Do you wanna build a robot? Tinybop wins App of the Year B9 Not just for presidents The White House in Bodden Town welcomes you B13 Nightlife Dining Technology Early bird gets a bargain ■ family Dazzling displays Dreaming of a white Christmas Annual Mistletoe Party at Abacus on Friday B5 Friday december 18, 2015 • Cayman Compass STORE HOURS: MON SAT 10AM TO 8PM The Main Store, Shedden Rd • The Wine Cellar, Galleria Plaza OPEN UNTIL 10 PM Countryside Shopping Village, Savannah • Morritts Shopping Centre, East End BUY 2 GET 1 FREE! Select any 3 bottles from the brands above and get the least expensive FREE! BUY 2 GET 1 • Morritts Shopping Centre, East End Select any 3 bottles from the brands above and get the least expensive FREE! Select any 3 bottles from the brands above and get the least expensive FREE! Select any 3 bottles from the brands above and get the least expensive FREE! Select any 3 bottles from the brands above and get the least expensive FREE! Select any 3 bottles from the brands above and get the least expensive FREE! Cayman Arts Festival tickets discounted until Dec. 31 B3 Take a tour of the lights B11 High of 87 Low of 75 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. Cayman Weekender Dazzling displays Editorial | pagE 4 ‘Tax-onomy’: our poTholes and piTfalls eSTaBLISHed 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – friday december 18, 2015 Borrowing costs in cayman to rise after fed rate hike CIFA to launch GOAL project inquiry Ironwood moving forward, no road deal michael Klein mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com The U.S. Federal Reserve has raised short-term interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade, ending its policy of near-zero borrowing costs for banks since the financial crisis. For Cayman’s consumers, the rate increase will result in higher borrowing costs for certain loans and mortgages that are tied to the Fed’s benchmark rate. “As is the case with other local financial in- stitutions, Butterfield’s prime rates, on which lending product pricing is based, are tied to the benchmark rate established by the U.S. Federal Reserve,” said Mike McWatt, deputy managing di- rector at Butterfield. “Following the Fed’s announcement yesterday of a 25 basis points [0.25 percent] increase in the benchmark rate, Butterfield has increased rates on lending products in accordance with the terms and conditions of our agreements with customers.” The Federal Reserve anticipates that the quarter-point increase in the federal funds rate to 0.25-0.5 percent is going to be the start of a “gradual” increase over the next two years. The committee’s projection for the federal funds rate for next year remains at 1.375 percent and the 2017 estimate is slightly lower at 2.375 percent, down from 2.625 percent. “This action marks the end of an extraordinary seven-year period during which the federal funds rate was held near zero to support the recovery of the economy from the worst financial crisis James WhiTTaKer jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands Football Association has said it will appoint an independent committee to examine spending on its multimillion-dollar Centre of Excellence. Concerns have been raised about an apparent lack of progress at the site in Prospect, which has attracted more than $3 million in FIFA and sponsor funding over the past decade. So far, the facility comprises one artifi- cial turf field and a small office building. The project is under new scrutiny fol- lowing former CIFA president Jeffrey Webb’s guilty plea in a massive world football bribery scam. The U.S. federal in- dictment outlining the case against Webb and other world football officials includes allegations that the Caymanian banker and businessman embezzled funds in- tended for youth development programs. Acting CIFA boss Bruce Blake announced Wednesday that the association is inviting the auditor general and the Ministry of Sports to appoint members to a nine-person committee that will also include appointees from CIFA’s own membership, its spon- sors and the executive committee. However, Martin Ruben, from the Auditor General’s Office, said the office had not been approached about the idea and would not be able to be involved. Mr. Blake said in a press statement that the committee would have a remit to look into all financial contributions to the Centre of Excellence, including from FIFA’s development fund, known as the GOAL program, and contributions from private sector sponsors. “There has been a lot of attention placed on, and speculation in relation to, the FIFA Goal Project,” he said. “In order to answer all questions and address all concerns in a open and transparent manner, the CIFA Executive Committee has resolved to appoint an indepen- dent committee to review all aspects of the FIFA Goal Project, from inception to present, and provide an independent re- port to the general public.” According to FIFA’s website, approx- imately US$1.8 million of an allocated US$2.2 million has been paid by FIFA No agreement yet on highway expansion James WhiTTaKer jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The $365 million Ironwood golf resort project will move forward without a final agreement on a highway extension previously viewed as a deal breaker for the development. Ironwood will seek planning approval early next year for phase one of the resort, featuring retirement homes for affluent baby boomers situated around an Arnold Palmer-designed PGA Championship golf course. A beach club and town center with shops and restaurants is also planned. Completion of a 10-mile extension to the East-West Arterial Highway, slashing journey times from Grand Cayman’s main tourist area to the resort, was initially viewed as critical to its success. But with the two parties so far unable to agree terms over a financing arrangement for the road, Ironwood and government have an- nounced a deal that they believe will allow the project to get started. Infrastructure Minister Kurt Tibbetts said Thursday that the involvement of golf legend Mr. Palmer, whose company was described as an equity investor in the development, gave confidence that it could be a success, with or without the road extension. Premier Alden McLaughlin confirmed, “Notwithstanding the delays in finalizing an agreement for the construction of the road, we have agreed that Ironwood will bring forward its plans for commencement of the develop- ment project itself.” He said the project would “reinforce the appeal of the Cayman Islands as a world-class tourist destination.” The agreement signed Thursday in- volves a package of tax concessions worth around $22 million. If Ironwood and government can agree terms on a funding model for the road and get approval from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office within the next 12 months, those conces- sions will go into a ring-fenced fund to help pay for the highway extension. If terms cannot be agreed, they will come back to Ironwood in the form of a tax rebate, similar to the concessions offered to other major developers, including Dart and Beach Bay. The road is expected to cost around $50 million to complete. Ironwood developer David Moffitt said the road would essentially pay for itself The CIFA Centre of Excellence in Prospect comprises an artificial turf field and an office building. - Photo: matt Lamers PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 20 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 21 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 20 »2 LOCAL NEWS Friday december 18, 2015 • Cayman Compass with DJ Flex Free lessons with Kirk starting 9.30pm Every Tuesday Salsa Tuesdays with DJ Flex starting Salsa with DJ Flex Salsa with DJ Flex with DJ Flex “BOOGIE NIGHTS” Friday, December 18th ‘Special Night’ Old School Dance Party 70’s disco & 80’s classics Music By DJ FLEX Starting at 9:30pm SalsaSalsa Open every day throughout The Christmas Holidays! TONIGHT! Friday Happy Hour 5pm-7pm DRINK SPECIALS!!! 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The Schreiners, who are first-time authors, penned the recently released book, “Rudolf discovers the Cayman Islands.” The book was inspired, in part, by the theme of anti-bullying. The story begins with Rudolf leaving the North Pole after being bullied by the other reindeer, and fol- lows the famous caribou to Cayman, where he discovers the wonders of the islands. “We wanted to write a fun story about the Cayman Islands for children this hol- iday, but something with a pertinent message,” Mr. Schreiner said. “Bullying is a terrible affliction to anyone, in any country, even to rein- deers, so it’s important to highlight the importance of standing up to bullies.” The Schreiners are do- nating profits from the book’s sales to Stand Up 2 Bullying, a nonprofit organization that educates the public on bul- lying and how to prevent and stop it. The organization was founded in Canada after a young boy was bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school. In the Cayman Islands, the Family Resource Centre runs a Stand Up 2 Bullying Campaign. “We all have a responsi- bility to prevent bullying,” Family Resource Centre pro- gram coordinator Miriam Foster said. “Anyone can be a bully or be bullied, whether adults or children, and it is our social responsibility to make people aware that this is not acceptable.” “We are incredibly grateful for the generous donation by the Schreiner family. It’s a wonderful Christmas gift to our organization,” she added. The book is currently on sale at A.L. Thompson’s and Books & Books. Tower Marketing has do- nated its services to the Schreiners to promote the book. “We loved the book and thought it was a great op- portunity to support the local Take a Stand Against Bullying campaign. Tower has been in- spired by the book’s message and is proud to be a sponsor,” Tower managing director Lynne Byles said. Mr. and Mrs. Schreiner began working on the book last Christmas, thinking it would make a great keepsake for their two young daughters. “At that point, our oldest daughter was just over a year and she was enjoying having Christmas books being read to her. We believe reading to chil- dren is very important and a great bonding time for both the parents and the child,” Mr. Schreiner said. “We talked about it for some time and thought a book set in Cayman would be just the right idea.” Mr. Schreiner said they were influenced by other chil- dren’s books that contain vi- brant illustrations and mem- orable rhyming. He said that he and his wife were “amazed by the ex- citement” surrounding their new book. “The entire process has been very fun and fascinating and we are so happy others like the book,” Mr. Schreiner said. “We hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas and that children throughout Cayman enjoy our project.” The story begins with Rudolf leaving the North Pole after being bullied by the other reindeer, and follows the famous caribou to Cayman, where he discovers the wonders of the islands. Paul and Elisabeth Schreiner with their children Amelie and Elise.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 Cayman Compass • Friday december 18, 2015 this Christmas win $1000 every week let it flow discoverflow.ky/xmas let the warmth flow Weekly draws for $1000 cash plus you’ll be entered into our Supermarket Sweep to win all your Christmas goodies plus $5000 cash. Easy ways to enter: • TopUp $10 or more • Buy any data plan over $5 • Sign up for Mobile, Broadband or Flow TV service Flow terms & conditions applyThe 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. ‘Tax-onomy’: Our potholes and pitfalls On the international scene, the Cayman Islands is often perceived as a jurisdiction that is “low-tax,” or even “tax-free.” Over the decades, that image has proven to be a most useful marketing tool to attract investors and new residents. Unfortunately, it’s not entirely true. Cayman has been blessed with the absence of taxes on income, corporate earnings and annual property values — some of the most common forms of “direct” taxation in the wider world. But make no mistake, our country is rife with taxes, though we tend to use other words to describe them, such as “duties” or “fees.” For example, instead of an income tax, Cayman has “work permit fees” that vary according to job category rather than salary. Instead of a property tax, Cayman levies a hefty one-time “stamp duty” at the time of each transaction. Instead of a sales tax, Cayman charges import duty on items at the point of entry, at a basic rate of 22 percent. When it’s all said and done, Cayman’s government brings in just as much revenue, per resident, as do the governments of Canada or the United States. One consequence — and this is an undesirable one — of Cayman’s system of “indirect” taxation, is that it tends to obscure the link between the amount of money residents are giving to government, and the level of service government is providing to residents in return. (Let us here note that Caymanians, i.e. voters, are exempt from certain taxes, particularly immigration fees — and also are eligible for greater government services, such as social assistance and free public edu- cation. For the electorate, the link between what they give the government and what they receive from gov- ernment is not simply obscured, it’s skewed.) Apart from the collection of revenue, there are other kinds of “taxes,” as well. These are called “hidden taxes” — and they are the costs incurred by citizens as a result of corruption, inefficiency or mis- management on the part of government. It could be something as intangible as time lost waiting in line at government departments, as oblique as increased security measures taken by businesses in response to rising crime, or as blatant as charges to fix an automo- bile battered by ubiquitous potholes. As related in Wednesday’s Compass, Red Bay resident Geoff Cahill discovered one of those hidden taxes when he had to pay $1,000 to a mechanic to repair damage to his truck caused by unsatisfactory road conditions in his neighborhood. We have brought up before the conundrum of how a country as wealthy as Cayman can somehow not find funds for things such as emergency vehicles, proper waste management or road maintenance. The answer is that government regularly chooses to spend its money on other things, such as civil service salaries and benefits, government-owned companies (such as the Cayman Turtle Farm and Cayman Airways) and expensive capital projects (such as Clifton Hunter High School and the as-yet-unfinished John Gray High School campus). One reason that successive elected governments have managed to escape accountability for their con- tinuing mismanagement, is that the way government derives its funds insulates taxpayers, and particu- larly voters, from the feeling of paying taxes and the resulting expectation of receiving a certain level of service in return for their money. Yet, as expatriate parents realize from their hefty bills for private school tuition, commuters are reminded of by nosefuls of stench from the George Town dump, and Mr. Cahill found out from his mechanic, the costs (no matter how “hidden”) of poor governance will, ultimately, have to be paid. Friday deCember 18, 2015 • Cayman COmpass How to balance a budget Gordon Barlow The process of “zero-based budgeting” is familiar to ev- erybody who has ever been involved in starting a private business, and to most people who have bought existing businesses. All it means is, justifying every dollar spent. Right away, you can see why it’s not popular with govern- ment bureaucrats. Every new venture of theirs starts with plenty of cash in hand and with in- structions to spend it all. Their job is to provide the au- thorised service within the authorised budget. They’re not asked to minimise ex- penditure. For existing gov- ernment services, each an- nual budget is based on the preceding year’s expenditure. New expenses are required to be justified, but no ex- isting line-item has to be jus- tified ever again until the end of time. It is presumed to be justified, even when it obvi- ously cannot be. Whenever civil-servants say they have cut back on expenses, they mean they have cut back on budgeted expenses, not actual ones. That’s the way they think. “We have cut expenses 10 percent! Are we being ruthless, or what?” Well, no, the reduced expenses are below the budget for the current year, but higher than last year’s actual. “Government accounting” is a different beast from real- world accounting. The former doesn’t even have to justify a purpose. That, too, is presumed to be justifiable, however many years have passed since it was originally justified. Zero-based budgeting would require the closing down of Cayman Airways, for instance. Its formal purpose – bringing tourists to Cayman – could be served by paying foreign carriers a few million a year to guarantee a certain number of flights. Five mil- lion dollars, tops. We’d still be saving 20 or 30 million each and every year. Is Cayman Airways worth raising taxes for? Oh, please! The formal purpose just wastes time and money; yet it goes on and on like the Energizer Bunny. The true- but-unacknowledged pur- pose is to provide free trips to and from Florida for the families of government em- ployees, past employees, friends, friends of friends, old Uncle Tom Cobbleigh and all. It’s simply a variation of the petrol-card scam – free use of the public’s assets. (The total of all the Cayman Airways subsidies – overt and covert, and you can bet there’s plenty of covert – over the years is about equal to the entire Public Debt. That’s irresponsibility of a very high order.) All these years, you know – all these years! – Cayman could have been running sub- stantial Public Revenue sur- pluses, not deficits. Ours is a wickedly rich little Island, and we should have no public debt at all. Our repre- sentatives have acted with all the restraint of kids running wild in a candy store. A few years ago, the British FCO turned up and demanded that our local politicians and bureaucrats balance their budgets. No more borrowing to finance operating expenses. No more “cheque-book ac- counting” – spending what- ever is in the bank and leaving nothing for a rainy day. Public Revenue doesn’t have to in- crease year after year after year; tax-increases are not the best option. After a lot of argie-bargie (an income-tax was one of the sillier ideas, rejected out of hand by the local politi- cians), the FCO settled for im- posing a modicum of fiscal self-discipline – at least at the level of day-to-day expen- diture. Hundreds of millions of dollars continue to be wasted every year on sacred cows, bloated bureaucracy, and penny-ante corruption such as the theft of govern- ment petrol. Even the mighty FCO and its colonial admin- istrators cannot change the culture of political and bu- reaucratic entitlement that wastes those hundreds of millions each year. Our government receives far more in taxes than it can sensibly spend, and at least half of it comes from non- residents – visitors and “off- shore” companies. (Imagine what a state our government would be in if it relied on res- idents for all its revenue!) My next guest-column – if there is one – will focus on the mil- lions successive generations of politicians and senior civil-servants have wasted on government’s education programs, and why so many Caymanians are unemployed and largely unemployable. 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” FrOm The Web “Rolling out the Kimpton carpet for One Young World,” Dec. 14 We have been coming to Cayman since 1985, origi- nally staying at the Royal Palms. Those were the best times before all the commer- cializing of Cayman. It has always been enjoy- able coming to visit your is- land and country. But it has also been expensive. Our costs are 50 percent more than des- tinations we can go to else- where. This is why we travel less and less to Cayman, even though we would love to come. It is very nice to be an exclusive destination, but making it unaffordable sends a message. Then in the last few years, I notice a lot more crime, more than ever before. Of course this is common every- where now, but I had hoped Cayman would remain a more safe place to visit, since you’re such a small country. It would seem much easier to keep a tight control on crime. I even mentioned to my wife it’s about time for a Cayman vacation, but if we do, it is always a shorter trip than we would like just be- cause of the high cost to travel there, even though we are only a two-hour-or-less flight from Tampa on Cayman Airways. alan EckertThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 Cayman Compass • Friday december 18, 2015 The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 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. Friday deCember 18, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Benjamin a.T. Graham, ChrisTopher j. Fariss, erik GarTzke Special to The Washington Post Who wins a bar fight? The person with the most friends at the bar. Who wins a war? The country that fights alongside the most allies. This simple intuition provides an overlooked ex- planation for an impor- tant academic controversy. Democracies win almost all of the wars they start and about two-thirds of the wars in which they are the targets. If we push the bar fight analogy a little far- ther, we can also understand why being a democracy, and seeking a particular type of objective, is helping the U.S. build a large coalition to pre- pare for potential bar fights in places like Eastern Europe, the Middle East or the South China Sea. Obama told China to slow down in the South China Sea On his November trip to the Philippines, President Barack Obama called on China to halt the militariza- tion of conflicts in the South China Sea, where China has been sparring with the U.S. and its allies over islands, navigation rights, and access to natural resources. Obama also announced US$250 mil- lion in military aid to our al- lies in the region. The U.S. is working ac- tively, and successfully, to build large coalitions to sup- port its goals in the South China Sea and elsewhere. By contrast, adversaries like China and Russia largely stand alone in these disputes. This is counterintui- tive in some ways. For many members of the U.S. co- alition in Asia, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia, China is the nearer neighbor and a rising trade partner. China is likely more economi- cally important to the future of these countries than the U.S. Similarly, Ukraine and the Baltics share a border with Russia, not the United States. So why do these coun- tries (seek to) ally with us? One answer is that the United States is pursuing public goods – like open sea lanes or territorial integrity – while China and Russia are seeking territory, which is a private good. It’s easier to build a coalition around the pursuit of something that benefits everyone, rather than an asset that must be divided up, often unequally. Democracies fight for public goods – which brings them allies In new research, we argue that democracies tend to pursue public goods like open sea lanes and respect for existing territorial bor- ders, while autocracies tend to pursue private goods like territory. Democracies fight alongside more part- ners. Those larger coalitions win conflicts more often. Coalition size predicts demo- cratic victory so strongly that we needn’t look any farther for an explanation. Others have argued that democra- cies fight better, that dem- ocratic soldiers are more motivated to win or that de- mocracies mobilize for war more completely. But the big- gest advantage of democra- cies may be that they simply build larger coalitions. Yet if everyone benefits from large coalitions, why do democracies end up fighting alongside more friends than autocracies? Do autocrats not know that ganging up on their opponents is a good idea? Democracies and au- tocracies often have dif- ferent goals in going to war. Fighting alongside friends can be costly as well as re- warding. That’s particularly so when the winner is going to have to share the spoils of victory – oil, territory, or access to the strategic and economic resources in a re- gion such as the South China Sea. For China, adding allies would mean diluting the ben- efits it achieves by prevailing against its adversaries. States seeking to acquire territory or resources for themselves don’t want any more mouths at the trough than they absolutely need. Sometimes a reluctance to share even means that one side is more likely to lose. In contrast, if a country is fighting for a principle, for the status quo, or for a public good such as free maritime navigation, then more allies cost very little. In the South China Sea, the U.S. is trying to maintain open sea lanes for trade, something that is just about as valuable re- gardless of whether others also make use of it. The more the merrier! This logic extends well beyond the South China Sea. Because of the large number of participants in domestic politics, democracies’ core in- terests are usually best met through public goods (sta- bility, good governance, parks and welfare). Open sea lanes for trade. Stable international borders. Limiting terrorism, genocide, and other poten- tially contagious social, polit- ical, and economic ills. When democracies go to war for these objectives, they build overwhelming coali- tions and they win. Autocracies fight for themselves – which leaves them isolated Autocracies, on the other hand, must satisfy rela- tively small numbers of do- mestic constituents, some- thing better accomplished through private benefits (cash or other dispensations, con- trol over valuable assets). Because of this, autocracies are more likely to see benefit in going to war for private goods like territory or oil. As a result, they’re more likely to keep their coalitions small – and therefore face a greater danger of defeat. Democracies don’t just win because of who they are, but because of what they want (and what they don’t). As long as states seek things that coalition partners can share, they tend to win and to get their way in world pol- itics. This in turn creates a powerful and evolving dy- namic in world affairs in which being able to share makes states (often democra- cies) more successful. Graham is an assistant professor in the School of International Relations at the University of Southern California. Fariss is an assistant professor in the department of political science at Pennsylvania State University. Gartzke is professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego, and adjunct senior research scholar at Columbia University in the City of New York. © 2015, Washington Post In a fight, democracies beat autocracies 180603-Ad-Butterfield-Visa-Gold-1 111/17/15 6:21:34 PMThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY DECEMBER 18, 2015 TIME TO GET YOUR EXCITED FACE READY The Kirk Freeport $40,000 sweepstakes is back! 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Rolex giveaway is on January 4th on Daybreak DEC 1ST: ENTRY COLLECTION BEGINS Dec 11th $5,000 Dec 15th - 17th $1,000 each day Dec 18th $5,000 Dec 22nd & 23rd $1,000 Dec 24th $5,000 Bayshore Mall : Cardinall Avenue : The Strand (345) 949.7477 : kirkfreeport.net $40,000 IN CASH AND PRIZES WILL BE WON! RULES AND REGULATIONS: Minimum US$100 purchase to enter. One entry per purchase. Receipts can be combined to reach $100 requirement. Winner must claim prize at Kirk Freeport on Cardinall Avenue within 7 days of announcement. Non-winning valid entries from Kirk Freeport Christmas Sweepstakes will be included in the Rolex Drawing. Kirk Freeport employees and immediate family members are not eligible to enter.8 LOCAL NEWS Friday december 18, 2015 • Cayman Compass HOLIDAY TENT SALE SHAMROCK ROAD – PROSPECT SATURDAY 19 DECEMBER | 12PM – 5PM ® UP TO 50% OFF FINE WINES & SPIRITS UNDER THE TENT 15% OFF FINE WINES & SPIRITS IN STORE Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com It may be too late to beat the Christmas shopping rush this year, but there is still enough time to head out to local shops to find that per- fect gift. The Cayman Compass took to some of the is- land’s shores to see what hot sellers are flying off the shelves in the days leading up to Christmas. Popular this year are items with an island theme. At Books & Books in Camana Bay, for ex- ample, “Rudolph Discovers the Cayman Islands” by Elisabeth and Paul Schreiner is the hottest local kids book. “Georgie and the Stingray City” by Erin Connelly is also popular. Another top-selling Christmas item at jew- elry stores, including the Pandora Store in George Town, is the Cayman charm featuring a stingray for Pandora bracelets. At Funky Tang’s, people are opting for new Bluetooth speakers, tab- lets, headphones or new gaming systems. Despite safety concerns over their lithium-ion bat- teries, hoverboards are con- tinuing to sell out fast in Cayman. There have been re- ports from several U.S. states of the battery-powered self- balancing scooters bursting into flames. Cayman Airways this week joined several air- lines around the world that have banned hoverboards from their flights. At Winner’s Circle sporting goods store, the first shipment of these fu- turistic gadgets flew off the shelves. At Priced Right, the Ion Block Rocker, a recharge- able speaker system, is also proving popular with Christmas shoppers who consider it the ideal gift or want to use it to help kick off their Christmas party at a patio, garage or porch. Large flat-screen TVs are also moving fast. At Priced Right, many shoppers can be seen with at least one of these in their cart. Perfume is a peren- nial gift favorite. This year, the spicy, floral or fruity new scents of Lalique from Kirk Freeport’s La Parfumerie are among the most popular sellers, ac- cording to the store. Creed’s Aventus cologne is lining up as the big seller for men this Christmas. Meanwhile, gift items are available throughout the is- land, with some stores offering pre-Christmas bargains. Despite safety concerns over their lithium-ion batteries, hoverboards are continuing to sell out fast in Cayman. what’s hot this Christmas Shopper Antolin Lopez picks up some hot ticket Christmas items at Priced Right. – Photos: Jewel levy Cayman charms for Pandora bracelets are selling fast.9 LOCAL NEWS Watson: $100K was ‘investment’ in fuel distribution Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com About US$100,000 from a bank account held by the local company that was a partner in the CarePay swipe-card project was transferred in December 2010 to a business in which Canover Watson was a part owner, Crown prosecu- tors said Thursday. Watson, 45, the former chairman of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority board of directors, has been accused by pros- ecutors of using that posi- tion to influence the award of a public hospital patient swipe-card contract in favor of a local company called AIS Cayman Ltd. Cash from the CarePay contract went to AIS and was then sent on to other bank accounts and busi- nesses owned by Watson and his business partner Jeffrey Webb, the Crown alleges. It is further alleged by the Crown that Watson and Webb di- rected AIS from behind the scenes through the use of “sham” company directors. In the particular instance discussed Thursday, the US$100,000 originated from the first US$686,000 pay- ment on the CarePay contract shortly after it was signed in December 2010. A transcript of a Royal Cayman Islands Police in- terview read out in court Thursday indicated that of- ficers had obtained re- cords from Fidelity Bank in Cayman showing that the amount was disbursed from the AIS Cayman Ltd. account to another account held by a company named P&W Distributors Ltd. Watson told police at the time that one of the named directors of AIS Cayman, Joscelyn Morgan, had con- tacted him in December 2010 and indicated he wished to invest in P&W, a com- pany that had obtained local fuel distribution rights from Chevron-Texaco in Cayman. Watson was a 50 percent owner in P&W at the time, the court heard. Watson told police that Mr. Morgan made a “personal investment” of US$100,000 which had initially been de- posited in the AIS Fidelity ac- count. So, while it appeared to come from the AIS bank account funds, it was actu- ally Mr. Morgan’s personal cash, according to the police interview transcript. The other part-owner of P&W Distributors, Ernest Powell, testified Thursday that he had never heard of a man named Jocelyn Morgan and knew nothing of a US$100,000 “personal investment” in the company at any time. Mr. Powell testified that he worked in the “sweat eq- uity” end of the business, loading up his fuel delivery truck and distributing petrol to a number of local entities, including Cayman Airways and the Cayman Islands Fire Service. He said Mr. Watson took care of the financial side of things. Mr. Powell also testi- fied that although he knew the other named Caymanian director of AIS Cayman, Eldon Rankin, he was un- aware of Mr. Rankin having any involvement in P&W Distributors, either. During cross examina- tion Thursday, Watson’s at- torney, Trevor Burke, QC, said Mr. Powell had lost tens of thousands of dollars in run- ning the fuel distribution business between 2010 and 2011, cash that the attorney suggested Watson eventu- ally bailed Mr. Powell out when their partnership dis- solved in 2012. Mr. Burke also pointed out that Watson was under no legal obligation to reveal who the shareholders of P&W Distributors were to either Mr. Powell or bank of- ficials who provided the com- pany with loan overdraft fa- cilities in 2011. The participation by Mr. Morgan or Mr. Rankin in the business of AIS Cayman Ltd. came under scru- tiny during testimony by Finance Minister Marco Archer on Wednesday. Mr. Archer testified that he was unsure how either Mr. Rankin, who knew next to nothing about computers, and Mr. Morgan who worked as a bookkeeper at a local auto parts store, could even know how to be- come involved in what was a multimillion-dollar soft- ware development company. Minister Archer sur- mised during testimony that the only connection between the two men was Webb, who had known Mr. Morgan through their association with Cayman Islands foot- ball activities. Mr. Rankin is Webb’s stepfather, Mr. Archer confirmed. Webb pleaded guilty to separate criminal charges in the U.S. and is also charged in the CarePay investiga- tion, but he is not on trial in the current case before the Grand Court. Cayman Compass • Friday december 18, 2015 We regret to announce the passing of Capt. Arlin R. Tatum Who departed this life On Thursday, 3rd December, 2015 Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A funeral service will be held on Sunday, 20 th December, 2015, at Seaman’s Centre, Cayman Brac 2:00 p.m. Interment will follow at the West End Cemetery, Cayman Brac. We regret to announce the passing of Ramona Christian “Miss Dash” Who departed this life On Thursday, 10th December, 2015 Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A funeral service will be held on Saturday, 19th December, 2015, at Seaman’s Centre, Cayman Brac 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at the Spot Bay Cemetery, Cayman Brac. ce the passing of rvices.com In my sister Marcella’s garden, there are various color plants, fruit-bearing trees, coconut and almond trees, Bananas and Plantain Suckers. My sister is known to some as “Marcella” and by some as “Ratie” a pet-name given to her by her grandfather, the late Lionel Lemuel Walton. There is a “sweet rose garden” of which I have given the name of this tribute. I remember my sister telling me, one day while she was watering her “sweet rose garden” Lamar drove by her house. On that particular day, as she was watering her “sweet rose garden’ Lamar said, “Ratie, these roses smell so good”. Lamar loved the scent of sweet roses. Lamar was a very happy, caring and easy-going person. The memories that Lamar has left me, I will always cherish. To Lamar, From Sunday A “Sweet Rose Garden” Tribute to Lamar Wayne Ryan 5th January 1983 – 21st June 2003 This tribute comes from your Son Wayne, daughters, Esther and Marcella. Boba as we called her, as did everyone else, Boba and Sunbeam were neighbors. They had an open heart, a ready hand to lend, they were more than special neighbors, they were very special friends. They talked, laughed and discussed personal problems that they would not discuss with anyone else. I know Sunbeam misses Boba very much now that Boba is dead. Every time I talk to Sunbeam it is always something that they did or said. Boba was especially made by the Good Lord for her children. Boba loved all her children the same way, especially Wayne. Wayne was her fi rst-born, her only son. I believe if Wayne needed a heart, Boba would give him hers or she would give up her life to protect Wayne from any harm. Boba made sure we went to Sunday School regularly, at the end of the year, we would receive the prize for ‘never absent, never late’. I remember coming home from school and could not understand how to do my home work and Boba would help me with them. On Christmas Eve, we would help Boba decorate the Christmas tree and it looked very pretty. On Christmas morning, there were three presents under the Christmas tree, and I would say, “But Boba, I did not hear Santa Claus coming?” Boba would say “Sunday, you did not hear Santa Claus come because you were sleeping”, then we would laugh. They were two ponds on the opposite side of the road separating us, one of the ponds had all the garbage, Banana and Plantain Suckers. The other pond was very clean,my sister and I enjoyed “Shopping” as we called it in the pond, every day we would go over there to ‘shop’. The memories of Boba’s loving, giving, tender kindness, caring, ready to give of whatever she had especially to everyone that came by her home., that was just the way Boba was. Boba always made every day and everything special for us. We never knew want for anything. Boba was especially made by God for her children and we thank God for a mother like ours, for her love that is so pure and divine, she taught us to love the Saviour above, thank God for a mother like ours. To: our Mother (Boba) From: Your Children, Wayne, Esther and Marcella. This tribute comes from your Son Wayne, daughters, Esther and Marcella. A “59th Anniversary Tribute” To our Mother Amelia Marguerite Ryan 29th July 1942 -17th January 2010 all the garbage, Banana and Plantain Suckers. The other pond was very clean,my sister and I enjoyed “Shopping” as we called it in the pond, every day we would go over there to ‘shop’. The memories of Boba’s loving, giving, tender kindness, caring, ready to give of whatever she had especially to everyone that came by her home., that was just the way Boba was. Boba always made every day and everything special for us. We never knew want for anything. Boba was especially made by God for her children and we thank God for a mother all the garbage, Banana and Plantain Suckers. The other pond was very clean,my sister and I enjoyed “Shopping” as we called it in the pond, every day we would go over there to ‘shop’. The memories of Boba’s loving, giving, tender kindness, caring, ready to give of whatever she had especially to everyone that came by her home., that was just the way Boba was. Boba always made every day and everything special for us. We never knew want for anything. Boba was especially made by God for her children and we thank God for a mother CarePay trial Crown: Cash from AIS deal went to Watson’s business The other part-owner of P&W Distributors, Ernest Powell, testified Thursday that he had never heard of a man named Jocelyn Morgan and knew nothing of a US$100,000 “personal investment” in the company at any time. Canover Watson Have fun... volunteer! • walk dogs • play with puppies • educate • thrift shop • book store • dog show • cat care • fund raise 949-1461 info@caymanhumanesociety.com caymanislandshumanesociety.comNext >