bank in Cayman that would help with these high-risk transactions, pulled out of the business, fearful that the bank itself could lose access to the U.S. banking system. Fidelity Group stopped offering its Western Union services in Cayman, the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos over the summer. Western Union representa- tives earlier confirmed that they were working with the Cayman government to open up their cash transfer windows again, but it is unclear if Mr. Panton was speaking last week about Western Union or an- other big player in the cash transfer sector. Many banks around the world are pulling out of the cash transfer system, citing increasing regula- tion, higher costs to handle the transactions and lower fees. Through this process of what bankers call “de- risking,” many banks refuse to work with money transfer companies. The transfer companies rely on corre- spondent banks to take the deposits so the cash can be moved through the global fi- nancial system. The increased regula- tions in the U.S. and Europe are based on concerns about money laundering and ter- rorism financing through the cash-based system. In recent weeks, banks began restricting U.S. cash withdrawals to customers or charging fees to people who do not have accounts to exchange money. Rosetta James working at the money transfer counter at the Esso gas station in Prospect. Transfer companies in Cayman currently are only accepting US dollars. - PHOTO: CHARLES DUNCANThe 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 SepTeMber 28, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Move over, Seven Mile Beach. After decades of waiting in the wings, it’s time for the ivory sands of Bodden Town to step out into the limelight. The proposed St. James Point resort and condo development, in the Beach Bay area of Grand Cayman, could spearhead an economic rejuvenation of our country’s original capital, for which district residents have been clamoring since, well, when the first flocks of tourists landed on our shores and began to gravi- tate to Seven Mile Beach, East End and Rum Point. An overlooked understudy no longer, the district of Bodden Town has been selected as host to a grand (as in, 10 stories tall), luxury tourism-oriented devel- opment. If all goes to plan, the $200 million project will open within the next 2.5 to 5 years, including 200 hotel rooms, 75 residential units, retail stores and a spa. (And that’s just Phase One.) According to the developers, who have been heavily invested in the planned resort for a number of years, construction of the project will create about 750 temporary jobs, and after opening, about 325 permanent jobs. It’s easy to envision the potential knock-on effects of the St. James Point resort, in the form of increased demand from new tourists for nearby services and attractions. The Beach Bay site is con- veniently within distance of the Seven Mile Beach corridor, on the one hand, Rum Point on the other, and all locales in between. Cayman Islands government officials deserve credit for securing a written commitment from the devel- opers, who are associated with an investment man- agement firm in New York. The government and developers signed an agree- ment whereby the government will grant up to $25 million in concessions (in the form of waivers, reduc- tions or rebates of fees or duties), so long as the resort is built and opened by the middle of the year 2020, subject to various stipulations. For his part, developer John Layton said they hope to open the hotel in early 2018. The announcement of the deal has sparked the predictable criticism from the usual suspects, who are upset that the government would give tax breaks to a private developer. We take their point, but will hone it, and redirect it in a slightly different direction. We find nothing untoward with granting significant tax breaks in order to attract development. However, out of principle and pragmatism, perhaps those tax breaks should be applicable to all — large international investors as well as small, local developers. Other- wise, the “playing field” — meaning the free market — becomes inherently unfair and uncompetitive. Pre- sumably and predictably, it will be the small, and local, businesses that will be put at a disadvantage. In spite of this, we are not recommending that the back-and-forth negotiations between government and individual private developers should be conducted in public. No deals of any consequence could ever move forward in such a politically charged context. What is needed is trust in our lawmakers to act in the best interest of these islands and their people. After all, we elected these officials to represent us and, if collectively we’re not happy with their stewardship, well, that’s what the next election is always all about. St. James Point: Bodden Town’s time to shine U.S. politics in 2015: ‘It’s a crazy time’ WASHINGTON – Meanwhile, on the Democrats’ side: ■■ They are running a presi- dential campaign de- crying wage stagnation, income inequality and widespread economic malaise – as if they’ve not been in office for the past seven years. ■■ Their leading presiden- tial candidate is 27 points underwater on the ques- tion of honesty and is under FBI investigation for possible mishandling of classified information. ■■ Her chief challenger is a 74-year-old socialist with a near-spotless record of invisibility in 25 years in Congress. The other three candidates can hardly be found at all. ■■ The only plausible al- ternative challenger, Joe Biden, has run and failed twice and, be- fore tragedy struck (to which he has responded, one must say, with ad- mirable restraint and courage), was for years a running national joke for his endless gauche- ries and verbal pratfalls. For the GOP, this has all been a godsend, an opportu- nity to amplify the case being made daily by the Democrats themselves against their own stewardship. Instead, the Republicans spent the summer attacking each other – the festival of ad hominems interrupted only by spec- tacular attempts to alienate major parts of the citizenry. The latest example is Ben Carson, the mild-man- nered, highly personable neu- rosurgeon and one of two highest-polling GOP candi- dates. He said that a Muslim should not be president of the United States. His reason is that Islam is incompatible with the Constitution. On the contrary. Carson is incompat- ible with a Constitution that explicitly commands that “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” Ever. And it is no defense of Carson to say that he was not calling for legal disquali- fication of Muslims, just ad- vocating that one should not vote for them. But that de- fense misses the point: The Constitution is not just a legal document. It is a didactic one. It doesn’t just set limits to power; it expresses a national ethos. It doesn’t just tell you what you’re not allowed to do; it also suggests what you shouldn’t want to do. The First Amendment allows you to ex- press whatever opinion you want – even, say, advocating the suppression of free speech in others. But a major purpose of the Constitution is to dis- courage and delegitimize such authoritarian thinking. Carson later backtracked, saying that he meant op- posing someone not because of his identity, ethnicity or faith but because of his ide- ology – meaning that he wouldn’t want in the White House an Islamist who seeks to impose Shariah law. Neither would I. Unfortunately, that’s not what Carson had said. In the original interview, he said, “I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation.” It would not have been hard to attach any of the appropriate restric- tive adjectives – radical, ex- treme, Islamist – to the word “Muslim.” He didn’t. Indeed, Carson gave the correct answer minutes later when he said he wouldn’t apply his presidential reli- gious test to congressional candidates. In that case, “it depends on who that Muslim is and what their policies are.” Which is, of course, the right answer, the American answer, the only possible answer to the same question about a candidate for the presidency. Carson is not one to cyni- cally pander. Nor do I doubt that his statement about a Muslim president was sin- cerely felt. But it remains morally outrageous. And, in a general election, politically poisonous. It is certainly dam- aging to any party when one of its two front-runners deni- grates, however thoughtlessly, the nation’s entire Muslim American community. Particularly when it follows the yeoman work done by the other leading GOP candidate to alienate other large chunks of the citizenry. Three minutes into his campaign, Donald Trump called Mexican- American immigrants rapists who come bringing drugs and crime. He followed that by advocating the deportation of 11 million illegal immigrants. And sealed the deal by chastising Jeb Bush for speaking Spanish in answer to a question posed in Spanish. Trump’s contretemps with women enjoy even more re- nown – his attacks on Megyn Kelly (including a retweet calling her a bimbo) and his insulting Carly Fiorina for her looks. Muslims, Hispanics, women. What next? Who’s left? It’s a crazy time. One party is knowingly lurching toward disaster, marching in- exorably to the coronation of a weak and deeply wounded presidential candidate. Meanwhile, the other party is flamboyantly shooting at itself and gratuitously alien- ating one significant electoral constituency after another. And it’s only September. Of 2015. Charles Krauthammer’s email address is letters@charleskrauthammer.com. © 2015, Washington Post Writers Group Charles Krauthammer Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Monday SepteMber 28, 2015 Coral relocation impact questioned James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Members of the National Conservation Council have questioned the feasibility of coral relocation as a means of offsetting the destruc- tion of reefs in George Town harbor for a proposed cruise pier construction project. Some members of the council questioned whether there was a feasible “recip- ient site” for the coral to be moved to, in a discussion on the port project during its meeting last week. Council member Davey Ebanks said government’s environmental experts should give their opinion on the content of a consultant’s report which in- dicated some coral relocation would be possible. The document, released to the public last week, in- dicated that just under a third of the coral in the area impacted by the pro- posed construction project could be relocated. Mr. Ebanks said he was skeptical about the findings of the report carried out by Continental Shelf Associates, a sub-contractor of West Indian Marine, which was hired by government to con- duct a study of the sea-floor in the port construction area. An environmental im- pact assessment, at a cost of $2.5 million, already looked at wider impacts of the proposed port project, in- cluding on the coral reef hab- itat in George Town harbor. Government said the second, $27,000 contract, was de- signed to put the area within the “dredging footprint” under the microscope. Mr. Ebanks requested the Department of Environment or Environmental Assessment Board give an expert opinion on the findings in the report. “Something needs to be said by someone – some assessment of the accu- racy, the professionalism or the scientific basis of this study,” he said. Following questions from Mr. Ebanks, Tim Austin, deputy director of the Department of Environment, said no site had yet been identified to move corals to. Fellow council member Fred Burton suggested it would be very difficult to find a suitable site. “If you think about it, any site suit- able for those corals to grow will have corals growing there,” he said. “The only potential recip- ient site would be an area where the corals are de- stroyed but those areas … still have the cause of the de- struction … there is no re- cipient site waiting there to translocate corals too.” Mr. Ebanks added that the issue needed greater emphasis. “It is OK to say you are going to pick this up and put it somewhere else but if you don’t tell me where you’re going to put it, I don’t know where it can go,” he said. “That point has been totally left alone.” The projected direct impact area from dredging and land reclamation associated with the George Town harbor berthing program. - IMAGE: W.F. BAIrd & AssocIAtEs coAstAl EnGInEErs ltd. Some members of the council questioned whether there was a feasible “recipient site” for the coral to be moved to, in a discussion on the port project during its meeting last week. Courier bailed on deception charge Carol Winker cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A courier who alleg- edly used a customer’s credit card number without permission appeared in Summary Court on Friday charged with obtaining property by deception. Alejandro Matienzo Leon, 28, is charged with obtaining from a Cayman Airways employee a ticket valued at US$549.65 by falsely representing that he was authorized to use a bank credit card belonging to a named woman. The al- leged offense occurred on Sept. 17. Crown counsel Neil Kumar said the owner of the bank card was con- tacted the next day about the ticket purchase. She said she did not buy it or authorize it. Mr. Kumar said it was alleged that Leon obtained the credit card number in the course of delivering a package to the woman. Such offending would be an abuse of Leon’s position as a FedEx employee, he told Magistrate Valdis Foldats. He advised that the Crown was opposing bail in part because investiga- tions were ongoing. Defense attorney Clyde Allen responded by pointing out that his client has been in the Cayman Islands since 2009, has ties to the island and is of good character. When Leon first ap- peared before the magis- trate, before it was known that he had an attorney, he said he had permanent residence. A police press statement released earlier in the day stated that Leon had been suspended from his job. During the bail hearing, the magistrate listed the factors to be considered and he asked whether the defendant was in employ- ment or had lost his job. Mr. Allen confirmed that Leon’s employment had been terminated. “He had been employed with FedEx almost one year,” he added. The magistrate ruled that, since Leon faced a single charge and had no previous convictions, bail conditions could be im- posed to ensure that the defendant returns to court. He ordered that Leon be fitted with an elec- tronic monitor, live at a specified address, observe a curfew between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., surrender all travel documents and not approach any port or air- port. Further, he required a cash bond of $1,000 be- fore Leon could be released from custody, plus recog- nizance and a surety both in the sum of $2,000. He set the matter for mention again on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Mr. Kumar said it was alleged that Leon obtained the credit card number in the course of delivering a package to the woman. 6 LOCAL NEWS Monday SepteMber 28, 2015 • Cayman Compass Cayman photographer charts Arctic change James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Chunks of ice crashing from an enormous glacier, the Arctic sun low over the ho- rizon, a polar bear, big eyed and curious, staring out from the thin edge of the pack ice. The series of images taken by Cayman Islands-based pho- tographer Ellen Cuylaerts aim to show the beauty and fra- gility of a region in the midst of seismic change. Ms. Cuylaerts and her husband, filmmaker Michael Maes, and their two chil- dren, were part of an expedi- tion to Norway, Iceland and Greenland earlier this month. The Elysium Artists for the Arctic expedition, featuring 60 of the world’s leading artists, marine scientists, photogra- phers and filmmakers, aimed to document life at the extreme end of the Earth and draw at- tention to the threat posed by climate change. Ms. Cuylaerts’s images and Mr. Maes’s footage will be part of a documentary movie and exhibition, opening in Australia next year. She hopes the project will encourage more people to care about global warming. The team, aboard the MV Polar Pioneer, a Finnish ice- strengthened research vessel specially charted for the expe- dition, traveled through fjords to remote parts of Greenland to photograph wildlife, in- cluding walruses and arctic hares. The group even jumped into the frigid water to snorkel amid the icebergs and hike, with armed guides, amid the icy landscape. The most impressive sight though were the polar bears. “I actually first saw a little dot of fur on the horizon, swimming towards us. He was so curious, he smelled the cooking on the boat. He swam towards us and climbed on to the ice. We were about five me- ters away,” said Ms. Cuylaerts. She said the expedition also stopped at a remote Inuit village, where people still hunt and live off the land. “I think it is important to draw a distinction between hunting for necessity, like this, and hunting for fun or tradi- tion,” she said. The village, only acces- sible during the summer when boats can journey up the fjord, is one of the most remote com- munities on Earth. Rubbing shoulders with world famous divers, photog- raphers and artists was an- other highlight. “What made the expedition great was, of course, the wild- life, but the inspiration we got from each other. “We were all there for the same reason – because we care about how to spread the message without pointing the finger. We want to take a positive approach and bring the story that would be the most valuable.” The expedi- tion was orchestrated by pho- tographer Michael Aw, director of Ocean Geographic Society, who co-led the trip along- side Mission Blue founder and National Geographic Explorer in Residence Dr. Sylvia Earle and photographers David Doubilet, Jennifer Hayes and Ernie Brooks. On thin ice: A curious polar bear came incredibly close to the expedition boat. - PHOTOS: ELLEN CUYLAERTS A halo forms around the sun as it drops over the horizon. A chunk of ice breaks off from a glacier, crashing into the iceberg-filled water. Photographer Ellen Cuylaerts, left, with her daughter Margaux and son Max.A walrus and calf frolick on the sea ice.7 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Monday SepteMber 28, 2015 Information Commission marks Right to Know Week Says ombudsman role is ‘totally wrong’ Tad SToneR tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Marking Freedom of Information’s annual “Right to Know Week,” Acting Commissioner Jan Liebaers describes 2015 as a mix of record filings and growing awareness, but against a backdrop of potential admin- istrative threats to the office. The week – marked in 100 jurisdictions on six con- tinents – kicked off Friday, Sept. 25, with a Cayman Brac visit to local heads of gov- ernment departments and information managers. On Monday, internationally des- ignated as “Right to Know Day,” Mr. Liebaers will attend an “outreach event” at the Health Services Authority. On Wednesday, the acting commissioner will make a presentation at a Rotary and Rotary Sunrise break- fast meeting, and, finally, he will oversee “Outreach at the Market” at the Grounds in Lower Valley on Oct. 3. “It’s been challenging,” he said. “We have an above-av- erage number of requests, which, on the one hand, is good news because it means people know about the law and how it works and are using it. “The bad news, though, is those numbers may reflect how transparent government is, and if it’s not, FOI is used more and is more important.” In 2015, Mr. Liebaers re- ceived 702 FOI requests, the second-highest number since the office’s 2009 founding. In its second year, the unit re- ceived 739 requests. Last year’s total was 685. Mr. Liebaers confesses re- sponse times have been “not very good,” attributing it to diminished staff and “diffi- cult times.” It has been nearly two years since the December 2013 departure of Jennifer Dilbert, the first informa- tion commissioner. The delay, he says, in replacing her on a permanent basis “shows very little respect for the FOI Office. “The Attorney General has said we’ll look for someone, but very little has been done. That means a shortage in the office, and it’s very hard, we’re not fulfilling our role. “We can only be reactive. We are doing our job, taking requests and doing appeals, but finding it impossible to be pro-active and keep an eye on government. We are really handicapped.” In a formal statement is- sued to mark Freedom of Information Week, he said Cayman’s information law had been had been in effect more than 6½ years, marking “an opportune time to briefly reflect on the state of FOI in the Cayman Islands.” The Halifax-based Centre for Law and Democracy, he said, had given Cayman’s FOI Law “exceedingly high marks,” while the Cabinet Office had provided fresh training and promises of new staff. Requests were rising and the press “overflowing” with FOI-based stories, he said, but cautioned “some dark clouds may be on the FOI horizon,” pointing to the absence of a commissioner and proposed changes to the FOI Law. The worries, he said, were “not least because of the plans of the cabinet to amalgamate the ICO with a number of other over- sight bodies. In my opinion, these plans are ill-con- ceived at best.” A $155,000, 240-page September 2014 report by accountants Ernst and Young recommended, almost as an afterthought, says Mr. Liebaers, joining the Information Commissioner’s Office, the Office of the Complaints Commission and a reconstituted Police Complaints unit – and pos- sibly more, including the Office of the Auditor General. “The proposal was on page 232 of the report,” Mr. Liebaers said, “and was never intended as a real rec- ommendation, but somehow found its way to the top. “No one has ever been able to give me an an- swer,” he said, to why the offices should be joined. “We explained it to Ernst and Young and they finally agreed, but government,” he said, had nonetheless em- braced it. He explained that the amalgamated office would be overseen by an om- budsman, who would, es- sentially be stripped of any power to compel compliance. “We can give a binding order, but an ombudsman could only make ‘recom- mendations.’ What would happen if the Complaints Commission could only say ‘It would be nice if you would release those docu- ments’? No one would ever release anything. “We all need to be in- dependent. The commis- sions should have order power and an ombudsman is totally wrong. It’s not a good idea.” He minimized fears of changes to the FOI Law, efforts, in essence, to “de- fang” the law, making it more acceptable to govern- ment bureaucracy. “After 6½ years of oper- ation, we know what needs to be changed and what not, and it needs to be fine- tuned,” he said, pointing, for example, to separate legis- lation for data protection and even access to personal information. Attempts to diminish the FOI Law, were, however, unlikely, despite periodic sniping from MLAs and party leaders. “Quite honestly, a lot of civil servants think [FOI] is important; they ‘get it.’ I can’t say that government- at-large doesn’t understand it, but there is, of course, some resistance. “When FOI was first passed, there was a lot of talk about ‘culture change,’ from a culture of secrecy to a culture of openness. There has been movement; we are maybe halfway there, not all the way, but we’re getting there. Things are better. We’ve come a long way.” Mr. Liebaers Civil servant takes on new job as minister of religion Janis McLaughlin joined the civil service in 1990 A veteran civil servant has resigned her post in Judicial Administration to pursue work of another kind – as a full-time minster of religion. Janis McLaughlin started working in the civil service as a switchboard operator in 1990 and then moved into filing. She joined the staff at the court house in 1997 as clerical officer and rose to ex- ecutive officer before serving as one of the cashiers in the Judicial Financial Centre for the last 13 years. Her last day in that post is Wednesday, Sept. 30. After that, she will be working with Bishop Oral McLaughlin of the Eastern Apostolic Church in East End. Minister McLaughlin said her new career is the re- sult of a promise she made to God years ago. One of her children was born with a number of medical concerns “and the challenges just kept coming,” she said. The situa- tion became more than she could handle and she turned to prayer. “I found Christ in the crisis,” she said, and de- spite the resistance of people around her, she persevered in her trust in God and faith that her son would over- come the challenges. Against the odds, he graduated from primary school and then high school; he is currently preparing to travel over- seas to take up a course in auto mechanics. With four other chil- dren to care for, she struck a pact. “I said to God, ‘If you help me to raise these chil- dren to where they can stand on their own, I will dedicate my life to Your service,’” Ms. McLaughlin recalled. Her youngest child is now in nursing school and working part-time. “It is now time to fulfil the promise I made to God,” she said, adding: “I believe that if I could get results praying for my own children, I can pray for others” with equal success. Ms. McLaughlin’s su- pervisor in judicial fi- nance, Lillian Curbelo-Bush, thanked her for the positive example she maintained – ar- riving on time, being reliable, and always cheerful. “Her res- ignation will be felt for a very long time; employees like Janis are very rare,” she said. “However, her future ambi- tions are most admirable and we certainly cannot compete with her purpose in life.” Court Administrator Kevin McCormac praised the de- parting staffer for her skill and efficiency in dealing with the demands of a difficult job. Before her ordination in 2011, Minister McLaughlin further equipped her- self by pursuing a coun- selling degree from the on- line Rockville University and graduated with distinction in 2007. She anticipates that her first stop on her new mission will be a trip to a Women’s Retreat in the United States. She will also be traveling to Jamaica and Honduras to visit branches of her church there, she said. But her main focus will be to support the work of Bishop McLaughlin in her primary mission field, the Cayman Islands. “I said to God, ‘If you help me to raise these children to where they can stand on their own, I will dedicate my life to Your service.’” JANIS McLAUGHLIN, civil servant Staff of the Court Administration’s Judicial Financial Centre gather to express best wishes to Janis McLaughlin, center. She is flanked by, from left, Rosita Ebanks, Charmaine Bodden, Lillian Curbelo-Bush and Jawanda Evans. “The commissions should have order power and an ombudsman is totally wrong. It’s not a good idea.” JAN LIebAerS, acting information commissionerThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Monday SepteMber 28, 2015 • Cayman Compass We’ll meet each other there, yes, we’ll meet each other and the Saviour’s likeness bear in that land so bright and fair; we’ll meet each other there; and his glory we shall share. Valma Hyacinth Ebanks Sunrise April 11th 1931 Sunset September 28th 2004 In Loving & Unfading Memory of a Dear Wife, Mother and Grandmother In loving memory, Husband, children, grandchildren & family “May her soul rest in peace and never be forgotten” system for awarding perma- nent residence applicants a total of 15 points for their oc- cupation and another 15 points if their job is considered a “pri- ority occupation” according to regulations attached to the Immigration Law. “It is difficult to imagine a policy that could be more opaque, uncertain and prone to arbitrariness than one by which points are to be allocated to oc- cupations based upon merely subjective assessments of their importance in the context of the local economy,” the chief justice wrote in his 40-page judgment. “Recent amendments to the Immigration Law and Regulations have sought to im- prove upon various aspects of the legislation, but it is ac- knowledged that further work is now necessary in that re- gard,” the premier’s statement Thursday indicated. The occupation section of the points evaluation forms part of the system that now requires non-Caymanian ap- plicants to obtain at least 110 points out of a possible 215 before being awarded perma- nent residence – the right to remain in Cayman for the rest of their lives. According to Cayman Islands attorneys familiar with the regulations that govern per- manent residence, the “impor- tance” of a particular job to the territory is judged largely on how many work permits cur- rently exist for that occupation. In other words, the more work permits granted to foreign em- ployees, the more demand for a particular job and the more points awarded. The fewer per- mits, the fewer points. Currently, no points are being awarded to anyone under the “priority occupation” sec- tion of the regulations, meaning PR applicants all lose a poten- tial 15 points immediately and are trying to obtain 110 points out of what is, for all practical purposes, a total of 200. The Cabinet has determined that, at this point, no jobs qualify as priority occupations. Delays? The law firm Ritch & Conolly has been retained to assist the Cayman Islands gov- ernment in analyzing both the current permanent residence points system and the PR ap- peals process which, in one of the cases Chief Justice Smellie ruled on, involved an applica- tion that was filed in 2006. The firm’s senior partner David Ritch is a former chairman of the government’s Work Permit Board and was one of the government’s key advisers in the establish- ment of the territory’s cur- rent Immigration Law, which introduced the term limit or “rollover” policy for non- Caymanian workers. The premier described the review as a “forward-looking exercise” aimed at reviewing the lawfulness and fairness of any decision related to current ap- plications for permanent resi- dence and appeals involving PR applications. The review seeks to provide advice to government in these matters “on an urgent basis,” the premier’s office said. The statement alluded to the possibility that the review could result in further delays of current permanent resi- dence applications, hundreds of which have been pending since government changed the Immigration Law in October 2013. At last count, more than 400 individuals had applied for PR status since Oct. 26, 2013 when legal changes introducing the new permanent residence points system took effect. To date, only applications that had some technical difficulties, such as those that were filed too late, have been dealt with, according to the Immigration Department. “The government is cogni- zant of the need to have all out- standing applications and ap- peals dealt with in a timely manner,” the premier’s state- ment read. operation, so that we can interact more directly with our customers. We know we have a world-class net- work – but we are striving to ensure that our cus- tomers’ experience is world class too,” he said. Mr. McCabe added Ericsson would “remain a valued business partner but the company will now build on Ericsson’s signif- icant progress in helping us support our cus- tomers and networks.” Karina Martini, Ericsson’s communications manager for Latin America, said Ericsson regretted that LIME informed the com- pany of its intent to in- source services for part of its operations in Cayman. Although Ericsson had achieved high levels of op- erational performance in the network, it is natural in the managed services life cycle “for contracts to be extended, expanded or ter- minated,” she noted in re- sponse to questions from the Cayman Compass. “Our main focus now will be to support the cus- tomer in the transition while taking good care of the staff operating the net- work,” Ms. Martini added. “We are happy with the re- lationship with LIME and our performance over the past year and wish them a good future.” Ericsson did not re- spond to a question on whether the LIME deci- sion would impact staffing levels at Ericsson. Cable and Wireless an- nounced a regional US$1 billion investment plan over the next three years to upgrade infrastructure and improve customer service. The investment strategy will also create new jobs in the region, according to John Reid, president of Cable and Wireless’ Consumer Group. “The in-sourcing of ser- vice in Cayman follows the recent announcement of an additional Centre of Excellence for Customer Service in the region to pro- vide customers with mul- tiple touch points including warm and friendly service agents, email, virtual chat, mobile app and other tech- nology-enabled support systems,” Mr. Reid said. These technology tools combined with increased service agent efficien- cies would improve call routing and reduce call waiting time. business!’ Rex would say.” Numerous business ven- tures were started up by Mr. Crighton and his part- ners, who included Cayman’s National Hero, James Manoah Bodden, including construc- tion, auto rental and car deal- ership ventures and, even- tually, Bodden-Crighton Development Ltd., which built the Prospect Park and Omega Bay Estates subdivisions. The company was the first in the Cayman Islands to offer fi- nancing for undeveloped land, Mr. McLaughlin said. This was a significant de- velopment in allowing young Caymanians who often did not possess much “venture capital” to own a piece of their own country. The pre- mier was one of those to ben- efit from Mr. Crighton’s par- ticular business method. “When I was about 23 years old, my father was boasting to [Mr. Crighton] that I was going to get mar- ried,” the premier recalled on Saturday. “[Mr. Crighton] looked at me and said, ‘Boy, you got any land?’” Mr. McLaughlin said he spent about half a day driving around in Mr. Crighton’s old Cadillac looking for land in a new subdivision called “Savannah Groves.” After finding a plot, the young Mr. McLaughlin, then an articled law clerk at Charles Adams and Company, liked, Mr. Crighton asked for the princely sum of $13,000. “I said, ‘Lord, Mr. Rex, that’s a lot of money’,” Mr. McLaughlin recalled. Mr. Crighton responded: “You know what, when I see that Charles Adams I’m going to tell him to pay you a decent salary!” Eventually, Mr. Crighton sold the future premier the plot of land without even a 10 percent down payment, Mr. McLaughlin said. “With all the things he had to do, he spent half a day running around with me looking for a piece of land,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “It’s the kind of story that stays with you forever.” In 1972, Crighton Properties was formed and Mr. Crighton continued to offer financing on land and continued developing subdi- visions, with the crowning achievement coming at Crystal Harbor, a 180-acre development along the North Sound. Business partner C.S. “Casey” Gill remembered Mr. Crighton as a man who liked to do deals with a handshake and who always kept his word thereafter. “We were business part- ners for 41 years with no written agreement, just give and take and respect for each other,” Mr. Gill said Saturday. “Whether you knew him or not, Rex loved people and shared what he had with people. He was loved and re- spected and often referred to as Cayman’s gentle hero. Rest in peace, Rexie.” Christmas lights Many accounts of Mr. Crighton’s life told Saturday did make note of the Christmas lights display at his home, which he first set up in the early 1970’s and which continued to grow in size and brightness over the years. “He always reveled in telling me year by year … one million lights, two mil- lion lights and so on,” Mr. Gill said. A memoir from Mr. Crighton’s wife of 54 years, Cecile, said it was an annual tradition at the house for her husband to dress up as Santa Claus on Dec. 23 and walk out into the yard with a sack on his back, handing out bags of candy. “The one thing he cher- ished more than food and fishing … was Christmas,” a memoir from Mr. Crighton’s five grandchildren, Ciara, Landon, Conor, Krista and Jenna read. “Granddad was truly Santa Claus come to life. “[On Dec. 23] as each child came up to sit on grand- dad’s lap, we would run be- hind the displays to get them their bag of goodies. This not only became a family tra- dition, but an island tradi- tion. Christmas will never truly be the same without our granddad there … but we know he’ll be watching over us as we continue his favorite celebration.” LIME brings field services in-house CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Huge crowd bids farewell to Cayman’s ‘gentle hero’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Government Minister Kurt Tibbetts sings Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’ in remembrance of Rex Crighton at the funeral service at Walkers Road’s Chuch of God Chapel on Saturday. - Photo: Brent Fuller IMMIGRaTIon LaW Government: ‘Further work’ needed CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Monday SepteMber 28, 2015 Poll: Trump, Carson neck and neck Donald Trump and Ben Carson are neck and neck in the Republican presidential race, and Hillary Clinton’s lead in the Democratic field is continuing to dwindle, according to an NBC/Wall Street Journal national poll released Sunday. We regret to announce the passing of Roger Good Who departed this life 23 September 2015 peacefully at his home. Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com A funeral service will be held Tuesday, 29 September 2015, 3:00pm at Elmslie Memorial United Church In lieu of flowers please make donations to Cayman HospiceCare. . Swiss police open criminal case against FIFA head Blatter ZURICH (AP) – FIFA President Sepp Blatter was placed under criminal inves- tigation by Swiss authori- ties on Friday as a probe into soccer corruption reached the highest levels and left his grip on the top job in peril. The Swiss attorney gener- al’s office opened proceedings against Blatter for possible criminal mismanagement and misappropriation of FIFA money. Authorities also searched Blatter’s office and seized data. The announcements came as FIFA wrapped up a two-day executive com- mittee meeting and marked another stunning day of turmoil for the governing body and Blatter, who have been targeted by American and Swiss investiga- tions into corruption. The 79-year-old Blatter is set to step down in February as a result of those probes, but Friday’s events made an early exit seem in- evitable. The opening of formal criminal proceedings against Blatter could lead the FIFA ethics committee to provisionally suspend him from duty. Blatter’s U.S.-based lawyer, Richard Cullen, said in a statement his client was cooperating and that “cer- tainly no mismanagement occurred.” The latest allegations also threaten UEFA President Michel Platini, Blatter’s one- time protege and favorite to succeed him in February’s election. Platini was ques- tioned as a witness Friday about taking a “disloyal pay- ment” from Blatter of 2 mil- lion Swiss francs (now $2.04 million) of FIFA money in February 2011. At the time, Platini was already tipped as a future FIFA leader though unlikely to run against Blatter in that year’s presidential election – instead backing the incum- bent against Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar. Blatter was re-elected in May 2011 after Bin Hammam withdrew amid bribery allegations. According to Switzerland’s attorney gen- eral, the money was suppos- edly paid nine years later for Platini’s work as Blatter’s football adviser at FIFA from 1999-2002. Under Swiss law, a payment is classified dis- loyal if it is against the best interest of the employer – in this case FIFA. Platini said in a statement issued by UEFA that he was entitled to re- ceive the money. “I wish to state that this amount relates to work which I carried out under a contract with FIFA and I was pleased to have been able to clarify all matters relating to this with the authorities,” Platini said. The statement did not address the apparent nine-year wait for payment. The American probe rocked FIFA on May 27, when senior officials sus- pected of bribery and rack- eteering were arrested in dawn raids at a luxury Zurich hotel two days before Blatter’s re-election. Blatter is a stated target of that case but has al- ways denied being corrupt, blaming individuals who are outside of FIFA’s control But the Swiss allegations suggest authorities sus- pect Blatter of criminal mis- management of FIFA money to shore up his own power base – political enrichment, if not taking money himself. Blatter had been set to hold a news conference for international media after the executive committee meeting, but it was first postponed and then sud- denly canceled. FIFA later issued a state- ment saying the Swiss at- torney general “conducted interviews and gathered doc- uments pursuant to its in- vestigation,” adding that it was cooperating with the probe but would not make further comments. Blatter is the first person publicly revealed to be for- mally quizzed as a suspect in the Swiss case, which FIFA instigated last November when it complained about possible money laundering in the 2018-2022 World Cup bidding contests won by Russia and Qatar. His right-hand man, FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke, was suspended last week after being implicated in a scheme to sell tickets for the 2014 World Cup on the black market. Friday’s allegations also relate to undervalued World Cup broadcasting contracts for the Caribbean that Blatter agreed to with disgraced former FIFA vice president Jack Warner in 2005. “There is as suspicion that, in the implementation of this agreement, Joseph Blatter also violated his fi- duciary duties and acted against the interest of FIFA,” the Swiss federal office said. Warner, who was a long- time FIFA power broker sup- porting Blatter at elections, was indicted in the wide- ranging U.S. case in May. “[W]e are confident that when the Swiss authorities have a chance to review the documents and the evidence they will see that the con- tract was properly prepared and negotiated by the appro- priate staff members of FIFA who were routinely respon- sible for such contracts, and certainly no mismanagement occurred,” Blatter’s lawyer Cullen wrote. The statement appeared to focus only on the Warner contract, and not the pay- ment to Platini. The Swiss attorney general’s office on Friday opened criminal proceedings against FIFA President Sepp Blatter. - PHOTO: AP Prince Ali PusHes FiFA bid AFTer rivAl PlATini is quesTiOned ZURICH (AP) – A day after UEFA President Michel Platini was questioned by Swiss authorities over a FIFA payment, presiden- tial election rival Prince Ali bin al-Hussein on Saturday touted himself as the safe choice to rid the governing body of corruption. The Jordanian royal’s in- tervention came as Platini and FIFA President Sepp Blatter wait to discover if they will face any ethics committee action, such a provisional suspension. Blatter became a formal subject of a criminal inves- tigation into football cor- ruption on Friday when he was questioned about a 2011 “disloyal payment” of 2 million Swiss francs (about $2 million) to Platini that was supposedly for work carried out at least nine years earlier. Platini, who was ques- tioned as a witness, denies wrongdoing. However, if he is implicated in the probe surrounding Blatter it could benefit Prince Ali’s chances of winning the Feb. 26 poll. “The need for new lead- ership that can restore the credibility of FIFA has never been more apparent,” Prince Ali said in a statement. “We cannot change the past, but we can have a fu- ture where FIFA member associations are able to focus on football rather than worrying about the next scandal or criminal in- vestigation involving FIFA leadership.” A rift has grown between Platini and Prince Ali since the UEFA president backed the Jordanian federation chief’s failed bid to unseat Blatter in May. Blatter was re-elected for a fifth term despite close al- lies being indicted days ear- lier as part of a U.S. inves- tigation into bribery and fraud in football. Four days later, the 79-year-old pres- ident hastily announced plans to quit. Trinidad delays extradition hearing on Jack Warner FIFA case PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) – Authorities in Trinidad postponed a hearing on Friday to determine whether the U.S. will have to restart extradition proceedings against former FIFA Vice President Jack Warner in an international soccer corrup- tion case. Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington said the hearing will be held Dec. 2. The ruling comes after Warner’s attorneys re- quested more time so they could travel to the U.S. and discuss extradition terms. Warner is fighting ex- tradition on U.S. charges of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering in the FIFA corruption case. He has to report twice weekly to a police station and his pass- port has been seized. U.S. prosecutors allege South Africa funneled $10 million in 2008 to Warner and two other FIFA executives in ex- change for their support in its successful bid to host the 2010 World Cup. Friday’s ruling in Trinidad comes the same day that prosecutors in Switzerland opened criminal proceedings against FIFA President Sepp Blatter for possible criminal mismanagement and misap- propriation of FIFA money. Warner told local station CCN TV6 that he would not comment on any of the cases. “I’m not answering any- thing about Sepp Blatter or Jack Warner or Sepp Mother or Sepp Sister,” he said. “I have nothing to say. Let the feeding frenzy continue.” Warner left FIFA in 2011 after being implicated in an earlier bribery scandal. He has denied wrongdoing. Some Trinidad legal ex- perts have warned that the extradition request against Warner could take three to five years to resolve. Warner was arrested in May and lost a re-election bid earlier this month for a parliament seat during general elections. In this file photo, former FIFA vice president Jack Warner speaks at a political rally in Marabella, Trinidad and Tobago. - PHOTO: APNext >