High of 84 Low of 73 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. Muzaic Festival Music on the Menu Feast of talent returns B5 Art Technology Music ■ food Taste of Cayman Foodies head to Festival Green B3 National Gallery courses Explore your inner artist B2Day One App Organize your life one day at a time B6 Friday January 22, 2016 • Cayman Compass honors Ed Solomon Troubadour to receive Icon Award B11 Photos: Stephen Clarke Cayman weekender Taste of Cayman Editorial | pagE 4 Power lines: our stance on ‘green’ energy eSTaBLISHed 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – Friday January 22, 2016 Blake ‘heartbroken’ by latest CIFA claims James whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman football boss Bruce Blake says he is “sad and heartbroken” by allegations that money intended for the national foot- ball Centre of Excellence may have been used to help pay for former Cayman Islands Football Association president Jeffrey Webb’s Georgia mansion. Blake, the acting president of the Cayman Islands Football Association, stated he was not previously aware of the allega- tions and was angry that money meant for local football may have been diverted for other purposes. He said he would be working with world football governing body FIFA to determine the credibility of the claims, which emerged during the ongoing criminal trial of the asso- ciation’s former treasurer Canover Watson. Mr. Blake said he met with the execu- tive committee of the football association on Wednesday to discuss the evidence given by Watson. “I have the treasurer reviewing all of our bank statements to see if there was a $250,000 payment from CIFA to Black Holdings,” he said. Watson testified on Monday, during his trial in connection with the Health Services Authority CarePay swipe-card contract, that US$250,000 had been paid by a com- pany called Black Holdings Ltd. into the Fidelity Bank account opened to receive funds from the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority in April 2011. The money, according to Watson’s evidence, was first transferred by the Cayman Islands Football Association to Black Holdings Ltd., which had a contract to work on the Centre of Excellence in Prospect. It was later wired from that company to the Fidelity bank account and appeared to have been used toward a payment on Mr. Webb’s home, Watson said in Grand Court He said he believed Black Holdings Ltd. was controlled by a man named Peter Campbell. Peter Campbell is a vice president of the Cayman Islands Football Association, a role he has held since 2009. CarePay trial Crown: webb’s GeorGia home purChase was ‘money launderinG’ False contract, employee used to get U.S. bank loan Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands businessmen Canover Watson and Jeffrey Webb made up a bogus employment contract for Webb and used a Cayman Islands Football Association em- ployee to maintain the ruse required to obtain a U.S. bank loan that allowed Webb to buy a mansion in Loganville, Georgia, Crown pros- ecutors alleged Thursday. Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Patrick Moran alleged that the purchase of the Georgia home was nothing more than an attempt to launder the money Webb il- licitly received from the proceeds of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority’s CarePay patient swipe-card contract. The five-year, US$13 million deal was signed in December 2010. Watson, the former health authority board chairman, assisted in Webb’s scheme by helping Webb enter details of a false employ- ment contract stating that Webb was paid CI$180,000 per year as the general manager of a company called AIS (Advanced Integrated Systems) Cayman Ltd., prosecutors alleged. It is alleged that Watson directed the hos- pital’s CarePay contract award to AIS Cayman, which he and Webb controlled from behind the scenes through the use of frontmen di- rectors. The Crown alleges both Webb and Delays, cancellations on CAL flights James whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Maintenance issues have been blamed for a series of de- lays and a handful of flight can- cellations on Cayman Airways routes over the past month. Two flights to Miami, sched- uled for Thursday and Friday this week, were the latest to be canceled, while a total of 54 flights, out of 509 that oper- ated between Dec. 18 and Jan. 18, were rescheduled or de- layed by more than two hours in the past month, according to the airline. Cayman Airways CEO Fabian Whorms said all four jets would be back in opera- tion by Jan. 26, when trav- elers can expect normal ser- vice to be restored. He said the national airline had been operating a four jet schedule with only three jets since Dec. 18. Mr. Whorms acknowledged there had been some lengthy delays but said the airline had done everything in its power to limit inconvenience to passen- gers. In many cases, he said, Cayman Airways was able to adjust its schedule and notify passengers ahead of time. Another airline was subcontracted to operate 27 PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » A Cayman Airways flight comes in to land at Owen Roberts International Airport on Thursday. - phoTo: Taneos ramsay PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Friday January 22, 2016 • Cayman Compass Harpist Extraordinaire Eugenio Leon Serenades Tableside Tonight Friday and every Friday! with DJ Flex Free lessons with Kirk starting 9.30pm Every Tuesday Salsa Tuesdays with DJ Flex starting Salsa with DJ Flex starting TOMORROW Saturday, Jan 23rd Barefoot Man and Sea N’B Starting live at 8:00pm Come for dinner Stay for Dancing Or come to our beautiful Oceanside Bar and listen to the Sweet Sounds of Barefoot Man “BOOGIE NIGHTS” Music By DJ FLEX Starting at 9:30pm Old School Dance Party 70’s disco & 80’s classics Friday, January 29th Don’t forget NEXT WEEK TONIGHT! Friday Happy Hour 5pm-7pm Call 949-2231 or email: thewharf@candw.ky Cayman’s Most Affordable Cimboco - A Caribbean Café 94-PASTA (947-2782) Located in the Marquee Plaza Brunch & Breakfast till 3pm Saturday, Sunday & Holiday Monday! Needs assessment to begin March 6 Legal advice, health screening and aid to people in hard times are the is- sues that members of the Adventist Church will concentrate on helping people with in all three Cayman Islands. Church administrators met recently to work out de- tails as part of their four-year planning cycle. “We consider responding to needs of persons in com- munities across the three islands a priority for the church,” said pastor Shian O’Connor, who presided over the meetings as the newly re-elected president of the Cayman Islands Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. “The new initiatives planned for this year are aimed at assisting anyone in need, regardless of religious affiliation,” Mr. O’Connor said. “In accordance with Biblical teachings with re- spect to the sick, the hungry, the imprisoned, and the oth- erwise disadvantaged among us, the church has a respon- sibility to reach out to people who may need some help in getting back on their feet.” Aid to people in hard times will include the often neglected elderly, he noted. As a prelude to launching the community response ini- tiative, to include a central supplies depot, the church will conduct needs assess- ments starting March 6. Trained and accredited as- sessors will go out into com- munities across the three is- lands. The assessment stage will include discussions with relevant personnel in the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, Fire Service, Mental Health Services, and social service agencies, church ad- ministrators said. Mr. O’Connor said the community services initia- tives will be separate from the church’s assistance to its own members through its Dorcas Society. Further, he pointed out that the church already has in place another unit, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, which is part of the Cayman Islands National Hazard Management Plan for coordinating di- saster response. During last week’s two- day think tank, church leaders formulated other goals involving the more than 5,000 members on the three islands. These include the ex- pansion of Cayman Academy, the Cayman Islands’ only Seventh-day Adventist school, to accommodate in- creasing demand. In addition, a new tele- vision channel, Hope TV, the official channel for the Seventh-day Adventist Church globally, is sched- uled to be added to the menu of channels offered by Logic TV. The channel, branded locally as CATV (Cayman Adventist TV), will begin airing this month. Adventists prioritize community needs President Shian O’Connor, fourth from right, front, is pictured with the planning team that represents the organization’s administration and the various churches across Grand Cayman. The planning team, with President O’Connor at the head of the table, is hard at work. JurOr rePOrT daTe Grand Court jurors in the Jan. 13 to April 5 session who were due to report on Tuesday, Jan. 26, should now report for jury duty at 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 27. Jurors are advised to call the Jury Information line at 945- 5072 for the most up-to-date information. NYC’s BloomBerg offers CariBBeaN Cities iNNovatioN prizes NEW YORK (AP) – Hundreds of Caribbean and Latin American cities are being invited to vie for mil- lions of dollars from former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, as his charity extends an innovation com- petition to a new region. Bloomberg Philan- thropies was set to an- nounce its latest Mayors Challenge competition Wednesday. It offers up to $5 million for initiatives that address major local is- sues, make local govern- ment more efficient or get citizens more engaged. Following similar com- petitions in the U.S. and Europe, this one is open to cities of over 100,000 people in many countries from Argentina to Mexico to Haiti, though not Cuba. While the U.S. and Cuba have been working toward normal- izing relations since late 2014, the Bloomberg founda- tion notes that the U.S. trade embargo continues. Cities without local gov- ernments, such as those in federal districts, also are excluded. Still, the charity says more than 900 cities are eligible. “We’re looking forward to seeing what ex- citing new ideas emerge,” Michael Bloomberg said in a statement. Winners of a $5 million grand prize and four $1 mil- lion awards are to be an- nounced in the fall. The first two Mayors Challenges were won by Providence, Rhode Island, which is working on im- proving poor children’s vo- cabulary, and Barcelona, Spain, which is focusing on addressing social isolation among elderly people. Bloomberg, a billion- aire entrepreneur, served three terms as a Republican- turned-independent mayor of the biggest U.S. city. poliCe ideNtifY tourist iN sNorkeliNg death The tourist who died this week after getting into trouble snorkeling off Cemetery Beach in West Bay has been identified as Joseph Dieschbourg, 65, from Illinois, police said. Emergency services and police responded to a 911 call at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Responders administered CPR and transported the man to the Cayman Islands Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 10 a.m. Mr. Dieschbourg is Cayman’s first water-re- lated death of the year.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 Cayman Compass • Friday January 22, 2016 Sign up for Flow TV and get a Samsung sound system discoverflow.ky/tv Terms and conditions apply. packages from Sign up for Flow TV and get a Samsung The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. We (and no doubt our readers) were cheered by all aspects of the headline that appeared in Thursday’s Cayman Compass: “Oil, solar contribute to decrease in CUC power bills.” The worldwide drop in wholesale fuel prices has been a primary cause of a similar decline in local elec- tricity prices. (One commentator pointed out recently that a barrel of oil costs less than the barrel it is shipped in!) At the same time, solar energy is becoming more ubiquitous on Cayman’s rooftops, with CUC’s Customer Owned Renewable Energy program nearing its produc- tion cap of 4 megawatts, and Cayman’s first utility- scale solar project expected to be commissioned east of Bodden Town in October. It will have an anticipated production capacity of 5 megawatts. The downward trend in oil prices, which is expected to continue in the near future, is largely based on supply and demand with a distorting dose of geo- politics, price supports (think ethanol subsidies in the U.S.) and regulatory overreach figured in. In any case, what consumers love (lower fuel prices) and the stock markets hate (lower profits for the oil companies) should be regarded as volatile and temporary. On the other hand, while alternative energy sources, such as solar, may require a hefty up-front investment, once installed, the cost of production is comparatively predictable. Perhaps because we have opined on this page that the Cayman Islands government (and we as residents) would be wasting our time, energy and money in focusing our precious resources on com- bating global warming (since whatever we do will have absolutely no effect on the outcome of the matter), it might be presumed that we are likewise opposed to renewable energy. Not so. We in fact believe that all forms of energy produc- tion — diesel, natural gas, coal, nuclear, solar, wind, geo- thermal, wave power, etc. — deserve equal footing and should compete on a level playing field. Generally speaking, we are proponents of the adoption of new technologies, in any sector, whenever it makes economic sense. Further, because the availability of affordable energy is so vital to our standard of living, we are in favor of government eliminating all taxes, duties and fees on conventional and renewable sources of energy. The lower the barrier to entry into Cayman’s energy marketplace, the better it is for companies and consumers. The government has made a good start in one area, reducing the duty on diesel fuel from 75 cents per gallon to 25 cents. Now it’s time to take the tariff to zero. Getting rid of the duty on diesel, which powers the generators at CUC, will return money to all of us in a direct, efficient and meaningful way. The positive impact will be felt not only on monthly electric bills for households, but secondarily by reducing the cost of goods and services provided by businesses. Some may accuse us of being enamored with oil. That’s not entirely untrue. After all, oil fuels the world’s economy — and Cayman’s. Nevertheless, on islands as small as Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands, we have a unique opportunity to be bold in experimenting with energy alternatives. Can you imagine the positive interna- tional publicity the Brac might receive if it were the first island in the world to go to 100 percent electric vehicles? Being small does have its advantages. Frankly, we are largely agnostic when it comes to the sources of fuel that keep our air-conditioners running and our printing presses humming. We want a reliable supply at a reasonable price. If greener is better, then consider us committed “greenies.” We consider ourselves environmental pragmatists, not environmental zealots. Power lines: Our stance on ‘green’ energy Friday January 22, 2016 • Cayman COmpass ‘Education’ versus ‘Protection’ Gordon Barlow It’s the duty of communi- ties all over the world to give their children an education to a standard that enables them to become full members of their home communities. It takes a village, as they say. By that measure, Cayman’s government has failed, and continues to fail. Some of our Islands’ children succeed, but most don’t. Our government-school system caters to clever children, but not to the general mass of children. Rich parents can bypass the state’s schools and send their kids to private schools where the discipline is tighter and the standards are higher. Some parents – not so rich – are themselves clever enough to appreciate the advantages of a good ac- ademic record. Their homes are full of books, and the positive environment helps their children succeed even at the government schools. But the state system has failed the rest of the Islands’ children. Too many of them leave school semi-illiterate, semi-innumerate, and semi- trained in manners and atti- tude, unqualified to take their place in the workforce except as fill-ins. The tens of mil- lions of dollars of public rev- enue spent on those children every year has been wasted. Government would have been better off leaving the money in the bank. Why does this happen? Why do large numbers of born-and-bred Caymanians leave our government schools unable to support them- selves without the interven- tion of our politicians? After 44 years of affirmative ac- tion (since the passing of the Caymanian Protection Law in 1971), those large numbers are still not full members of their community, in the sense of being able to stand on their own two feet. Most sadly, they can’t even support their own children. Without Give-a-Kid-Breakfast and Feed-Our-Future and the NCVO and Rotary and all their donors, this second gen- eration would go hungry or go sick, and be excluded from full membership of their com- munity in their turn. Where will it end? How can our poli- ticians be so irresponsible, or so inept, as to allow this situ- ation to continue? In December 2010, in my brand-new blog, I posted a piece called “Everybody’s Cheating,” which criticized the labor-control policies of successive governments. Here is a brief extract. (If any- body wants to read the whole thing, Google the title with the name “Cayman” immedi- ately after it.) Our rulers apply public- sector (socialist) principles to private-sector practices through the Immigration Law. It requires private em- ployers to hire Caymanians with minimal regard for their education, aptitude or attitude; and to promote them with minimal regard for their productivity or con- tribution towards profits. That requirement amounts to a social contract between government and each pri- vate employer. Government allows the employer to trade in Cayman, in exchange for hiring and promoting people whom he otherwise would not employ. It’s a contract that both parties cheat on. Nothing has changed since then, has it? What slow learners our political repre- sentatives are! Forty-four years of pro- tectionism and coddling has generated a climate of entitle- ment in those who left school without an adequate educa- tion – without being fully lit- erate or numerate, or fully aware of the outside world. Worse than that, even, is the failure of a great many school- leavers to appreciate the work ethic expected by employers in the private sector. (The public sector’s expectations are much more modest.) Look. It’s not the fault of the teachers, or even of the parents. Most of the teachers struggle to apply their pro- fessional skill under the dead hand of departmental bu- reaucracy. And many of the parents are handicapped by their own poor educational experience and their trust in the Caymanian entitlement process. Communication be- tween teachers and par- ents is poor, because they are speaking different lan- guages. Communication be- tween bureaucrats and teachers, the same. In the private sector – where businessmen try to make honest profits in spite of the entitlement baggage – ill-equipped school-leavers struggle to be accepted for jobs they’re not prepared for. Those less-educated school-leavers turn to their MLAs and politically ap- pointed committees and com- missars for sympathy, and for help to gloss over their educational handicaps. They are readily assured that a Caymanian bloodline is way, way more important than ac- ademic aptitude, or attitude. Today’s version of the old Protection Board is generally on the side of the employee. The solution to the problem of unemployable and unpromotable Caymanians is simple. Place education above bloodline entitlement. For the past four decades educa- tion has played second fiddle. For as long as that continues, the tens of millions spent every year on government schooling will continue to be wasted. If our MLAs care enough to recognize that, they will reorder their priori- ties, starting tomorrow. Gordon Barlow has lived in Cayman since 1978. He was the first full- time manager of the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce (1986- 1988). He has publicly commented on social and political issues since 1990, and in 1998 served as the secretary of two committees of the “Vision 2008” exercise. His blog, “Barlow’s Cayman,” is located at www.barlowscayman.blogspot.com. 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” The solution to the problem of unemployable and unpromotable Caymanians is simple. Place education above bloodline entitlement.The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 Cayman Compass • Friday January 22, 2016 Friday January 22, 2016 • Cayman Compass 6 DISTRICT DAYS District Days East End North Side North Side resorts share colorful history Kaibo is getting a brand new dock. Rum Point’s iconic sign. Retired sub a popular site Parked in front of East End’s Ocean Frontiers dive shop, a 22-foot-long yellow submarine has become somewhat of a district tourist attraction. The PC-1203 Perry Class sub could submerge up to 1,000 feet back in its working days. Steve Broadbelt, co-founder of Ocean Frontiers, rescued the 16,000-pound submersible before it was destined for the scrap metal shop. He gave her a good polish and new coat of yellow paint. Now most tourists just cannot resist stopping for a selfie while humming the old Beatles classic. - Photo: GeorGe Nowak In its Labour Force Survey Report for Spring 2015, Cayman’s Economics and Statistics Office pro- vides mid-year estimates for population numbers in the districts. North Side’s estimated population of 1,639 rep- resents 2.8 percent of Cayman’s total popula- tion, with 802 (48.9 percent) males and 837 (51.1 per- cent) females. The number of esti- mated households in 2014 was 656, up from 535 in 2010. East End’s esti- mated population of 1,258 represents 2.1 percent of Cayman’s total popula- tion, with 619 (49.2 percent) males and 639 (50.8 per- cent) females reported. The number of es- timated households in 2014 was 485, down from 501 in 2010. Did you know? The Rum Point Club was opened in the 1950s by entre- preneur Ralph Coatsworth, and later run by Bruce and Doris Parker from 1965 until the early 1980s. The property was even- tually taken over in 1994 by Rum Point Investments, later managed by the Hyatt, and most recently is being run by We Ltd., part of the Red Sail Group. “It was and will always be a colorful place,” said John Buckley, one of the Rum Point managers. When he was at the helm, Bruce Parker brought some flair and showmanship to the resort, as he was a world champion water skier and his wife was a New Jersey beauty queen. The USA Waterskiing Foundation notes: “To mil- lions in eastern United States during the 1930s and 40s, Bruce Parker was ‘Mr. Water Skiing.’ “No individual water skier before or since has commanded the attention of the media – newspapers, magazines, newsreels – to the extent that Parker did.” The organization adds that along with becoming the first overall U.S. national water ski champion, teaching and putting on dramatic ski shows, Mr. Parker special- ized in elaborate stunts, even achieving a speed record at the time while being towed by a seaplane in Miami’s Biscayne Bay. During the Parkers’ tenure, Rum Point was a small 10-room hotel and dining room. The dining room was done in a South Seas décor and the adjoining Wreck Bar was the same building that is today the Rum Point Bar. Mrs. Parker was a first- class chef, and Mr. Parker taught diving and water skiing. It was where Cayman’s own Barefoot Man got his start as an entertainer. The current buildings were constructed in the mid-1990s. Today, Rum Point offers a restaurant and bar, along with expansive outdoor rec- reation facilities. Those hailing from the Seven Mile Beach area looking for a unique dinner experience can take a $5 catamaran dinner shuttle from SafeHaven over to the restaurant. Down the road, the Kaibo restaurant, beach bar and marina had its origins in the 1980s, springing up around a dock constructed for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II, who had come to open the Queen’s Highway along Grand Cayman’s northern coast. Kaibo’s Daniel Petts notes the current Kaibo building housing a cafe/bar and upstairs restaurant was built in 1999. It replaced the original wood hut which was first constructed on the site in the 1980s by Cecil Fox, a de- veloper behind much of the Cayman Kai area. Mr. Petts noted that construction of a brand new state-of-the-art dock is currently under way, which should be complete in a few weeks. “This new dock is being welcomed by the boaters,” said Mr. Petts. “The old dock had seen better days and was definitely due for a change.” Bruce and Doris Parker were owners of Rum Point Club from 1965 till around 1980.Cayman Compass • Friday January 22, 2016 7 DISTRICT DAYS District Days East End North Side North Side author earning accolades Basia McGuire bmcguire@pinnaclemedialtd.com North Side resident Janice Rae Sanders is gaining accolades for her recently published book. “Going Through the Door and Finding Miracles: A Warts and all Testimony,” was published by Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, a Christian self-publisher. Ms. Sanders is finding her work is resonating with a wide audi- ence, as was her hope. “I did not want to produce something that was a run-of- the-mill testimony which can be boring to read, or something that was chick-lit,” she said. She said the response from readers has been wonderful. “In fact, I get great feedback from both men and women, and both young and older readers.” She wrote the book in Cayman last year, over the course of about six months. “Basically, every time I came down, I would write some of the book,” she said. Ms. Sanders, 66, spent her early life in both Savannah and Crete, Illinois, southeast of Chicago; her mother committed suicide when Ms. Sanders was young, and her life took many twists and turns, including drug use. Ms. Sanders was fortunate enough to find a strong female mentor in the woman she says is the only mother she ever knew, Carallee Fink (nee Jackson), who still lives in Savannah with Ms. Sanders’s sister. The book chronicles the many challenges and hardships the au- thor encountered and overcame on her road to finally finding peace and happiness, with a strong Christian message. Published and released in November, it is garnering five-star reviews on Amazon, with enthusi- astic readers praising its down-to- earth depiction of a hard life that eventually led to the author dis- covering God’s plan for her. “My hope is that readers will seek our Lord, and be baptized in Jesus’s name,” she said. She hopes people who read the book will be encouraged to follow what some would call their conscience, or what she calls “God’s voice,” and seek to grow their relationship with “the man upstairs.” “I have always wanted to write a book about my life using an as- sumed name, but as time went on, I thought God is not going to like this,” noting she became convinced it wouldn’t be authentic. “My original idea gave way to this book,” she said. “I wanted to recount all the miracles that I had witnessed, but that would have meant some- thing that was way longer, and I also was OK with dragging myself through the mud, but not others.” Ms. Sanders said that within two months of publication the book made $5,000 in sales. Ms. Sanders said all proceeds from the book will be donated, as her objec- tive is not financial. “My church in Chicago had a mold problem, so those first funds I earned went toward that,” she said. The book is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon. com, and barnesandnoble.com. Janice Rae Sanders in North Side with her granddaughter Lily, who also features in her book. Janice Rae Sanders’s book cover In the Jan. 26 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, East End correspondent Charles Dixon wrote: “Mosquitoes are once again pestering residents of this dis- trict. Most people feel the reason for this sudden out- break is that a quite a number of empty containers are lying carelessly about. These pro- vide excellent breeding places for mosquitoes especially after heavy rains. “It is hoped that the Sanitary Dept., will make some effort to see to the removal of such containers and take necessary steps to reduce the number of breeding places in this district. “Fishing continues to be good as fishermen are taking advantage of the fine weather. Large quantities of queen fish and barracudas have been caught daily and sold, some in George Town.” In the same edition, North Side correspondent Nettie McCoy reported: “On Friday 21st there was a lovely wedding at the Pilgrim Holiness church when Mr. Burke C. Ebanks, second son of Mr. and Mrs. Cyrie Ebanks, took as his bride Miss Eunice Yvonne, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Halstead Ebanks, all of North Side. Eunice made a lovely little bride and was beautifully dressed. “Miss Babry Dale, niece of the groom, was maid-of- honor and Mr. John Smith was best man. Bridesmaids were Misses Patricia Ebanks, Abrana Rivers, Della Chisholm and Janis Chisholm. Groomsmen were Messrs. “Trenvic Miller, Harry Chisholm, Justin Ebanks and William Ebanks. The bride was given in marriage by her uncle, Mr. Ross Smith. The ceremony was performed by Reverend Ruth Bowman. “The choir sang ‘O Perfect Love’ and solos were rendered by Mrs. Leroy Powell and Mrs. Hope Glidden Borden. There was a large gathering of rel- atives and friends present to wish the newlyweds hap- piness and success in their married life. “A shower was held on Tuesday night last at the home of Mr. Lindbergh Ebanks, when a host of friends and relatives gathered and presented the bride with many lovely and useful presents.” 50 yeaRS ago: Pesky mosquitoes, fishing and a wedding Finding strength in her Cayman roots helped Janice Rae Sanders persevere through tough times, allowing her to embrace her love for family and to emerge as a successful author.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Friday January 22, 2016 • Cayman Compass We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Trinvic Oneil Brown who passed away on Tuesday, January 12, 2016. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Saturday, January 23, 2016 at the Veteran’s & Seaman’s Centre, Cayman Brac at 11:00a.m. Viewing will be from 10:00-10:45a.m. Interment to follow at Watering Place Cemetery. Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. Kaynel Marie Chollette who passed away on Tuesday, January 5, 2016. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Sunday, January 24, 2016 at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Rd., Savannah at 2:00 p.m. Interment to follow at Pease Bay New Cemetery. Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com Rónán Nadaraja 22nd April 1973 - 24th January 1998 Remembering with love our darling younger brother, Rónán Not a day passes that we don’t think of you and wish you were here. We miss you so very much. Your loving sisters and brother, Ingrid, Fiona and Seán Tribute to David Reuben Ebanks December 15th 1994 – January 23rd 2015 Time is moving forward But the pain remains the same One year has passed now And nothing seems to change. You were taken so suddenly We could never be prepared For the pain that we would feel For the deep and dark despair. A dark cloud descended Over our world that day For the loss of you David There are no words we can say. We long to see your face And the humble smile you had We know this will never happen For this, we are so sad It doesn’t stop the longing The longing to have you back Its hard to deal with the pain inside We feel emotionally broken We have asked ourselves many times Will it always hurt this way? Will the pain ever subside? Or will it even go away? They say time heals all wounds We really don’t think that’s true We’ll just have to learn to live With the pain of losing you. So on this sad day, David We want to say to you How very much we love you And miss you so much too. For the pain that we would feelFor the pain that we would feel For the deep and dark despairFor the deep and dark despair.. There are no words we can say.There are no words we can say. And the humble smile you hadAnd the humble smile you had We know this will never happenWe know this will never happen You touched the lives of everyone that got to know you. Rest in Peace, David. Sadly missed from your broken hearted mom, stepdad, dad, sisters, grandmother, aunts, uncles, nephews, niece and cousins. flights over the Christmas period and a further five flights were canceled. “Despite our best efforts to minimally affect our valued passengers over this last month, we are very conscious of the inconveniences experienced by some of our passengers and we thank these affected passengers for their patience, understanding and continued support,” said Mr. Whorms. “We would also like to re- inforce that the safety of our operations is always our first priority and while delays and cancellations are unde- sirable, there will be occa- sional instances when a re- vised schedule is necessary to transport our passengers to their destinations.” He said the flights can- celed this week had rela- tively light loads and the airline was able to re-accom- modate the affected passen- gers on other flights. The issues started when one of the aircraft was not returned on schedule from its annual heavy mainte- nance visit at an overseas facility. The jet was due to be back in service mid-De- cember but experienced a month-long delay because of necessary replacement parts being unavailable. Mr. Whorms said the parts had to be engineered and manu- factured to special order, ex- tending the time the aircraft was out of action “well be- yond our expectations.” That plane came back to Cayman on Tuesday, “in ex- cellent condition,” he said. However a second jet was accidentally struck by a ground service vehicle in Tampa on Monday, putting it out of service for a week. Mr. Whorms added. “Our expectation is that by Jan. 26, we will have our full complement of jets, which will allow us to have the op- erational redundancies nec- essary to restore the high level of on-time performance which our passengers are accustomed to.” Delays, cancellations on CAL flights According to data from Cayman Airways on 509 flights operated between Dec. 18 and Jan. 18, a total of 54 were either rescheduled or delayed by two hours or more. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 According to FIFA re- cords for its GOAL project grants, Black Holdings Ltd. and Roy Campbell & Sons Construction Ltd., were al- located just over US$1.2 mil- lion from that source during the first three phases of the national center con- struction project, between 2003 and 2009. Mr. Blake has been on the executive committee of CIFA since 2001, first as general secretary, and from October 2012, as first vice presi- dent, a role that currently carries the added responsi- bility of acting president. He says he took a leave of ab- sence from the general secre- tary’s role between July 2008 and April 2010 while he was working with Maples and Calder in London. He said Thursday that he had no personal knowledge of the payment from CIFA to Black Holdings Ltd, which Watson testified about, and had asked for a review of CIFA’s bank accounts. He said CIFA has already announced it would be con- vening a separate Independent Review Committee to review spending on the Centre of Excellence, including from the FIFA GOAL Project, and would press ahead with that as a matter of urgency. He added that CIFA’s other main source of funding was from FIFA’s Financial Assistance Program. He said this account was audited separately and submitted to FIFA for approval. “A full review of the pre- vious audits will have to be undertaken. I will be seeking FIFA’s assistance in this re- gards,” he added. “If it is determined that funds that were sched- uled for the FIFA Financial Assistance Program were in fact diverted, CIFA will take all legal measures to have the funds returned.” The revelations from the trial this week have prompted new calls for Mr. Blake and Mr. Campbell to step down from their roles with the association. Sports Minister Osbourne Bodden, said, “It is these con- stant allegations and other disclosures from the case and otherwise that cement my view that a thorough inves- tigation over CIFA’s dealings for the past 15 years, at least, should occur, and anyone from that administration should step aside and let new blood in to proceed for the better- ment of the sport, without dark clouds above them.” Renard Moxam, who challenged unsuccessfully for the CIFA leadership last year, said it was past time for long-term members of the executive committee to step down. “If it wasn’t clear already, it should now be obvious that everyone who has been on the Executive Committee while this was taking place needs to step down. “If Bruce did not know what was going on, that isn’t any better. He had an important role on the com- mittee and it was his respon- sibility to know what was going on and to ask ques- tions about how the money was being spent.” Mr. Blake said he had done nothing wrong and had no plans to step down. He said he had asked for the neces- sary investigations to take place. He said he had been on a leave of absence from CIFA between 2008 and 2010 when a lot of the work on the Centre of Excellence took place. He said the president’s role, vacated by Jeffrey Webb, would be up for election this year and anyone who wanted to lead the football asso- ciation could seek election through the proper channels. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Blake ‘heartbroken’ by latest CIFA claims Pressure mounts as EU migration strategy bogs down BRUSSELS (AP) – Pressure built on Wednesday for European Union leaders to overcome their differences and tackle the refugee emer- gency amid criticism that Europe’s migrant strategy is unraveling fast. The head of the EU’s exec- utive commission expressed concern on Wednesday that a summit of EU leaders on Feb. 18-19 would be too focused on keeping Britain inside the bloc, and he recommended that government heads give equal focus to the challenges posed by the migrant influx. “I’m rather worried that we won’t have enough time to tackle the refugee question in sufficient depth,” European Commission President Jean- Claude Juncker told reporters. His call came as countries in northern Europe, the pre- ferred destination of many of the more than 1 million people who arrived last year seeking sanctuary or jobs, began calling for caps on the number of migrants that should be allowed to enter. European Council President Donald Tusk, who chairs EU summits, warned on Tuesday that the EU’s passport-free travel area could break apart if the mi- grant strategy is not sorted out within two months. The commission has floated a plan aimed at coping with Europe’s biggest refugee emergency in more than half a century. Ideas in- clude the relocation plan to distribute refugees among EU nations, which would be strung out over two years, and more than 3 billion dol- lars over two years plus fast track visa and EU member- ship process for Turkey in ex- change for stopping people leaving for Europe. The commission also ad- vocates tougher measures to return people who do not qualify for asylum, and has boosted funding of Frontex border agency. A new European border agency plan is to be rolled out in March to protect the frontiers of countries unable or unwilling to do so. Juncker lamented the lack of national action, saying “we would do better if we implemented what has been decided.”The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Friday January 22, 2016 Watson personally ben- efitted from the award of that contract. During the prosecu- tion’s cross examination in Watson’s criminal trial Thursday, Watson admitted he did assist Webb with some details of the employ- ment contract, but only to the extent that Webb instructed him. He denied that the pur- chase of Webb’s home in Georgia amounted to an at- tempt to legitimize the pro- ceeds of the CarePay contract. The false employment contract for Webb stated he had been an employee of AIS Cayman Ltd. since 2008. The company was not formed until 2010. It stated he worked at an address on 37 Fairbanks Road in George Town, a condo complex where he did not own any property. It also stated that Webb worked for Joscelyn Morgan, receiving CI$15,000 per month. Mr. Morgan’s last known occupation in Cayman was as a bookkeeper at an auto parts store. “Are you saying this is not a false contract?” Mr. Moran asked “Yes,” Watson replied. “If you had created this it would have been a very, very inappropriate step to take knowing it was going to go to a bank?” Mr. Moran asked “It’s entirely inappropriate, if not criminal, to draft that contract” “It would be inappro- priate, yes,” Watson replied. “That was all your work, wasn’t it?” Mr. Moran asked. “No,” Watson said. At this point, trial Judge Michael Mettyear intervened, asking, “What you said before was it may had been me [re- ferring to Watson], Webb or Webb dictating to me.” Watson said he knew Webb had input on the con- tract, but that he did not specifically recall who had drafted it. This bogus contract, prosecutors said, was sent to Wells Fargo bank in the U.S. to secure a loan for the Loganville, Georgia prop- erty which Webb pur- chased in 2011. In order to keep up the ruse, prosecutors said, an em- ployee of the Cayman Islands Football Association, Beverley Melbourne, was listed as an employee at AIS Cayman Ltd. Her contact details, including a phone number, were placed on the bogus employment contract, prosecutors said. “CIFA held Beverley Melbourne’s work permit, didn’t they?” Mr. Moran asked. Watson said that was correct. “Someone would have to tell her to lie if she an- swered that phone?” Mr. Moran asked. “I wasn’t party to this, Mr. Moran,” Watson said. “I did not tell Ms. Melbourne to lie.” In addition, a “pay stub” found on Watson’s com- puter at his office at Admiral Administration was given to Webb, prosecutors elicited. That payment, which sup- posedly took place in 2010, showed Webb receiving US$300,000 in bonuses from AIS Cayman. “This is a false doc, isn’t it, Mr. Watson?” Mr. Moran asked. “I didn’t create this doc- ument … looking at it now, it appears to be false,” Watson said. “It was clearly created for the purpose of the Wells Fargo transaction [the bank loan], isn’t it?” Mr. Moran asked. “It’s obviously to do with that,” Judge Mettyear stated. Watson replied that he ac- cepted this was the case. Mr. Moran pointed out this document was on Watson’s computer at Admiral. Watson agreed that it was, but said it was pos- sible Webb might have gone on his office computer or his laptop and sent the docu- ments to himself. “Creating the [em- ployment] contract, using Beverley Melbourne’s tele- phone, drafting the letter to Wells Fargo, and, I sug- gest … this salary summary [showing the bonuses] … all of those activities were to help Mr. Webb launder some of the monies paid to him from the CarePay contract by taking them out of the AIS account and putting them into the Wells Fargo account to pay for the house,” Mr. Moran alleged. “No,” Watson said. Black Holdings On April 6, 2011, US$250,000 was transferred into Webb’s Wells Fargo ac- count in Georgia from a com- pany called Black Holdings. This money, it has been re- vealed in previous trial proceedings, originated from the Cayman Islands Football Association. The money ultimately went to help pay off a por- tion of Webb’s home loan in Georgia, both prosecutors and Watson have alleged. About five months prior to the April 2011 payment, pros- ecutors alleged that Watson helped a local businessman named Peter Campbell set up Black Holdings. Watson denied that he helped Mr. Campbell set up Black Holdings, but said he did forward certain documents to Mr. Campbell, who was a friend, that he would need to create the firm. “When you found out Peter Campbell was investing 250,000 in AIS, did you speak to Mr. Campbell about it?” Mr. Moran asked Watson said he simply did not recall. “The reason you say you cannot recall is because you know you never did,” Mr. Moran said. Watson said he did not know that. Fidelity account After the CarePay swipe- card contract was signed on Dec. 21, 2010, a local account for AIS Cayman Ltd. was es- tablished at Fidelity Bank, at Webb’s request, jurors in the trial heard Wednesday. Webb asked Watson to do the “quick write-up to open the bank account” and to get identification information from two men, Eldon Rankin and Joscelyn Morgan, whom Crown prosecutors have re- ferred to as the “sham” direc- tors of AIS Cayman. Watson testified that he wrote the letter to Fidelity to open the account and that the number of his fax machine at Admiral Administration was placed on the form. Neither Webb nor Mr. Rankin, Webb’s stepfather, dictated the words on the bank account form to Watson. Watson fur- ther testified that he did not speak to Rankin at all before opening the account that had the man’s signature on the bank form. “It seems Jeff Webb couldn’t even open an ac- count at his own bank without your help,” Mr. Moran said to Watson during cross examination. Webb worked at Fidelity Bank until the end of 2012. “You’d have to ask Mr. Webb,” Watson replied. “Did you not ask Mr. Webb ‘why am I doing this?’ You were the chairman of the Health Services Authority,” Mr. Moran asked “I did not see an issue with drafting the [bank] letter for which I had the informa- tion,” Watson replied. Judge Mettyear inter- jected that Watson, under questioning by his attorney Trevor Burke, QC, last week stated he had “nothing to do with opening the bank ac- count” at Fidelity. The ac- count ultimately received some US$6.8 million in pay- ments from the CarePay con- tract between December 2010 and August 2014. “Did you think it ap- propriate for the chairman of the HSA to be drafting a letter opening bank ac- counts for this company?” Mr. Moran asked. “Absolutely,” Mr. Watson replied, adding that he was merely trying to speed things along and assist the HSA im- plement a system that would save the government health- care system up to US$12 mil- lion a year. Mr. Moran further alleged that Watson and Webb were trying to hide the existence of a Cayman Islands bank account for AIS from their Jamaican partners on the CarePay deal. “Did Douglas Halsall [AIS Jamaica owner] know a Fidelity account was being set up?” Watson said he did not know if Webb, whom he iden- tified as the “local contact” for AIS Jamaica, had spoken to Mr. Halsall about it at that stage in December 2010. Snipped signature In April 2013, more than two years after it was opened, Fidelity Bank marked the AIS Cayman ac- count as “high risk” and asked Webb to provide more information on the account regarding the source of its funds, evidence of business contracts and personal in- formation about Mr. Halsall – who was ostensibly a 40 percent owner of the local company. Watson testified that the bank knew Mr. Halsall was one of three directors of AIS Cayman Ltd. along with Mr. Rankin and Mr. Morgan. However, prosecutors pointed out that a docu- ment in Fidelity’s file that de- scribed Mr. Halsall as a di- rector of AIS Cayman had the date on it “changed by hand” to December 2010. “What was going on here, Mr. Watson?” Mr. Moran asked. “I don’t know, I did not complete this document,” Watson replied. Watson responded to the bank’s 2013 request for more information on the Fidelity account, jurors heard, by filling out a “know your cus- tomer” form on behalf of Mr. Halsall and lifting the Jamaican businessman’s sig- nature from the December 2010 CarePay contract. The signature was electronically pasted onto the bank form, prosecutors elicited. Mr. Moran asked whether Watson had Mr. Halsall’s permission to lift the signa- ture. He replied that he had spoken via telephone to Mr. Halsall’s daughter in Jamaica and had received approval to “snip” his signature and place it onto the bank’s due dili- gence form. “It was your idea to snip his signature?” Mr. Moran asked. “Yes,” Watson said, given that he had the approval of Mr. Halsall’s daughter, who was also an executive at AIS Jamaica. The bank ultimately did not accept the snipped sig- nature and Watson had to go back to AIS Jamaica the next day, emailing a copy of the filled out bank form and seeking Mr. Halsall’s original signature. BVI company In June 2011, Watson con- firmed he began the process of setting up a “shell com- pany” in the British Virgin Islands that came to be called AIS Consulting Ltd. Watson testified ear- lier that he opened the com- pany account, expecting to receive anywhere from US$100,000 to US$1 million per year in earnings, due to a consultancy contract he was contemplating ac- cepting with AIS Jamaica, the owner of the CarePay system software program. Prosecutors suggested Watson opened the con- sulting firm for a very dif- ferent purpose – hiding profits he was skimming from the CarePay contract. “Why didn’t you choose to keep the AIS income in Cayman?” Mr. Moran asked Watson. “There was no ad- vantage to choosing the BVI … other than people in Cayman wouldn’t know about it.” Watson testified that the BVI, while offering es- sentially the same services Cayman did, was less expen- sive and had a “slightly less rigorous” regulatory regime. On June 26, the Crown stated, Watson contacted an attorney in the BVI seeking his assistance in establishing a bank account for the con- sulting company. An hour after that email was sent, Mr. Moran said Watson sent an invoice to the govern- ment Ministry of Health for US$1.2 million. That money represented the first payment owed for the proposed expansion of the CarePay swipe-card system to private sector in- surers and healthcare pro- viders in the Cayman Islands. The expansion never hap- pened. The Cayman Islands government paid a total of US$1.8 million for it between 2011 and 2012. The same day, June 26, Watson’s secretary Miriam Rodriguez was instructed to obtain a “certificate of good standing” on behalf of AIS Cayman Ltd. “You needed [the certifi- cate] for your BVI venture, didn’t you?” Mr. Moran asked. Watson said he did not recall that being the reason and didn’t recall requesting Ms. Rodriguez to obtain the certificate for him. Eventually, Watson said, he did not take up the con- sulting job with AIS Jamaica and decided to stay on at the HSA. He testified that he was simply “too busy” to deal with ongoing matters at his private sector firm Admiral Administration and a sepa- rate position at AIS. CarePay trial Crown: Webb’s Georgia home purchase was ‘money laundering’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 It is alleged that Watson directed the hospital’s CarePay contract award to AIS Cayman, which he and Webb controlled from behind the scenes through the use of frontmen directors. Jeffrey Webb’s home in loganville, Georgia. - Photo: Kevin D. LiLes/KevinDLiLes.comNext >