ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 28, 2016 High of 87 Low of 76 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 EDITORIAL CARTOONS: A ‘BIG DRAW’ FOR THE COMPASS BUSINESS | PAGE 12 HEDGE FUNDS DOUBLE RETURNS THROUGH NOVEMBER 20 DAYS LEFT TO REGISTER TO VOTE ELECTION 2017 PROJECT FUTURE TOTAL Three down, 41 to go, 8 uncertain BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands government has com- pleted three “projects” as part of an effort to restructure the civil service for better effi- ciency and lower costs, according to a report issued Friday. The Project Future effort, which was derived from a consultant’s review completed in September 2014 by the accounting firm Ernst & Young, is still largely “in progress,” with a number of major projects remaining under review. The three finished projects include moving the government’s London Office under the di- rection of the Cabinet Secretary, raising the civil service retirement age from 60 to 65, and approving additional government backing for Cayman Finance and other financial services industry support, such as creating limited li- ability company options in local legislation. Another 41 projects are in some stage of re- view or implementation, including the merger of the government’s independent offices (com- plaints commissioner, information commis- sioner) now awaiting legislative approval, and proposals to establish the National Workforce Development Agency as the local jobs clear- inghouse, which is still under review. Eight projects are on hold due to lack of available funding or other administrative is- sues. However, Deputy Governor Franz Man- derson said he believes “significant progress” is being made on the overall program. COURT TRANSCRIPTS ‘OTHER PERSONS’ ASSISTED IN MERREN DRUG CONSPIRACY BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Unidentified individuals, some of whom are known to a U.S. federal grand jury, were part of a drug transshipment conspiracy in- volving Caymanian businessman Gilroy Bryce Merren, federal court transcripts released last week reveal. Merren, who is serving a nine-year sen- tence, pleaded guilty in December 2014 to one count of conspiring to transport cocaine. Unknown to Merren at the time, two of the people involved in the drug scheme were un- dercover agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Transcripts of the 2014 plea hearing were released by the U.S. District Court of Puerto Rico on Dec. 22, 2016: “Gilroy Bryce Merren provided a second undercover agent his personal identifying in- formation to open a bank account into which he wire-transferred US$200,000 as an initial deposit for the payment of the transportation costs for the delivery and sea-transfer of the 1,000 kilograms of cocaine. “In furtherance of this conspiracy, Gilroy Bryce Merren also coordinated and procured the assistance of other persons known and unknown to the Grand Jury, including individ- uals who mailed packages to the undercover agent in furtherance of the drug transaction and who provided to their personal identi- fying information to open the bank account.” It was agreed in the plea deal that Merren would be “held accountable” for at least Two injured in Boxing Day shootings CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two men are in the hospital after being shot in separate in- cidents Monday. An 18-year-old was shot mul- tiple times at 4 a.m. outside Fete nightclub, according to police. He was listed in stable condi- tion on Tuesday and his condi- tion was improving, police said. In another shooting about 10:45 p.m. at the Super C res- taurant on Watercourse Road in West Bay, a man dressed in dark clothing shot a 31-year-old man in the upper body while he was standing outside the restaurant, police said. The man was listed in critical but stable condition. In the pre-dawn shooting at Fete, police reported that the suspects rode away on a motorcycle. The teenage victim at Fete “received injuries from what appeared to be a number of gunshots,” police said. A motorbike was also dam- aged by gunshots outside Fete. Emergency services took both PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » Christmas recital delights audience The fourth annual Christmas recital at Camana Bay featured current or former students of Miss Jackie’s School of Dance performing to a variety of songs, including ‘A Christmas Waltz,’ ‘Hallelujah,’ ‘Waltz of the Flowers’ and ‘Stayin’ Alive.’ For the full story, see page 10. – PHOTO: MATT LAMERS2 LOCAL&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 28, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. 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. - WEDNESDAY - ROGUE ONE 3D (PG13) 12:50 2D | 3:05 | 6:50 2D | 9:35 PASSENGERS 3D (PG13) 1:00 | 3:50 2D | 7:00 | 9:40 2D ASSASSIN’S CREED 3D (PG13) 1:20 | 4:00 2D | 7:15 | 10:00 2D WHY HIM? (R) 1:30 | 4:15 | 7:20 | 10:05 MOANA (PG) 12:45 | 3:30 | 6:45 | 9:20 SING 3D (PG) 12:30 | 3:45 2D | 7:00 | 9:50 2D The top 10%, began in the bottom 10% ‘Care boxes’ handed out in West Bay Among items donated were nonperishable foods, toys, toiletries, water and other necessities As many as 30 Christmas “care boxes” were delivered on Christmas Eve to those in the community struggling to make ends meet. Project coordinator Ni- cole Eastman said she hopes to make the event an annual one. Ms. Eastman said a lack of awareness regarding fam- ilies experiencing financial hardships around the island inspired her to take action and give back to others. She said she felt obligated to organize the event at West Bay Public Beach because of the “huge need” for chari- table organizations assisting people who find themselves in tough times financially. Among the items donated were nonperishable foods, toiletries, water and other ne- cessities. Children received one toy of their choosing to take home for Christmas. In addition to a variety of refreshments, a turkey was donated and prepared by Grand Old House. Brent Hydes of West Bay, who operates a halfway house in the district, said it was an excellent idea to give back to the chil- dren and community at this time of the year. Children received one toy of their choosing to take home for Christmas. Nonperishable items were donated for those in need.Brent Hydes and event coordinator Nicole Eastman Growing number of Americans retiring outside of US (AP) – Newly widowed, Kay McCowen quit her job, sold her house, applied for So- cial Security and retired to Mexico. It was a move she and her husband, Mel, had discussed before he passed away in 2012. “I wanted to find a place where I could afford to live off my Social Secu- rity,” she said. “The weather here is so perfect, and it’s a beautiful place.” She is among a growing number of Americans who are retiring outside the United States. The number grew 17 percent between 2010 and 2015 and is ex- pected to increase over the next 10 years as more baby boomers retire. Just under 400,000 Amer- ican retirees are now living abroad, according to the So- cial Security Administra- tion. The countries they have chosen most often: Canada, Japan, Mexico, Germany and the United Kingdom. Retirees most often cite the cost of living as the reason for moving elsewhere said Olivia S. Mitchell, di- rector of the Pension Re- search Council at the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. “I think that many people retire when they are in good health and they are inter- ested in stretching their dol- lars and seeing the world,” Mitchell said. McCowen’s rent in Ajijic, a community outside Guadala- jara near Mexico’s Lake Cha- pala, is half of what she was paying in Texas. And since the weather is moderate, utility bills are inexpensive. In some countries, Mitchell said, retirees also may find it less expensive to hire someone to do their laundry, clean, cook and even provide long-term care than in the United States. McCowen has a com- munity of other American retirees nearby and has adjusted well. But for others there are hurdles to overcome to adjust to life in a different country. Viviana Rojas, an asso- ciate professor at the Univer- sity of Texas at San Antonio, says the biggest obstacle is not speaking the language or knowing the culture. “Many of the people we interviewed said they spoke Spanish, but they actually spoke very little Spanish,” said Rojas, who is writing a book about retirees in Mexico. “They didn’t have the capacity of speaking enough Spanish to meet their basic needs like going to the doctor or to the store.” Access to healthcare also can be a challenge. While re- tirees still can receive Social Security benefits, Medicare is not available to those living abroad, Mitchell said. Joseph Roginski, 71, says that while the cost of living is higher in Japan, access to healthcare is not. “Things are very expensive here. It is im- possible to live off Social Se- curity alone,” said Roginski, who was stationed in Japan in 1968. “But health insur- ance is a major factor in staying here.” The former military lan- guage and intelligence spe- cialist said he pays $350 an- nually to be part of Japan’s national health insurance. His policy covers 70 percent of his costs. The rest is cov- ered by a secondary insur- ance program for retired mil- itary personnel. Japan experienced biggest growth, 42 percent, of Amer- ican retirees than any other country between 2010 and 2014, according to data from the Social Security Adminis- tration. The large U.S. mili- tary presence in the country may be a factor. There are more than 50,000 U.S. military ser- vicemen and -women sta- tioned in Japan. The presence is so large that in the island of Okinawa, the U.S. military occupies about 19 percent of the area, according to Ellis S. Krauss, professor emeritus of Japanese politics and policy- making at the University of California, San Diego. Roginski, who volunteers for the Misawa Air Base Re- tiree Activities Office, said he helps connect more than 450 retirees and their fami- lies living in Northern Japan with resources. He said he would never move back to the United States. Mexico has become home for retired firefighter, Dan Williams, 72, and his wife, Donna, 68. The couple has been living near the same re- tirement community in Lake Chapala for 14 years. “The climate and the med- ical services are very good,” Williams said. BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) – A se- ries of human errors caused an airliner to run out of fuel and crash in Colombia last month, killing 71 people in- cluding most of a Brazilian soccer team, aviation authori- ties said on Monday. Colombia’s Civil Aeronau- tics agency concluded in its investigation that the plan for the flight operated by Bo- livia-based charter company LaMia did not meet interna- tional standards. Among the errors made were the deci- sions to let the plane take off without enough fuel to make the flight safely and then to not stop midway to refuel. The pilot also did not report the plane’s emergency until it was too late, it said. Neither the company nor Bolivian authorities should have allowed the plane to take off with the flight plan submitted, said Freddy Bo- nilla, air safety secretary for Colombia’s aviation authority. He said the agency’s prelimi- nary conclusions were based on the plane’s black boxes and other evidence. Experts had earlier sug- gested that fuel exhaus- tion was a likely cause of the Nov. 28 crash that wiped out all but a few members of the Chapocoense soccer team, as well as team offi- cials and journalists accom- panying them to a cham- pionship playoff match in Medellin, Colombia. The BAE 146 Avro RJ85 has a maximum range was 1,600 nautical miles – just under the distance be- tween Medellin and Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The plane was in the air for about 4 hours and 20 min- utes when air traffic control- lers in Medellin put it into a holding pattern because an- other flight had reported a suspected fuel leak and was given priority. Investigators found that crew members of the LaMia flight were aware of the lack of fuel but waited too long to report the emergency. Bonilla said that during the flight the pilot and co- pilot are heard on “various occasions” talking about stop- ping in Leticia – a city near the borders separating Brazil, Peru and Colombia – to re- fuel but decided not to do so. When the plane entered Co- lombian airspace it was flying into a wind, which caused more fuel to be consumed. Probe finds human error in air crash The wreckage of the LaMia chartered airplane on Nov. 29 in La Union, a mountainous area near Medellin, Colombia. - PHOTO: AP3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 28, 2016 New mandatory licensing rules for building contractors start in January. Members of the Builders Board, who oversee Cay- man’s contractors, have been meeting weekly to prepare for the new registration law and to plan a public outreach campaign to remind builders that it’s time to register. Board Chairman Heber Arch said in a press re- lease that the new Builders Law has been in the works for years. The law was passed in 2007. “We’ve begun the process of making its provisions a re- ality. Complying with the law by registering is protection for locally operating builders as well as for consumers, who will have recourse to getting better service from their contractors,” he said. Board members are put- ting brochures at hardware and builders’ supply stores. Planning Director Haroon Pandohie said board mem- bers also plan to speak in public forums and local media to explain the new Builders Law and how every local contractor, including small, one-person operations, need to register. The Cayman Islands Con- tractors Association has been holding workshops to ex- plain the new law and help people complete the regis- tration forms. Registration forms will be available through the Planning Department begin- ning in January. Board members are putting brochures at hardware and builders’ supply stores. DEADLINE FOR CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION NEARS Police search for robber Police are looking for Norval Bar- rett, 34, a Jamaican national who was convicted of robbery in Grand Cayman and served time in prison but may be back in the Cayman Islands. Police think Barrett is on island il- legally, a press release states. “Anyone who sees Mr. Barrett should exercise caution as he could be potentially dan- gerous,” police said in the release. A court sentenced Barrett to 12 years in prison in 2012 for a rob- bery at the Shedden Road Esso sta- tion in 2010. According to earlier reports, Barrett used an imitation firearm to hold up the gas station. He threatened to shoot the cashier if she did not hand over the money. He got away with $454. He had been in Cayman illegally at the time of the robbery. It is not clear when he completed his sentence or when he was deported after his time in prison. A court sentenced Barrett to 12 years in prison in 2012 for a robbery at the Shedden Road Esso station in 2010. Norval Barrett Cayman’s annual Christmas tree recycling program starts on Jan. 1. Each district will have a drop-off site with a container where people can drop off their trees until Jan. 20. On Jan. 21, the “Beast,” Cayman’s industrial wood grinder, will take over and start turning the trees into mulch at the George Town cricket pitch. People can bring their children to see the Beast in action as it devours the islands’ used Christmas trees. People can also bring shovels and bags to pick up the free mulch. The Department of Envi- ronmental Health unveiled its new wood chipper last year at the annual Christmas tree recycling event. Last year The Beast shredded more than 1,800 Christmas trees and turned them into two-and- a-half dump truck loads of free mulch. Christmas tree recycling starts Jan. 1 The ‘Beast’ mulches last year’s Christmas trees.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 EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” Editorial cartoons: A ‘big draw’ for the Compass “A picture is worth a thousand words.” It’s on old (perhaps even trite) saying – but when you’re referring to the impact of editorial cartooning, many times it’s an understatement. That is why the Cayman Compass is proud to feature the work of not one, but two, editorial car- toonists on our opinion pages. In each issue of the newspaper, Monday through Friday, readers will find a cartoon, exclusive to the Compass, that represents a visual take on topics of interest to the Cayman Islands community. The Compass Editorial Board invests a great deal of attention, care and effort into our written edito- rials, which average between 500 and 600 words. Along with the front page news stories, this column is among the most rigorously vetted items in the newspaper. Each editorial is debated, drafted, revised, edited and proofread several times before it appears in the Compass. That does not mean we never make a mistake in an editorial – perfection is an aspiration, not a daily metric – but we strive to construct editorials that are of the best possible quality given the restrictions of deadlines and human fallibility. We hold our editorial cartoons to a similar standard. While we give our cartoonists great creative license, we do not allow them absolute free rein in expressing their individual opinions. Rather, we ensure that our editorial cartoons align with the overall voice of the Compass as an institution. Each cartoon is vetted and edited as thoroughly as any story. Many initial submissions are kicked back to the cartoonist for revision (“back to the drawing board”), or else scrapped outright. As a result, many of the cartoons we do accept for publication are as powerful as any editorial, and oftentimes resonate with our readership in a more immediate and visceral manner than we could hope to achieve with a 500-word column. (Indeed, some of the strongest reactions from our readers – positive as well as critical – have arisen in response to single- frame cartoons.) Many people might think that cartoons are supposed to be “funny” – and the Compass does devote a page (and two pages in Friday’s Weekender) to syndicated comic strips. However, a differentiating characteristic of an editorial cartoon is that humor is not a goal unto itself, but is a means to an end; it’s a way to engage the audience in order to make a serious point. This being the final week of 2016, today we present a selection of cartoons that have been published in the Compass throughout the year. In our opinion, these are some of the most insightful and amusing pieces of work appearing anywhere in our newspaper (period), on the most important issues facing our country. After reviewing our “editor’s choices,” we think you will have a renewed appreciation for the energy, talent and wit of our cartoonists: “Caymanman” (AKA George Nowak), whose history drawing cartoons for the Compass goes back more than 40 years; and Jake Fuller, a trained journalist who has decades of experi- ence as a professional editorial cartoonist, primarily in Florida. Although somewhat distant geographically, Mr. Fuller has become a keen observer of Cayman’s issues (politics as well as foibles). We hope you have enjoyed the cartoons that have appeared in this newspaper in 2016. As we prepare to enter 2017, we are looking forward to another year of insightful work from the Compass’s cartoonists. WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 28, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS EDITOR’S CHOICE The year in cartoons5 OPINION&LETTERS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 28, 2016 6 STORIES OF 2016 WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 28, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS JANUARY Two New Year’s babies ring in 2016 The Cayman Islands welcomed two new residents on Jan. 1. Jemima Violet Kendall was born at 4:40 a.m., weighing 7 pounds, 15 ounces, to Emma and Peter Kendall. Kasper Powery was born about six hours later to Khylar Miller and Daniel Powery. The young Powery was born weighing 8 pounds 8 ounces. Vacationing cop tackles thief A New York police officer, vacationing on Grand Cayman, was lounging at Smith Cove when he saw a man steal a purse. He ran after the man and tackled him, holding the thief until local police showed up. BBC documentary rankles Cayman The BBC documentary “Britain’s Tril- lion Pound Island” debuted in late January, leaving many in Cayman critical of the hour-long program. Presenter Jacques Peretti originally told many people he interviewed that the filming was for a lifestyle series, but the program ended up focusing on Cayman’s “tax haven” image. Billionaire’s yacht damages reef Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s 300- foot luxury yacht Tatoosh destroyed 13,000 square feet of reef when it dragged its an- chor and chain over the reef. Mr. Allen eventually agreed to pay for the damage and restoration work for the reef inside the West Bay Replenishment Zone, which falls inside the Seven Mile Beach Marine Park. Monyque Brooks named Miss Cayman The month ended with 24-year- old Monyque Brooks being crowned Miss Cayman. Erin Nicole Hislop was first runner-up and Schilo Scott was second runner-up. FEBRUARY Canover Watson found guilty A jury found one-time Young Caymanian Leadership Award winner Canover Watson guilty on five charges of fraud, conflict of interest and breach of trust. Watson, in the months-long trial, faced charges that he used his position as chairman of the Health Services Authority board to skim hundreds of thousands of dollars through a swipe- card payment system. Prosecutors accused Jeffrey Webb, who pleaded guilty last year to corrup- tion charges in the U.S. related to the FIFA scandal, of participating in the scheme. Caledonian, SEC settle case Cayman’s Caledonian Bank and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission agreed to a settlement barring the bank from trading in penny stocks and a US$25 million fine. The SEC sued Caledonian, accusing the bank of participating in a pump-and-dump penny fraud scheme. The SEC originally sued Caledonian and froze much of the bank’s as- sets, causing a run on the bank that Caledo- nian could not recover from. The bank went into liquidation. A judge in the U.S. called the SEC freeze order “a pre-emptive strike” and “incredible government overreach.” Camana Bay jewel heist Two robbers, casually dressed and making no attempt to hide their faces, held up Island Jewellers in Camana Bay. They or- dered clerks to fill bags with diamonds be- fore speeding off on a white dirt bike. The pair had not been arrested by year’s end. The brazen heist was the first time a store in Camana Bay was the target of an armed robbery. Court: HSA doctors have immunity A judge ruled that the Cayman Islands Hospital cannot be sued for negligence if a patient is injured or dies, giving blanket immunity for medical malprac- tice to physicians and Health Services Au- thority employees. The ruling came in a case brought by No- rene Thompson, whose daughter suffered severe birth defects as a result, she argued, of negligence during labor and delivery. MARCH Tragedy at sea Five boaters, including two children age 9 and 11, were reported missing and feared dead after they failed to return from a deep sea fishing trip. Their capsized boat was discovered 20 miles off the coast of Grand Cayman the following day. Relatives of the five, who were never found, raised concerns about the speed of the police response, sparking a controversy which ultimately led to the departure of po- lice Commissioner David Baines. Dart buys former Hyatt hotel The Dart group announced the purchase of the old Hyatt hotel, the Beach Suites re- sort and the Britannia golf course. The developer closed both the Beach Suites and the golf course and has yet to an- nounce plans for the properties. Also in February, Dart revealed plans for a five-star hotel next to the Kimpton re- sort on Seven Mile Beach and submitted an application to remove beach rock from the coastline in that area. New John Gray principal announced British educator Jon Clark took the helm of John Gray High School, aiming to lift standards in the aftermath of a critical in- spection report. “My passion is for turning kids’ lives around,” he told the Cayman Compass in his first interview. Mother convicted of killing daughter A mother who stabbed her 6-year-old daughter to death in a frenzied knife attack was convicted of murder after a jury rejected claims she had an “abnormality of mind” that would have warranted a lesser sentence of manslaughter. A doctor said in court that Tamara Butler claimed to have heard voices and that God told her that her daughter was a demon and to kill her. Police Commissioner Baines announces departure The shock announcement that police Commissioner David Baines would depart the Cayman Islands after seven years came amid vocal public criticism of the police, in- cluding the search and rescue efforts to find the missing boaters. Citing the “recent barrage of unfair criti- cism and defamatory comments,” Governor Helen Kilpatrick said the commissioner’s au- thority had been undermined to the extent that his leadership was “no longer tenable.” APRIL Panama Papers put pressure on offshore centers The leak of more than 11 million docu- ments showing how a Panamanian law firm had helped clients launder money, dodge sanctions and evade taxes, brought intense scrutiny on offshore centers. Though the Cayman links were minor, the jurisdiction felt the impact. U.K. Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn even called for the U.K. to consider “direct rule” of its overseas territories amid a general backlash against offshore jurisdictions. Cayman Airways plans fleet replacement Cayman Airways announced plans to Paul Allen’s yacht Tatoosh damaged a reef in the West Bay replenishment zone. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER A new Boeing 737-800 does a flyby at Owen Roberts International Airport for hundreds of onlookers. – PHOTO: MATT LAMERS The old Hyatt building has been empty since it was damaged in Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Canover Watson is led from court after being convicted on five of the six criminal charges against him. - PHOTO: MATT LAMERS Police officers search a Bodden Town beach for signs of missing boaters in March. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » The top stories of 20167 STORIES OF 2016 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 28, 2016 replace its fleet of aging jets with four new state-of-the art aircraft within four years. Government approved a fleet moderniza- tion plan for the national airline to replace the four 737-300 jets, which are between 15 and 20 years old, with 737-8Max planes, straight off the Boeing production line. Teen dies in beach tragedy Hours after taking part in a beach clean- up, teenager John Shaw collapsed on Seven Mile Beach, apparently suffering an asthma attack. He later died in hospital. Family, teachers and class mates at John Gray High School mourned the popular 16-year-old cadet who was described as shy, funny and dependable, with a bright future. Bouchard jailed for $2M scam Michelle Bouchard was jailed for 12 years for stealing more than $2 million from a re- tired Australian businessman with whom she had a close relationship. Prosecutors alleged that Bouchard ex- ploited octogenarian Bruch Handford, who wanted to pursue a relationship with her. During the trial, it emerged that Bouchard had kept a “confessional” journal, in which she wrote of her hopes that he would provide her with financial security and her fears that she may have to pursue a physical relation- ship with him. Her sentence was later reduced on ap- peal to 10 years. MAY Petition calls for halt to GM mosquito release More than 570 people signed an online pe- tition calling for the Cayman Islands govern- ment to suspend plans to release millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in the dis- trict of West Bay. The mosquito release was part of a planned multi-phase rollout of a control so- lution developed by U.K. biotech company Oxitec, which involves releasing “friendly” Aedes aegypti male mosquitoes to help fight the mosquito that transmits diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika. Usain Bolt returns to Cayman The world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, touched down in the Cayman Islands in May for his first race of the season as he prepared for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Nearly 3,000 people turned out to see the world record holder perform. Bolt cruised to victory in the 100-meter final in 10.05 seconds to repeat his 2013 triumph at the Cayman Invitational. The nine-time Olympic gold medalist also visited Cayman Brac, where he was greeted by crowds of cheering schoolchildren. Cayman commits to beneficial ownership initiative – in principle The participation of the Cayman Islands government in an International Anti-Corrup- tion Summit in May in London was predi- cated on its joining an initiative of 40 coun- tries. The project aims to develop a global standard for the automatic exchange of ben- eficial ownership data between law enforce- ment agencies and tax authorities of the partner countries. Following the conference, Premier Alden McLaughlin said he fully supported access to beneficial ownership data by foreign law en- forcement agencies to help detect and pros- ecute corruption, tax evasion and other se- rious crimes. But he called for a level playing field in terms of financial transparency and stated that Cayman would not adopt a mech- anism that was not also implemented by the United States. JUNE Former Pepsi CEO dies snorkeling near Stingray City The former CEO of Pepsi, Roger En- rico, died after getting into difficulties snor- keling close to the Stingray City Sandbar in the North Sound. Mr. Enrico, 71, was a regular visitor to the Cayman Islands and used to own a home at Cayman Kai. He was famous for launching some of Pep- si’s iconic ad campaigns, which included an unprecedented sponsorship agreement with Michael Jackson. He also served as board chairman of movie studio DreamWorks. Mr. Enrico was visiting the Cayman Is- lands with his son Aaron and a large group of other families. Miss Universe visits Cayman Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach, from the Philippines, visited Cayman in June to host a Pinoy Pride Independence Month celebration marking Filipino Independence Day. More than 1,500 people gathered at the Lions Community Centre to welcome Miss Universe to the islands. Ms. Wurtzbach toured Grand Cayman. Budget expects record revenues Lawmakers approved the 2016-2017 Cayman Islands government budget, which covers 18 months, to realign the budget cycle from July through June to follow the calendar year. In that year-and-a-half, central govern- ment plans to spend $862.4 million, which constitutes a 3.7 percent increase from 2015- 16. Despite the spending increase, the Fi- nance Ministry expects government will have a surplus of more than $45 million by the end of 2017. The ministry projected core government revenue to be $908.5 million in that time. Adding in statutory authorities and govern- ment companies, the ministry estimated the entire public sector will bring in more than $1.2 billion in revenue. Cayman seeks opportunity in Brexit aftermath In the aftermath of the U.K. refer- endum decision to leave the European Union, Cayman grappled with the conse- quences of Brexit locally. Premier Alden McLaughlin said the Cayman Islands had benefited from Britain’s relationship with the EU, including though freedom of movement for Overseas Territo- ries’ citizens. He predicted the prospect of new governments in the U.K. and the U.S. would mean a period of “great uncertainty” for world politics, including for Cayman. But, he said, the island could prosper amid the turmoil. “In this sea of uncertainty, Cayman is an increasingly attractive place to live, work, invest and do business.” Jude Scott, chief executive officer of Cayman Finance, said “short term we will see some volatility in the financial markets, how- ever we will continue to monitor the polit- ical and economic situation and plan for the long term to ensure we are well prepared for any implications this decision has over the next few years.” Conference addresses LGBT issues in Cayman International speakers discussed social injustices faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people at the “Queering Para- digms” conference in June. The conference, sponsored by Canterbury Christ Church University in the U.K., met op- position from politicians and ministers. The Cayman Ministers Association said it was concerned that under the guise of chal- lenging alleged “discrimination,” the event planned an ideological and moral attack against the mores, values and traditions of the Cayman Islands, which were shaped and guided by a Christian world view. At the conference the Right Reverend Alan Wilson, bishop of Buckingham, said equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans- gender people were a “religious imperative.” “The fact is, there is almost nothing in the Bible about this,” he said. “There are five verses out of 32,000. You can pick out sound bites from the Bible to validate almost any point of view. We have to learn how to read the Bible more carefully.” JULY Zika appears in Cayman Cayman’s first local cases of the Zika virus were confirmed in a public announcement on July 5. The mosquito-borne virus was contracted overseas by two female residents, Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Samuel Wil- liams-Rodriguez said. The first patient had traveled June 15-22 to a country where there is an outbreak of Zika, Dr. Williams-Rodriguez said. The second patient was a student who had recently com- pleted high school overseas. ‘Racing’ car inspector Police investigated a traffic crash where a 1996 Toyota Supra smashed into a power pole and veered into oncoming traffic on Crewe Road on July 11. The man driving the vehicle was a Depart- ment of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing in- spector who had taken the high-performance sports car out for a test drive. One witness, chief of government protocol Meloney Syms, told the Cayman Compass that the man driving the car was “speeding,” “zig-zagging” and “racing” through midday traffic in George Town. No one was injured in the crash, other than the DVDL employee. The inspector was charged with “careless driving.” The Toyota’s owner, Johnny Salas, said he had warned the inspector to be careful with the powerful sports car before taking it out. “It’s a nice car. Well, it was a nice car,” Mr. Salas said. Landmark permanent residence case Two women who applied for permanent residence nearly a decade ago were granted that status in July in a case in which Cay- man’s chief justice ruled a “miscarriage of justice” had occurred. According to a letter received July 12 by attorneys at HSM Chambers, Michelle Hutch- inson-Green and Alisha Racz were granted permanent residence, a legal status that al- lows a non-Caymanian to remain in the Cayman Islands for the rest of their life. Per- manent residence is the first step toward ob- taining British Overseas Territories citizen- ship and ultimately Caymanian status, the legal right to be a Caymanian. The women had challenged earlier denials of their permanent residence applications, first to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal and ultimately to the courts, ending in the land- mark August 2015 judgment by Chief Jus- tice Anthony Smellie. That ruling concluded that appeals tribunal decisions regarding Ms. Hutchinson-Green, a Jamaican, and Ms. Racz, a Canadian, that denied their appeals for PR were “substantially wrong.” Webster charged with gross indecency Errington Albert Webster, 54, a former political candidate, was charged on July 20 with four counts of gross indecency with a minor. He appeared in Cayman Islands Sum- mary Court to face the charges that day. Webster, who was in police custody when he appeared at the courthouse, still stands accused of indecent acts with an underage girl. A video recording of the girl was dis- tributed via social media and electronic mes- saging around Grand Cayman. The charges relate to one victim who the court ordered not be identified. Following the release of the video, which was apparently taken by the underage victim herself, Webster was assaulted and beaten outside his home in Belford Estates, Bodden Town. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice arrested a 32-year-old man in connection with that attack. GM mosquitoes released After months of legal wrangling, the first batch of genetically modified mos- quitoes was released in West Bay dis- trict in late July. Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach on the night she was crowned. – PHOTO: AP This Toyota Supra, driven by an inspector at the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing, struck a light pole. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Oxitec Project Manager Renaud Lacroix exhibits a pot used to release genetically modified mosquitoes. – PHOTO: MATT LAMERS Sprinter Usain Bolt strikes his famous pose as he disembarks from a Cayman Airways flight in Grand Cayman in May. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY A police officer escorts Michelle Bouchard to court to hear her sentence after a jury found her guilty on 25 counts. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 Errington Webster arrives at court in July, facing four counts of gross indecency with a minor. - PHOTO: MATT LAMERS8 STORIES OF 2016 WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 28, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS The release came after a court challenge over the matter was rejected and numerous public meetings were held on the subject around the islands. The idea behind the genetically mod- ified mosquitoes is that the modified breeds, which are sterile, would “out-com- pete” other mosquitoes for mates, leading to a drop in reproduction. Premier Alden McLaughlin blamed opponents of the re- lease for stalling needed efforts to reduce the Aedes aegypti mosquito population on Grand Cayman. Largest civil trial begins The Cayman Islands saw the start of the largest civil trial ever to be held here. The case revolves around claims from Ahmad Hamad Algosaibi and Brothers that Maan Al Sanea, who married into the family and managed its financial services busi- nesses, engaged in massive unauthorized borrowing, siphoning off proceeds to his own companies, many of them registered in the Cayman Islands. AHAB is seeking damages from Al Sanea and his companies, which it says were unjustly enriched as a result of his fraudulent schemes. The claims are contested by Al Sanea, as well as by the liquidators of the Cayman Islands-registered companies. The case continued by year end. Lawyer sentenced for hit and run Lawyer Simon Courtney was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment as a result of a hit-and-run crash that seriously injured two tourists along West Bay Road. The crash oc- curred in January 2015. AUGUST Key permanent residence ruling The judicial committee of the U.K. Privy Council overturned a decision of an eastern Caribbean court, ruling that a 19-month delay in registering an application for citi- zenship was too long and was “likely to be unlawful” when considering the applicant’s human rights, according to the judgment is- sued Aug. 2. The case involves a Guyanese man who was seeking to become a citizen of Antigua and Barbuda by virtue of his marriage to a woman who had already obtained that status. The central question in the court case, pre- viously heard by the Court of Appeal of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (Antigua and Barbuda), was whether the 19 months between the man’s application for citizenship and his subsequent interview regarding that application fell within locally acceptable and legally permissible timelines. The decision by the Privy Council could end up having a significant impact on Cay- man’s own immigration application delays, officials said. Accountant sentenced to 3.5 years Former Deloitte accountant Robert Neil Aspinall was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison on Aug. 1 in connection with the theft of nearly US$500,000 from two in- vestment funds he oversaw. Aspinall pleaded guilty to six of 14 crim- inal charges. The other eight charges against him were “left on file” by the Crown. Ac- cording to prosecutors, Aspinall would have gotten away with the theft if not for a ruling this year in the U.S. courts. Cayman athletes at Rio Olympics Cayman’s Olympic athletes, led by flag- bearer Ronald Forbes, joined thousands of athletes from around the world on Aug. 5 in the parade of nations at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games opening ceremony in the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Wearing custom-designed “turtle ranger” outfits, the five athletes – sprinter Kemar Hyman, hurdler Forbes, sailor Florence Allan and swimmers Geoff and Lara Butler – and six accompanying officials marched behind the Cayman flag. The opening ceremony was watched by an audience of more than 3 billion. New police commissioner Derek Patrick Byrne, 57, a 36-year veteran of Ireland’s National Police Service, was an- nounced on Aug. 19 as the new commissioner of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. Mr. Byrne came to Cayman after serving eight years as assistant commissioner of “the guards” – as Ireland’s national police service is sometimes called – where he supervised operations and strategic command for se- rious and organized crime incidents. Horse dies after attack Cayman was stunned by the news in mid- August of the death of one horse, and injury to another at the George Town Equestrian Center. Charm, a 25-year-old pony, had to be eu- thanized after being sexually assaulted, ac- cording to managers at the stables. Another horse, called Jelly Bean, was assaulted the same night – Aug. 10 – but sur- vived the attack. No arrests in connection with the inci- dents were reported by year’s end. SEPTEMBER Top immigration staffers face legal accusations Top officials including Chief Immigration Officer Linda Evans, currently on paid sus- pension, were under scrutiny with allegations of crime, drunk driving, other traffic-related charges and accusations of administrative wrongdoing levied against them. HSA to sue to recover debts The Health Services Authority’s Chief Exec- utive Officer Lizzette Yearwood told the Legis- lative Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee on Sept. 7 that the Cayman Islands public hos- pital system will begin suing patients or busi- nesses that owe healthcare debts. In June the HSA reported that its provision for “doubtful debts” for health services – those over a year old – stood at $90 million. Gov’t $1.2 billion healthcare liability figure may be low The government’s future healthcare li- ability figure was calculated in mid-2014 without including more than 2,000 public sector workers, many of whom are expected to retire in Cayman. Only current retirees on government pen- sion plans, seamen and veterans, the approx- imately 3,570 active civil service employees, and the employees’ dependents were included. Judge: Police investigation ‘grossly incompetent’ A judge in a non-jury trial who found two men not guilty of indecently assaulting their young female relative called the police investi- gation into the incident “grossly incompetent.” Despite an initial complaint to police in late 2012, the case did not come to court until the summer of 2016. Judge Timothy Owen said he found the men not guilty due to the in- herent weakness in the prosecution’s case and did not find the girl, who was 11 at the time the incident was reported, was lying. The following Monday, the Compass re- ported that Cayman Islands Governor Helen Kilpatrick had lambasted the “failings” of the RCIPS that led to the acquittal of the two men. Three officers from the Family Support Unit who were involved in the 2012 investi- gation, including two supervisors, were trans- ferred from their roles and subjected to disci- plinary reviews, but not suspended. Equestrian Center owner Mary Alberga with Jelly Bean, the horse that survived the assault. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY The Cayman delegation enters the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. - PHOTO: RICHARD HEATHCOTE/POOL VIA AP U.S. military helicopters land at Owen Roberts International Airport, positioning equipment and 100 members of the U.S. Marines and Army in preparation for Haiti hurricane relief operations. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 Accountant Robert Neil Aspinall was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison. - PHOTO: MATT LAMERS Simon Courtney and his wife Elle arrive at court. Courtney was sentenced to three years in prison. - PHOTO: MATT LAMERS PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »9 STORIES OF 2016 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 28, 2016 Unemployment in Cayman lowest since 2007 Statistics office figures revealed that Cay- man’s overall unemployment rate of 3.9 per- cent in spring 2016 was the lowest since 2007, down from 5.6 percent in spring 2015. Some 1,111 Caymanians were unemployed in the spring, compared to 1,200 in the fall of 2015. Concern over mold at West Bay school Broken playground equipment and debris at Sir John A. Cumber Primary School in West Bay was removed after parents raised concerns about their children’s safety. The images were posted on Facebook. Parent and school PTA vice president Sarah Orrett also raised concerns that mold may be present in some classrooms, and a petition calling for adequate staffing, an en- vironmentally safe and healthy learning en- vironment was also launched. The Department of Education stated that along with removing broken equipment and that two classrooms and their air condi- tioning systems had been deep cleaned and would undergo air quality tests. No new landfill site in waste plan The senior project manager for the gov- ernment’s new national waste management plan, Jim Schubert, said that a waste-to- energy facility would be a key element of a plan that aimed to divert 95 percent of waste from the George Town Landfill. The only landfill included in the plan is a 4-acre pit on the current site. Under the plan, the rest of the site would be capped, revegetated and potentially turned into a park, while other sites in George Town would be used for the rest of the plan’s infrastructure, in- cluding a recycling depot. On Oct. 11 the Compass reported Cabinet had approved the new plan. Researchers discover hybrid iguanas on Little Cayman Researchers from the Cayman Islands Department of Environment who examined three unusual hatchling iguanas in Little Cayman found they displayed intermediate characteristics indicating that invasive green iguanas had successfully bred with the island’s indigenous rock iguanas. The cross breeding was especially un- usual since the two types of iguanas have a different genus, or biological classification, and was not seen as a positive development for indigenous iguana populations. OCTOBER First homicide of the year The first homicide of 2016 took place outside 7 Mile Shops on West Bay Road in the early hours of Oct. 1, when 24-year- old West Bayer Justin Manderson was shot and killed. He was found lying on the pavement on West Bay Road close to Nectar nightclub, and police were investigating the possibility that the killing may have been a reprisal at- tack, as Mr. Manderson had been charged with the murder of Victor Oliver Yates in 2014, but the case was dropped ahead of a planned trial. Three people were subsequently arrested in connection with the murder, but no one had been charged by year end. Fight to save Smith Cove A plan to build a 24-unit condo complex on privately owned oceanfront land next to Smith Cove led to widespread opposition amid fears that it would aversely impact popular beach. Following a petition campaign spear- headed by the Save the Cover group, the Cayman Islands government agreed to buy the land from the owners for a sum of $5 million, taken from the Environmental Pro- tection Fund. US military stages regional disaster relief from Cayman Nine U.S. military helicopters, including Blackhawks, Apaches and CH-53E Super Stallions, and a team of 100 military per- sonnel began landing at Owen Roberts In- ternational Airport on Oct. 4 as part of a re- gional disaster relief program in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, which brought torren- tial rains and 145 mph winds to Haiti and southeast Cuba. The team’s mission was to position itself in Haiti as soon as the U.S. government re- ceived a request for assistance. Supplies pour in for Haiti relief effort A local relief effort headed by Matthew Leslie of the Cayman Islands Brewery to provide supplies to hurricane-stricken Haiti was swiftly collecting donations and coor- dinating with relief agencies and orphan- ages in Haiti. A Cayman Airways jet flew 20,000 pounds of goods to Haiti, while another 40,000 pounds of items were sent by cargo ship. 50 laid off in Mepco liquidation Local contractor Mepco shut down its operations, leaving about 50 employees out of work. The company, with operations in Cayman, Turks and Caicos and Tortola had been working on the Kimpton Seafire hotel. The liquidator of the Cayman office was taken on by KRyS Global. NOVEMBER Kimpton Seafire Resort opens Cayman’s newest five-star hotel, the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, opened on Nov. 15. Dart Development’s 266-room hotel was four years in the making, with more than 900 people working on the construction project. Premier Alden McLaughlin said the $300 million resort will provide long-term em- ployment for decades to come. Kimpton CEO Mike Defrino described the resort as the first foray into the interna- tional market for the San Francisco-based hotel chain. He also said it was Kimpton’s first ven- ture in the luxury market and the first hotel of its kind in Cayman for many decades. Cayman reacts to victory of President-elect Donald Trump Cayman’s business and political leaders reacted with a mixture of hope and cau- tion to the election of real estate mogul and one-time reality TV star Donald J. Trump as America’s 45th president-elect. Premier Alden McLaughlin said Cayman will watch with interest as Mr. Trump organ- izes his Cabinet and sets his policies, as well as his agenda for the next four years. He said the Cayman Islands government looked for- ward to a positive working relationship with the new U.S. administration. Cayman Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush said he saw “more positive than neg- ative” in Mr. Trump’s election, given that, in Mr. Bush’s view, as a conservative busi- nessman, Mr. Trump was less likely to give in to U.K. or European pressures for the U.S. to adopt a public beneficial ownership reg- istry for companies and trust. Fidel Castro dies Cuba announced the death of former Cuban president Fidel Castro. He died on Nov. 25. Reacting to the news of Castrol’s death, Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin described Cayman’s relationship with Cuba over the years as a complicated one. He pointed out that many Caymanian families can trace their origins at least partly back to Cuba and particularly to the Isle of Pines (now known as Isla de la Juventud) during the early half of the 20th century. Fatal shooting in broad daylight Damean Dwayne “Deebo” Seymour was gunned down near the intersection of Martin Drive and Tigris Street, just off Shedden Road, in what is known locally as the Scranton neighborhood. It was the second homicide in the Cayman island for the year. Mr. Seymour was a known figure in Cay- man’s criminal circles for more than a decade. It was understood that he had moved away from the islands for several years and had returned within the past year or so. Unpaid PR fees total more than $4 million Government is owed more than $4 million in unpaid permanent residency fees, some dating back seven years, according to data issued in response to a freedom of informa- tion request. In the FOI response, the Department of Immigration indicated that it considers $2.7 million of that amount “uncollectible,” due to revocations or rescindments - though it did not explain why this would prevent the de- partment from chasing the money. The money owed related to 473 individ- uals with permanent residency fees in ar- rears for between one and seven years. Of those, 74 have had their permanent residency status revoked for continued non-payment. Motorcycle ‘chaos’ Dozens of rides thundering down Cayman roads on motorcycles, dirt bikes and all- terrain vehicles prompted public outcry to the police service. On Nov. 28, drivers and passersby spotted the motorbikes, many “popping wheelies,” weaving into the opposite lane of traffic, running red lights and speeding. The bikers were participating in an an- nual event known as the “Ride of the Cen- tury,” an international event that basically in- volves motorbike riders driving 100 miles. New police commissioner arrives Cayman’s new Police Commissioner Derek Byrne arrived on island on Nov. 3 to take up his post. Mr. Byrne’s appointment to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service was an- nounced in August after a recruitment pro- cess that short-listed three candidates for the position. Mr. Byrne served as assistant commissioner of An Garda Siochana, Ire- land’s national police service. DECEMBER Former assistant to MLAs ‘orchestrated’ robbery Christine Rae Smith, the former personal assistant to two George Town MLAs, was found guilty of robbery and possession of an imitation firearm. She was charged with three counts of robbery relating to an incident at Elegant Nails & More in George Town on the night of July 10, 2015. Rae Smith was in the salon when two masked men dressed in black and carrying what appeared to be firearms entered and stole cellphones, jewelry and a total of $693 from the co-owner and two women who were in the salon at the time. Bankrupt Hewitt: UDP reneged on promise to pay for Rivers challenge After being declared officially bankrupt, 80-year-old John Gordon Hewitt told a court he had been “thrown under the bus” by the United Democratic Party. Mr. Hewitt, who brought a constitutional challenge to the 2013 election of Education Minister Tara Rivers, claimed the party had chosen him as a “token plaintiff” and prom- ised to fund the action. When the legal bills came in, however, he claimed the UDP and its financial backers went back on that promise and left him with the tab. Turkish terror suspect arrested in Cayman Celal Kildag, 58, was arrested in Grand Cayman after arriving by cruise ship on Dec. 8. He is facing extradition to Turkey in connection with the killing of two people and the burning of two primary schools in 1988. Following a court hearing, he was remanded in custody over the Christmas period. A motorcade carries the ashes of the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro. – PHOTO: AP/RAMON ESPINOSA Police Commissioner Derek Byrne speaks to members of the media. - PHOTO: MATT LAMERS The Kimpton An architect’s rendering of one of the buildings developers had proposed to erect by Smith Cove. A rock iguana, top, with one of the hybrid hatchlings found on Little Cayman. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 Velma Powery-Hewitt and Gordon HewittNext >