ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY MAY 24, 2016 SPORTS | PAGE 15 DURANT, WESTBROOK LEAD THUNDER IN BLOWOUT OF WARRIORS High of 88 Low of 76 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 ‘TIP OF THE SPEAR’: THE CONSERVATION COUNCIL’S CONFLICTS 180913_PRINT-Ad-Strip-BOTY-6colxPage 1 11/30/15 12:30:30 PM Immigration: Cuban boat in South Sound will be moved BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com An abandoned Cuban boat that has been beached in South Sound since May 6 will be removed within a few days, Cayman Is- lands Immigration Department officials said Monday. The makeshift boat, which is beginning to break up in the pounding surf on the beach near Miss Lassie’s House, arrived in Grand Cayman on May 6 with 43 Cubans aboard. All of them were taken into custody by the Immigration Department. However, the watercraft, with its oil drums and rusty engine, has remained at the location since then. On Monday – more than two weeks later – nearby resident Steve Lorimer notified the Department of Environment about the craft, which he was concerned would cause an environmental hazard if it drifted back into the sea with significant amounts of fuel on board. “I notice that the boat is rapidly dete- riorating,” Mr. Lorimer said. “There is an engine in there, which probably has engine oil and fuel … at some point that’s going to leak. There is some sense of urgency here. ”I don’t want to see it getting left to the point at which we have an oil spill.” The Department of Environment re- sponded to Mr. Lorimer’s report by stating crews had already gone out last Thursday to remove any remaining fuel canisters from inside the wreck. They found dozens of containers. “We received a report that the vessel Marathon man aims to hit new heights Three-peak challenge for charity hero Haines JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com As one of the flattest islands on earth, Grand Cayman does not seem like the ideal place to train for a three-peak moun- tain climbing challenge in the “roof of the world.” But that has not stopped Derek Haines and his charity challenge team from putting in the hard yards as they prepare to travel to Bolivia this weekend as part of a fundraising campaign in aid of the Have a Heart Foun- dation, which finances lifesaving heart surgeries at Health City for underprivileged children. The trio, Mr. Haines, Vico Tes- tori and Barry Yetton, have been preparing for the climb by car- rying their 50-pound packs up and down the Camana Bay Ob- servation Tower 20 times, three times a week. “There are 115 steps to the summit and I think we know each one personally now,” GOV’T CASH AUDITS CITE THEFT RISKS Locks broken, safe combinations known BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Broken locks on cash tills, ready access to where “liquid assets” are stored and a lack of CCTV monitoring in sensitive areas have been flagged in several government agencies that were subject to cash audits in the past year, according to records obtained by the Cayman Compass. Government’s Internal Audit Unit noted difficulties with potential “increased risk of loss of funds” and “increased risk of theft/mis- appropriation of assets” arose out of the cash handling procedures in some agencies that in- cluded customs, prisons and the Legislative Assembly administrative office, among others. In most cases, the amount of cash or other assets being handled are not considered ma- terial to the operations of the relevant agency, but the problems were significant enough for auditors to note them in four reports detailing the operations of about a dozen public sector entities. The redacted sections of the reports do not always identify the government agency in which the asset handling problems were discovered, typically for security reasons, but some do. Corrective steps are outlined, and in every case are accepted by the government agency involved in the audit. Locks and keys During an unannounced audit at the cus- toms department in government’s previous budget year (2014/15), auditors discovered a simple problem at the department’s of- fice: the cash pan used to hold customer pay- ments had no lock. “Discussions with the cashier revealed that One step at a time: Derek Haines, Barry Yetton and Vico Testori train for their Bolivian climbing challenge by ascending the Camana Bay Observation Tower while wearing 50-pound packs. Twenty-seven full fuel containers were taken off the Cuban boat in South Sound Thursday. – PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL TUESDAY MAY 24, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 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. - TUESDAY X-MEN: APOCALYPSE 3D (PG13) 12:40 I 2:00 2D I 3:50 I 5:40 2D 7:00 I 9:00 2D ANGRY BIRDS 3D (PG) 1:00 2D I 4:10 I 7:10 2D I 9:40 CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR 3D (PG13) 1:00 I 3:40 2D I 6:30 I 9:30 2D THE NICE GUYS (R) 1:15 I 6:50 THE JUNGLE BOOK (PG) 4:00 I 9:50 BARBERSHOP 3 THE NEXT CUT(PG13) 4:20 I 7:10 I 9:45 Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) BODDEN TOWN MAN ROBBED OUTSIDE HOME A Newlands-area resi- dent was jumped by two gunmen early Sunday at a home, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service reported. The robbery was re- ported at around 1:30 a.m. by the man, who had just arrived at a house on Hirst Road. He told police he was approached by two men carrying guns who demanded money right out- side his front door. The gunmen took his wallet and what police de- scribed as “other valuables” – jewelry and a cellphone – before running toward a getaway vehicle. Anyone with information is asked to call the George Town Criminal Investigations Department at 949-4222. Concern in Haiti over emerging condition linked to Zika MIREBALAIS, Haiti (AP) – Berny Saint-Sauveur was moaning and incoherent when his family carried him into a hospital in central Haiti. He was unable to move, he later found out, because of an un- usual paralysis syndrome linked to the mosquito-borne Zika virus. “I thought I was a dead man,” Saint-Sauveur recalled in an interview from his hos- pital bed, wearily rubbing bloodshot eyes. After two weeks, the 46-year-old rice farmer was recovering from the nervous system illness known as Guil- lain-Barre and about to be discharged from the hospital in Mirebalais. Doctors and scientists, meanwhile, are bracing for the possibility of a wave of rare disorders trig- gered by Zika in an impover- ished country that has faced one public health crisis after another and is fertile ground for mosquito-borne scourges. Zika causes mild symp- toms such as rash and fever in most people, but when Brazil reported outbreaks for the first time last year, doc- tors saw a dramatic increase in Guillain-Barre and a severe birth defect called micro- cephaly resulting in infants with abnormally small heads. The World Health Organiza- tion says there is now scien- tific consensus that Zika is a cause of both disorders. Haiti’s health ministry has reported no cases of micro- cephaly but 11 cases of Guil- lain-Barre, including two de- finitively linked to Zika by lab tests. But the extent of Haiti’s Zika outbreak and the number of accompanying neurological disorders is a big unknown. “Haiti is a bit of a black box and I’m not sure anyone has their arms around what’s really happening currently,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Trop- ical Medicine at Baylor Col- lege of Medicine in Texas. Even after the worst cholera epidemic in recent history, Hai- ti’s severely under-resourced health sector still does not have routine data collection sys- tems that would allow experts to track and document disease outbreaks across one of the world’s poorest countries. Frontline physicians in Haiti say the assumption is that the uptick of Guillain- Barre cases is due to Zika because it coincides with the spreading epidemic. The WHO says Guillain-Barre reports have increased in 13 coun- tries or territories where Zika is circulating. “Since around the fall of 2015 we began seeing cases of Guillain-Barre that we had not seen prior to that point,” said Dr. Nessa Meshkaty, an infectious disease physician working in the Partners in Health hospital in Mirebalais. Some experts worry a rel- atively large number of mi- crocephaly cases could hit Haiti later this year when women infected in early 2016 start giving birth. Health ex- perts are trying to figure out what, if anything, they can do to prepare other than training staff to look out for symptoms. “What are we going to do in Haiti if we have an epidemic of children with developmental delays in the context of al- ready being completely under- resourced to deal with any de- velopmental challenge a child has?” asked Dr. Louise Ivers, a senior health and policy ad- viser for Boston-based Part- ners in Health. Haiti announced its first cases of Zika on Jan. 15. By April 23, there were 2,214 suspected cases, including 12 among pregnant women, according to the U.S. Cen- ters for Disease Control and Prevention. By comparison, Puerto Rico, a U.S. Caribbean island which has a third of Hai- ti’s population and is located about 380 miles to the east, has had 925 confirmed cases of Zika, including one related death and a case of micro- cephaly in a fetus. The neigh- boring Dominican Republic has seen roughly 100 cases of Guillain-Barre, including six recent fatalities. The syndrome kills about one in 20 patients. New research suggesting that the Zika virus has been present in Haiti since 2014 adds a layer of complexity to the epidemiological mystery. Dr. John Lednicky, a re- searcher at the University of Florida’s Emerging Patho- gens Institute, was part of a team that found Zika in the plasma of three Haitian youngsters some two years before Haiti announced its first cases and months before Brazilian researchers verified the virus there. A vendor combs another woman’s hair next to a water canal full of rubbish, fertile ground for mosquito-borne diseases, near a street market in Port- au-Prince, Haiti. Haiti’s government has stepped up fumigation and public service announcements about the importance of getting rid of mosquito breeding grounds, but mosquito control is minimal compared to more developed nations. – PHOTO: AP POLICE FATALLY SHOOT FLORIDA CAR BURGLAR HALLANDALE, Fla. (AP) – A police officer fatally shot a man who was trying to flee from authorities who were investigating reports of car burglaries in the South Florida community of Hal- landale Beach, authorities said Monday. Police were called early Sunday after reports of possible car break-ins and a suspicious person looking into cars in a resi- dential neighborhood filled with condos. Police found two men sitting in a car. Major Sonia Quinones, a police spokeswoman, says the driver, 27-year-old Mi- chael Eugene Wilson, at- tempted to speed away and the officer fired at least one round. Wilson later was pronounced dead at the hospital. Quinones said the of- ficer feared for his life and was forced to fire his weapon. The Sun Sentinel reports that Wilson’s car had several bullet holes in the driver’s door and that spray-painted markings on the street indicated at least eight shots were fired. The second suspect, 23-year-old Tyler Shuman, jumped out of the car, but was caught hours later after a manhunt involving several police agencies and a helicopter, according to authorities. Police said in an email that Wilson was black and that the officer involved in the shooting, Corey Clark, also is black. Clark will be placed on administrative leave with pay while the in- vestigation continues. According to court re- cords, Wilson had an ex- tensive criminal history in- cluding arrests for drugs, grand theft and aggra- vated assault. Shuman is in custody and faces criminal charges. Man charged with robbery of cyclist CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Ovideo Antonio Moses Bodden was remanded in custody on Monday after being brought to Summary Court on a charge of robbery. According to the charge details, Bodden, along with others, robbed a named man on Walkers Road on Wednesday night, May 4. Items taken in the robbery included a cellphone, bracelet and cash. Defense attorney John Furniss applied for bail, noting that Bodden, 20, is employed full-time and had family members present who were prepared to act as sureties. He suggested conditions of residence and curfew, pointing out that Bodden denied being involved in the incident. A police press release is- sued early Monday said Bodden was arrested on Friday night, May 20. He is alleged to be one of three men who accosted a man riding his bike near Cayman Academy. Two of the men wore hoodies and had their faces covered, police said. Robbery is a charge that can be deal with only in Grand Court. Chief Magis- trate Nova Hall denied bail and set the matter for men- tion in the higher court on June 10. Mr. Furniss said he would take his bail application to the Grand Court.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY MAY 24, 2016 Man charged in child pornography case Bail denied due to seriousness of charges CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A 25-year-old man ap- peared in court Monday, charged with possessing and distributing pornographic photographs of children. Trevorne Obrian Daley was denied bail by Chief Magistrate Nova Hall. Eight of the charges re- late to photographs each showing an individual child, seven of whom were boys. The ninth charge re- lates to “a quantity of in- decent photographs of children.” The charges are dated May 18, 2016. Details of the tenth charge are that within the Cayman Islands, Daley dis- tributed child pornography via email to another person between Jan. 1, 2015 and Dec. 31, 2015. Crown counsel Kenneth Ferguson said the matter came to police attention after Daley befriended a preteen boy on Facebook in December 2015 and began to speak to him via WhatsApp. Mr. Ferguson explained that relevant U.S. agencies contacted Cayman authori- ties about indecent articles put on Google Drive. A warrant was executed at the defendant’s George Town residence. A phone and several laptops were seized. When examined, they were shown to have more than 1,000 images depicting var- ious forms of pornography, Mr. Ferguson related. He said Daley was inter- viewed in the presence of an attorney and admitted that he belonged to a group that sent child pornography to each other. Mr. Ferguson objected to bail, partly on the basis of the seriousness of the charges and partly because Daley is a work permit holder without strong ties to the island. Attorney Crister Brady agreed that the charges were serious, but he pointed out that the Crown had some way to go before sub- stantiating the charges. He suggested that Daley could be bailed to reside at a premises where there were no children, his pass- port could be surrendered and sureties could be put in place for his attendance at future court hearings. “There is little he could do to interfere with investi- gations,” Mr. Brady pointed out in reference to another possible reason for ob- jecting to bail. Daley has no previous convictions and had a stable job, the attorney added. The charges are “Cate- gory B” – meaning that they may be tried in either Sum- mary Court or Grand Court, Mr. Brady noted. No election was made at this first ap- pearance as to which court would hear the charges. CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman imported more cars and more gasoline to fuel them in 2015 amid sharp declines in oil prices, according to a new report from the Economics and Statistics Office. The ESO’s annual For- eign Trade report notes that the value of total imports dropped by almost $50 mil- lion between 2014 and 2015, led by lower gas prices. Finance Minister Marco Archer said in a written statement, “The decline in the value of imports in 2015 reflects the fall in oil prices in the international market. “Local demand continued to strengthen as shown by a 7 percent increase in the volume of fuel imports from [49.5 million] imperial gal- lons in 2014 to [53 million] imperial gallons in 2015.” The total value of fuel imports dropped by al- most 40 percent to about $100 million. Imports not including petroleum products in- creased by 2 percent to more than $660 million from 2014 to 2015. The ESO said in a state- ment, “Among the non-petro- leum products, machinery and transport equipment imports grew by 16.0 per- cent, traced to higher values of motors and gen- erators, construction and mining machinery, office machines and automatic data equipment.” The price of fuel has also meant a drop in the total imports from the United States. The report notes that the U.S. “continues to be the dominant trading partner of the Cayman Islands ac- counting for 85.3 percent of total imports with a value of CI$650.7 million in 2015, compared to CI$746.9 million in 2014, a 12.9 percent decline.” Imports from Cuba, Korea and the United Kingdom also decreased. The biggest import increases from Cayman’s trading partners in 2015 were Ja- maica, with a 21 percent jump, and an increase of al- most 68 percent from Japan, which, according to the re- port, “may be associated with the increase in road vehicle imports.” Exports fell from al- most $22 million in 2014 to about $17 million in 2015. Citing the “sharp decline,” the ESO report noted fewer re-exports, including exports when people leave the island and send their household goods abroad, which ac- count for more than 70 per- cent of all exports. “The decline in the value of imports in 2015 reflects the fall in oil prices in the international market.” MARCO ARCHER, finance minister With lower oil prices, Cayman imports more gas, cars [Crown counsel] Mr. Ferguson explained that relevant U.S. agencies contacted Cayman authorities about indecent articles put on Google Drive.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” TUESDAY MAY 24, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS When it comes to the National Conservation Council and its potential conflicts, we feel that concerns over fishing methods and fish species may end up being just “the tip of the spear.” The Cayman Islands’ National Conservation Law is such a labyrinthine, complex and far-reaching piece of legislation — placing wide-ranging powers in the hands of the appointed council — that it virtually guarantees that problems would arise — and they have. The question of spearfishing presents a salient example. As was written in a story published in Monday’s Compass, the council is struggling with how to approach two con- flicting responsibilities: on the one hand, to grant approvals for spearfishing licenses, and, on the other, to protect fish species that would be targeted by those spearfishermen. We’re sure that if we were to do a survey of the members of the Conservation Council (or, more broadly, the “pro-Nature” individuals who championed the council’s for- mation in the first place), there would be near universal con- demnation of spearfishing. Nevertheless, thanks to the power of bureaucracy, the council now finds itself with a legal responsibility to enable an activity its members almost certainly oppose. In addition to the internal conflict within the council, the issue of spearfishing — and marine conservation zones — sets up another conflict: between the council and the “old-time” “pro-Caymanian traditionalists” who argue that spearfishing — or any type of fishing, anywhere and at any time — is a cultural right bequeathed by generations of practice. We don’t see an easy way out of this conundrum. For years, Cayman’s government has pursued a char- acteristically lukewarm approach to the problem of spearfishing (the “problem” being that it is a highly effective and efficient way to selectively hunt large fish). The gov- ernment has allowed hundreds of already-licensed spear- fishermen to continue the tradition, but has not allowed the approval of any new spearfishing licenses, and has not allowed the importation of replacement parts for existing spearguns already on island. Although we would argue that government’s strategy has been absurdly contradictory (spearguns, yes; speargun parts, no), it did appear to achieve a sort of equilibrium between those who love fish and those who love to fish. And then along came the Conservation Law. When the legislation was being discussed in Parliament, lawmakers inserted language that overturned the ban on replacement parts for spearguns — and transferred the responsibility for spearfishing from the now-defunct Marine Conservation Board to the new Conservation Council. Department of Environment Director Gina Ebanks-Petrie has presented a possible solution, stating that it would be difficult for the council to issue licenses for spearfishing if Cabinet does not approve an expanded system of marine parks that is now under consideration. Make no mistake. Though Ms. Ebanks-Petrie couches this trade-off in ecological terms, in actuality it is a thinly veiled attempt at political deal-making. If the council gets what it wants (expanded marine parks), then it will give a segment of voters what they want (spearguns). That deal may not be sweet enough for our politicians, particularly those who have heavy concentrations of con- stituents who are engaged in commercial or serious rec- reational fishing, for instance in West Bay, East End, North Side or the Sister Islands. We shall see how the chips will fall soon enough, because the next election is fast approaching. Many documentaries on ocean life begin with the obser- vation that, although things may appear calm on the surface, the real activity is taking place beneath the waves. In this case, the meaningful activity is occurring on land — and behind closed doors. ‘Tip of the spear’: The Conservation Council’s conflicts Failing schools fail US For most Americans wages are not rising fast enough. That’s been blamed for holding back economic growth, and that’s patently false. According to the liberal narrative, businesses are too tight-fisted and exploiting or- dinary workers and women. Simply mandating higher pay – for example, by raising the minimum wage and adopting a national variant of Califor- nia’s Fair Pay Act – will mi- raculously increase family in- comes, spending and growth. For those strategies to succeed, either worker pro- ductivity would have to mi- raculously increase with wages, or we would get a lot of inflation and very little progress advancing the well- being of the typical family. The more fundamental problem is American workers increasingly don’t have the skills to work in the new dig- ital economy. Over the last 30 years, two broad groups of oc- cupations have grown rapidly – knowledge-based work and those doing non-routine manual work in the many ser- vices industries. The former include professional, manage- rial and technical workers in- cluding those requiring a col- lege degree like engineers and investment banking, and those in technical fields requiring a year or two of post-high school training in manufacturing, health care and the like. The latter group includes folks like waiters in upscale restaurants, sales personnel and seam- stresses in high-end clothing stores, and hairdressers. As the information economy has grown and Americans can increas- ingly sell what they know throughout the world, the de- mand for and incomes of the first group have grown rap- idly. Those folks live well by visiting expensive restaurants and resorts, wearing designer clothes and accessories, and pampering themselves with expensive personal services. The workers taking it on the chin and seeing employment disappear or grow slowly have been those in between – those doing repetitive as- sembly work at factories and the army of bookkeepers, filing clerks, bank tellers and the like. Those occupa- tions do not require a high level of knowledge or sophis- ticated training but rather merely the weakness of mind to do boring repetitive work. Whereas a high school grad- uate on an academic, non-vo- cational track could once earn a decent living, ever more so- phisticated machines and software and competition from cheap labor in Asia have hammered down those occu- pations and the wages they pay. Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are correct to target poorly conceived and badly enforced trade agreements. The other fundamental problem is that too many young Americans do not get a decent education. Fewer than half of all high school gradu- ates possess the reading and quantitative skills needed to succeed at technical training programs or in college, and about 40 percent of all col- lege graduates lack the crit- ical thinking and reasoning skills to do managerial, pro- fessional or technical work. Of the college gradu- ates that can think, too many major in social sciences and humanities that provide little background to succeed in medicine, finance and the vast array of opportunities created by the digital economy. The calculus of falling wages is simple – the majority of young people can do no more than perform repetitive tasks and thanks to smarter machines and outsourcing those jobs are shrinking or growing too slowly. High schools don’t offer a lot of technical training opportuni- ties and thanks to political pressures to raise gradua- tion rates, many are passing out diplomas to students who have not earned them. Similarly, university rankings systems place a premium on high graduation rates and passing out bogus degrees. Fraud and wasted re- sources at America’s schools and universities are a big reason wages are sinking and growth is so slow. Peter Morici is a professor at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. He served as chief economist of the U.S. International Trade Commission from 1993-1995. He tweets @pmorici1. PETER MORICI Remove barriers to work Most people, and I mean almost everyone, would rather work than receive wel- fare. Earning your own living is an essential element of happiness and self esteem. These are the well-docu- mented conclusions of Phil Harvey and Lisa Conyers in their new book, “The Human Cost of Welfare.” Dozens of welfare pro- grams attempt to help the poor and disadvantaged with mixed results. We would do well to replace most of these programs with a guar- anteed minimum income (from which the government should deduct funds dedi- cated to health insurance and old age pensions of the recipients choice) as I pro- posed several years ago as part of a major tax reform. Some of these programs discourage work by imposing financial costs for working as the result of reduced in- come from lost benefits. These welfare design flaws should be fixed (as the pro- posed guaranteed minimum income would), but govern- ments have also thrown up many other barriers to get- ting jobs in the form of reg- ulatory requirements and re- strictions. Unnecessary or overly burdensome licensing requirements for many jobs protect incumbents and dis- courage job seekers. According to the Wash- ington Post: “Last year, a White House report docu- mented the startling fact that 1 in 4 U.S. workers need a li- cense to do their jobs, a five- fold increase since the 1950s.” One of thousands of ex- amples is the “license to blow” in Maryland. The state of Maryland has just bravely reduced the amount of training required for a li- cense to wash and dry hair from 1,200 hours to 350 hours. “The new Maryland bill creates a “limited” cos- metology license for workers in blowout salons; it can be obtained after 350 hours of training. Previously, you had to be licensed as a stylist or cosmetologist, which re- quire 1,200 and 1,500 hours of training, respectively,” ac- cording to the Post. Most people want to work and we should make it easier for them to do so. Warren Coats, a former director of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, and former senior monetary policy adviser to the Central Bank of Afghanistan, Iraq and Kenya for the International Monetary Fund, is on the Editorial Board of Cayman Financial Review. WARREN COATS5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY MAY 24, 2016 FIND YOUR BEST DEALS DREAM CAR AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE OVER 10,000 CARS IN STOCK Tel : +81 42 440 3440 | Email : top@beforward.jp www.beforward.jp Shipped to George Town Cayman Islands DREAM CAR AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE DREAM CAR AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE Government acts on 22 percent of audit recommendations BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands gov- ernment has implemented just 22 percent of the recommenda- tions made by its auditors for improving financial reporting and management processes in various public sector entities over the past five years. The Internal Audit Unit tracked 310 recommenda- tions made between 2009 and last year involving 40 gov- ernment entities and found 209 of them (67 percent) re- mained “outstanding.” An- other 27 recommendations (9 percent) made more than five years ago were considered too dated to act on before a reassessment of the problem could be completed. A total of 67 audit recom- mendations (22 percent) were acted on and substantially implemented, auditors found. “Our conclusion is govern- ment entities have not demon- strated reasonable progress in implementing the agreed ac- tions necessary,” the Internal Audit Unit’s review stated. A similar review in 2014 noted that government had followed through with 24 percent of the audit units recommendation. A review at the halfway point of the current budget year, December 2015, found even fewer audit recommen- dations – about 15 percent – had been followed by agen- cies. The full year report has not been completed since the budget year has not ended. The reasons given for lack of implementation of audit rec- ommendations, all of which had been agreed to by the gov- ernment agency undergoing the audit, boiled down to ei- ther human resources difficul- ties or public agencies failing to cooperate with each other. “There is a lack of ad- equate staff/capabilities to perform the actions needed to implement the recommen- dations,” government officials noted in their various re- sponses provided to the audit unit. “Financial resources are needed in order to implement the recommendations. The report also referenced trouble where certain govern- ment agencies must work to- gether to resolve the issues auditors identified. The Internal Audit Unit report identified the government departments that most often ignored or failed to follow auditors’ recom- mendations, including: ■■ The Tourism Attraction Board: 26 audit recom- mendations were made, none was implemented. ■■ The Ministry of Home Affairs (administration): 23 recommendations were made, none implemented. ■■ The Health Services Authority: 12 recommendations were made, none implemented. ■■ The Immigration Department: 11 recommendations were made, none implemented. ■■ Cayman Airways: 35 recommendations were made, four were implemented. ■■ The Department of Agri- culture: 24 recommenda- tions were made, three were implemented. Many agencies at the Government Administration Building are not following auditors’ recommendations, a recent report has found. – PHOTO: CHRIS COURT Student health screenings begin next month The Public Health Depart- ment will conduct free health screenings over the summer for all first-time students entering government or pri- vate schools in the Cayman Islands. From June 1-30, health screenings will take place at district health cen- ters, for students entering schools in the West Bay and eastern districts. For all other students, health screenings will take place at the Cayman Is- lands Further Education Centre Campus from July 6 to Aug. 22. The screenings are man- datory for first-time students. “The Education De- partment mandates that these screenings must be completed before the new school year begins in Sep- tember,” said School Health Coordinator Carvell Bailey, who noted that students en- tering reception programs are also included. Screenings include a growth and development as- sessment, vision, hearing and dental, and administering necessary immunizations and obtaining students’ per- sonal medical history. Ms. Bailey said vaccines will be offered to children whose immunizations are not up-to-date. A health screening certif- icate will be issued to each child to be presented at school in September. Appointments for screen- ings can be made at the school the child will be at- tending. Parents and guard- ians are reminded that they need to accompany their chil- dren to the health screening, and should bring their child’s immunization record. Completed forms should be handed in at the CIFEC Campus between July 6 and Aug. 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Outside of these dates, the forms can be taken to the Cayman Islands Hospi- tal’s Public Health Clinic. In Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, appointments for school entry screenings can be made by contacting public health nurse Paula Moore- Simpson at Faith Hospital. Detailed information sheets for parents and guardians are available at the schools. For more information, call Ms. Bailey on 244-2734 or 244-2648, or Ms. Moore-Simpson at 948-2243 or 244-7643. All children entering public or private schools for the first time in September are required to have health screenings. “The Education Department mandates that these screenings must be completed before the new school year begins in September.” CARVELL BAILEY, school health coordinatorTUESDAY MAY 24, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 6 DISTRICT DAYS District Days West Bay Retreat at Boatswain Bay Presbyterian inspires The women and teens of the Boatswain Bay Presby- terian Church recently took part in a weekend conference and retreat at the Grand Cay- manian Holiday Inn. The event kicked off on Friday, May 13, and fea- tured a variety of activi- ties designed to inspire and leave the participants with a stronger sense of fellowship. The retreat was chaired by Eziethamae “Zeta” Bodden who, along with committee members Peg Smith, Ingrid Ebanks, Charlene Rivers and Judy Powery, set a packed schedule for the weekend exploring the spiritual side of life. “Our guest speaker was Mrs. Lori Wolfe, who is an international speaker from the United States,” said Ms. Bodden. Mrs. Wolfe and her husband Rich have a long-standing connection to the church, as Mr. Wolfe is the Caribbean regional director with Mission to the World, and in the past Mrs. Wolfe helped lead the church’s “Love Languages” workshop. Mrs. Wolfe, a popular women’s bible study and re- treat speaker, lived in the Philippines for a time as a missionary and now re- sides in Colorado Springs where she teaches Eng- lish, public speaking and bible to middle and high school students. “Our programs started with praise and worship led by our praise team of Es- ther Rivers, Eilene Sutton, Anais Tatum and Cindy Powery, then our small group leaders of Mrs. Ar- lene Whittaker, Ingrid Ebanks, Ludivene Dilbert and Sasha Hunte lead our Saturday morning session,” said Ms. Bodden. “Everyone enjoyed the retreat and left Sunday feeling inspired.” At the Sunday morning service that followed, par- ticipants shared a recap for the congregation and Mrs. Wolfe gave a testimony. 50 YEARS AGO: Bennett Jefferson wedding celebrated In the May 25, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Compass, West Bay correspondent Leila Yates wrote: “There was a lovely wedding at the Pilgrim Holiness Church on the 21st with Rev. John Croft offi- ciating when Mr. Spencer Bennett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Laurie Bennett of Bonacca, Spanish Honduras, took as his bride Miss Norma Jean Jefferson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Jefferson. The bride was beautifully attired in a long lace dress decorated with sequins. Her headdress was a crown of sequins. “Maid of honour was Miss Vir- ginia Ebanks. Mr. John Jefferson was best man. Bridesmaids were Misses Gail Ebanks, Essie Mae Bush, Marguerite Hydes, Betty Bush, Martha Ruth Ebanks and Cathy Bush, and there were four flower girls. Groomsmen were Messrs. Eugene Ebanks, Leonard Ebanks, Vincent Bush, Harold Johnson, Clyde Smith and Seth Arch Jr. “The reception was at the home of Mrs. Donald Glidden. Floral ar- rangement was by Mrs. Valda Bodden. “The plane came in from Swan Island on the 20th and brought the following passengers for the wed- ding: Mr. Alstead Glidden, Vincent Bush, Norman Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Horace Kelly, Harold Johnson, Ran- dolf Moore and Enfield Ebanks. They all returned on Sunday. “Mrs. Laurie Bennett, the groom’s mother, was in attendance at the wedding, having come from Bonacca on the M.V. Dream. Mr. Kingsley Smith arrived on the 22nd from the U.S. where he works. “A third child and second son was born on the 15th to Mr. and Mrs. Ainsley Hydes, weighing 5 pounds 5 ounces. “Miss Iris Swaby left on the 21st for New York where she has been living for 13 years. She has been home for one year due to the illness and death of her father. “Mr. and Mrs. Logan Ebanks and baby Rickie left on the 19th for Brooklyn, N.Y. They are taking up permanent residence there. “Mr. Leurtis Bodden paid a short visit to his mother and other relatives, arriving on the 19th and returning on the 22nd to his home in Miami, Florida. Mr. Cardiss Rivers returned on the 21st from the U.S. where he worked on S.S. Verdie. “Mr. and Mrs. Carlyle Glidden left recently for New York where they will reside for a time. “The opening and dedication of the Sunday School Hall of Mount Pleasant, West Bay, will take place on Sunday, 29th May, at 4 p.m. The sermon will be preached by the Rev. George Hicks. This is a Mission of the West Bay United Church and a warm invitation is extended to all.” The retreat participants poolside at the Grand Caymanian Holiday Inn.The retreat included an inspiring yoga session on the dock. Retreat participants, from left, Esther Rivers, Brenda Timothy, Ingrid Ebanks, Lydia Barrett, Eilene Sutton, Judy Powery and Eziethamae Bodden.CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY MAY 24, 2016 7 DISTRICT DAYS District Days West Bay Baby parrots among several new Turtle Farm arrivals Some tiny new arrivals at the Turtle Farm aviary are caused a stir. Home to about 120 birds, the Turtle Farm’s aviary covers approximately 5,300 square feet and houses nine species native to the Carib- bean, including both sub- species of Cayman parrots and white-crowned pigeons. “It is breeding season and we have many nests, eggs, hatchlings and juve- niles in the aviary flock, in- cluding our veteran pair of Cayman parrot breeders, Sweetpea and Leo,” said the farm’s terrestrial exhibits curator Geddes Hislop. “This year, they laid three eggs and hatched ‘twin’ hatchlings over the [Dis- covery Day] long weekend.” Mr. Hislop said in 2015 the pair raised the first ever set of Cayman parrot “trip- lets” born in captivity. The aviary’s ongoing captive rearing and wild release programs for the Grand Cayman parrot and the white-crowned pi- geon have been in place for five and eight years, respectively. “Sweetpea and Leo’s ‘triplets’ were released into the wild in February this year, and these two will join them when they are be- tween 9-10 months old,” ex- plained Mr. Hislop. “Our other, more recently bonded Cayman parrot breeding pair, Rosie and Ralph, will hopefully mate and add their own offspring to the program in 2017.” Mr. Hislop said the Turtle Farm’s white-crowned pi- geons, also known as bald pates, are also breeding well, and some are already on their second clutch of chicks for the season. “We will definitely need to soon thin out the flock as they fight for breeding space in the aviary,” said Mr. Hislop. “White-crowned pigeons mature much faster than parrots, so we look for- ward to a sizeable release of about two dozen birds in mid to late summer 2016.” The aviary visitors can choose to hand-feed the birds, and the funds raised are donated to local conser- vation projects each quarter. “The aviary is also used as a learning exhibit for school groups on … field trips to study animal ad- aptations, for example, looking at their different beak adaptations, reminis- cent of Darwinian finches,” said Mr. Hislop. In other Turtle Farm up- dates, Mr. Hislop noted that the recent dry weather means the Butterfly Garden is looking a bit empty at the moment. “Despite the irriga- tion, there are nowhere as many flowers as in the rainy season, and conse- quently not as many butter- flies,” he said. “Some of the colorful in- sects can still be seen in the early mornings, but once the season changes and the flowering plants ‘wake up,’ so will the butterflies. Hopefully, the rains will re- turn sometime in June.” Mr. Hislop also noted that work continues on slowly adding to the popu- lation of fish in the snorkel lagoon, both in terms of overall numbers as well as with new fish species. The 2016 turtle nesting season, which tradition- ally peaks in June, is well under way and the first set of hatchling turtles are out for viewing at the hatchery window. The babies can be viewed from behind the glass, both in the sand hatching box as well as in the hatchling tray, hatching from the nest boxes. MEETING ON GM MOSQUITO RELEASE The Mosquito Re- search and Control Unit and biotechnology com- pany Oxitec are inviting the public to attend a meeting Tuesday night to discuss the planned re- lease of millions of genet- ically modified mosqui- toes in West Bay. The meeting will take place at Sir John A. Cumber Primary School at 7 p.m. Residents are invited to learn more about the new mosquito control measures that will be rolled out in West Bay. Oxitec and the Cayman Islands Mos- quito Research and Con- trol Unit recently an- nounced a new plan to fight Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that spreads dengue, Zika and chi- kungunya, to prevent the threat of these diseases in Grand Cayman. The Mosquito Re- search and Control Unit is planning a multi- phase rollout of Oxitec’s solution to tackle the mosquito. The first phase of the project will include a se- ries of activities to in- form the community about the program. Over two months, Oxitec and MRCU staff will provide information to residents about the program, how the solution works and its effectiveness. The next phase will be deployment of Ox- itec’s solution, initially to treat an area with about 1,800 residents in West Bay, while an equivalent area without the Oxitec treatment will be used for comparison. Then, subject to appro- priate approvals and funding, the goal of the program is to expand across the remainder of the island to reduce the population of the dan- gerous mosquitoes and help eliminate the dis- eases they carry. Light refreshments will be served. West Bay CERT gets prepared “Don’t let your guard down!” was this year’s theme for National Day of Prepared- ness in the Cayman Islands. National Day of Prepared- ness is observed each year in the Cayman Islands to en- courage residents to prepare for the hurricane season and any other natural disaster. Held this year on Monday, May 16, the day is observed on a public holiday, Dis- covery Day, so that all resi- dents can have the opportu- nity to review their respective family plans and level of per- sonal preparedness for the hurricane season. To mark the occasion, the West Bay Community Emer- gency Response Team (CERT) members met bright and early at 6 a.m. in the parking lot of Foster’s Republix Plaza store in West Bay for an up- date meeting. The group then did a cleanup of Willie Far- rington Drive to observe the day. “West Bay CERT decided we would walk the street and clean up any debris, like bottles and cans, that would be a danger in the event of a hurricane or a flood, in preparation [for] the start of hurricane season, which offi- cially begins on June 1,” ex- plained the group’s deputy chair Zeta Bodden. Garbage bags and gloves for the roadside clean- up were provided by the Chamber of Commerce, and refreshments for the group were supplied by the West Bay Community Council. West Bay CERT members conducted a cleanup on May 16. From left are Jennifer Henry, Jolene Edwards, Winsome Groucher and Eziethamae Bodden. Mother parrot Sweetpea has two new chicks.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. TUESDAY MAY 24, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, MAY 24 MOSQUITO MEETING: The Mosquito Research and Control Unit and Oxitec Cayman Ltd. invite the public in West Bay to hear about the new mosquito controls in the area. Light refreshments will be served. 7 p.m. at Sir John A. Cumber Primary School. WEDNESDAY, MAY 25 HURRICANE VOLUNTEERS: The Department of Children and Family Services invites people to sign up as shelter volunteers for this year’s hurricane season. Training for shelter managers and district representatives volunteers will be held May 25 and 26 at the Prospect Primary School Hall from 5:30-9 p.m. Registration begins promptly at 5:30 p.m. All volunteers must complete both days of training. For more information, contact Ernesto Carter at the DCFS on 949-0290 or email ernesto.carter@gov.ky. CERAMIC OPEN STUDIO: Visual Arts Society offers Ceramic Open Studio to adults who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere. 9 a.m.-noon at the Watler House Studio, Pedro St. James. Drop-in Fee $15 pp/$25 pp non-members. Clay, materials, glazes and firing facilities are available. More information, visualartcayman@yahoo.com. MOTHER/CHILD DISEASE TRANSMISSION: Educational sessions with Dr. Karina Palmer to discuss the elimination of mother to child HIV transmission and congenital syphilis in the Cayman Islands, 6:30- 7:30 p.m., and on May 31, from 4-5 p.m. Next month, the regional validation committee is expected to verify that the Cayman Islands has been certified as free of both these conditions. The educational sessions, explaining the implications of this verification, are open to the public and will take place in the Hibiscus Conference Room at Cayman Islands Hospital. THURSDAY, MAY 26 REGISTER TO QUIT SMOKING: The Public Health Department reminds smokers who wish to quit the habit that there are still some spaces left for the upcoming smoking cessation classes the department is offering. Classes start on June 1 from 5:15-6:45 p.m. every Wednesday for seven weeks in the Public Health Waiting Room. Today is the deadline to register. For more information or to sign up, contact the Public Health Department on 244-2889/244-2621, or email sarah.hetley@hsa.ky or nola.sanderson@hsa.ky. BRAC LABOUR AND PENSIONS: The Department of Labour and Pensions office at 256 Creek Road, Cayman Brac, will open today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and tomorrow (Friday) from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to assist with inquiries and complaints about labour and pensions matters only. No appointments are necessary. The DLP will also hold a question-and-answer session at its office today from 6-8 p.m. for employers and employees. FRAUD RISK, PREVENTION: Free workshop on Identifying Occupational Fraud Risk and Fraud Prevention Controls, by Kevin Haywood Crouch of KRyS Global. 5:30- 7:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. VISUAL ARTS SOCIETY AGM: The meeting is from 7-9 p.m. at the Watler House Studio, Pedro St. James. All are invited to learn about what the society has to offer, the exciting past events and what’s coming up. Meet the board of directors and other artists. Only paid-up members will be eligible to vote. Refreshments and light snacks will be served following the meeting. FRIDAY, MAY 27 BRAC MOVIE NIGHT: The Department of Children and Family Services invites families in Cayman Brac to a movie night. A part of the Child Month celebrations, Movie Night offers a way to share quality time by watching a family friendly movie. Aston Rutty Civic Centre, 7-9 p.m. Popcorn will be provided. For more information, contact 948-2331 or dcfs@gov.ky. DRESS DOWN DAY: The Department of Children and Family Services and Feed Our Future hosts the annual Child Month dress down day today, a fundraiser for the school lunch program. People are asked to dress in bright colors to support the day or buy a commemorative T-shirt for $15. To buy a Feed Our Future T-shirt, call 916-0923. For more information, contact DCFS on 949-0290 and dcfs@gov.ky. FISH FRY: All Stars Netball Club host a fish fry 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Frank Hall Homes parking lot, 67 Mary Street. $12 per ticket. $15 for roast fish. Funds support club development and leadership conference participation. MEALS ON WHEELS COIN DRIVE: Meals on Wheels volunteers will be stationed outside participating grocery and hardware stores today and tomorrow to collect any amount you care to give. All donations make a huge difference. It takes only $5 to provide a nutritious meal to a homebound senior. Meals on Wheels is also seeking volunteers. For more information, email beulahmcfield@gmail.com or call the office 949-3905. ‘RUNDOWN’: Final weekend for this annual comedy revue at the Harquail Theatre. Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m. $25 for adults, $15 for seniors and children under the age of 12. Tickets can be reserved by calling 949-5477 or purchased online at www.artscayman. org/rundown. Outlets include the CNCF Box Office, Foster’s Food Fair (Strand), Funky Tang’s and Health Care Pharmacy in Grand Harbour. SATURDAY, MAY 28 BUTTERFIELD 800M SEA SWIM: Starts at Governors Beach at 4 p.m. The course will be a loop format, running approximately 400m north, around two buoys and back to the finish line. Registration takes place on race day from 3-3:45 p.m. Race caps will be provided upon registration and swimmers are required to wear them to ensure safety during the race. Trophies will be awarded to winners in each category, plus T-shirts and refreshments for all participants. Cost for CIASA members is $10 for children and $15 for adults. Non- members: $15 for children and $20 for adults. DEALS ON WHEELS: The Red Cross Mobile Thrift Shop will be in East End, close to Pirates Cove Bar, 6–10 a.m. FULL GOSPEL BUSINESSMEN: The Grand Cayman chapter of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International holds its monthly breakfast 8 a.m., at The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands. A tour of the current show will follow. CUPCAKE WARS: Young pastry chefs take part in the Child Month Cupcake Wars competition 10 a.m.– noon at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. The public is welcomed to watch the judging from 12-1 p.m. Space is limited in the judging room. HATHA YOGA: The ARC, Camana Bay, 11 a.m.- noon. Cost is $30, with all proceeds to the National Trust for the Cayman Islands, Feed Our Future, and C.A.R.E – Cayman Animal Rescue Enthusiasts. Sponsored by Camana Bay, Saucha Conscious Living, Bliss Living Cayman and Photoceramics Studio Systems. Ticket outlets are at Bliss Living Yoga Studio and Winners Circle. Also at Camana Bay in front of the Discovery Centre on Saturday, May 21, from 3-5 p.m. Tickets will not be sold at door – please purchase by May 26. YOUNG AT ARTS AUDITIONS: Aspiring actors, dancers and musicians ages 14-22 are invited to audition for Young At Arts Summer Theatre Arts Intensive, which is produced annually by the Cayman National Cultural Foundation. The YAA Intensive begins July 5 and ends with a weekend of shows Aug. 5-7. For more on the program or to book an audition, email cncf@artscayman.org or call 949-5477. Additional information can be found on artscayman.org/young-at-arts. SUNDAY, MAY 29 FAMILY FEST: Child Month event in Grand Cayman at the Stacy Watler Agriculture Pavilion in Lower Valley. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Local games and the How well do you know your child game. Food will be provided at no cost by the Seventh-day Adventist Churches. Teen Pregnancy Awareness Booth on display. This is a Child Month event hosted by The Department of Children and Family Services in conjunction with the Seventh-day Adventist Churches. For more information contact 949-0290 or dcfs@gov.ky. TUESDAY, MAY 31 SEAFARER/VETERAN DEADLINE: Today is the deadline for seafarers, veterans and their spouses to provide their current information to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development for its health insurance database if they have not already done so. Individuals seeking assistance may contact the ministry at asenath.blake@gov.ky or 244-2224. Failure to respond by May 31 may result in the discontinuation of health insurance benefits. THURSDAY, JUNE 2 THE GOOD LIFE: Isy B. and Sand Angels invite all to a charity fashion show and shopping event at Sand Angels, 6 – 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 and include a glass of wine. Part proceeds to the NCVO Caring Cousins Lunch Support program. Attendees take $25 off any Isy B. dress at the event. Tickets available from Sand Angels, Camana Bay. SATURDAY, JUNE 4 GLOW RUN 5K: Event organized by the National Trust. Starts 7 p.m. at the entrance of SafeHaven, with the halfway point turnaround in front of Holiday Inn, then back to the entrance of SafeHaven to the finish line. Registration fees for Trust members are $25; non-members $35; children ages 3 to 12, $20. Those who sign up for membership receive three additional glow items in their runner pack. Register at www.nationaltrust. org.ky. For details on corporate registrations, sponsorship opportunities and volunteer assistance email marketing@ nationaltrust.org.ky or call 749-1121. SATURDAY, JUNE 11 VOTING FOR YOUNG IMAGE MAKERS: The public is invited take part in Young Image Makers Competition by voting online for their favorite films. Eleven student videos have been posted online and the student with the most votes will be named the winner of the 2016 People’s Choice Award and receive a prize pack courtesy of CayFilm and the Department of Commerce and Investment. Voting runs through until June 11. To access the link, the public can go to www. artscayman.org/young- image-makers. GENERAL INTEREST SOUTH SOUND ROADWORK: Motorists in the South Sound area are advised of work to widen the section of road between Bel Air Drive and the South Sound dock. Drivers and pedestrians are asked to use caution. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. The Butterfield 800m Sea Swim starts at Governors Beach at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 28.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY MAY 24, 2016 was breaking apart, so en- forcement officers Mark Orr and Chadd Bush removed batteries and containers of fuel to prevent a pollution incident,” said DoE’s Scott Slaybaugh. “Twenty-seven of the containers were full and the others empty.” The watercraft in South Sound is not the first make- shift vessel to have landed il- legally on Cayman’s shores in recent months to be left to the whims of the tide. On Jan. 31, the Cuban craft El Arca came ashore in Beach Bay and was still there about a month later, as residents expressed many of the same concerns regarding damage to the environment. In the case of the South Sound boat, Deputy Chief Immigration Officer Garfield Wong said the Public Works Department is generally tasked with removing Cuban vessels after their arrival. “The current problem that we were told as to why this vessel has not yet been re- moved is because of a hole in the hull,” Mr. Wong said. “They are unable to tow it to the dock to be removed forthwith.” It appears some serious effort will be required to remove the boat from the land side, Mr. Wong said. “[Public Works] is in the process of arranging for a crane to attempt to lift it out the water and store it ac- cordingly. Hopefully, this will be accomplished [Monday or Tuesday].” The abandoned vessels are another example of costs to the Cayman Islands public sector from the large influx of Cuban migrants over the past two years. The government has spent more than US$1 million in each of the last two years on expenses related to the influx of migrants. Immigration Department officials currently have 116 Cuban migrants in custody at various locations, with a little less than half now being kept at community centers on Grand Cayman. The overflow housing was required due to the arrival of 69 migrants in the islands since April 21, immigration officials said Wednesday, out- pacing the rate at which they could be repatriated to Cuba. “[The] Immigration Deten- tion Centre is currently filled to capacity,” a statement from the department on May 12 indicated. “The remaining migrants are distributed throughout various commu- nity centers on island.” Immigration: Cuban boat in South Sound will be moved said Mr. Testori, owner of Ristorante Pappagallo in West Bay. The three climbers plan to go much further when they travel to Bolivia. They aim to summit Condoriri, Huayana Potosi and Il- limani, with a combined height of 57,285 feet, in May and June. The climbs are part of “The Mountains and Mar- athons Challenge,” a fun- draising effort led by Mr. Haines, past presi- dent of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman. For Haines, it is the follow-up to his 2014 chal- lenge, when he ran six mar- athons in a year to raise more than $1 million for Cayman HospiceCare. Now he is joining with other endurance athletes for a multi-event team chal- lenge to raise money for a new cause. “We are setting our sights high on this fund- raiser, but the reward of saving the lives of children is huge,” said Mr. Haines. “The Cayman community has shown very generous support for my efforts in the past, and I am confi- dent they will get behind this too. We have already over $100,000 pledged and every dollar will go to saving a life.” In the past two years, Have a Heart has helped 74 children from around the Caribbean region and Cen- tral and South America. The first leg of the chal- lenge was the grueling Cayman 50K Off the Beaten Track, completed by Mr. Haines in February. Also supporting the challenge are Chris Bailey and Shane Delaney, who are attempting Ironmans in Wisconsin and Barcelona in July and October. Mr. Haines will pick up the baton again in No- vember and December by running marathons in Havana, Cuba, and Grand Cayman. the lock broke recently, how- ever, they were cognizant of the importance of having a lock for the till,” the audit re- port noted. “Having a till with no locking mechanism or one which is defective exposes the department to an in- creased risk of loss of funds.” Customs officials re- sponded that the lock on the drawer had since been replaced. The same problem was noted during a 2014/15 audit – again unannounced – of three central government agencies. The specific agency where the problem was lo- cated was not named in this instance, but auditors noted cash collections were being kept in an unlocked drawer in an area that was acces- sible by staff. “In response to our query on the matter, we were in- formed that the lock on the drawer had recently broken and needed to be repaired or replaced,” auditors noted. The agency responded that it had provided em- ployees with a lockable cash drawer to safeguard rev- enues collected. The im- plementation date for this was not verified by the In- ternal Audit Unit. In another unannounced review, both the Prisons Ser- vice and the Legislative As- sembly offices were identi- fied as having “inadequate safeguarding of funds.” At the prisons office, cash collections were being placed in an envelope and stored in a drawer that was only locked at the end of the day in an area where a number of employees walked through. In the Legisla- tive Assembly, cash collec- tions and petty cash were “loosely kept in an unlocked drawer” that was accessible by staff members. “Best business practice … requires that accessibility to liquid assets be restricted,” auditors noted. “Ideal re- strictions can include the use of tills and drawers with locking mechanisms and the use of dual access combina- tion safes.” The prisons staff told auditors that the cash col- lections were placed in a safe at the end of each working day. “In response to a … query, staff at the Legislative Assembly informed us that there had been a key for the [cash] drawer originally,” the audit report noted. “How- ever, as at the date of the audit, the location of the key was unknown. “Although the collections on hand at both entities at the time of our cash count were immaterial, the current practices in place greatly in- crease the risk of theft/mis- appropriation of assets.” Both the prisons service and the Legislative Assembly staff agreed to implement audit recommendations and purhcase lockable cash tills for their respective offices. Safes and CCTV Some deficiencies with the use of safes in var- ious government depart- ments were also noted by internal auditors. For instance, one review last year at the Planning Department noted that the agency’s safe was accessible to multiple employees who had the combination, and that the combination was never changed after plan- ning’s financial adminis- trator left the department. “The lack of established policies dictating reasonable intervals and circumstances in which the combination should be changed tender the department susceptible to the risk of loss of funds,” the report stated. In a separate review, an- other unannounced cash audit, the Department of En- vironmental Health manage- ment was found to have “in- advertently overlooked” the risks associated with inad- equate cash hand over pro- cedures. For instance, trans- fers of items kept in the department’s safe vault were not documented. “Based on this finding, we are concerned that, in the event of a discrepancy, particularly a shortage or where items go missing, it will prove difficult to assign responsibility for the error,” the report stated. The department’s man- agement stated it had com- plied with the audit rec- ommendations and had implemented a system where items removed from the vault would have to be documented. Another section of the cash handling audit noted the absence of closed-circuit television cameras in one government entity and rec- ommended that those be in- stalled “at a minimum” in the customer service area. “Based on these observa- tions, we are concerned that – should the investigation of a serious matter (e.g. robbery or internal disparities) be warranted, security footage would not be available,” the auditors noted. The name of the agency was redacted for security reasons. The agency involved told auditors it had begun the process of security camera procurement 18-24 months ago, but that the project “re- mains incomplete.” Government’s Internal Audit Unit noted difficulties with potential “increased risk of loss of funds” and “increased risk of theft/misappropriation of assets” arose out of the cash handling procedures. Government cash audits cite theft risks CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Marathon man aims to hit new heights CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Derek Haines, left, and past president of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Brian Hurley with two Bolivian boys, Abdael and Carlos relax after a kickabout with a football after the children had recovered from surgery they had recently undergone. The Cuban boat on Monday lay breaking up in the surf on a South Sound beach. – PHOTO: BRENT FULLERNext >