High of 81 Low of 73 Rough with wave heights of 6 to 8 feet. A Small craft warning is in effect. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 TITLE OF EDITORIAL SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX 4 DAYS LEFT TO REGISTER TO VOTE ELECTION 2017 ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY JANUARY 13, 2017 CAYMAN WEEKENDER Mixologists to compete at Taste of Cayman EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 ON THE HORIZON: HAPPY LANDINGS TO SOUTHWEST AIRLINES 6 WINGS12 WINGS 24 WINGS36 WINGS $ 499 $ 959 $ 1899 $ 2799 Belizean community in Cayman helps save a countryman’s life KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Belizean bus driver with a near-fatal heart condition received a second lease on life thanks to cross-border fundraising efforts that brought him to Health City Cayman Islands just hours before he suffered a massive heart attack. Tyron Coleman, 44, had hit a road block in Belize, where doctors told him they could not treat his severe and life-threatening chest pain. “We were waiting until the doctor took the angiogram to give us an answer if he can do it. He called my wife and told my wife that he can’t work on me and nobody can work on me, that I am so delicate that if they ever go in and touch me, that’s it,” Mr. Coleman told Health City Cayman Islands. The bleak prognosis spurred to action Mr. Coleman’s family and sister-in-law Dorla Williams. After a consultation in Chetumal, Mexico, led to the suggestion of flying Mr. Coleman to Cayman, his family launched a des- perate fundraising effort to save his life. “We were all begging for help on social media, telling people, ‘Don’t just like the post. We need money. Please give money,’” Ms. Williams said. “If we were not on media, none of this would have happened. Nobody told me to do this, but I knew the risks.” While the family’s efforts were able to drive fundraising momentum, Ms. Williams said it seemed impossible at first to cover the US$12,800 necessary to transport Mr. Coleman in an air ambulance. It was only after the Belizean community in Cayman got word of the situation that the life-saving trip became a reality. Moved by a recent personal loss, Belize Cayman Association treasurer Andrew Hulse BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands now has more registered voters than at any time in its history, and a last-minute push to get out the vote is expected to put the total over 20,000, according to Elections Su- pervisor Wesley Howell. “I’ve been leaving the office [on Smith Road] by the back door because there are so many people waiting out front,” Mr. Howell said Thursday. “People are definitely coming in to register.” Mr. Howell said the George Town elec- tions headquarters will be open between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, to help procrastinators sign up. The final cut-off time for registrations is midnight Monday, Jan. 16. The Cayman Brac registration hours will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sat- urday at 270 West End Road, and between 8:30 a.m. and midnight Monday. As of 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, registra- tion for the May 2017 general election will be closed. “Remember, if you are not registered by [Jan.] 16th, you cannot vote on May 24,” Mr. Howell said. The voter registration deadline was al- ready extended an additional two weeks to accommodate last-minute registrants ‘Ghost Caymanians’ problem identified BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Claiming the Cayman Islands immigration system needs a “drastic overhaul,” the head of one of the territory’s major lawyers groups said there is still considerable confusion in deter- mining the legal definition of a “Caymanian.” That confusion could lead to hundreds of residents, particularly younger Caymanians who know no other home, being denied rights and services available to other naturalized citi- zens of the territory, the attorney said. Caymanian Bar Association President Abraham Thoppil said Wednesday that “even government departments” appear to be in- consistent in determining someone’s Cay- manian status. “The consequences range from the issue of whether a child may benefit from free medical treatment to Caymanian ownership of local businesses or to the most fundamental of con- stitutional considerations,” Mr. Thoppil said. Caymanian status [a locally recognized legal resident status similar to citizenship in an independent country] is not automatically conferred on someone as a result of their having been born in Cayman. Other factors that are considered include the immigration status of a parent at the date of the person’s birth, the marital status of the person’s parents Last-minute voter push seeks 20,000+ electors QUESTION REMAINS: WHO IS ACTUALLY A CAYMANIAN? Deputy Elections Supervisor Sheena Glasgow and Supervisor Wesley Howell review district voting maps at elections headquarters on Smith Road. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » “Remember, if you are not registered by [Jan.] 16th, you cannot vote on May 24.” WESLEY HOWELL, elections supervisor2 REGIONAL NEWS FRIDAY JANUARY 13, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Award-Winning Caribbean Chicken! Fresh, Healthy & Delicious! West Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMB 945.2290 • chicken@chicken2.com® Eat-in!Take-out! with DJ Flex Free lessons with Kirk starting 9.30pm Every Tuesday FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR 50% Off Tapas and Selected Wines Harpist Extraordinaire Eugenio Leon Serenades Tableside TONIGHT Friday January 13th Serenades Tableside TOMORROW Saturday, Jan 14th Barefoot Man and Sea N’B Starting live from 7:30pm-10:30pm Come for dinner Stay for Dancing Or come to our beautiful Oceanside Bar and listen to the Sweet Sounds of Barefoot Man Call 949-2231 or email: info@wharf.ky LIMA, Peru (AP) – Anti-cor- ruption officials are calling for Peru’s three most recent ex-presidents to testify in connection with alleged bribes paid by Brazilian construction conglomerate Odebrecht for inflated con- tracts that authorities say cost the Andean country $283 million. Comptroller Edgar Alarcon said at a news conference Wednesday that Odebrecht was involved in 23 public works projects since 1998 worth at least $16.9 billion. Of those, 16 have been audited and authorities detected po- tential irregularities, in- cluding unjustified cost overruns and forgiveness of penalties for contractual breaches that cost around $283 million. His comments came a day after a senior anti-cor- ruption official said she wants to take testimony from three former presi- dents – Alejandro Toledo, Alan Garcia and Ollanta Humala – about dodgy deals with the Brazilian builder as well as company owner Marcelo Odebrecht. Julia Principe, the top government attorney in the Justice Ministry, said she also would like to hear from current President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. As Toledo’s prime minister in 2006, Kuczynski signed a law passed by congress allowing Odebrecht to participate in an auction to build two highways de- spite a ban on it bidding for government contracts at the time because it was facing legal action for ir- regularities in another project. Odebrecht even- tually was awarded the roads contract. Kuczynski has denied any wrongdoing and called for a “deep investigation” of Odebrecht for illicit activ- ities in Peru. In late December, Ode- brecht and petrochemical company Braskem agreed to pay a combined pen- alty of at least $3.5 billion to settle allegations that they bribed government of- ficials in a dozen countries around the world. As part of the plea agreement with the U.S. Justice Depart- ment, Odebrecht admitted to paying $29 million in bribes to Peruvian officials and has already agreed to pay back the country an initial $8.9 million for the damages it caused. Of 23 public works projects since 1998 worth at least $16.9 billion, 16 have been audited and authorities detected potential irregularities. Peru: Bribes by Brazilian builder cost country $283M Mexico’s fuel market liberal- ization has done something rarely seen before: make California’s pump prices look cheap. Drivers are flooding across the border to southern California to fill up on gas- oline after protesters blocking distri- bution centers near the Baja California capital of Mexicali caused stations to run dry. Antunez’s Shell gas station in Calexico is just five blocks away from the Mexican border and rarely has business been as busy as now. Mexicali drivers wait four to five hours to cross into the U.S. just to fill their fuel tanks and then wait another two hours to cross back into Mexico again. “Right now, it’s crazy,” Rodrigo Mar- quez, 30, a station employee, said in a telephone interview. “We are having a lot, lot of people, everybody is fueling up their tanks.” As Mexico opens a formerly monopo- lized market to foreign competitors for the first time in nearly eight decades, the government increased fuel prices to at- tract imports and outside competition. The 20 percent hike, dubbed a ‘gaso- linazo,’ or fuel-price slam, sparked pro- tests across the country that curtailed fuel distribution, leaving Petroleos Mex- icanos, or Pemex, struggling to keep its stations supplied. Unleaded prices in Mexicali were raised in January to 16.17 pesos a liter, or $2.815 a gallon. Seventeen miles north across the border in El Centro, Cali- fornia, pump prices jumped 7.1 cents a gallon overnight to average $2.736 as of 1:20 p.m. New York time Wednesday, according to GasBuddy, a price tracking company. “There is a very important commercial exchange happening in the border region,” said Jose Angel Garcia, the president of Mexico gasoline retailer association Onexpo. “There are trucks with large tanks being used to bring fuel into Mexico from the U.S.” Pemex said in a tweet it removed blockades in Mexicali’s fuel distribution center early Wednesday. As of Tuesday, wait times at the Calexico/Mexicali border were twice as long as normal, ac- cording to Best Time to Cross the Border, a website created by a University of Cal- ifornia-San Diego team. The demand from Mexico may con- tinue to push up prices in Southern Cal- ifornia, where prices near the border were up 11.8 cents from last week, ac- cording to GasBuddy. As many as 10 cars can be seen lining up at Antunez’s to fill their tank and the station is having to resupply their own tanks about once a day versus once every three to four days normally, Marquez said. The state’s gas prices are notoriously volatile and sensitive to supply inter- ruptions due to its geographic isolation from the rest of the country’s refining and pipeline distribution systems, ac- cording to Patrick DeHaan, senior ana- lyst at GasBuddy. “There certainly could be some dis- ruption if motorists coming across the border overwhelm California sys- tems,” DeHaan said. © 2017, Bloomberg Mexican drivers flood to US for cheaper gasoline Residents pilfer gasoline and diesel from a gas station following protests against an increase in fuel prices in southern Veracuz State, Mexico, earlier this month. - PHOTO: THE WASHINGTON POST MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mexi- co’s currency is hitting new lows amid a furor over a leap in gasoline prices and fears over President-elect Donald Trump’s threats to steer man- ufacturers back to the U.S. The peso broke the psychological barrier of 22 to the dollar Wednesday after Trump again promised to make Mexico pay for a new border wall. The interbank rate strengthened to close at 21.90 to the dollar. But re- tail customers still must pay more than 22 pesos per dollar at exchange houses Thursday. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto seemed caught off guard by the vio- lent reaction to a 20 percent increase in gas prices as sub- sidies were eliminated Jan. 1. Protests led to widespread looting in some states and several deaths. Pena Nieto is scheduled to lay out new economic mea- sures Thursday. Mexican peso hits new low SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Puerto Rico’s newly elected governor has signed his first law – one aimed at boosting the U.S. territo- ry’s economy via public- private partnerships. He says the measure would promote public op- eration of public ser- vices without complete privatization. It grants priority to Puerto Rico businesses while aiming to attract outside investment as well. Ricardo Rossello said late Wednesday that no such partnerships have been cre- ated in the past three years. The law seeks to reduce the financial burden on a government that owes nearly $70 billion in public debt while generating revenue for a pension system that is about to collapse. Rossello is expected to sign several austerity mea- sures in upcoming weeks. PUERTO RICO PURSUES PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JANUARY 13, 2017 Led by a renowned, certified neurosurgeon and spinal surgeon, our spinal team provide expert surgical treatment for disorders of the spine. As well as world-class facilities for the management of complex spine conditions, our surgical suites are equipped with the latest technology for minimally invasive spinal procedures, resulting in faster recovery and a quicker return to normal life. Providing care you can truly trust. Call us now for an appointment or visit our website to find out more. T. 1 345 640 4040 |E. info@healthcity.ky | healthcitycaymanislands.com Get back into action! World-class healthcare, close to home. Robbery getaway driver challenges deportation BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man who pleaded guilty to being an accessory to the Chisholm’s Supermarket rob- bery in North Side three years ago is challenging an order that seeks his removal from the Cayman Islands. According to court re- cords filed in November, Ian Fernando Ellington has re- quested that a judge review the chief immigration officer’s decision to declare Ellington a prohibited person, which would serve to send him out of the Cayman Islands pending the court’s review. Ellington argues that he was not given a “fair and rea- sonable” chance at a hearing before the decision on Sept. 3, 2016 making him a prohib- ited person in the islands. “Ian Fernando Ellington is married to a Caymanian and should be given a chance to put his case forward against being designated as a prohib- ited person,” the judicial re- view filing states. Ellington was sentenced to two years in prison in March 2014 after pleading guilty to being an acces- sory after the fact to the Chisholm’s Supermarket rob- bery in September 2013. He was originally charged, along with three other people, in connection with the robbery in which a firearm was used. However, the accessory charge accused Ellington only of knowing that two other individuals had robbed the store and driving them away from the scene. Less than $1,500 was taken in the heist, but Grand Court Judge Charles Quin noted the in- cident put the store owner and his daughter in fear for their lives. The robbery was widely publicized the day it occurred because of an ensuing chase of the suspects involving po- lice patrol cars and the po- lice helicopter. The police helicopter recorded the arrest of the Chisholm’s Supermarket robbery suspects in September 2013. CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Trial has been set for Thursday, June 15, in the case of senior immigration officer Jeannie Lewis. She appeared in Summary Court on Thursday for a case management hearing after entering two pleas of not guilty on Dec. 15. The defendant is charged with knowingly assisting a foreign national to land (re- main) in the Cayman Is- lands without authoriza- tion between Aug. 1 and Aug. 25, 2016. She is further charged with permitting a prem- ises to be used for supply of drugs, both cocaine and ganja. This charge relates to the same dates at an address where she was an occupier. Three men and an- other woman were arrested along with the defendant in a pre-dawn raid at the premises on Aug. 25. The foreign national, An- tonio Bullard, pleaded guilty to illegal landing, was sen- tenced to 30 days’ impris- onment and then deported. His attorney, Dennis Brady, told the court at his sen- tencing hearing that Bullard had been in a boat caught up in bad weather and drifted to Cayman. Here he met someone he knew in Jamaica and he was taken to the house where he was arrested. Mr. Brady said Bullard had hoped to leave Cayman as quietly as he came. This week, attorney Richard Barton told Magis- trate Grace Donalds that he had received some disclosure in the charges relating to Lewis, but there was another matter that was a critical part of the defendant’s case. He asked for a further case management date, and the magistrate set that for Feb. 23. TRIAL DATE SET FOR IMMIGRATION OFFICER The YMCA is hosting two days of training for more than 100 staff, volunteers and community partners to sup- port the work they do with Cayman’s youth. The second annual Leaders for Youth Conference is scheduled for Friday and Saturday with the theme “Bridge of Hope.” Friday is a full day of training for YMCA program leaders and administrators. Saturday brings all staff, vol- unteers and program part- ners together. Both days will feature local presenters as well as international pre- senters from the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg and New Jersey’s Westfield YMCA. Breakout sessions cover a range of topics, from “Creating Safe Environments” and “Con- flict Resolution” to “Youth Lead- ership” and “Teambuilding.” YMCA CEO Greg Smith said the bridge of hope theme represents the aims of the or- ganization. “There must be a bridge between where young people currently are in their lives and where their poten- tial can take them; it’s not simply learning the skills and the discipline, but it starts with a spirit of hope and the belief success is achievable.” TRAINING WEEKEND SET FOR YOUTH LEADERSThe 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. FRIDAY JANUARY 13, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS It may be the most famous cocktail napkin in aviation history. In 1967, two men met at a bar and restaurant in San Antonio, Texas. Over drinks, one of them took out a pen, and on the aforementioned napkin, drew a triangle. He labeled the three points: “Dallas. Houston. San Antonio.” That was the original business plan for “Air South- west” — flying between those three cities, several times a day. Thanks to the elegant simplicity of the concept, the employment of innovative cost-cutting and common-sense measures, an irreverent corporate culture, and a healthy dose of creativity in customer service, that company, now called Southwest Airlines, has grown over the past half-century to become the third- (or fourth-, depending on how you count) largest passenger airline in North America. If you were to try to draw Southwest’s service map today, you’d need a far larger cocktail napkin. The airline now serves more than 100 destinations, including, starting this June, Grand Cayman. We mention all of the above because when South- west does anything, it tends to do it big (and differ- ently). True to form, the upcoming flights connecting Cayman to Florida will operate on a daily basis, and, rather than Miami International Airport, will go to Fort Lauderdale. Although Southwest has grown to be on par in magnitude with the likes of American, United and Delta airlines, the company carries an incredible degree of “brand loyalty” among its clientele, a sen- timentality usually reserved for smaller businesses. Just as the new Kimpton Seafire resort is bringing a new set of customers to Cayman, i.e. “Kimpton people,” similarly we expect Southwest to put Cayman on the radar as a vacation destination for “Southwest people.” As evidence of the excitement stirred up by Southwest’s announcement, consider the following comments posted to the Compass Facebook page in response to our news story: • “Wow, daily?” • “Let’s go this summer!!!!” • “So excited!” • “Now you guys can come visit!” • “Yay!!” • “100% in!!!!!!” • “Love that idea I might be able to go home one day” • “Awesome news!” • “Great news indeed.” • “So excited especially since my son gave me a Southwest gift card for Christmas [smiley face] can’t wait to get back on island!” We could go on … but we think you get the idea … Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said the addition of the Southwest route followed a two-year “engagement process” involving local tourism and airport officials. That was two years well spent. The arrival of Southwest in Cayman should be relished as a major victory for the country and an achievement for the government. It has far more substance and promise, for example, than the Department of Tourism’s recent announcement it is engaging consultants to develop a “Latin America business strategy.” We await with great anticipation the moment in June when we can expect to see the blue, yellow and red livery of Southwest’s 737s gracing the runway of Grand Cayman’s airport. What will be even more welcome than the jets themselves, of course, are the new visitors to Cayman the jets will carry. On the horizon: Happy landings to Southwest Airlines LETTER TO THE EDITOR Boxing ticket giveaway: Bodden punches back These days I try not to get rattled in this polit- ical life so easily and bark at every passing dog, but I must say the Jan. 10 Com- pass article cannot be al- lowed to go [without] some challenge and clarification. Sadly the Compass tried to reach me at an email I don’t use and hence I missed responding in your original article. When one questions my integrity the bus must come to a halt and this is how I read what MLA Alva Suckoo has tried to do, or has done here. Now who is playing politics one might rightly ask? Bearing in mind that the silly season is upon us and we have just witnessed Trump winning as U.S. president giving scant regard for the truth, I guess we should expect anything in the coming months from certain quar- ters desperate to hold on or win a seat. To say I’m dis- appointed in my friend Mr. Suckoo’s allegations is put- ting it mildly. He alleges that we (Min- ister Wayne Panton and myself – two men he knows very well) gave away tickets to play politics with the Is- land Rumble event, and that this is all so wrong and unethical and was purely to benefit the Pro- gressives and its admin- istration and supporters. Well let me ask Mr. Suckoo what’s so wrong now that he’s on the other side when we sponsor large events and are given, as a sitting government, an allotment of tickets, for that very same reason. Organizers or promoters of events do this all of the time to major sponsors, and since when is it a crime? Mr. Suckoo certainly played his part in such ac- tivities for the 2.5 years he was a member of the Pro- gressives and now sud- denly, because he walked away from the govern- ment for no good reason, breaking his promise to us as a party and the people he was elected to serve, it is all so wrong? Mr. Suckoo can’t have his cake and eat it, too. If he wanted tickets to hand around to a few people at times like this, when events are being held and sponsored, then maybe he should have stayed where he was up until De- cember 2015. He was, after all, my councilor for sports, and he knows the system all too well! I wonder how he wishes to explain that the ticket he received for the event was also comped by the promoter? I would ask him, “Does that make you unethical as well, Mr. Suckoo?” As for the allegation that we removed him from the Bodden Town list of in- vitees for the Beach Bay groundbreaking, although I had nothing to do with ar- rangements, I am positive that this would not have been intentionally done, as it is common practice re- gardless of sides that dis- trict MLAs are invited to such events that we all have an interest in. Having said that, another area that Mr. Suckoo has great interest in is boxing, and [he] previ- ously supported me well in this regard, yet, although in- vited to the groundbreaking in Bodden Town on Saturday morning for the new boxing gym, he did not attend. I’m having some trouble reconciling this all and knowing he was at the Sat- urday night event. All of my life I have been honest, hardworking and community minded, and it’s the reason I am where I am, of that I am sure. I help people whether I am in or out of government, and therefore for me to think that tickets valued at $35 would secure someone’s vote for me would be shallow minded at best. This was simply a gesture to people who work closely with us of appreciation for all they do. They are already supporters of ours! We had nothing to hide and hence we used an email to them, due to the short time between receiving the tickets and the event. Where is the corruption in this? Will we now seek to ban entities from issuing comp tickets? I will leave it there, but I serve notice to all and sundry – beat me up all you want politically, but when you challenge my integ- rity get ready to defend, be- cause I will be firing back. At 55, it’s all I really own and I will take [it] to the grave with me. Minister Osbourne Bodden This was simply a gesture to people who work closely with us of appreciation for all they do. They are already supporters of ours! 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 find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JANUARY 13, 2017 OWNERSHIP IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE Renovated lobby and elevator cabs. Upgraded bathrooms and common areas. Generator to power entire building WELCOME AND CONGRATULATIONS NEW TENANTS NEW FEATURES NEW EXPANSION 345.938.1000 sloane@rhulens.com WHAT’S NEWWHAT’S NEXT Part 3rd Floor 2,500 square feet Fit out with reception area, conference room, kitchen, perimeter offices NEW PREMISES LAST REMAINING UNIT MOVE IN READY EXCLUSIVE MANAGING AGENT EXCLUSIVE LEASING AGENT FOR DETAILS, CONTACT SLOANE RHULEN 136 SHEDDEN ROAD, GEORGE TOWN Cause of accident still under investigation JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com An aerodrome certi- fied fire truck from Little Cayman will be shipped to Cayman Brac as a tempo- rary replacement for the truck that flipped on the runway last week. The switch will allow the Charles Kirkconnell Interna- tional Airport to reopen to larger jet traffic. Jets have been unable to land since the accident last Thursday. A smaller fire truck, not suitable for air support on the Brac but equipped to do the job at the much smaller airport in Little Cayman, will go in the opposite direction. Officials were unclear when the switch would take place, since high winds and rough seas are cur- rently preventing the cargo ship from traveling between the two islands. Cayman Airways weekend jet services through the Brac have been suspended until the switch takes place. “They are trying to find a weather window to get it over on the boat,” a spokes- woman for the Ministry of Home Affairs told the Cayman Compass. The two injured fire- fighters, Acting Leading Fire Officer on the Brac Jason McCoy and Acting Divisional Officer Garfield Ritch, have been discharged from hos- pital. Mr. McCoy was be- hind the wheel of the truck when it flipped over during a mandatory speed test last Thursday. The fire service has given no details on the suspected cause of the accident, saying only that it is under investigation. Chief Fire Officer David Hails visited the Brac on Wednesday with two senior fire officers to make his own assessment of the vehicle. The airport was closed briefly on Thursday after- noon in the immediate af- termath of the accident. The damage to the truck left the airport short of fire and rescue capability. According to air safety regulations, at least two aerodrome certified fire trucks are required to be on standby before a 737 jet can land. The truck being trans- ferred from Little Cayman has already met regula- tory requirements, including a speed test, according to the spokeswoman. “It has already been cer- tified so jet operations can begin as soon as it arrives on Cayman Brac,” she said. Cayman Airways has again been forced to cancel flights and re- shuffle its schedule for the weekend due to the situa- tion on the Brac. Scheduled flights to Miami and Cuba from the Brac were being diverted through Grand Cayman, with some passengers re- booked on the Saab and Twin Otter planes between Grand Cayman and the Brac. The damaged truck has been moved to a com- pound on the Brac. Its roof was crumpled and its side sheared off in the acci- dent. Officials were unsure whether it was a write-off. There are no regularly scheduled jet flights Monday through Thursday in or out of the Charles Kirkconnell Inter- national Airport. There are a total of eight flights scheduled in and out of the airport on weekends. The switch will allow the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport to reopen to larger jet traffic, which has been unable to land since the accident last Thursday. Fire truck switch planned for Brac airport The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service is in- vestigating reports of a woman being attacked and choked in West Bay’s Shores neighborhood. According to police, the woman was on the grounds of an apartment complex Tuesday morning when an unidentified person “came up behind her and began to choke her.” “The person was in pos- session of a knife and pushed [the victim] to the ground,” an RCIPS report on the in- cident stated. “The woman fought with her attacker, who ran off.” The woman was not physically injured in the at- tack, police said. A vague description of the attacker was given to police, indicating the person wore dark clothing and a white cloth over their face. No arrests were imme- diately reported. The RCIPS said it has increased officers’ presence in the area. The woman was on the grounds of an apartment complex Tuesday morning when an unidentified person “came up behind her and began to choke her.” POLICE: WOMAN CHOKED AT WB APARTMENT COMPLEX Cayman Airways was forced to cancel jet flights between the Brac and Miami, Cuba and Grand Cayman after a fire truck flipped over on the runway during a ‘speed test’ last Thursday morning.6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY JANUARY 13, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Your Vote Counts in the May 2017 General Elections Voting is your democratic right, protected in the Constitution. HOW TO REGISTER: • Download forms online at www.elections.ky. • In person at the Elections Office,Smith Road Centre 2nd Floor, #150 Smith Road, George Town. • With your district registering officer. Registration Deadline: Midnight 16 January 949 8047 @ElectionsOffice @electionscayman @elections_cayman Voting is your democratic right, protected in The Elections Office is open tomorrow from 9am – 4pm! Stepfather sentenced for gross indecency Judge notes increasing prevalence of sex offenses involving children CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man who pleaded guilty to a single charge of gross indecency against his 11-year-old step- daughter was sentenced on Wednesday to four years, eight months in prison. Justice Charles Quin said the appropriate sentence was seven years, but he gave a one-third discount for the early guilty plea. He said there was an ur- gent need for deterrence because of the increasing prevalence of sex offenses against young children. The maximum sen- tence is 12 years. Justice Quin directed the man to sign up for the pris- on’s sex offenders program and a “Fathers First” pro- gram. He also ordered that the man receive expert med- ical attention. The defen- dant, in his late 40s, is not being named because doing so would lead to the identi- fication of the victim. Justice Quin noted that the girl’s mother reported that the child was doing well in school and looked for- ward to going to high school, so she seemed unaffected by what had happened. The girl’s mother was in Cayman on work permit. She and the defendant were married four days before the offense occurred. The girl, who had come to visit her mother during a school hol- iday, seemed to get on well with the defendant. On the evening be- fore she was scheduled to leave the island, she asked to spend the night at a cousin’s house. The defendant told her to stay home because he would not have enough gas to drive her to her relative’s house and then to the airport the next day. She started to cry, so he took her to the rel- ative’s house. About an hour and a half later he phoned and asked her about “cleaning up a mess” she had left be- hind. He came and got her to take her home to clean it up. She begged her sister to come along, but the sister said no. The girl got into the back seat of the defendant’s car. The sister then called out that she was coming, and the girl asked the de- fendant to stop the car, but he wouldn’t. He did not take the girl home; instead, he took her to a dark secluded place. He went into the back seat and inappropriately touched her. She was crying and trying to fight him off, but he only stopped when she told him, “You go to church.” CCTV cameras showed the defendant’s car passing into the area at 10:35 p.m. and leaving at approximately 11 p.m. He took her home. She was crying and her mother asked if he had done any- thing to her. The girl was taken to hospital and then to the police station. She took police along the route the defendant had driven. The man was ar- rested and admitted what he had done. He said his mind was telling him to go and mo- lest the child: “I wasn’t in control of myself. I couldn’t stop myself … I’m extremely remorseful. It was like Satan just had me,” he told officers. When the matter came to court in December, de- fense attorney Nicholas Dixey emphasized that the defendant’s full coopera- tion and early plea had spared the victim from giving evidence. A social inquiry report showed that the man suf- fered from ADHD (atten- tion deficit hyperactivity disorder) and depression. He had received a psycho- logical assessment, but not a psychiatric evaluation. He had 60 previous con- victions for a variety of of- fenses such as disorderly conduct and theft. In 2009 he was sentenced to three years for rape. [Re- cords kept by the Com- pass show that the victim was his ex-wife and he pleaded guilty.] The defendant had been sexually abused as a child and Justice Quin commented that these things had a way of repeating themselves. He said the defendant was in a position of trust, which he had abused. An- other aggravating feature had been the deliberate iso- lation of the victim. The judge accepted the man’s expression of remorse and noted that his wife was standing by him. He urged the defendant to use his time in prison well and not be afraid to seek help. The girl’s mother was in Cayman on work permit. She and the defendant were married four days before the offense occurred. The girl had come to visit her mother during a school holiday. The courthouse in George Town.7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JANUARY 13, 2017 CAPTAIN THEO BODDEN MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT TRIPLE C SCHOOL FUNDRAISING EVENT Entry Fees: CI$750 Team of Four CI$200 Individual Hole Sponsorship: CI$450 Premium Holes (#1 | #9 | #10 | #18) CI$350 Standard Holes Super Ticket Purchase a Super Ticket for CI$40, and you’ll receive: • Two mulligans • Additional raffle entry • US$10 Golfsmith gift card • Certificate for your choice of a Razor Golf Club • Chance to be of 4 people chosen to take a shot for US$50,000! • Chance to win 3 day/2night vacation package • Chance to be of 4 people chosen to take a shot for US$50,000! Contact information: Nathania Mayers, Triple C School | Email: development@triplecschool.org | Phone: 949.6022 SPONSORED BY FEB 3 20 17 N OR TH SOUND GOL F CL UB 1PM Early Bird Registration Register now and mention this ad for gift certificates to select restaurants! REGISTER FOR HOLE-IN-ONE COMPETITION AND YOU COULD WIN A NEW TOYOTA FORTUNER FROM VAMPT MOTORS OR A NEW MINI COOPER FROM GT AUTOMOTIVE. 45-day window closes Jan. 21 CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com An application for the ex- tradition of a man accused of terrorism in 1988 has not yet been received by Cayman authorities, Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryll Richards said in Summary Court on Thursday. However, she advised, some progress was being made, in that correspon- dence has been received from authorities in Turkey. She expected that the ex- tradition request “should reach us shortly.” Celal Kildag, 58, has been held in custody in Cayman since he arrived here aboard a cruise ship on Dec. 8. As previously reported, he was detained for possible extra- dition to Turkey on the basis of a “red notice” from Interpol – essentially an international arrest warrant. Ms. Richards told Mag- istrate Grace Donalds that there is a 45-day window to receive an extradition war- rant, review it and have it certified by the governor. The time limit is from the date of arrest and so will end on Saturday, Jan. 21. She there- fore asked for the matter to come before the court again on Friday, Jan. 20. Attorney Laurence Aiolfi appeared for the de- fendant and agreed to the adjournment. At earlier appearances, he told the court that Kildag emigrated from Turkey to Germany in 1980. He is now a German citizen and had never re- turned to Turkey. Kildag has been accused of carrying out terrorist acts with others that led to the killing of two people and the burning of two schools in 1988. He has had the assis- tance of an interpreter for his court appearances. Celal Kildag, 58, has been held in custody in Cayman since he arrived here aboard a cruise ship on Dec. 8. Progress reported in extradition case Fundraiser for injured Jet Ski rider JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Friends of a bartender injured in a Christmas Day Jet Ski accident are orga- nizing a fundraiser to help pay for his medical treatment and expenses. Chris McAllister spent Christmas night in hos- pital after getting “T-boned” off Seven Mile Beach by a friend’s Jet Ski and breaking his leg in two places. “It was pretty much the worst Christmas ever,” said Mr. McAllister, a bartender at the new Coccoloba beach bar at the Kimpton resort and at Lillie’s nightclub. The crash left him out of pocket for repairs to the rental Jet Ski and his share of the medical bill. To add in- sult to injury, the accident, which he acknowledges was his fault, has left him off work for two months. Now friends and fellow bartenders are pooling their resources to organize a fund- raising night at Whiskey Mist. Denis Rowe, manager of the bar, said the event, planned for Thursday, Jan. 19, would include a silent auction, a raffle and music from a DJ and band. “He’s laid up right now and we just wanted to do a little something to help him out with all his expenses,” said Mr. Rowe. Mr. McAllister, who pre- viously worked at Orta- nique, said he is grateful for their help. “It is very humbling and emotional for me to accept all the support and to know there are friends in the bar- tending community that have my back. “Everyone in the industry is surviving on tips and it is nice to see the commu- nity comes together to help each other out.” The accident hap- pened around 3:30 p.m. on Christmas Day. Mr. McAl- lister said he had turned too sharply and into the path of his friend’s Jet Ski. “He basically t-boned my Jet Ski and my leg and I got stretchered to hospital where I spent the night. Thank- fully, the Red Sail guys did a great job getting me out of the water and into the hands of the emergency ser- vices quickly.” Prizes for next Thursday’s auction include dinners at Copper Falls and the Lobster Pot, personal training ses- sions and vouchers for var- ious other businesses. There will also be an auction for a dinner date with Chris. Donations will be ac- cepted on the door. “He’s laid up right no w and we just wanted to do a little something to help him out with all his expenses.” DENIS ROWE, manager of Coccoloba Friends have rallied to help bartender Chris McAllister, who was injured in a Jet Ski crash.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 FRIDAY JANUARY 13, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Cayman Islands Insurance Association Scholarship Deadline for Applications January 31st, 2017 The Cayman Islands Insurance Association Scholarship will grant up to CI$10,000 per year, for a maximum of four years of study, by providing additional funding to successful Cayman Islands Government Scholarship awardees. The scholarship is aimed towards students wishing to pursue an insurance industry related degree such as; Risk Management, Actuarial Studies or Insurance Management. Further details can be obtained through the CIIA’s website www.ciia.ky or by linking into the www.education.gov.ky/scholarships webpage. You may also contact the Scholarship Secretariat by email at scholarships@gov.ky or calling 244-2482. Deadline for Applications January 31st, 2017 The Cayman Islands Insurance Association Scholarship will grant up to CI$10,000 per year, for a maximum of four years of study, by providing additional funding to “None of us knew him. We just got the story and decided to help.” ANDREW HULSE, Belize Cayman Association spearheaded outreach ef- forts, along with other associ- ation members. “None of us knew him. We just got the story and decided to help,” he said. While the association has few formal meetings, Mr. Hulse said the group comes together from time to time to address select charitable needs, such as fundraising for schools in Belize. “Whenever we have a need, we will get together and de- cide what we can do to help,” Mr. Hulse said. “When an- other need arises, we’ll do the same thing.” By assuming the respon- sibility for Mr. Coleman’s am- bulance and hospital fees, the association was able to trans- port him to the island in time to save his life. Just three hours after ar- riving in Grand Cayman on Oct. 25, Mr. Coleman suffered a massive heart attack, requiring an emergency, 10-hour cardio- pulmonary bypass. Health City’s senior car- diothoracic and vascular surgeon, Dr. Binoy Chattu- parambil, said Mr. Coleman had a major blockage in his main artery and narrowing in other arteries. “We had planned for the surgery the next morning, but what happened was within three hours, around 10:30 at night, he had a massive heart attack,” Dr. Chattuparambil said in a public statement. “Doing an emergency sur- gery like that when someone has had a cardiac arrest after a heart attack in the middle of the night is not easy …. To do the surgery within such a short span of time, it was really incredible and we have such a good, won- derful team here.” Members of the Cayman Belizean community accom- panied Mr. Coleman when he arrived at the hospital and throughout his recovery. By the second week, Mr. Hulse said he saw Mr. Coleman up and walking, joking and laughing with others. “It was amazing. When we saw him, we couldn’t believe this guy had been on death’s door,” Mr. Hulse said. “Apart from this touching me personally, this touched a lot of people in Cayman. This was someone who was on death’s door and the only way out was to get to Cayman and Health City.” Health City regional sales manager Hemant Balgobin said Mr. Coleman’s story was ultimately the result of in- ternational partnerships and the generous efforts of the local community. “Honestly, it was the Be- lizean community that heard about the case. It was the Be- lizean community that reached out in Cayman. They were in- strumental and spoke directly with the local air ambulance provider to raise money,” Mr. Balgobin said. Ms. Williams said that while it is not uncommon for Belizeans to lend each other a helping hand, this case took her by surprise. “I was so overwhelmed that they actually decided to do this for us and they were that generous. That’s a lot of money,” she said. Ms. Williams continues to raise money to cover remaining costs, but she said her brother-in-law is home now and recovering well. Belizean community in Cayman helps save a countryman’s life CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 A West Bay man was ar- rested Wednesday after police said he held a machete to the throat of a tenant at a home on Getsamay Lane. The inci- dent occurred Monday night around 9 p.m. Police said the suspect, 45-year-old Teodoro Roberto Swaby-Ebanks, also allegedly made threats against others on the property. He appeared in court Thursday charged with causing fear or provocation of vio- lence and possession of an of- fensive weapon. During the court proceed- ings, Crown counsel Candia James objected to bail. Magis- trate Valdis Foldats noted that Swaby-Ebanks was on bail on other charges when Monday’s incident occurred. Defense attorney John Furniss suggested that Swaby- Ebanks could stay at a different address. He indicated that the defendant’s mother is the owner of the property and the defendant would not need to have any interaction with any tenants. The magistrate said the proposed address could be checked for suitability, but he was not making any prom- ises about bail Swaby-Ebanks was re- manded in custody for a bail hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 17. Police: West Bay man threatened tenant with blade Tyron Coleman and his wife, Lovinia ColemanThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 for what will be Cayman’s first election since the 1950s to be held under a one man, one vote scheme. In the May 24 election, Cayman’s three islands will be separated into 19 single- member constituencies, and only voters who reside within those areas can cast ballots. Each voter may select only one candidate, a departure from previous years when voters could select as many as six candidates, depending on where they lived. As of Jan. 1, 2017 – the latest date for which data is available – the number of registered voters in Cayman was 19,449, an all-time high. However, Mr. Howell said more than 1,000 voter reg- istration forms were turned in as a result of the elec- tions office door-to-door voter registration drive and more registrants are coming in by the day. “We’ll definitely get over 20,000 voters, maybe 20,500 by next week,” he said. The most populous dis- trict, George Town, has 7,169 registered voters. Those voters will elect seven can- didates from separate con- stituencies which have about 1,100 votes each. The two smallest districts, North Side and East End, now have 651 and 664 registered voters, respectively. Cayman Brac and Little Cayman have a total of 1,113 registered voters, but those areas will be split into two constituen- cies of about 550 voters each. Bodden Town maintains the second-largest number of voters for Grand Cayman’s districts (5,360), and West Bay is now the third-largest voting district (4,491). While voter registration numbers are up overall, Mr. Howell said the numbers of younger voters, between the ages of 18 and 34, have not been encouraging. According to statistics compiled by the Elections Office comparing the total population to the number of registered voters in each age group, people ages 15-24 made up about 17 percent of the islands’ population, but just 2.6 percent of the registered voters. The sta- tistics are skewed because people ages 15-17 cannot reg- ister to vote, but Mr. Howell said it was clear the younger age group was not exer- cising their democratic right as much as they could. In comparison, older Cay- manians appeared far more likely to vote in the upcoming election. Individuals age 50 and up accounted for nearly 33 percent of those registered to vote in the next election, ac- cording to the Elections Office. “We spoke to young Cay- manians...about how to reg- ister and many said they weren’t interested,” Mr. Howell said. “The reason a lot of them gave was they didn’t want to be chosen for jury duty.” and where the parents were “domiciled.” “These can be convo- luted and technical issues to navigate,” a response from the Bar association re- ceived Thursday indicated. “It is often difficult for per- sons who have not been granted the right to be Cay- manian after the age of 18 to prove that they are, in fact, Caymanian.” It is actually possible for a young person who once had Caymanian status to “lose it” on their 18th birthday. A child of two Cay- manian parents who immi- grated to Cayman and who received Caymanian status after arriving here would usually be considered Cay- manian “by entitlement.” According to the Immi- gration Law, those individ- uals are expected to apply for continuation of that status after reaching age 17, and preferably before they turn 18. If they fail to apply for continuation of that status, they are “seem- ingly not Caymanian,” ac- cording to the Bar associa- tion’s analysis. A section of the Immigration Law allows those individuals to apply and receive that status up until age 24, but if they do not do so, legal prob- lems may ensue. Nicolas Joseph, a partner at the HSM Chambers law firm, has researched this issue for years. According to Mr. Joseph, the gap has resulted in a number of younger Caymanians thinking that they have maintained that status after reaching the age of majority, when in fact they have not. “It appears to me that numerous persons who were Caymanian by Entitle- ment [receiving Caymanian status prior to reaching age 18, via their parents] may not be applying for continu- ation as prescribed/required by law,” Mr. Joseph said in a separate analysis he wrote to the newspaper in No- vember 2015. “I do not know what is becoming of them, but they may be adding to what we in immigration cir- cles refer to as ‘ghost Cay- manians’ i.e. persons who believe they are Caymanian, or who are in any event treated as Caymanian, but who are as a matter of fact (and law) not Caymanians. “We have for some years been seeing an increase of such persons who seem to be here with no ex- press immigration permis- sion, and may have fallen through the cracks,” Mr. Jo- seph continued. “It may be that a substantial number of status grants will be re- quired to resolve the issue.” Mr. Joseph said the number of “ghost Cayma- nians” could be anywhere from several hundred to a few thousand. The issue can arise in particular when someone is applying for a job and claiming Caymanian status. They present their birth cer- tificate and their British Overseas Territories pass- port as proof of status, but in reality, neither one offi- cially proves one holds Cay- manian status. If these individuals apply to the chief immigration of- ficer for acknowledgement of their right to be Cayma- nian, they could be turned down if their status was not regularized, Mr. Joseph said. This problem is seen within some government departments which, ac- cording to the Bar asso- ciation, “appear to have formulated their own mech- anisms, other than re- quiring … formal acknowl- edgement from the chief immigration officer” to de- termine whether a person is Caymanian. “The result can be a vari- ation in treatment and the risk of determinations (ei- ther way) by persons in various government de- partments who may not be properly equipped to make correct determinations with the accuracy and consis- tency which might be ex- pected on such an im- portant issue,” the Bar association wrote. CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JANUARY 13, 2017 Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Stalin Curran Berry of Bodden Town, Grand Cayman, who passed away on Friday, January 6, 2017. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Saturday, January 14, 2017 at 11:00a.m. at Church of God Chapel, Bodden Town. Viewing will be from 10:00-10:45a.m. Interment follows at New Pease Bay Cemetery. The Family Of The Late Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. Ronaldo L. Baluyot regret to announce his passing on Thursday, 22 December 2016. Mr. Baluyot will be repatriated to the Philippines. The Family Of The Late Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. Mikhail Oneil Kelly Russell regret to announce his passing on Tuesday, 3 January 2017. A Funeral service will be held at 3:00 PM Sunday, 15 January 2017 at the Church of God-Full Gospel Hall, South Church Street. Viewing will be from 2:00 PM one hour prior to the service. Interment will follow in Prospect Cemetery. The Family Of The Late Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. Kenneth C. Wright regret to announce his passing on Tuesday, 10 January 2017. A service of thanksgiving for the life of Ken will be held at 3:00 PM Saturday, 21 January 2017 at the John Gray Memorial Church, West Bay. Viewing will be held on Friday, 20 January 2017 from 6-8 PM at Bodden Funeral Service, 117 Walkers RD. Interment will follow in West Bay Cemetery. The Family Of The Late Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. Davylee R. Pouchie regret to announce his passing on Saturday, 7 January 2017. A Funeral Service will be held at 4:00 PM Saturday, 14 January 2017 at the Church of God Chapel, West Bay. The Family Of The Late Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. A Funeral Service will be held 3:00 PM Saturday, 14 January 2017 at The Veteran & Seaman Centre, Cayman Brac. Interment will follow in Stake Bay Cemetery. Margaret Kirkconnell Scott regret to announce her passing on Friday, 2 December 2016. The Family Of The Late Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. Dale Gerald Ebanks regret to announce his passing on Sunday, 1 January 2017. A Funeral service will be held at 4:00 PM Saturday, 14 January 2017 at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witness, Finch Dr., West Bay. Interment will follow in Boatswain Bay Cemetery. Question remains: Who is actually a Caymanian? Last-minute voter push seeks 20,000+ electors Nicolas Joseph CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Total electors by district as of Jan. 1, 2017 DISTRICTNorth SideEast EndCayman Brac & Little Cayman Bodden TownWest BayGeorge Town TOTALS6516641,1135,3604,4917,169Next >