EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 STOPPING ROGUE MOTORBIKERS IN THE NAME OF THE LAW DISTRICT DAYS | PAGE 7 TALK SHEDS LIGHT ON MANGROVES Moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet High of 87 Low of 75 ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY APRIL 13, 2016 #203 Alissta Towers, 85 North Sound Road, Grand Cayman KY1-1109, T: + 1 (345) 949-9744 E: Aleisha.Lalor@caribbeanalliance.com www.caribbeanalliance.com Hackers hitting Cayman companies Ransomware scams a key concern for business JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Several Cayman businesses have been hit in the last few months by a “ransomware” virus scam. The scam involves computer hackers loading malicious software on to a company’s IT system, encrypting important files and ex- torting a ransom, to be paid in untraceable Bitcoin digital currency. Industry experts say cybercrime of this type is an increasing concern in boardrooms across the Cayman Islands. Meanwhile, police believe such attacks are being significantly under-reported here amid business fears of reputational damage. Detective Sergeant John Williams, of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Financial Crime Unit, said there had been three reports since January of ransomware-type scams in the Cayman Islands. But police are aware of several other inci- dents which went unreported. “A lot of companies are concerned about their reputation and they don’t want clients walking out thinking they can’t keep their data secure,” said Detective Williams. He said police treat cybercrime reports confidentially but need to be informed of all such incidents to help them get a clearer pic- ture of what is happening and liaise with in- ternational investigators. “We encourage business to report to us, to see if there is any assistance we can give,” added Anhill Carsana, a computer forensic ex- aminer, with the police service. “We have had a few incidents, but nobody is really reporting. We are aware that it is happening much more regularly.” CAYMAN FINANCE SUPPORTS BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP ‘ENHANCEMENT’ MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Finance said it supports the agree- ment concluded between the Cayman Islands government and the United Kingdom over im- provements to the way beneficial ownership information is collected and exchanged with foreign tax authorities and law enforcement. The deal announced by Premier Alden McLaughlin on Monday means that the U.K. recognizes plans by the government to im- plement a centralized technological plat- form as an effective alternative to a central- ized register collecting information on the true owners of Cayman-based companies and other entities. It also means that beneficial ownership in- formation will not be accessible by the wider public, but only by U.K. tax authorities and law enforcement after making a request to Cayman’s Tax Information Authority. “We are pleased the U.K. government has recognized that our licensed corporate ser- vices provider verified beneficial ownership system is a world-class system that provides for due diligence know-your-customer checks that are critical to proper law enforcement au- thorities conducting legitimate investigations and is superior to other proposed systems,” said Jude Scott, CEO of Cayman Finance. The existing system already enables U.K. law enforcement agencies to request and ob- tain beneficial ownership information through bilateral tax information exchange and mu- tual legal assistance agreements but the planned changes will speed up the informa- tion exchange. This will be done in a way that is suitable for the Cayman Islands, which “is not a public On the road to completion The expansion of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway to four lanes, south of Camana Bay town center, is continuing apace. The road has been cleared and the Dart group is confident the highway expansion, aimed at bringing relief to motorists using the heavily congested stretch of highway, will be completed on schedule, by February 2017. A spokeswoman said crews were currently ‘installing the lower road base materials to achieve the desired carriageway design elevation.’ - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Dirt bikes involved in robberies, pursuits BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Grand Cayman residents have complained about loud, annoying and illegal dirt bikes racing on local streets over the last two years, but now a new and dis- turbing trend is emerging: the use of non-street legal vehicles in criminal offenses. Vehicles described as dirt bikes were used in at least two armed robberies since the start of the year. In addition, po- lice have been involved in high- speed pursuits of dirt bike oper- ators, one which recently ended in a crash that seriously injured a 20-year-old man. An emphatic point was placed on the value of these vehicles to the criminal element when eight seized dirt bikes were stolen from the main George Town Po- lice Station in two incidents ear- lier this year. At least three of those bikes were recovered. “Every single day, we’re get- ting complaints about these bikes on the road,” RCIPS Chief Superintendent Kurt Walton said last month. “Why are we con- tinuing to let these motorbikes into the country?” PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY APRIL 13, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS THE BOSS (R) 1:00 I 3:40 I 7:00 I 9:30 MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2 (PG13) 1:15 I 4:30 I 6:50 I 9:55 BATMAN V SUPERMAN DAWN OF JUSTICE 3D (PG13) 12:30 I 3:45 2D I 8:00 THE PERFECT MATCH (R) 1:10 I 4:10 I 7:10 I 9:50 LONDON HAS FALLEN (R) 9:40 ZOOTOPIA 3D (PG13) 12:45 I 3:30 2D I 6:45 9:20 2D SATURDAY April 16th 8PM Sponsored by: SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. © y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - WEDNESDAY - Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) LONG TERM RENTALS AT HARBOUR HEIGHTS 2BR/2BA CI$2,600 + utilities + 1 cleaning/wk. 4 separate units. Six to 8 months’ duration. Spectacular on SMB near Public Beach. No children. No pets. Month deposit required. Contact Paula/Shandy at 945-4295 6% 1 Year Interest Paid Monthly USD $25K MIN 1st Position Commercial Mortgage CONTACT WillRitch@icloud.com 813.215.2197 Inquest finds motorcyclist died by ‘misadventure’ KELSEY JUKAM kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com A coroner’s jury returned a ver- dict of misadventure Tuesday after hearing evidence this week about a collision on West Bay Road that re- sulted in the death of Daniel Mitchell Grant, 21, in 2014. Mr. Grant was traveling over 88 mph in a 25 mph zone when his mo- torcycle collided with a Honda CR-V. The accident occurred near Cap- tain’s Bakery at the intersection of Slate Drive and West Bay Road at around 11:50 p.m. on July 29, 2014. According to police accounts, Mr. Grant was riding a motorcycle south- bound from West Bay toward George Town and the driver of the Honda was traveling in the opposite direction. The Honda driver was turning right into Slate Drive from West Bay Road, when it collided with the motorcycle. Mr. Grant sustained multiple life- ending injuries to the chest during the accident and died upon impact, ac- cording to pathologists’ reports. The car driver, who had been drinking that evening and was over the legal limit, was originally charged with causing death by careless driving, but the charge was dropped after investigators determined the cause of the accident was due to the excessive speed at which Mr. Grant was traveling. According to expert statements, Mr. Grant’s 1000 cc Yamaha motorcycle traveled a distance of 193.75 feet in 1.5 seconds. A competent driver, fully alert and sober, requires 2.5 seconds to react to a hazard. The experts concluded that the Honda driver, although inebriated, had a reaction time of 2.5 seconds during the incident and did not have enough time to react to the motorcycle approaching at such a high speed. After a brief deliberation, the jury returned with a unanimous verdict that the manner of death in this inci- dent was misadventure. Coroner Eileen Nervik had ear- lier explained to the jury that a ver- dict of misadventure was appropriate where evidence suggests that a death was an unintended conse- quence of a deliberate action. There were multiple witnesses to the incident, including several of Mr. Grant’s friends who had been trav- eling behind him as the group left the Attic Sports Bar in Queen’s Court Plaza shortly before the accident occurred. Another witness, who saw the col- lision from the outside balcony at the Attic, said in his statement that, as the Honda CR-V began to turn right, Mr. Grant revved his motorcycle “a second time and headed to the CR-V.” “I saw him attempt to dodge the CR-V and hit the telephone pole and sparks began to fly out of the transformer,” the witness said in his statement. A security guard at the plaza said he had witnessed Mr. Grant “wheelie” his motorcycle, and heard the impact of the collision shortly thereafter. Multiple CCTV cameras also re- corded footage of the crash. The rider of a pedal bicycle was also involved in the incident. The motorcycle clipped a bicycle as its rider was attempting to get out of the way of the vehicle. The bicycle was damaged but the rider was not injured. Mr. Grant sustained multiple life-ending injuries to the chest during the accident and died upon impact, according to pathologists’ reports. BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The last president of FI- FA’s regional football gov- erning body, Alfredo Hawit, pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court Monday in connection with the ongoing FIFA racke- teering and bribery probe. Hawit, of Honduras, will await sentencing later this year along with his prede- cessor, Cayman’s Jeffrey Webb, in the scheme Amer- ican prosecutors allege ex- torted US$200 million in bribes from sports marketing companies who wanted the commercial rights to certain football tournaments. According to federal court records, Hawit pleaded guilty to four counts against him in the indictment including racketeering, wire fraud con- spiracy and conspiracy to obstruct justice.Hawit served as head of the Caribbean, North and Central American football region after Webb’s arrest in late May 2015 until his arrest in December 2015. Prosecutors have alleged that, rather than attempting to stop corrupt bribery and money laundering practices following the arrest of Webb and his CONCACAF prede- cessor Jack Warner, Hawit continued in the same vein. Hawit’s sentencing date is set for Oct. 7, 2016. Webb’s sentencing is set for June. Warner is fighting extradi- tion from his native Trinidad to the U.S. in a process that is expected to take months, if not years. CONCACAF is expected to hold internal elections next month to decide on new lead- ership. The Cayman office op- erated during Webb’s presi- dency was closed and is not expected to reopen. Aside from the guilty pleas, federal prosecutors said eight defendants in the FIFA investigation are now before the U.S. courts and a further nine remain overseas awaiting extradition. Criminal trial for the remaining defendants could start sometime in February 2017. Ex-CONCACAF chief Hawit pleads guilty District parks and public beach become new recycling locations New recycling drop- off depots have been set up at parks and beaches across the island in a new initiative to help divert more waste away from the George Town landfill site. People can now drop off their plastics, aluminum and glass at receptacles in five “Growing Communi- ties” district parks and at Seven Mile Public Beach, according to a press release from the Dart group. The initiative is a part- nership between the Dart group and trash removal service Junk, which already has recycle bins at various locations across Cayman. Marked bins for sorted recyclables were placed at each of Growing Communi- ties parks on Feb. 15. These include: Scholars Park in West Bay, Dart Family Park on South Church Street in George Town, Cap- tain Harry McCoy Park in Bodden Town, Jerald Smith Park in North Side and Captain George Dixon Park in East End, as well as Seven Mile Public Beach. Existing depots at su- permarkets, Camana Bay and various other locations on both Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac also continue to be used. According to the release, in 2015, more than 825,000 pounds of re- cyclable materials, such as ferrous and non-ferrous metals, plastics, aluminum cans and cardboard were collected and processed at the Junk facility. The glass was hauled to the Dart crushing oper- ation in Camana Bay with the remainder of the ma- terials being shipped to the United States. “Dart is a company of values. We value our envi- ronment and the future of these islands, said Chris Duggan, vice president of Community Development at Dart. “The company has a strong sense of steward- ship for the environment and invests in sustainable initiatives that will posi- tively impact the Cayman Islands and its people. He said Dart recog- nized “the benefits achieved through recycling and di- verting what we can from the landfill and, while Cayman has a long way to go, we are excited to be making this positive step in the right direction.” People can now drop off their plastics, aluminum and glass at receptacles in five Growing Communities district parks and at Seven Mile Public Beach. New recycling depots set up Alfredo Hawit, left, and FIFA President Joseph Blatter in Budapest, Hungary in May 2012. – PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY APRIL 13, 2016 RBC Royal Bank, Congratulates Omari S. Corbin on his appointment as Area Vice President & Country Head, RBC Cayman Islands RBC Royal Bank is pleased to congratulate, and introduce to the Cayman Islands, Mr. Omari Corbin, as Area Vice President and Country Manager. In his new role, Omari will be directly responsible for the leadership of RBC’s personal and business banking with overall responsibility for the bank’s retail banking operations in Cayman. Mr. Corbin has over a decade of experience in the banking and financial industries. In his previous role as Area Vice President, Business Banking, Eastern Caribbean, Omari successfully lead the business banking team, located in six different Islands. Omari is keen on delivering a highly differentiated client experience to enhance loyalty while deepening relationships. He also enjoys coaching and mentorship of his team. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and accounting from The University of The West Indies and is currently enrolled in the Executive MBA program at The Cave Hill School of Business, University of the West Indies, Barbados. He has also received many industry related awards from RBC Royal Bank. Omari brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, which positions him well to enhance the bank’s business while helping our clients to thrive and communities prosper in The Cayman Islands. During his time outside of work, Omari enjoys basketball and other sports, reading, and traveling. 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. 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 findtheirownway” When the police tell you to stop, you stop. Period. It’s not a request. It’s an order. Last Thursday night, 20-year-old Roger Johann Wood chose to ignore that order, and tonight, and perhaps for many nights to come, he is in a Miami hospital receiving treatment for a broken back and other serious injuries he sustained after leading police on a high-speed chase. Readers will recall that police, immediately after receiving a report of an attempted armed robbery at the Smugglers Rum Bar in downtown George Town, spotted Mr. Wood in the vicinity speeding on an unli- censed, uninsured motorbike without headlights or tail- lights. They signaled for him to pull over, but instead, he decided to run for it. He led patrol cars and the police helicopter on a harrowing chase up West Bay Road, taking a right turn at Governors Square. He then entered the wrong car- riageway of the Esterley Tibbetts highway, heading into oncoming traffic. Eventually, he reversed himself and continued past the landfill, through Industrial Park, around the airport before heading east to the Chrissie Tomlinson roundabout (near Lantern Point) where he collided with a police car. Several days later, police issued a statement con- cluding that Mr. Wood had not been involved in the attempted robbery, although at the time of the chase, police had every reason to suspect he was. Let us be clear: the person who bears the burden of responsibility for the accident is Mr. Wood himself. No one else. The police had every reason to suspect that Mr. Wood may have been involved in the attempted armed robbery, and when he fled, they had every reason — in fact they had a duty — to chase him. From a broader standpoint, what we find increas- ingly disturbing is that, once again, some highly irre- sponsible people are using this incident to erode public respect for law enforcement. They are aided and abetted by incendiary talk on morning radio shows, and irresponsible commentary (almost always anony- mous) in other media. This anti-authority, anti-police message is devel- oping into a dangerous pattern for our country. The case of Mr. Wood should serve as a lesson — not for police, but for the country’s rogue motorbikers who have grown comfortable taking risks with their own lives — and ours. Illegal motorbiking has grown to be one of the most easily identifiable and brazen categories of crime in Cayman. The pinnacle of this may be the two separate thefts at the George Town police station where crimi- nals “de-confiscated” their motorbikes from the evidence yard. Increasingly, in Cayman and other jurisdictions, these vehicles are being used in the commission of serious crimes. Readers will remember the armed robbery of the jewelry store in Camana Bay where the robbers made their escape aboard one of these motorbikes. Certainly, every commuter in Cayman regularly encounters these antisocial hooligans, driving threat- eningly, dangerously and illegally. It’s time for police to get them, and their illegal vehicles, off our streets. Stopping rogue motorbikers in the name of the law WEDNESDAY APRIL 13, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS The Panama Papers and tax shocks Were you shocked with the release of the “Panama Pa- pers” to learn of all of the pol- iticians from around the globe who have utilized Panama and other “offshore” enti- ties to set up financial struc- tures to hide their money? If so, you would probably be more shocked to learn that the United States is the big- gest tax haven in the world – where foreign nationals can easily and legally avoid re- vealing what they own. The real news is how so many people who have spent most of their lives in government have accu- mulated so much money. The answer obviously is in- side deals and inflated “con- sulting” and “speaking” con- tracts. I am no fan of either Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump, but they have done a service by speaking directly about political corruption. Mr. Trump admits (or even brags) that he has spent a lifetime buying politicians. The Clintons are reported to be worth well over a US$100 million. Hillary tells us that she cares about us and is merely sacrificing herself for the greater good – much like Mother Teresa – such selfless sacrifice. The politicians and the crony capitalists who fund them in exchange for lucrative government con- tracts and favors need some- place to hide their ill-gotten gains, so they use the same legal financial privacy vehi- cles that legitimate business people and others employ to try preserve their wealth. The “Panama Papers” up- roar has caused the predict- able calls for more financial transparency. Even if you are a person of modest means, do you want the government to know everything about your spending habits? Folks in government will always assure the people that any personal information – in- come, tax and health records – will be kept totally secret. But that is a lie. Over the last couple of years, the inner- most secrets of the U.S. gov- ernment, involving national defense, personnel and IRS records have all been hacked or stolen. Far too often, those in government use sensitive information for their own purposes or for general cit- izen abuse and even black- mail. To quote the British writer and barrister, Stanley Brodie, “The idea that every- one’s tax and financial af- fairs, assets and wealth should be open to inspection by the world at large only has to be stated for its absur- dity to be seen.” The folks here in Cayman do not like their island being referred to as a tax haven, be- cause, in reality, it is less of a tax haven than the states of Delaware, Wyoming, Ne- vada, as well as the City of London and many other places around the globe. Residents of Cayman pay plenty of taxes; it’s just that they do not have an income tax. Cayman gets its bad rap from decades-old novels and movies, which portrayed it as a wild west for var- ious sorts of tax cheats and evil sorts. It was largely un- true back then and certainly is not true today. Cayman has a vibrant financial ser- vices industry based largely on regulatory efficiency, and legal clarity and certainty. It would be a foolish place to try to hide money from the tax man, given its tax infor- mation-sharing agreements with the United States, the United Kingdom and many other governments. The “Panama Papers” rev- elations have caused many to attack “shell” companies. Most companies begin as “shell companies,” meaning they have few real assets or operations. Some become giant corporations, some be- come proper vehicles for in- vestment and productive uses, and a few are used for illegal purposes. Cars, homes, boats, planes, businesses and government agencies can be used for proper and legal ac- tivities or, in the hands of bad people, can be used for crim- inal purposes. If we banned everything that is used for destructive purposes, we would all be lying naked in a cave without sticks or stones. The fact is the world cannot function without a high degree of confidenti- ality, including financial confidentiality. Those coun- tries that destroy it for their own and other citizens will find that people with money will merely move it to some place where it is better treated. And despite the end- less attempts by many coun- tries and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to require full financial information- sharing, there will always be places that will provide ser- vices people want and need. (There is a near-universal ban on certain hard drugs. How well has that worked out?) With the development of new technologies such as block chains, higher levels of encryption and so forth, there will be increasing and endless means by which to move and hide wealth. Well-run financial cen- ters implicitly pressure other governments to pro- vide full value for the tax monies they receive. It may seem counterintuitive, but fi- nancial centers like Cayman, which operate under the rule of law and with little corrup- tion, actually add to world prosperity by facilitating the proper allocation of cap- ital and providing necessary safe havens from corrupt and criminal governments. Richard W. Rahn, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and chairman of the Institute for Global Economic Growth, is on the Editorial Board of Cayman Financial Review. © 2016, The Washington Times RICHARD W. RAHN RICHARD W. RAHN The fact is the world cannot function without a high degree of confidentiality, including financial confidentiality.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY APRIL 13, 2016 ®/™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. 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For further information call or visit any RBC Royal Bank branch or log on to www.rbc.com/caribbean ROYAL ONLINE ROYAL ONLINE ROYAL ONLINE Travel Financial and Accounting, legal Government insurance services & other business and other services 432.8 170.2 485.6 470.6 Foreign Exchange Revenue from Services in 2014, CI$Million Joint account transfers raised ‘red flags,’ court hears Court hears Michelle Bouchard transferred money to her personal account CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The personal banker of an elderly customer told ju- rors “red flags” were raised when Michelle Bouchard transferred large amounts of money out of the joint account she held with the man from whom she is ac- cused of stealing more than $2 million. Former Butterfield Bank employee Judith Holland gave evidence on Friday and Monday in the trial of Bouchard, who is accused of stealing money from James Bruce Handford between May 2010 and October 2012. Ms. Holland said she took over responsibility for Mr. Handford’s accounts in July 2011 and became con- cerned about account activi- ties in 2012. When she first met him, he had a CI account and two U.S. accounts in his own name. She saw him almost every day and they had a good professional relation- ship, she said. Mr. Handford was 83 at the time. Ms. Holland became aware of a joint account he had with Bouchard and man- aged it also. The jury had already heard that the joint CI ac- count was opened on May 25, 2010, when Mr. Hand- ford deposited CI$164,000. The prosecution and defense have agreed that Mr. Hand- ford thereafter deposited CI$1,153,482 into the joint account and by Oct. 15, 2012, it was overdrawn. The jury also heard from Chris Duggan, former man- ager of Butterfield’s private banking section. He pointed out that the joint account did not mean James Hand- ford and Michelle Bouchard; it meant James Handford or Michelle Bouchard. Ms. Holland explained further that the joint account belonged to both individuals equally and either one could act or sign instructions. The account could also be closed by either party. She said Mr. Handford came to see her on Feb. 13, 2012. He provided a hand- written note asking that the CI joint account be closed because it was not needed any more. She acted on his instructions and closed the account. A week later, Mr. Hand- ford and Bouchard came to see her and ask that the ac- count be reopened. Ms. Hol- land said Bouchard did most of the talking, saying the ac- count had been closed in error and she needed it to pay Mr. Handford’s bills. Ms. Holland said she asked Mr. Handford what he wanted to do. She said she could sense some awk- wardness, “but he insisted it be reopened.” In April 2012, a U.S. sav- ings account was opened in the name of James Hand- ford and Michelle Bouchard, with Mr. Handford depos- iting US$700,000. Mr. Hand- ford left for his yearly trip to his native Australia early the following month. On May 28, Bouchard transferred US$50,000 from the joint account to her per- sonal U.S. account at the bank. Between May 28 and June 28, she transferred a total of US$550,000 to her personal accounts (U.S. and Canadian), the court heard. Meanwhile, on May 30, 2012, Bouchard carried out five ATM transactions of $5,000 each from the CI joint account, transferring the money to her personal CI account. On June 1, she used an ATM to make three transfers of $8,000 from the joint account to her personal CI account. Ms. Holland said she got “red flags from the system” when this type of activity occurs. She said she called Bouchard about it and ex- plained that she could do the transfers for her. Bouchard told her she couldn’t get to the bank, so she was doing the transfers that way. Bouchard said she would cancel an eye doctor ap- pointment so she could do her banking. Ms. Holland said there was no need to cancel the appointment; she just needed to know (why the ATM transfers had occurred). In addition, in 10 trans- actions between April 19 and July 3, 2012, Bouchard transferred CI$575,000 from the CI joint account to her personal account. Ms. Holland said she contacted Mr. Handford’s daughter, Susan van Dijk, in Australia. Mrs. van Dijk said she was coming to Cayman and they spoke in person on Sept. 26, 2012. Ms. Holland then suggested to Mr. Handford that his daughter be added to his accounts. Asked what caused her to suggest that, Ms. Holland said she had seen a slight de- terioration in Mr. Handford’s health. “When a client gets a little bit older, it’s common- place for me to consider his health and his best inter- ests and I felt at that stage it would be a welcome deci- sion to add one of his family onto the accounts. It was Mr. Handford’s suggestion that the best person would be his daughter.” On Oct. 12, 2012, Mr. Handford instructed Ms. Hol- land to remove Bouchard from his joint accounts and add his daughter. Bouchard is accused of 15 counts of theft for amounts totalling CI$1.59 million and US$805,806.25 between 2010 and 2012, as well as three counts of transferring crim- inal property, six counts of attempting to transfer crim- inal property, one of forgery and one of obtaining prop- erty by deception. The case continues. Michelle BouchardWEDNESDAY APRIL 13, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 6 DISTRICT DAYS In the April 13, 1966 edition of the Cay- manian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, the paper reported: “Picking one’s way over cliffs and rocks, looking at men taking stones from one place to another, observing others throwing up a coconut limb shade, suggests that one has nothing to do, but there are also corner profiles and an outlined area and men taking sights and stretching tapelines. “Looking up to the Bluff, the sun has not long escaped from behind it. The morning is warm and there is a cool east northerly wind blowing. “Through the tree tops, one sees the blue Caribbean stretching out to the horizon. And suddenly the moment is crammed with energy – the energy of our children bursting open with new opportunities. This is the beginning of our Secondary Modern School. The site is well chosen – an area of 7 acres stretching from bluff to sea at Stake Bay Point and being a very part of the widest section of lowland – stretching out to a point, it takes in the tradewinds all the year around. Having cleared some 300 feet by 200 feet, a materials storeroom and workshed have been erected. Messrs. Griffiths, Hurlstone and Tibbetts initiated the work on Monday 21st. Periodically Mr. Griffiths will pay supervisory visits. Beach rocks for levelling are being hauled from the hurricane heaps or shingle beach on the site. All the workmen building ‘our school’ are enthusiastic. Veteran Mariedale Connolly volunteered with typical love for country that the uprights of workshade are green cedar cut out of the ground. “This school project is made possible by C.D.W. Grant from England. “It is nice to remember a tincture of goodwill that flavours this land – the pre- vious owner, the late Mrs. Mercedes Astor was an American lady who fell in love with the island and our people and saw the great need for outdoor recreation and she chose this spot to build a youth centre. May the spirit of learning and gaining and giving go before us as we enter the doorway of sec- ondary education.” 50 years ago: New school for the Brac takes shape District Days Sister Islands GEORGE NOWAK James A. Ryan, photo- graphed at his office in this image taken around 1979, was one of the most re- spected and loved gentlemen on Cayman Brac. He was a school teacher, notary, attorney, seaman, nominated member of the Legislative Assembly and an astute real estate agent. Al- ways humble and thoughtful, he could sell you a piece of land with just his unpreten- tious character. In his time, marked survey boundaries, especially on Little Cayman and the Brac, were few and far between. However, without looking at a map, he would point to a coconut tree or a discarded conch shell on the beach, and tell you exactly who owned that property, the amount of acreage and the valuation of the land. He was awarded the Cayman Islands Certificate and Badge of Honor by the governor of the Cayman Is- lands. Mr. Ryan passed away in 2007. This photograph is from the book ‘The People Time Forgot’ by George Nowak, available at the National Museum. All proceeds from the sales of the book go toward museum projects. JAMES A. RYAN Deputy Governor Franz Manderson is calling for participants to take part in the 3rd Annual DG 5K Challenge to run or walk for health. This year’s chal- lenge is helping to raise $50,000 for the Cayman Heart Fund to purchase a new ambulance for the people of the Cayman Islands. The new ambulance will be op- erated by the Health Services Authority. The race route in Cayman Brac starts at the Cayman Brac Museum, and runs to the Cat Boat Plaza and back. Registration is on April 7, 8, 14, and 15 at the District Administration Building from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on race day, April 17, between 5:30 and 6 a.m. in the parking lot of the District Ad- ministration building. Registration is $20 for participants 14 and over, $10 for ages 13 and under. Registration forms are available for pickup at the District Administra- tion Building reception desk from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Payment can be made in person on the above registration days at the District Administration Building reception desk by cash or by check, payable to Cayman Islands Govern- ment with memo: DG 5K Challenge for Cayman Heart Fund. For more information con- tact Ventisha Conolly at 244-6672 or 948-2222. Other upcoming events include: April 13: Driver’s License Written Exam takes place from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at District Administration Conference Room. April 14: The Little Cayman Vehicle Licensing visit takes place from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Little Cayman District Office. The Cayman Brac Heritage House Mini Craft Markets will be open from 4-6 p.m. at Cayman Brac Beach Resort. The Community Thatch Plaiting Class will be taking place from 7-9 p.m. at the Heritage House, cost $5, contact sim- ones@candw.ky for more information. April 16: Reading with the Rotar- ians will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, at Cayman Brac Public Library. In sports, Cayman Brac Football Club takes on the Latinos SC at 8 p.m. at the Cayman Brac Sports Complex. April 19: The Cayman Brac and Little Cayman Immigration Board meeting, and the Development Control Board meeting are scheduled. Also on April 19, registration for the Cayman Islands International Fishing Tournament will be held at the Captain’s Table at 6-8 p.m. April 21: Cayman Brac Heri- tage House Mini Craft Markets are open from 4-6 p.m., Cayman Brac Beach Resort. April 21-22: Summary Court will be held. April 21-24: Cayman Islands Inter- national Fishing Tournament will be taking place. Visit www.fishcayman. com for more information. April 22: Earth Day Don’t miss these events on Brac Miss Cayman Islands Monyqye Brooks and Deputy Governor Franz Manderson were quick off the mark to register for the 2016 DG’s 5K Challenge on April 7. James Ryan at his office. - PHOTO: GEORGE NOWAKCAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY APRIL 13, 2016 7 DISTRICT DAYS District Days Sister Islands Talk sheds light on mangroves A hands-on presenta- tion on the local mangrove population was one of the latest events taking place on Cayman Brac marking Earth Month. Organizers report a small but intimate crowd took part in an informative evening on Saturday, April 9, learning about the fascinating plants with local mangrove expert Martin Keeley. In addition to his position as director of the University College of the Cayman Islands’ Brac campus, Mr. Keeley is the international education di- rector for the Mangrove Ac- tion Project, a global con- servation network dedicated to protecting the Earth’s mangroves. Mr. Martin’s talk, cov- ered the importance of man- groves to the Brac, as well as the ecological role they play in the world at large. “He fist talked about the three types (red, white and black) found on the islands and on the Brac specifically,” said Brac Earth Month events coordinator Kathleen Bodden-Harris. She said that after going over the impor- tance of mangrove preser- vation for all the life forms relying on coastal wetlands, Mr. Keeley walked the group a short distance along the roadside to examine one of the only two known black mangrove trees known to exist on the Brac. “The evening was also a perfect opportunity to watch the local and migrating birds attracted to the mangroves in the beautiful sunset venue at the westerly ponds,” added Ms. Bodden-Harris. The event also served as a kickoff for the Brac’s old phone directory recy- cling drive. The phone books are being collected by the Department of Environ- mental Health, and the next opportunity for residents to drop off their old books for collection will be on April 16, at the Earth Week recycling- themed costume party at the Captain’s Table restaurant. Leading up to the party, other Earth Week plans were set to include a joint lionfish cull by Brac Scuba Shack and Reef Divers on Tuesday, weather permitting. Fish captured at the cull will be served at the recycling par- ty’s lionfish fry. “If you’ve never tasted the menacing species, the one good thing that can be said about them is how tasty they are,” said Ms. Bodden-Harris. “This will be your chance to try the delicacy.” On Thursday, April 21, local schools will be marking Earth Month with tree plant- ings at West End Community Park. Along with Brac stu- dents, all local residents and visitors are welcome to at- tend an informational outing led by Jessica Harvey, who is scheduled to give a Brac Rock Iguana Talk and Walk, which includes a visit to nesting sites. Earth Month celebra- tions will wrap up with a pot luck “Dinner in the Dark” organized by the Brac committee for the Cayman Islands National Trust on April 23, starting at 6 p.m., followed by a “Trash Talk and Labyrinth Walk” at the public beach, hosted by De- partment of Environmental Health’s Mark Rowland from Grand Cayman. Mr. Rowland is scheduled to give a pre- sentation called “Is it Really Trash?” “This will also be the last opportunity to bring your old telephone directo- ries for recycling,” said Ms. Bodden-Harris. “Interested participants will also have the chance to sign up for Turtle Patrol, and everyone can then walk a labyrinth with the inten- tion of healing our ailing en- vironment on Cayman Brac and the world over,” she said. “Thanks to all who have participated so far, we hope everyone else will be able to attend the rest of the events.” For more information on all the Brac Earth Month events, call 916-3960. Local mangrove expert Martin Keeley held a talk as part of Earth Month activities on the Brac. Appreciating women in Little Cayman Students from Little Cayman Education Services, above left, were on hand as the Little Cayman Baha’i community marked International Women’s Day with an event at Blossom Village Park last month. At the March 15 event, Minister for Gender Affairs Tara Rivers sent along a video message which was watched by the organizers and participants, above right, in which she proudly noted that this year Cayman had joined the Convention of the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women. District Commissioner Roger Scott also delivered a message from Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell. – PHOTO: DEBORAH TRUCHAN Other Earth Week plans for the Brac were set to include a joint lionfish cull by Brac Scuba Shack and Reef Divers on Tuesday, weather permitting.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 WEDNESDAY APRIL 13, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Faith Muriel Bush-Ebanks of West Bay, who passed away after a long illness on Sunday, April 10, 2016. Left to mourn her passing are her: Sons: Ray Bush and The Hon. W. McKeeva Bush, OBE, JP, MLA Daughters: Clara Young, Elizabeth Bush, Karen Frederick and Dana Cowan. Sister: Celina Smith 6 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren. A host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Saturday, April 16, 2016 at the Wesleyan Holiness Church, West Bay at 10:00a.m. Viewing will be from 9:00-9:45a.m. Interment to follow at West Bay Cemetery. Micho Schumann, an IT expert with KPMG in the Cayman Islands, said the threat posed to the territo- ry’s businesses by digital ex- tortion or similar scams was growing. “This is one of the top boardroom discussions right now. Companies are asking us about it because their inves- tors, their clients are asking about it. In the last 12 months, the requests we are getting have skyrocketed,” said Mr. Schumann, who helps train companies to manage their staff and systems to avoid be- coming victims. Recent ransomware scams in the Cayman Islands have involved staff opening a seem- ingly routine email with an infected Word or pdf attach- ment. The user is then asked to follow a second step, for example to “enable macros.” At that point, the malicious software begins downloading onto the computer and en- crypting files. “It may be localized to one PC, or, if the software is more sophisticated, it is able to propagate throughout the network. The more files they are able to encrypt, the more they are able to extort,” said Mr. Schumann. “If they are able to get to the file servers, that’s where the real gold is for these criminals,” he added. Typically, the malware does not give the hackers ac- cess to a company’s informa- tion but enables them to block access to key files. Once it is downloaded, it sends a mes- sage to desktops with instruc- tions about how users can pay to have files unlocked. Police and IT experts in Cayman advise businesses not to pay the ransom fees. “The added risk with ran- somware is that if a victim pays the ransom, the bad ac- tors will usually attack again because the victim is known to pay up,” said Sonji Myles, of the Cayman Islands Cyber- security Incident Response Team, which works with the private and public sector to offer advice and resources to combat cyber threats. In some high-profile cases in the U.S., paying up has proved unavoidable. The Hol- lywood Presbyterian Med- ical Center in Los Angeles paid 40 bitcoins – equiv- alent to US$17,000 – to hackers who hit its computer system in February. Typically, the fees extorted are relatively low in an effort to convince companies to pay, rather than go through the costly and time-consuming process of trying to recover the files independently. Mr. Schumann said the most common advice to clients was not to pay. But, he said, if businesses did not maintain good backup sys- tems, they may feel they had no choice. “If you are a financial ser- vices company dealing with highly time-sensitive informa- tion, if you can’t process your clients in a timely manner, you can be in trouble very quickly,” he added. As a consultant, he spe- cializes in prevention, rather than cure. KPMG’s IT advisory unit advises clients on how to spot scam emails, as well as how to maintain backup files to minimize the disruption caused by an attack. He said businesses needed to be backing up their vital files daily and to keep the backup files offline. Police computer forensic examiner, Mr. Carsana, said the malware and methods used by hackers are be- coming more sophisticated every day. In some scams, hackers have been able to gain access to a company or institution’s information – meaning they are able to steal files rather than simply block access, a potentially concerning development for the financial services in- dustry in the wake of the Panama Papers leak, which law firm Mossack Fonseca claims stemmed from a hack of its computer system. A Feb. 17 jewelry store rob- bery at Camana Bay, believed to be the first such incident to occur at the high-end retail shopping complex, involved two men who ordered Island Jewellers staff to fill a bag with diamonds before escaping on a white dirt bike. A month later, on March 19, a West Bay convenience store was held up by a lone gunman who was believed to have used a motorbike as his getaway vehicle. No arrests were reported in either incident. On Thursday, April 7, po- lice officers spotted a man on a dirt bike speeding away from Harbour Drive following an attempted robbery at a wa- terfront bar. An 11-mile police chase ensued, which ended in a crash in the Prospect area involving the 20-year-old rider, who police later confirmed had nothing to do with the robbery attempt. Last week’s incident was far from the first police pursuit in- volving a dirt bike. In early Sep- tember, a police chase through Bodden Town nabbed a dirt bike rider who officers said was speeding while driving an unregistered vehicle. According to police, the dirt bike operator failed to stop after speeding past officers who were moni- toring traffic in Bodden Town and then tried to evade officers in the ensuing pursuit. In meeting after meeting during early 2015, eastern districts residents told police that problems with loud, dan- gerous motorcycles – some of which appeared to have been operating without li- cense plates or registration – were affecting quality of life and, in some cases, interfering with public enjoyment of local beaches. North Side MLA Ez- zard Miller urged police to stop and arrest the vehicle op- erators on sight. “These bikes are illegal,” Mr. Miller said. “They cannot be li- censed and you can’t get insur- ance for them. How can police allow them on the road?” RCIPS Chief Inspector Brad Ebanks said there is a differ- ence between a street-legal motorbike that is being oper- ated in an obnoxious or illegal manner and a dirt bike that has no license or registration and is simply not road worthy. Mr. Ebanks told North Side res- idents that police sometimes cannot be sure which type of vehicle is involved. In addition, police decisions regarding whether to chase any vehicle, dirt bikes included, are fraught with legal peril since a 2013 Grand Court judgment by Justice Alex Henderson in re- lation to a 2008 police chase along West Bay Road that ended in the deaths of two men inside the car being pursued. The family of Bruce Lee Ebanks sued the driver of the vehicle being pursued by po- lice, as well as the Cayman Islands government, over the fatal crash on Feb. 29, 2008. Mr. Ebanks and 21-year-old Sidney Myles, who were pas- sengers in the car driven by then-19-year-old Alex Callan, died in the Friday night crash. Mr. Callan survived and was sentenced to four years’ im- prisonment for causing death by dangerous driving. In late March 2013, Jus- tice Henderson granted a judgment and costs in favor of Paulene Ebanks, the mother of Bruce Lee Ebanks. According to the judgment: “The accident was contrib- uted to, if not caused by, the speed at which Mr. Callan was driving. He was doing so because a police car was chasing him. Had the pursuit been terminated, it is more probable than not that Mr. Callan would have slowed down to a normal speed so as to avoid attracting fur- ther police attention. The neg- ligent failure to end the pur- suit was one factor which contributed to the accident.” Simply banning the im- portation of certain dirt bikes to the Cayman Islands might not be as easy as it sounds. In many instances, the vehi- cles can be modified to the extent that they qualify for registration on Cayman’s roads, even if they are not in such a condition upon arrival to the islands. Customs Collector Charles Clifford has said such a deci- sion would be a policy matter for elected officials. A number of countries in the region have had similar problems involving non-street legal motorbikes and so-called “dirt bike gangs” in recent years. In some countries, po- lice note the use of the small, maneuverable bikes serves a dual purpose. They can easy wend through traffic jams and crowded streets, while pur- suing police cannot. In addi- tion, illegal bikes that have no license plates and registration are difficult to track down. In 2011, Honduras law- makers voted to make pillion passengers on motorcycles il- legal after two drive-by shoot- ings involving a talk radio show host and an anti-corrup- tion activities that were appar- ently gang-related. In April, New York City Po- lice Commissioner William Bratton pledged a citywide crackdown on non-street legal bikes in which he said the city would broadcast the scrap- ping of seized vehicles on live television. Both Washington D.C. and neighboring Balti- more, Maryland, have reported problems with bike gangs since around 2012. register,” Mr. Scott said. Under the “enhancements” to the system, beneficial own- ership information will con- tinue to be maintained and managed by corporate service providers and made acces- sible through a central tech- nical platform. Foreign law enforcement and tax agencies will be able to ask Cayman authorities to gather the information from the system, without the bene- ficial owners being aware that their information is being col- lected from the corporate ser- vice provider databases. To meet demands by U.K. law enforcement agencies, the platform will identify all companies that a particular beneficial owner has a stake in without the need for mul- tiple requests. The technical details have not been finalized and the system does not yet exist. Government has until June 2017 to implement a func- tioning centralized beneficial ownership platform. Law firm Maples and Calder said in a client no- tice, while details are not yet known, it anticipates that the Cayman Islands re- quirements will be similar to those recently adopted in the U.K. Under the U.K. re- gime, companies have to maintain a register of per- sons with significant con- trol, defined as at least 25 percent ownership of a com- pany or control of 25 percent of a company’s voting rights. Mr. Scott said the agreement was a significant step in rec- ognizing that Cayman is not a secrecy jurisdiction but a premier global financial hub that efficiently connects law abiding users and providers of capital and financing around the world. “The terms of this agree- ment are essentially busi- ness as usual for Cayman. The agreement offers a path forward that builds on the work Cayman has been doing for decades, while con- tinuing to support the im- portant economic role we play in the global economy,” Mr. Scott said. While the agreement with the U.K. is a milestone, it will not be the end of the road in the fight against global finan- cial crime, he noted. Most British overseas ter- ritories, with the exception of Guernsey and Anguilla, have so far agreed to disclose ben- eficial ownership information. Hackers hitting Cayman companies Cayman Finance supports beneficial ownership ‘enhancement’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Dirt bikes involved in robberies, pursuits CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY APRIL 13, 2016 Next >