SportS | page 18 Djokovic, FeDerer aDvance to semiFinals in australian open High of 85 Low of 76 Rough to moderate with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over open water. editorial | page 4 BBc program: a ‘trillion’ thumBs Down ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – weDnesDay january 27, 2016 Mixed reaction to BBC documentary ‘The Beast’ roars into mulching action CaRePay TRial CIFA Centre oF exCellenCe CAsh not returned james whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The BBC’s documentary on the Cayman Islands, “Britain’s Trillion Pound Island” showed off some of the island’s natural beauty to viewers in the U.K. But not everyone watching from Cayman, including some of the people fea- tured in the show, were too impressed. Initially pitched to those involved as a life- style reality television show on people with British links living in the Cayman Islands, the documentary ended up focusing on the terri- tory’s image as a “tax haven.” During the hour-long program, which screened Friday night on Britain’s BBC 2, pre- senter Jacques Peretti talked to a cast of local characters, including real estate agent Mike Joseph, businessman Marcus Cumber and devel- oper Mario Rankin. He also attempted to show the other side of life in the Cayman Islands, in- terviewing a retired civil servant struggling to meet mortgage payments on her home. The show also featured interviews with Premier Alden McLaughlin, Cayman Finance boss Jude Scott and Governor Helen Kilpatrick. Mr. Peretti, who opened by describing the Cayman Islands as a Caribbean paradise of sun, sea, cocktails and “big money” that car- ried out its business in secret, told viewers he was getting “unprecedented access” to find out the truth. The show did not draw any definitive conclusions, but posed the question of whether the territory is a cog in the global economy or a rogue island that is costing the British public billions of tax dollars that could otherwise be used to pay for doctors and nurses. Governor Kilpatrick, who was quizzed by Mr. Peretti on whether the British government could “close down” the Cayman Islands because of U.K. companies routing profits to the territory to avoid British taxes, told the matt lamers mlamers@pinnaclemedialtd.com The George Town Landfill has a new addition – a horizontal wood grinder Caterpillar C15 2680, a.k.a. The Beast, which will be used to mulch vegetation waste. Dozens of spectators and gardeners turned out Saturday morning to watch The Beast de- vour 1,500 Christmas trees in a mulch free-for-all at the George Town cricket field. Kelly Reineking was among those on hand for the free mulch. She said the material is “going to be extremely useful” for her mango, cherry and sweetsop trees. Ms. Reineking plans to leave the mulch cov- ered for about six months be- fore applying it, to neutralize the acidity from the pine needles. Mulch suppresses weeds and helps soil retain moisture. The Beast was making its inaugural appearance at the annual event for the Department of Environmental Health. The department purchased Watson testimony wraps up Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A sum of $250,000 deposited in a Fidelity Bank account via the Cayman Islands Football Association through another local company was never returned to the company that paid it, Canover Watson testified Tuesday during his criminal trial. The funds, previously flagged up in the trial as having been earmarked for a local football playing field project known as the Centre of Excellence, initially came from the local football association through a company known as Black Holdings. The $250,000 was placed into the account of a com- pany named AIS (Advanced Integrated Systems) Cayman Ltd. and later transferred to a U.S. bank account to pay for a portion of local businessman Jeffrey Webb’s suburban Atlanta mansion. Watson was asked Tuesday by his attorney, Trevor Burke, QC, about a “timeline of events” he created at the request of Webb in 2013. The time- line was created because AIS Cayman’s Jamaican business partner, Douglas Halsall, wanted a proper accounting of his profits from the Cayman Islands government’s CarePay swipe-card contract. Watson and Webb are both accused of conspiring to secure funds from that hospital contract for themselves while Watson served as chairman of the Health Services Authority board of directors. Watson has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Webb, facing sentencing in an unrelated investigation taking place in the U.S., was not Horizontal wood grinder ‘The Beast’ devours Christmas trees in a mulch free-for-all at the George Town cricket field on Saturday. - Photos: MAtt lAMers George Town resident anna elverson collects mulch for her garden. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Wednesday January 27, 2016 • Cayman Compass SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. © y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - WEDNESDAY - THE 5TH WAVE (PG13) 1:10 I 4:00 I 7:30 I 10:10 RIDE ALONG 2 (PG13) 1:00 I 3:30 I 7:00 I 10:00 POINT BREAK 3D (PG13) 1:20 2D I 4:30 I 7:20 2D I 10:05 NORM OF THE NORTH (PG) 12:50 I 3:10 I 5:25 I 7:40 I 9:55 STAR WARS VII 3D (PG13) 12:40 2D I 3:40 I 6:45 2D I 9:50 THE REVENANT (R) 12:15 I 3:40 I 7:10 Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) © Sponsored by: SATURDAY, JANUARY 30th, 8PM Governor joins Guatemala education mission Rotarians head to Central America James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A group of Rotarians, in- cluding honorary member Governor Helen Kilpatrick, are heading to Guatemala next month to deliver textbooks to secondary schools and open a new computer center. The group from the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman will join up with other volunteers from Rotary clubs in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada. They will be working with nonprofit organization Cooperative for Education, which provides education resources, scholarships and training opportunities to in- digenous Mayan schoolchil- dren in Guatemala’s central and western highlands. Derek Haines, a veteran of previous Rotary trips to the region, said the group would cover hundreds of miles over bumpy roads in mountainous terrain to deliver textbooks and other materials to under-resourced schools in remote areas. He said Rotary Grand Cayman supports the charity financially and provides funds for sporting equipment as well as sponsoring a school. Over the years, Cayman Rotarians have provided the funds for computers, books and a toilet block at one school, and some of the at- tendees sponsor students in the scholarship program. “Rural Guatemala has one of the highest rates of poverty, illiteracy, and inequality in the Western Hemisphere,” he said. He said the Cooperative for Education program works like the butterfly theory, where small deeds can make big changes. He said the aim is to blow a “strong wind of change” through impover- ished communities and break the cycle of poverty. Chris Johnson, who will be on the trip for the third time, said, “What I have seen and experienced in the past two years has been impres- sive and heartwarming. The enthusiasm shown by my Rotary chums is infectious and I feel the project is re- warding and most worth- while. This is what Rotary is all about.” According to Trevor Neckles, another vet- eran of multiple trips to the Central American country, the Cooperative for Education has helped chil- dren in 300 communities across Guatemala. “Currently, there are more than 25,000 children using CoEd textbooks, 17,000 stu- dents being trained at CoEd computer centers, 33 schools with the Culture of Reading Program, and 669 one-year scholarships given,” he said. The trip takes place from Feb. 6 to 14. Rotarians Trevor Neckles, Alan Roffey, Derek Haines and Joey Hew deliver pizza to kids they are sponsoring in Guatemala.A group of Rotarians and honorary member Governor Helen Kilpatrick are heading to Guatemala. RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Brazil’s health minister says the country will mobilize some 220,000 troops to battle the mos- quito blamed for spreading a virus sus- pected of causing birth defects – but he also says the war is already being lost. Marcelo Castro said that nearly 220,000 members of Brazil’s Armed Forces would go door-to-door to help in mosquito eradication efforts ahead of the country’s Carnival celebrations. Agency spokesman Nivaldo Coelho said Tuesday details of the deployment are still being worked out. Castro also said the government would distribute mosquito repellent to some 400,000 pregnant women who re- ceive cash-transfer benefits. But the minister also said the country is “badly losing the battle” against the Aedes aegypti mosquito that trans- mits Zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. “The mosquito has been here in Brazil for three decades, and we are badly losing the battle against the mos- quito,” the ministers said as a crisis group on Zika was meeting in the cap- ital, Brazilia. The remarks, published in local newspapers, were confirmed by Coelho. A massive eradication effort elimi- nated Aedes aegypti from Brazil during the 1950s, but the mosquito slowly re- turned over the following decades from neighboring nations, public health ex- perts have said. That led to outbreaks of dengue, which was recorded in record numbers last year. The arrival of Zika in Brazil last year initially caused little alarm, as the virus’ symptoms are generally much milder than those of dengue. It did not become a crisis until late in the year, when researchers made the link with a dramatic increase in reported cases of microcephaly, a rare birth de- fect that sees babies born with unusu- ally small heads and can cause lasting developmental problems. Worry about the rapid spread of Zika has expanded across the nation, and the hemisphere beyond. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has ad- vised pregnant women to reconsider travel to Brazil and 21 other countries and territories with Zika outbreaks. One of them, the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, reported 18 confirmed cases of Zika on Tuesday, though none involve pregnant women. Officials in El Salvador, Colombia and Brazil have suggested women stop get- ting pregnant until the crisis has passed. HealtH minister: Brazil is ‘losing Battle’ against mosquito A female Aedes aegypti mosquito acquires a blood meal on the arm of a researcher at the Biomedical Sciences Institute in Brazil’s Sao Paulo University. – PHoto: aP3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Wednesday January 27, 2016 Join us on Sunday 31 January for Cayman's most popular and fun event in support of the Cayman Islands Cancer Society. Walk or run your preferred distance in several districts. Register yourself, your friends and family, your company today - visit caymanstride.ky and take a stride against cancer. PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY (BEFORE DAWN THIS SUNDAY) AWAKE #5053 - CTCA - STRIDE - Awake - Press Ad Half Page Vertical - 5.0667 x 15.8975 - CMYK - 19th Jan 2016 © 2016 Rising Tide Cancer Treatment Centers of America and its affiliate marks and taglines are registered trademarks of Rising Tide Foundation in the United States. James Whittaker and kelsey JUkam jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com; kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com An area of around 13,000 square feet of coral reef habitat within a marine park was impacted by an- chor damage from the mega- yacht Tatoosh, according to a survey by Department of Environment divers. The anchor chain of the 300-foot luxury yacht, owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, struck the reef in the West Bay replenishment zone, close to the popular Doc Poulson wreck dive site, around Jan. 14. The DoE conducted an in- water survey of the damage last week and released its preliminary findings Friday. “Initial figures place the damaged area at 1,200 square meters … with 80 percent of the coral within that area de- stroyed,” according to a state- ment from the department. The estimate for the area impacted is around the same as that affected when an an- chor and chain from the Carnival Magic cruise line struck a reef near George Town in 2014. It is not clear whether the level of coral den- sity was on the same scale. The DoE is still investi- gating the circumstances of the incident and is working on a full damage assessment report that will be completed this week. A spokesman for Vulcan Inc., Mr. Allen’s communi- cation’s team, said the crew is cooperating with the investigation. “While moored in the Caymans in a position di- rected by the local Port Authority, the vessel Tatoosh shifted due to strong winds in the area that unintention- ally pushed it closer to a ma- rine reserve area. “The vessel quickly re- located its position and the crew is cooperating fully with local authorities to ensure that no marine life in that area was inadvertently impacted.” The yacht, which has an on-board helicopter, was still in Cayman’s waters Tuesday, moored close to Spotts Landing. Back then, crude was US$73 per barrel Brent FUller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Retail fuel prices on Grand Cayman have hit their lowest point in almost six years, with a gallon of reg- ular, unleaded self-serve gas- oline costing $3.93 on av- erage as of Tuesday. However, the last time prices fell below $4 dollars a gallon here, recorded by the Cayman Islands Petroleum Inspectorate as February 2010, the listed price of Brent crude oil – an international benchmark price – was more than US$73 per barrel. As of Tuesday, Brent crude prices were just more than US$32 per barrel – less than half the 2010 price. The Petroleum Inspectorate average prices in February 2010 for retail gasoline in Cayman were $3.88 per gallon, about 5 cents lower than the average recorded Tuesday. Similarly, diesel fuel prices on Grand Cayman were av- eraging around $3.92 per gallon this week. In February 2010, those per gallon prices averaged $3.68. Brent crude prices have fallen about US$5 from US$37 per barrel in mid-Jan- uary to US$32 per barrel at month’s end. In the U.S. fuel market, that has led to a sharp drop in prices at the pump. On Tuesday, the national average for regular, unleaded fuel was just below US$1.83 per gallon. That was down about 6 cents from a week ago and about 17 cents from a month ago. Both petrol distributors operating in Cayman’s market, Rubis and Sol Petroleum, have noted that they typically re- ceive fuel shipments about every three to four weeks and that cargo may have loaded on the supply ship several weeks before arriving here. This delay has often been blamed for creating a lag in pricing compared to current international rates. For the Sister Islands, that lag can be more pronounced, particularly given the rela- tively low volume of fuel sales in Little Cayman. Chief Petroleum Inspector Duke Munroe has said there will always be significant differences in re- tail fuel prices between the Cayman and U.S. markets because of supply issues, economics of scale and other significant differences. In addition to pump prices declining, Caribbean Utilities Company noted last week that its customers should continue to see a de- cline in electric bills due to the drop in diesel fuel costs. CUC uses diesel fuel to gen- erate electricity. CUC stated that a resi- dential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month should have seen an $85 per month reduction in their bills between December 2014 and December 2015. In addition to the decline in diesel costs, a government reduction in stamp duty charged to CUC diesel fuel imports is expected to fur- ther drive down costs when it hits fuel bills. The duty was reduced from 50 cents per gallon to 25 cents per gallon as of this month. Billionaire’s yacht blamed for coral reef damage Grand Cayman gas prices lowest since 2010 Paul Allen’s yacht Tatoosh is blamed for anchor damage to the reef in the West Bay replenishment zone. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKERThe 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. Wednesday January 27, 2016 • Cayman COmpass The recent BBC documentary on Cayman, “Britain’s Trillion Pound Island,” is a documentary insult and a jour- nalistic mess. The hour-long film is a mélange of beaches, bikinis and banks. Promising a deep-dive exploration into “one of the most secretive places on earth,” British journalist Jacques Peretti proceeds to take a waist-deep wade into the shal- lowest stereotypes of the Cayman Islands. Armed with a camera, crew and little pre-existing knowledge apart from the phrase “tax haven,” Mr. Peretti bumbles through the country, bouncing back and forth between the idea that Cayman is bad, or else it is benign, before finally arriving at the un-startling conclusion that “Cayman is a tax haven created by Britain … But it’s much more than that.” The documentary does have its strong points. First, the film must be admired for its unabashed blending of fact with fiction. No, the average four-bedroom residence in Cayman does not cost “nearly 2 million pounds.” No, you cannot be arrested in Cayman for asking questions about finan- cial entities. No, Cayman is not “James Bond island” — that title belongs to Jamaica, where Ian Fleming wrote his famous thrillers. No, even though Mario Rankin drives a Ferrari, he is not one of the “richest men on the island.” … We could go on and on. Second, the production value of the film is excep- tional. Grand Cayman is portrayed, visually, as a beautiful place with plenty of sand, sun and surf. Third, the list of interviewees who appear in the docu- mentary were aptly chosen by filmmakers to suit their purposes. Whether they were looking for a flamboyant mil- lionaire, a high-end realtor, a financially oppressed govern- ment pensioner or a taxi driver brimming with homespun wisdom — filmmakers successfully identified individual per- sonalities to fill those roles. In brief, the documentary is a cheap product of sensa- tional and shoddy journalism, richened with a colorful cast of characters and aesthetically appealing cinematography. We do not believe it was Mr. Peretti’s intention to “make Cayman look bad” — in fact, it seems like he gave key players here every opportunity to “make Cayman look good.” The failure to do so, in that regard, falls on local shoulders. While it is fairly certain that “selective editing” may have taken place, the performances by Premier Alden McLaughlin and Governor Helen Kilpatrick, on what should have been the simplest of topics — “Justify Cayman’s exis- tence” — were, in a word, underwhelming. We can forgive others who appeared in the film for saying or doing things they may now regret. After all, most of them don’t make a living talking in front of cameras. Who knows what kind of cajolery the person- able Mr. Peretti employed in order to make his subjects feel at ease, and who knows what footage was left on the cutting room floor? To a lesser extent, that applies to Governor Kil- patrick, as well. After all, she is a British civil servant appointed to oversee Cayman, not cheerlead for us. However, Premier McLaughlin’s role is different. Our premier is elected to represent the people of Cayman, and has been selected by his colleagues to represent the country as a whole. As opposed to his admirable showing on BBC’s HARDtalk in 2014, the premier appeared in this interview to be ill at ease, and apparently ill-prepared for questioning. Before the interview, the premier’s staff should have provided him with a list of talking points and should have vetted Mr. Peretti extensively before the Q&A — pref- erably viewing the questions beforehand so that the premier would have his answers at the ready. He should never expose himself to “gotcha journalism,” and his staff should have insisted on securing, in writing, approval of the “final cut” of the interview. (Notorious Mexican drug kingpin “El Chapo” negotiated nothing less in his recent interview with Sean Penn of Rolling Stone magazine.) The first question Mr. Peretti asked Premier McLaughlin was a good one — “Why have you let me in to interview you?” Since our premier did not have a satisfactory answer to that question, it should have been the last one. BBC program: A ‘trillion’ thumbs down 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” Letter: Is Cayman too shy? Distasteful as it is to antic- ipate yet another journalistic hatchet job on the Cayman Islands, the prospect never- theless becomes a compelling watch for Cayman residents. Was last week’s dread of BBC’s “Britain’s Trillion Pound Island – Inside Cayman” warranted? If someone is going to the trouble of producing a docu- mentary about Cayman, it is understandably difficult for Cayman Islands representa- tives to turn down requests for interviews – they are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Well aware that parts of their balanced view will end up on the cutting room floor, and eternally hopeful that they just might get an opportunity to dispel some misconceptions about the Cayman Islands, the governor, the premier and the CEO of Cayman Finance gamely, if nervously, agreed to be interviewed by Jacques Peretti. Other interviewees must similarly be aware of the risks, but hey it’s not every day you are offered an opportunity to showcase your seafaring dachshund or air your pen- chant for nudity on the BBC. The outcome, while irri- tating in many respects, was relatively benign, but also cu- riously devoid of input from practitioners in the finan- cial industry, who might have brought some enlightenment about the role that tax neu- tral, offshore financial centres play in international trade and its financial side, international capital flows, from investors to end-users. The global economy is complex and has its im- perfections, as is the way the world does business. It cannot be simply explained in sand art. That does not make every aspect of it sinister. A basic understanding of, for example, the company management model (multiple, single pur- pose companies managed cost- efficiently by a small number of service providers), the reg- ulations surrounding corpo- rate groups that are listed on major stock exchanges (such as MANU.NYSE, TSCO.LON), controlled foreign corporation rules (that allow the tax au- thorities of the U.K. and the U.S., among other countries, to tax their corporate citi- zens on their worldwide in- come), and controlled and au- ditable transfer pricing rules (for setting the price of goods/ services sold between related legal entities within a business enterprise), etc., could have made this documentary a lot more interesting and fair. Cayman Finance’s recent campaign to educate people about the contribution of the finance industry to the Cayman Islands economy is admirable, and should per- haps be followed up by fur- ther education that will give residents the confidence to challenge misconceptions, whether in a BBC documen- tary or in everyday busi- ness and conversation. In addition to the areas listed above, here are some sugges- tions for the curriculum: 1) Distinction between se- crecy and confidentiality; 2) Direct and indirect taxation; 3) The breadth and depth of Cayman laws and regulations; 4) The range of government revenue sources – tourism taxes, company registra- tion and licensing fees, work permit fees, import taxes, etc.; 5) Import taxes versus ship- ping and handling costs; 6) Comparative import du- ties on consumer staples and luxury items; 7) Bank account opening requirements for non- residents; 8) British Overseas Dependent Territory status and Cayman’s relationship with the U.K.; 9) Tax Information Exchange Agreement trea- ties; 10) Alternative economic models to those adopted by the U.S. and the U.K. that can achieve the same or better objectives in countries with smaller populations without direct taxation (and the ex- pensive infrastructure that tax collection requires). Perhaps there is no harm in seeing Cayman through an outsider’s eyes from time to time. It highlights imper- fections we know exist and clarifies that there are some that should worry us more than others. Education should certainly be a major priority in Cayman. Enabling citizens to qualify for work in the better compen- sated jobs and professions is the most equitable and prac- tical solution to minimizing poverty and crime. It is cer- tainly more realistic than il- legally freezing third parties’ assets and a la Robin Hood dividing the spoils among the populace. But rather than con- stantly despairing, reactively, to skewed journalism and con- spiracy theories about where Cayman fits into the U.K. gov- ernment’s ruination plans, let us do a better job of being proud of Cayman. Rather than protest that we don’t all drive Ferraris, fly in hair- dressers, live in jaw-dropping homes next door to James Bond, and that neither do we all face eviction, lose sleep over the price of fish fingers, and not pay a penny in tax, can we not counter these neg- ative portrayals more success- fully by telling our own story. How wonderful it would be to watch instead on a Friday evening a documentary about, for example, Cayman’s heri- tage – ship building and the merchant marine, or Cayman’s contributions to the mother country in World Wars I and II and more recently the Falklands war, or Caymanians abroad today – artists, busi- nessmen, scholarship stu- dents, or Cayman water sports and conservation, or Cayman entrepreneurs, or Cayman fishermen. Can we charge our Caymanian filmmakers with this challenge? At home, we certainly must not downplay the many areas that need work and improve- ment, and we might also rec- ognize that criticizing govern- ment does not achieve much, whereas civic responsibility by all citizens can be very powerful. But isn’t it time for Cayman to be less apologetic and more proactive in pre- senting to the world what a small nation can do to make itself self-sufficient, participate usefully in the global economy, live relatively peacefully, ap- preciate natural beauty, and recognize our good fortune to be living in this delightful part of the developed world. Linda G. Haddleton5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Wednesday January 27, 2016 †Conditions apply. Subject to credit approval. Offers subject to change without notice. Customers earn 7,000 AAdvantage Miles as follows. You earn a welcome bonus of 3,000 AAdvantage Miles on your first purchase of any amount. Thereafter, you earn an additional 2,000 AAdvantage Miles after you have spent a cumulative amount of USD$ 800 on your new Scotiabank / AAdvantage MasterCard® credit, plus you earn a further 2,000 AAdvantage Miles when you add one or more supplemental cards to your account during the first 3 cycles from the account open date. Visit cayman.scotiabank.com/bonusrewards for full Terms & Conditions. ®Registered trademark of the Bank of Nova Scotia, used under licence. American Airlines® reserves the right to change AAdvantage® program rules, regulations, travel awards and special offers at any time without notice, and to end the AAdvantage® program with six months notice. Any such changes may affect your ability to use the awards or mileage credits that you have accumulated. Unless specified, AAdvantage® miles earned through this promotion/offer do not count toward elite-status qualification or Million MilerSM status. American Airlines® is not responsible for products or services offered by other participating companies. For complete details about the AAdvantage® program, visit www.aa.com/aadvantage. Scotiabank issues the Scotiabank/AAdvantage® card. American Airlines®, AAdvantage® and Million Miler are trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. ®MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated. /ScotiabankKY Go to cayman.scotiabank.com/bonusrewards to see how your rewards can add up. Reward yourself in two easy ways Choose one or both! Welcome Bonus offers end March 15, 2016. Apply today and get FREE† additional cards! †† Cash Back Scotiabank / AAdvantage® MasterCard® Get a Welcome Bonus of up to 7,000 AAdvantage® miles† Scotiabank Gold® MasterCard® Get a Welcome Bonus of US$40† Cash Back Scotiabank Gold® MasterCard® Travel Rewards Scotiabank / AAdvantage® MasterCard®Scotiabank / AAdvantage® MasterCard® Discover what’s possible Forum: Region needs cash-transfer rules Charles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com A forum with govern- ment and private sector rep- resentatives from around the region last week called for a Caribbean-wide effort to deal with U.S. banks “de- risking” and pulling out of doing business with cash transfer companies and other financial institutions around the region. The process of de-risking for banks is meant to ensure financial institutions are not used to help launder money or finance terrorism, but the heightened regulations and higher costs associated with ensuring transactions aren’t used for nefarious pur- poses means many major banks have pulled out of offering services such as cash transfers. Former Prime Minister of Barbados Owen Arthur said in a prepared speech at last week’s forum, “Unaddressed, the de-risking that is at the center of the correspondent banking issue could serve to de-link Caribbean economies from access to global finance. “It can also increase the cost of access to such finance, or force economic agents in the region to resort to illicit means, further damaging the image of the region,” Mr. Arthur said. “It can also do untold damage to the finan- cial sector in the Caribbean.” The Cayman Islands ex- perienced many of those con- sequences last year when the only two banks that offered services to cash transfer com- panies closed the accounts. First, Fidelity Bank closed the Western Union branches on the island, and then Jamaica National and MoneyGram lost their accounts with Cayman National Bank. The banks cited higher costs to comply with international regulations and the possibility of losing their own access to the global fi- nancial system if they con- tinued to offer services for cash transfers. Western Union is back up and running through a new company, GraceKennedy Money Services, and a deal with Scotiabank to provide banking services. Western Union had to close up its operations for four months when Fidelity Group closed its branches in July. Cayman National Bank closed the accounts for JN Money Services, MoneyGram and the other remaining cash-transfer companies in Cayman, but they were able to stay open by accepting only U.S. cash, which was flown off island to be depos- ited. JN and its affiliates are now accepting Cayman dol- lars but still do not have a local bank account to convert local currency to U.S. cash, to then send it into the global fi- nancial system. JN spokesman Gareth Manning said Tuesday that there was no update on the company’s negotiations with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority to covert local currency to U.S. cash. JN Money Services General Manager Leesa Kow, said in a recent press state- ment, “The reality is that money transfer compa- nies and operators are more heavily regulated and scru- tinized than banks although they adhere to the same reg- ulations and rules as banks.” In 2014, workers in Cayman sent almost US$180 million overseas to sup- port their families; about $110 million of that went to Jamaica. Data for remit- tances from the past year is not yet available. Many at last week’s forum called for governments across the Caribbean to coordinate their approaches to the in- ternational banking system and regulators. Damien King, co-execu- tive director of the Caribbean Policy Institute, said in a press statement, “What we have is many jurisdictions at many levels that overlap and are not consistent, and then international banks re- sponding to that by setting up their own rules and de- cisions.” He said Caribbean governments need standards and uniform policies for banking and compliance. Forum organizers said they invited Cayman Islands Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton, but he was unable to attend. Mr. Panton did not respond to requests for comment by press time Tuesday. Former Prime Minister of Barbados Owen Arthur, left, and Earl Jarrett, general manage of Jamaica National Building Society, attend a forum last week on correspondent banking. CarOl WInKer cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The last of four men in- volved in the 2012 robbery of a courier outside BritCay House was sentenced last week. Tarrick Kevin Crawford was given a 12 months’ sen- tence, which the judge sus- pended for 12 months. “I do not want this to be a precedent because this is truly an exceptional case,” Justice Quin emphasized. Crawford, 18 at the time of the offense, was ini- tially deemed unfit to plead. He was found to have been functioning at the mental age of eight, Justice Charles Quin heard. Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryll Richards said Crawford re- quired a year of treatment to get to his present stage. He was subsequently found fit to plead and entered his guilty plea last November. The daylight robbery oc- curred on Oct. 4, 2012, when Manuel Ramirez Carter, 32, pointed a gun at the courier and took from him a bag con- taining CI$8,117 and US$593 in cash, plus $190,000 worth of checks. John Phillip Cohen Ebanks, 50, drove the car in which Carter left the scene. They then made their get- away by switching to a car driven by Brandon Reno Liberal, 27. Crawford was in the second car. Justice Quin said he was mindful of the mental age of the defendant at the time of his offending, but the bigger issue was what his participa- tion had been. Ms. Richards advised that Crawford’s role had been limited. He was present when the robbery was being planned days ear- lier and initially he was to have been a getaway driver. On the day itself, however, he was not a driver. Before the robbery, as the men waited in two cars not far from BritCay House, Ebanks told Liberal he wanted to pull out of the plan. Liberal sent Crawford to Ebanks to tell him, using expletive language, “Don’t mess up on me.” Justice Quin remarked, “So he was really a messenger.” Ms. Richards listed the aggravating factors of the offense: pre-planning, the use of a loaded firearm, the wearing of a mask by Carter, the use of two different ve- hicles and switching of license plates. In 2014, Liberal and Carter were sentenced to six years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty. Ebanks was sentenced to three years’ im- prisonment because of sig- nificant assistance he gave to the Crown. Crawford first came to court in late November 2012. His attorney at the time, Fiona Robertson, expressed concern that he was not fit to plead and he was dealt with separately from the other three. Other attorneys from Samson and McGrath have appeared for him since then. Last week, it was Laurence Aiolfi who pointed out that Crawford had not been aware that a firearm was involved. He had been drug-free in his last several tests, Mr. Aiolfi remarked, saying it showed Crawford’s ability to abide by a court order. He said it showed that Crawford now had a real under- standing of the criminal jus- tice system and the conse- quences of his actions. Justice Quin said it seemed that anything Crawford did, he was di- rected to do, but it was not a question of duress. In passing sentence, the judge took into account Crawford’s guilty plea en- tered at the first opportu- nity. He said the defendant was aware a robbery was taking place and by his pres- ence encouraged the others. He did act as messenger but took no other part. His role was limited and he acted at the direction of others. At the time he was not acting as a fully functioning adult, the judge observed. “There has been marked improvement in his behavior. He shows the ability to abide by court orders,” Justice Quin said. On that basis, he im- posed a term of 12 months, which was suspended for 12 months. During that time Crawford must abide by a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., comply with recommenda- tions from the Department of Community Rehabilitation, register for work, refrain from illegal drugs and un- dergo random drug testing. He is also to comply with mental health treatment as and when necessary. The judge urged Crawford to contact his probation of- ficer if people tried to per- suade him to do something he knew was wrong. “If you find yourself being led astray, get help,” the judge told him. If Crawford commits another offense in the next 12 months he will be brought back to court on this charge, the judge warned. “I do not want this to be a precedent because this is truly an exceptional case.” Justice charles Quin Last of four men involved in BritCay House robbery sentencedWednesday January 27, 2016 • Cayman Compass 6 DISTRICT DAYS District Days Sister Islands Sister Islands wins recognition The Sister Islands featured prominently in the awards recog- nizing agricultural achievement handed out at the National Heroes Day ceremony on Monday. The family of Capt. Keith Tibbetts was honored among Cayman’s Early Pioneer awardees, while Silas Bodden, Margarito “Merch” Chantilope, and Vevly “Mr. TeTe” Valentino Dixon, were recog- nized as pioneers. Colleen Vioris Gibson, Dwayne Jeremy McFarlane and Mirjana Mirjanic all received recognition as emerging pioneers. Numerous Sister Islanders were also recognized in memoriam, along with others honored for their con- tinued service to agriculture. Parker Tibbetts received the early pioneer award on behalf of Capt. Keith Tibbetts’s family, who started the Keson Poultry Farm on the Brac. “The farm actually had its or- igins in the chickens my grand- mother left to me when she emi- grated to the United States when I was around 11,” said Mr. Tibbetts, who hails from the Bight. He noted his father had, among other things, always been a farmer, growing pro- duce on the family grounds. “My parents helped me build a coop, and over time it went from a small coop to us raising fryers, then layers, to having our own incu- bator for eggs we brought in from the U.S.” He recalled how that was a major step up from relying on im- ported day-old chicks which needed to be transported with great care and which did not always survive the shipping. “The farm became a family af- fair, and we had it for about 20 years, until we started phasing out the business over time,” said Mr. Tibbetts. Market forces eventually made the cost of raising chickens locally unable to compete with the low price of imported chickens. “We are very honored to be rec- ognized as pioneers in chicken farming and the first to make a business out of it on the Brac,” said Mr. Tibbetts. Vevly Valentino Dixon of Spot Bay was recognized as an agricul- ture pioneer for his work as a cattle farmer. The cattle were kept on the bluff, which was only accessible by footpath, and he developed a way to pump water up onto the bluff for the animals, which otherwise had to be moved around constantly and led down to water in times of drought. As well as building a cis- tern on the bluff, he advocated for construction of roads on the bluff to allow for better access to agricul- tural areas. He built up a successful business which his sons carry on. “This award means a lot for the common people who work hard, doing things that so many people just take for granted,” said Mr. Dixon’s son, Dudley, who with his mother Azedell accepted his father’s award. “Our family came a long way, being now one of the largest cattle owners in the Cayman Islands, and the largest on the Brac. Our family really appreciates the recognition for his hard work,” he said. Andrew Theopholus McFarlane of Spot Bay was nominated on the memorial scroll. Elsa Annie Rose Scott recalled how her grandfather worked hard growing produce and raising cattle. “I was quite proud and honored to receive the Agriculture Scroll on Heroes Day, on behalf of my grand- father for his noble contribution to the development and delivery of agriculture to the Cayman Islands, specifically Cayman Brac,” said Ms. Scott. “Mr. Andrew, as he was af- fectionately called, was a caring, respectable and hard working man who practiced general an- imal healthcare, raised hundreds of cattle, and farmed his many grounds on the bluff to support his 12 children, grandchildren and other family members and friends.” Mr. McFarlane, who passed away in the 1970’s was also a well-known butcher. “All the Brackers would come to his stall for the best cuts of beef,” said Ms. Scott. The beef stall is used today by his son, Melvin McFarlane, who fol- lowed in his footsteps as a butcher and veterinarian. “I am a very proud grand- daughter of this amazing gen- tleman who assisted greatly in raising and molding me into the strong, hard working, caring and respected woman that I am today,” Ms. Scott said. Erbin Tibbetts with Minister of Agriculture Kurt Tibbetts Doret Chantilope accepts the award for Margarito ‘Merch’ ChantilopeElsa Annie Rose Scott, granddaughter of Andrew Theopholus McFarlane, and her daughter Olivia Scott-Ramirez with Mr. McFarlane’s memorial scroll certificate. Early Pioneer: Capt. Keith Tibbetts family “Keson Poultry Farm” Pioneers: Silas Bodden Margarito “Merch” Chantilope Vevly Valentino Dixon Emerging Pioneers: Colleen Vioris Gibson Dwayne Jeremy McFarlane Mirjana Mirjanic Memorial Scroll: Horatio Chantilope James Ballenger Christian Jack Ebanks Riley Ebanks Seford Samuel Ebanks Capt. Elvern Kinsley Hurlstone Capt. Charles L. Kirkconnell Elton Rae Martin Andrew Theopholus McFarlane Capt. Clyde E. Scott Edison Alva Scott Erbin Adolphus Tibbetts Long Service Awards: Alvin Editha Bodden Dario Henry Bodden Robert Ainsley Bradshaw Hinton Roxroy Conolly Glen Shirley Dilbert Jarvis Ralf Dixon Sarah Valentine Dixon Judith Nadine Ebanks-Oyog Mildred Theresa Hebbert-Mena Delano Truman Lazzari Freda Lillieth Lazzari Leon Lazzari Pedro Manuel Lazzari Murray Graham Martin Melford Andrew McFarlane Elvis Jeffrey McKeever Corlon McLaughlin Covington McLaughlin Darlene Cecilia Robinson Dervyn M. Scott Heinley Lawrence Scott Norma Areila Scott Sherrydale Alva Whittaker In the Jan. 26 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, Brac correspondent Lilian Ritch wrote: “On Wednesday 19th we said farewell to Miss Danya Britton who has been vis- iting with the Ed Hayes’ family for the last six months. Danya has become one of us and will be remembered for her charming performance as the Lady Olivia in the plot ‘The Steward Malvolio’ from Shakespeare’s play ‘Twelfth Night.’ Reluctant to go, Danya loves Cayman Brac. She wishes to become a nurse and is exploring avenues thereto and we wish her every success in her effort. Danya is a niece of Hilda, Mrs. Murphy Hayes, and Carolyn is the niece of Captain Murphy. The girls, having been adopted together by the Captain and his wife, are very close chums. “We welcome ‘home’ Dr. and Mrs. Herrman, American friends who have a winter home by the Channel. We also wel- come Mr. and Mrs. Bert Marson of the West End for their winter stay. They enjoyed a visit to Jamaica en route from their home in Tampa, Florida. Glad to see you back. “Welcome back, Mrs. Henley Scott, Rhonda, Richard, Roger and Randall who were 6 weeks in Jamaica. Husband and fa- ther Captain Henley is shareholder/skipper of the M/V ‘Prindon’ which is fishing on the Cays for the Jamaica market. Norma and the children enjoyed sightseeing, es- pecially a picnic trip to Dunn’s River Falls and driving along the tourist resorts on the North Coast.” 50 yEARS AgO: Farewell to new friends, welcome to visitors National Heroes Day celebrated pioneers in agriculture. The Sister Islands saw many honorees. Basia McGuire bmcguire@pinnaclemedialtd.com In an exciting development for scientists and local plant enthu- siasts, a pair of botanists keen to learn more about Cayman Brac’s unique plants recently paid the is- land a scientific visit. The scientists, both PhDs, are botanists working at the University of Michigan. The duo are experts in Caribbean plants and some of the plant families found on the Brac, ex- plained Paul Watler, environmental programs manager for the National Trust for the Cayman Islands, who joined with the scientists on their three-day Brac visit last week. The scientists also conducted research in Grand Cayman during their week-long stay. Paul E. Berry is an expert in cro- tons, a plant genus in the spurge family. Many types of plants in the spurge family, also known as eu- phorbiaceae or euphorbias, are found on the Brac. Fellow scien- tist Kent Kainulainen is an expert in plants in the rubiaceae (coffee) family, also found on the Brac. The visit came about with the involvement of Joanne Mercille, who collaborated with Dr. George Proctor, considered to be the au- thority on plant life in the Cayman Islands. Dr. Proctor’s book, “Flora of the Cayman Islands,” the second edition of which was published in 2012, is the definitive guide to plants on all three islands. “Dr. Proctor sadly passed away in October 2015 and this leaves a vacuum regarding who we have as our go-to plant doctor,” said Mr. Watler. “We have been reaching out to various institutions, looking for people who are familiar with the specific plant families found in Cayman, as there are always new and unusual plants being discov- ered,” he said. “Not only that, but some of the plants we currently have cata- logued may actually be mislabelled so we are always looking to ensure the scientific knowledge about our amazing plants is as up to date as possible.” Mr. Watler noted Ms. Mercille has been an avid contributor to the Trust’s plant collection of sam- ples contained in its herbarium, and has developed many contacts throughout the botanic field. He explained that Mr. Berry is a taxonomist, a biologist who special- izes in classifying plants. “He is looking over the entire euphorbia family and making lots of revisions, and was very excited to come to the Cayman Islands to see what species we have here, and check that they have been named correctly,” said Mr. Watler. “We asked specifically if he could come around to look at cro- tons, particularly on the Brac, since Dr. Proctor spent a lot less time on Brac, so there might be some gaps there.” There are already people working in the Brac to fill in those gaps. In recent years, volunteers at the Cayman Brac District National Trust have developed a list of plants they knew were growing on Cayman Brac but are not in Dr. Proctor’s book. “Among other things, we want to get specimens of some of those plants for the her- barium,” Mr. Watler said. Mr. Berry was also able to get samples for review of the spurge family for his research. “It was a very successful visit, we did find a lot of crotons for Mr. Berry which he was very excited about. Mr. Kainulainen was able to familiarize himself with the rubia- ceae that are found in this part of the Caribbean, and everyone had a great time,” said Mr. Watler, noting that the group was able to collect numerous plant samples both for the Trust herbarium and others that will be taken back to the U.S. for further study. “Who knows, we just may come up with some new information on these plants, furthering science both here in Cayman and farther afield.” Cayman Compass • Wednesday January 27, 2016 7 DISTRICT DAYS District Days Sister Islands Plant experts make field trip to Brac Botanists Kent Kainulainen and Paul Berry preparing to collect samples. The scientists forge through the Brac’s rough terrain gathering samples. Bird NoTes: on the lookout for winter migrants to sister islands This time of year is a great time to spot some northern visi- tors joining the native birds in the Sister Islands. North American migratory birds that can be found on Cayman Brac include oven birds. “These are cute little birds that like to walk around the forest floors,” noted Paul Watler of the National Trust for the Cayman Islands. They are joined by fellow north- erners grey catbirds, barn swal- lows, American red starts, black throated blue warblers, palm war- blers, and yellow throated warblers. “Of course, you can spot Cayman Brac parrots on the Brac all year long. They love this weather so they should be very active,” said Mr. Watler. He said the parrots have made a significant comeback since their population was impacted by Hurricane Paloma in 2008. “The last information from the Department of Environment was that they were doing fine, the num- bers are back up to pre-Paloma so we are happy all around,” he said. Other Brac native birds of in- terest include the red-legged thrush which is found only on the Brac – a native, endemic subspecies, found on the bluff in the forest. Brown boobies usually nest on the bluff and are easy to spot on the lighthouse path. On Little Cayman, local birds of interest include red footed boobies and magnificent frigate birds. Local Brac parrots love the winter weather.The red-legged thrush is found only on the Brac.oven birds can be found on the Brac in wintertime.Black-throated blue warblers visit the Brac in winter. The visit came about with the involvement of Joanne Mercille, who collaborated with Dr. George Proctor, considered to be the authority on plant life in the Cayman Islands.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Wednesday January 27, 2016 • Cayman Compass ‘The Beast’ roars into mulching action the machine, which will have a permanent home at the landfill, to use on vegetation waste, which takes up about 30 percent of the dump. Clive Bodden, managing di- rector for Atlantic Supply Ltd., which sold the machine to the Department of Environmental Health, said The Beast is ca- pable of eating logs 12 inches in diameter without any problems. “You’re taking a huge volume of vegetation and reducing that volume tremendously, so it’s taking up less space in the landfill,” he said. Billy Adam, who collected a garbage container full of mulch on Sunday, said the demand for the materials showed that the machine needed to be brought into the community more often. “This should be going on every day, not just as a one- off. There are tons of horticul- tural cuttings going into the landfill and it is just making ‘Mount Trashmore’ higher. All that should be mulched and made available to gardeners and farmers.” He said the government had previously bought mulching machines which had been un- derutilized. He believes if the new machine is made more widely available it could pro- long the lifespan of the rapidly filling George Town Landfill. Compass reporter James Whittaker contributed to this story. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The BeasT aT a glance 540 horsepower 48,000 pounds $340,000 approximate price tag 24-inch by 60-inch mill opening Fitted with a magnet to separate metals CarePay trial: CIFA Centre of Excellence cash not returned available to attend trial in Cayman. The $250,000 Centre of Excellence funds came from a FIFA grant, Watson testified, and never involved money re- lated to the CarePay project. According to Watson, Webb told him to place an entry on the timeline being prepared for Mr. Halsall that stated that local busi- nessman Peter Campbell, the owner of Black Holdings, had purchased 2.5 shares in AIS Cayman as a result of his $250,000 investment in April 2011. At the time of the pay- ment, Webb was the presi- dent of CIFA, Campbell was a vice president and Watson was CIFA’s treasurer. Watson and his book- keeper were attempting to rec- oncile the amounts spent from the AIS Cayman account be- tween January 2011 and June 2013, accounts which Watson admitted were often confusing and difficult to decipher. “Did you ever see any ev- idence of Mr. Campbell or Black Holdings having their CI$250,000 repaid?” Mr. Burke asked Watson. Watson said it did not appear so. He said there were payments from the AIS account to Mr. Campbell directly, but he could not state exactly “what Mr. Campbell received from his investment.” A final AIS Cayman ac- count ledger prepared for Mr. Halsall by Watson and his bookkeeper was given to Mr. Halsall in 2013, and al- though he did not appear to be “entirely satisfied,” he agreed to “move forward” with the hospital contract in Cayman, Watson said. ‘Shareholders’ The account ledger com- piled by Watson and his bookkeeper, who was identi- fied as one of his employees, Karen Barnett, showed a “se- ries of payments” going to unnamed shareholders of AIS Cayman Ltd. during the life of the CarePay contract. It is the Crown’s case that Watson is one of those share- holders – identified in the ac- count ledger as “shareholder No. 2” – meaning Watson is accused of personally ben- efitting from a contract he directed the award of as Health Services Authority board chairman. Watson denied that he was “shareholder No. 2” who, it was shown, had received half a dozen payments from the AIS Cayman account. The account ledger also made reference to “share- holder No. 3” – who Watson said he thought was Webb – and “shareholder No. 4,” who he said he could not identify. Some of the payments from the AIS Cayman Ltd. account that went to share- holders 3 and 4 appeared to be attributable to Webb, Watson told the jury. According to official AIS Cayman company records, Webb was removed as a consultant from the com- pany in July 2013 and os- tensibly did not receive any payments after that. Crown prosecutors have argued that Webb and Watson secretly controlled the activities of AIS Cayman Ltd. behind the scenes through the use of “sham” directors, one of whom was Webb’s stepfather. Testimony finished Tuesday marked the last day of trial testimony in Watson’s case, which began trial proceedings on Nov. 23. Jurors will receive the day off Wednesday as attorneys for both sides prepare their closing speeches. Those are expected to be delivered on Thursday and Friday. Following the closing speeches, Grand Court Justice Michael Mettyear will deliver his “summing up” of the case evidence early next week. After that, the six woman, one man jury is ex- pected to receive the case to decide a verdict. Canover Watson, right, leaves the courthouse with his attorney Ben Tonner on Thursday, Jan. 21. – Photo: Brent Fuller CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Mixed reaction to BBC documentary presenter that the U.K. did not have that power. She said it was up to Britain to change its tax laws if it wanted to stop companies from moving profits to the territory. After watching the show on Friday, she said, “It was disap- pointing that the program focused on the inaccurate portrayal of the Cayman Islands as a tax haven. The program did, however, feature many stunning images of these beautiful islands which will be a great stim- ulus to tourism from the U.K.” Mr. Cumber, who took the host for a ride in his Ferrari and on a trip to Stingray City, had a similar perspective. Mr. Cumber, who runs Island Air and whose grandfather Sir John A. Cumber was territorial administrator of the islands in the 1960s, said he thought the show and the stunning images of the Cayman Islands were an “overall positive” for the country, despite the host’s “left- wing nonsense.” He said, “Overall, the photography is beautiful, so I feel the people watching it in cold England will want to visit. I also feel that those who are successful in business in England will look at this show with a desire to find out more.” Mr. Cumber said he was initially approached by the Department of Tourism’s U.K. office to be involved in what was pitched as a reality series about Cayman by production com- pany Chalkboard. The BBC took on the project and changed the format but, he said, he was initially under the impression that it was still in- tended to be about people in Cayman getting on with their daily lives. Mr. Joseph, a real estate agent with RE/Max, featured in the doc- umentary, taking the host on a boat tour of some of the island’s luxury properties. He said he also got involved when the show was pitched as a reality lifestyle series. He said he wanted to promote Cayman and was assured it would be different than other documentaries and not another “slant on Cayman.” Ultimately, he said, he was dis- appointed with the aggressive line of questioning about Cayman’s tax haven image, but felt the show ar- rived, reluctantly, at an almost neutral position. “All his questions were cleverly poised and designed to paint a pre- determined picture, but I am not convinced he found what he was looking for,” he said. “I almost believe, in the end, he left with a certain fondness for us that he hadn’t anticipated when he arrived.” He added that the island looked beautiful and the documentary, de- spite its tone, may ultimately serve to emphasize the attractiveness of Cayman as a place to live, work, va- cation and invest. A lot of the interviews were inev- itably left on the cutting room floor. And while Mr. Joseph believes some parts of the documentary were out of context and in some cases factu- ally incorrect, he acknowledged that some of the points made were valid. “As difficult as it may be for some of us to accept, it confirmed that as wonderful as Cayman is, we are still a work in progress and have room for continued improvement in aspects of our society,” he said. Mr. Rankin, who was presented in the program as someone who rose from humble beginnings to become a construction kingpin, said some of what he said was misrepresented. He says he never said he was one of the richest men in Cayman or that he built the bypass – claims made by the presenter on his behalf in the narration of the documentary. Despite those concerns, he thinks it made some valid points about so- cial inequality and how not everyone in the country has benefited from the riches flowing through the island. “We haven’t seen big invest- ments and developments always benefit the general public. I guess I wanted to paint the picture that we have normal people, with normal issues, like the rest of the world,” he said. Both Mr. Rankin and Mr. Joseph told the Cayman Compass in sepa- rate interviews that the documen- tary highlighted the need for better public education on what the is- land’s financial services industry does and how it works. Mr. Rankin said the most impor- tant responsibility, though, in de- fending Cayman’s reputation fell to the governor and the premier. He was not that impressed with their answers to Mr. Peretti’s tax haven questions, but is reluctant to be too critical after seeing how much his own interviews were edited. “I didn’t think they came across too well, but I don’t know what was left out,” he added. Anthony Travers, senior partner of Travers Thorp Alberga and former chairman of Cayman Finance, said the show was a deeply disappointing presenta- tion that reflected negatively on the Cayman Islands as a whole. “It is simply ill advised for those with no technical understanding of the financial services industry and no specific training in the area of public relations to seek to make any comment at all,” he said. Neither Premier McLaughlin nor the Department of Tourism re- sponded to requests for comment on the show. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 BBC journalist Jacques Peretti in Cayman. Initially pitched to those involved as a lifestyle reality television show on people with British links living in the Cayman Islands, the documentary ended up focusing on the territory’s image as a “tax haven.”The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Wednesday January 27, 2016 Heroes Day honors pioneers of agriculture More than 300 pioneers of agriculture in the Cayman Islands were honored at the Heroes Day celebrations on Monday. Here is the list of awardees. Early Pioneer Any person who made a significant contribution prior to 960 to the de- velopment and/or delivery of agri- culture in the Cayman Islands. William Wallace Bodden roberta “aunt Bertha” ebanks ashley Howard Godfrey William Lawrence nixon andrew McField Powery James Prentice Powell sr. ashton smith Paul Henry smith alfred Lawrence Thompson sr. The Capt. Keith Tibbetts Family “Keson Poultry Farm” James Irvin Watler robert selkirk Watler William stephen Watler Jr. Boyd Welcome James earlie Whittaker Pioneer Any person who made a significant contribution between 960 to 2005 to the development and/or de- livery of agriculture in the Cayman Islands. Paul andrew Bodden sr. silas Bodden Wensworth Lyndhurst Bodden, John Bothwell sr. Margarito “Merch” Chantilope Capt. Wadsworth Coolidge Connolly Brian arthur Crichlow Vevly Valentino dixon Bertram ebanks Francis Zelmalee ebanks Joseph Harmaan ebanks William Halstead ebanks John Garrity John Godfrey neils Godfrey Kearney sidney Gomez albert Hislop dr. Joseph Benjamin William Jackman John Major Gilbert allan McLean edgar ulric Mcnamee James Lawrence Telford James Miller Leroy G. Mitchell sr. Pastor araunah uriah Powery Carlos adolph West rankin Kent Mitchell rankin sr. George edward seymour sr. Franklin r. smith sr. Hamlin alston stephenson Harvey stephenson sr. norberg Thompson errol Watler Melbourne Watler Henry Otto Watler Carlton L. West Emerging Pioneers An individual who made a signifi- cant contribution, from 2005 to present, to the development and/ or delivery of agriculture in the Cayman Islands. Paulette ayton Kirk Philip Bodden William Henry Chisholm Vendryes Cornwall davy Graham ebanks Clive eden Coleen Vioris Gibson dwayne Jermy McFarlane Mirjana Mirjanic rudolph Myles Patrick Michael Panton Clifford daniel Leon Powery John Carlon Powery danny Colburg rivers Miguel and George smith Brothers Cattle Co. d. Kurt Tibbetts a. Joel Walton Memorial Scroll A deceased person who was a leader or notable contributor to the development and/or delivery of ag- riculture in the Cayman Islands. Henry James “Jim” arch sr. William Osborne Barnett Jr. William Osborne Barnett sr. abshire Bodden Hubert L. Bodden Jackie Bodden sted Bodden Vibert (ashlon) Bodden William Thomas Bodden William Wallace “edward ullin” Bodden Henry eli Bush Horatio Chantilope Capt. edward Owen Chisholm elvy Chisholm William Bertil Chisholm James Ballenger Christian Levi Conolly Weddie Carvin Connolly Bertram Conolly Burchie eugene Conolly Capt. Joseph elliott Conolly samuel Chesley Conolly Wilfred diaz Conolly rex Herbert Crighton Burton “Joslyn” dacres Veta a. dilbert andrew Chester dixon edlue alexander dixon Loris Margarita dorman Beulah Frances ebanks elsworth ebanks emily Ionie ebanks esmay alverine ebanks everard Calverley ebanks George Owen ebanks Gozell acedilla ebanks Ima Louise ebanks Jack ebanks James ernest ebanks Jamie Osmond ebanks Melville ebanks riley ebanks robert Mitchum ebanks seford samuel ebanks Thomas William Farrington Carlos Forbes Conrad Forbes Leslie Ivan Forbes Luke Carven Forbes Capt. Lennie Mcneil Foster William stephen Foster Thomas Lesandro Frederick Freddy General Capt. elvern Kinsley Hurlstone sybil Joyce Hylton James Lyngard Kelly Peterson Kelly Capt. Charles L. Kirkconnell neville Woodburne Levy elton rae Martin andrew Theopholus McFarlane Irvin McField Myrtle McHayle Budeven McLaughlin dolon Owen McLaughlin ennis C. McLaughlin Lloyd Lydell McLaughlin Tollie McLaughlin Woodrow McLaughlin yrsa McPeek-Parker Mactavish Miller edgar Hamilton Myles edward “Patterson” utchester Patterson Lonsdale Pouchie davis Oscar Powell elliot and Clarice Powell royce McConnell “Mackie” Powell daniel elijah Powery Joseph Jude Powery Mertis dell Powery uriah araunah Powery Capt. Clyde e. scott edison alva scott Marvick scott Hewit seymour Percy seymour Thomas seymour Leslie Jack smith nolan smith Philip norman stewart Whitmore syms Corrine Thompson Capt. robert Osmond Thompson erbin adolphus Tibbetts alfred Waide Watler Harding Watler sr. Lanaman e. Watler Marshall Watler Michael Wilkins Watler Major rodriguez “roddy” Watler stacey Watler William ellsworth Watler Waldo Webster Barrick Welcome elmer Calvin Welcome albun athington Whittaker sr. Claris alverda Whittaker Long Service Award A living individual who may not necessarily have been a leader, but is a long standing contributor to the development and/or delivery of ag- riculture in the Cayman Islands for 10 years or more. Pedro Banoff agurcia Froylan adonay antunez Monty Bailey edward emanuel Barnes Joan Verginia Barnes dr. alfred Benjamin Jason Kevin Berry alvin editha Bodden dario Henry Bodden ruth darlee Bodden robert ainsley Bradshaw Buel rolphie Braggs Carl anthony Brown Franklin O’Hare Brown Martin Brown allan Lionel Bush Phillip nathaniel Campbell audley denniston Chambers Harry Colvin Chisholm raymond Coleman Hinton roxroy Conolly Winston Churchill Conolly sr. Herbert Crawford Orville Junior daniels Glen shirley dilbert edwin Manley dixon Jarvis ralf dixon Leighton dixon sarah Valentine dixon edgar dacosta dorman adelaide erena ebanks Charles Lewis anthony “Tonito” ebanks esther Patricia ebanks Geoffry William ebanks Gerald Chester ebanks Jane elizabeth ebanks Joy endlee ebanks roger dale ebanks sislyn etheline ebanks Marjane ebanks-Fellows Judith nadine ebanks-Oyog avery Vernon eden Kenneth s. eden norman elisha ellis ronald Fernando ellis alida delflora Fisher Carlos Peterson Forbes Jr. Irvin Forbes Joseph V. Forbes Leebert Willingston Forbes Owen Forbes richard C. Fraser Marvin Verneal Frederick ronald douglas Green Mildred Theresa Hebbert-Mena Leonard augustus Hew Franklin Hinds athens Leonce Jackson edmond Bolerio Jackson Joseph samuel Jackson Olsworth Kenton Jackson Berkley Lindo Kelly ray Burton Kirchman delano Truman Lazzari Freda Lillieth Lazzari Leon Lazzari Pedro Manuel Lazzari sedrick alfonso Levy deanna Marie Look Loy anthony Martin Murray Graham Martin earnest augustine McFarlane Melford andrew McFarlane norman McField reginald McField elvis Jeffrey McKeever alden Mcnee McLaughlin Jr. alden Mcnee McLaughlin sr. alvin allan McLaughlin Corlon McLaughlin Covington McLaughlin dilbert Brad McLaughlin echard James McLaughlin erdman McLaughlin Gillard McLaughlin Hulman doorly McLaughlin Johnny Mac McLaughlin Quznel albert McLaughlin ruthford evelyn McLaughlin urdmond Leonard McLaughlin darney edney McLean davis McLean Louis Bernard Moncrieffe alfred Myers Conisby Truman Myles Clint adolph Myrie Kirkland Hencliff nixon Julio Pagoada Joanna Victoria Porter Bernard antonio “Tony” Powell George anthony Powell allon Powery Clinton Credoc Powery Colby eugene Powery Collie Carston Powery ella aletha Powery Mitchell reeves Powery stanley Quinland Clive alberton rankine George Hewitt rankine Huswell Garmon rankine Verna agatha rankine Lincoln Orlando ricketts edgar ulric rivers darlene Cecilia robinson sgt. davis Harrison scott dervyn M. scott Heinley Lawrence scott norma areila scott daniel “Mike” stevenson simmons denniston Bentley smith Gordon Mcashley smith Joan doreen steer James Lee Franklin “Big J” syms ransford Mcdonald Terry Myrtle Thomas Oswald Thomas Charles edward Thompson sr. robert Osmond Thompson Jr. Harding O. Watler Jr. Laurel aldith Watler Walt steven Watler Warren Wadray Watler Francis W. Welcome James andrew Welcome Tad Welcome Carlos Whittaker sherrydale alva Whittaker William Ivan “Buddy” Wood Note: 314 honorees are listed, a total of 325 were among the recipients of the awards, but some individuals opted to remain anonymous, according to the Protocol Office. Minister of Agriculture D. Kurt Tibbetts, who was also a recipient of an ‘Emerging Pioneer’ award in the ceremony, lauds the work of the agricultural community in the Cayman Islands at Monday’s Heroes Day celebrations in Heroes Square in George Town. AustrAliAn government pressured to cut ties with BritAin CANBERRA, Australia (AP) – The Australian government came under mounting pres- sure on Australia’s national day on Tuesday to appoint an Australian head of state to replace the British monarch. Every Australia Day, an eminent Australian cit- izen is made Australian of the Year in recognition of his or her contribution to Australian society. The 2016 Australian of the Year, former Chief of Army David Morrison, said in his acceptance speech on Monday night that he in- tended to use his new public profile to campaign for Australia severing its consti- tutional ties to Britain. Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is also Queen of Australia. A referendum that would have replaced her with an Australian head of state was soundly defeated in 1999, with the then Prime Minister John Howard campaigning against change. However, support for the so-called Australian Republic Movement, which advocates for an Australian head of state, is growing. Morrison said it was time another referendum was held on who should be Australia’s head of state. “I am a member of the re- publican movement, I have been a republican all my life. When I was serving in the army, these views were very private,” Morrison told Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Tuesday. “Now, without giving it undue resonance, I do in- tend to at least contribute to a national debate, if we’re going to have one, about where we might go in the future,” he said. This week, all but one of the leaders of Australia’s eight states and territo- ries signed a declaration of support for the Australian Republican Movement’s quest to have a national vote on Australia becoming a re- public by 2020. On Australia Day last year, former conserva- tive Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a staunch monar- chist, created a furor by an- nouncing that he had made the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, a knight. Many thought Abbott should have used the national day, which marks the arrival of the first British colonists in Sydney in 1788, to honor a worthy Australian. Abbott was replaced in September by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who was chairman of the Australian Republican Movement at the time of the 1999 referendum.Next >