SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX FRIDAY JANUARY 20, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Days of food, fun and frolic Cayman Cookout celebrated its ninth anniversary in style B2 ‘No Man’s Land’ stars two knights Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart face off in Harold Pinter’s comic classic B6 Travel Events Theater ■ MUSIC SCENE Muzaic festival Local musicians and entertainers are honored this weekend. B5 The happiest porkers on Earth Piggyville in the Bahamas is bringing the tourists from far and wide B3 Gimistory winning fish fry Visit the booth of the victorious team at Taste of Cayman B7 STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July Registered Merchant of CaymanGiftCertificates.com Fine Wine and Spirits For the Month of January TORTUGA® SAVE $ 10 REGULAR $56.99 NOW $46.99 JANUARY ONLY DISTILLED SCOTTISH GIN INFUSED WITH ROSE & CUCUMBER CAYMAN WEEKENDER Muzaic festival EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 ELECTRONIC PLATES: WHOSE IDEA, WHY AND AT WHAT COST? High of 86 Low of 73 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY JANUARY 20, 2017 RED BAY SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA Immigration staff arrested in bribe case BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Five people, including three Immigra- tion Department employees, were arrested Thursday by the Cayman Islands Anti-Corrup- tion Commission investigators in connection with a bribery investigation. The individuals, who were not charged at the time of their arrest, are suspected of in- volvement in a scheme to bribe department employees in exchange for assistance with various immigration-related matters. The five were arrested on suspicion of bribing public officials, fraud on the govern- ment and breach of trust, all offenses under the Cayman Islands Anti-Corruption Law. The suspects were not identified be- cause they were not charged. They include a 42-year-old Prospect man, two women, aged 33 and 37 from West Bay, a 56-year-old woman from George Town and a 43-year-old woman from Frank Sound. A statement from the Anti-Corruption Com- mission on Thursday noted that all five people arrested were “detained for questioning” at the Fairbanks jail. More arrests were expected in connection with the investigation, government officials said Thursday. A statement released by the Ministry of Home Affairs Thursday afternoon noted: “After receiving reports of alleged misconduct by some staff, senior immigration officials en- listed the expertise of the Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service. In turn, police officials referred the matter to the Anti-Corruption Commission for investigation.” “The employees who are suspected of breaching the law will be placed on required leave in accordance with the Public Service Management Law,” Acting Chief Immigra- tion Officer Bruce Smith said. Required leave No cruise berthing contract before election JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com No construction contracts will be signed for the cruise berthing project before the May general election, raising the possibility that a new government could decide to re- vise the plan or abandon it. Backers of a dock to support cruise tourism had declared victory in the battle with opponents concerned about the fi- nancial and environmental costs after government committed to go ahead with the plan in 2015. But delays in the extensive planning process appear to have put the issue back on the table with an election looming. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell confirmed this week that government’s ex- pected time line for the project had been re- vised. He said the plan, which calls for two new piers in George Town harbor capable of accommodating four cruise ships, in- cluding the new generation 6,000-passenger mega-ships, would now not go out to tender until June. Now, opponents of the proposal say they are hopeful that a new government could take a different approach. Mr. Kirkconnell said the Progressives government remained committed to de- livering a “world-class cruise facility” and said he hoped any future govern- ment would follow through with the plan after the election. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » Cruise ship tourists board a tender boat at the George Town waterfront Thursday. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY US SENATORS DENOUNCE CAYMAN AS ‘TAX HAVEN’ TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com U.S. Treasury Secretary-designate Steve Mnuchin on Thursday told senators that he had founded – and was a director of – a Cayman Islands hedge fund, but avoided an- swering if he would close the “tax haven.” Michigan Democratic Senator Debbie Sta- benow confronted Mr. Mnuchin about his failure to disclose his Cayman-registered fund, Dune Capital Management, on forms re- quired for the high-powered government posi- tion in the new Donald Trump administration. “You failed to include your position as a di- rector of [a] Cayman Islands Corporation, as well as [an official] in seven additional shell corporations and holding companies as well as $100 million in real estate,” she said. “[A]s Treasury Secretary … would you sup- port closing tax loopholes in the tax code that … extremely wealthy people … – such as yourself – have used to avoid paying taxes?” Ms. Stabenow asked. “I would support changing the tax laws to make them simpler and more effective, yes,” the former Goldman Sachs partner answered. “I did not use a Cayman Island entity to avoid paying taxes for myself,” he said. “So you helped others avoid paying?” Ms. Stabenow asked. Mr. Mnuchin, employed at the Wall Street firm for 17 years, acknowledged that he had helped others with tax issues, but insisted it was perfectly legal. The New York Times reported that “Re- publicans came to Mr. Mnuchin’s defense, suggesting that none of his omissions 2 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY JANUARY 20, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Cayman’s Most Affordable Cimboco - A Caribbean Café 94-PASTA (947-2782) Located in the Marquee Plaza Brunch & Breakfast till 3pm Saturday, Sunday & Holiday Monday! with DJ Flex Free lessons with Kirk starting 9.30pm Every Tuesday Thursday 26th Live Music: Trinity Trio from 7 to 9.30 Harpist Extraordinaire Eugenio Leon Serenades Tableside TONIGHT Friday January 20th Call 949-2231 or email: info@wharf.ky FRIDAY 27th SATURDAY 28th SHOW STARTS AT 7:30 FREE ADMISSION ENJOY THE SHOW WHILE DINING FROM 9:30PM WITH BOB FM EVERY LAST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH Court challenge filed over Legal Practitioners Law BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com An English woman seeking an articled clerkship in the Cayman Islands has asked a court to review the Governor in Cabinet’s refusal of her application to take up that position, according to records filed with the Grand Court last month. The issue centers on regu- lations in the Legal Practitio- ners Law that allow someone to be accepted for an arti- cled clerk position in Cayman only if they are Caymanian or if they have received con- sent in writing from Cabinet to take up such a role. An articled clerk is someone studying to be an accountant or lawyer. They are typically placed under the supervision of a more senior individual in the profession for a certain period before they become a full-fledged at- torney or accountant. In the judicial review application filed with the Grand Court on Dec. 23, Ella Mulroy of Herefordshire states that she made such an application to take such a po- sition after receiving a letter from a local law firm indi- cating they would be willing to offer her employment as an articled clerk. That application was re- fused, according to the judi- cial review filing, on Sept. 26. Ms. Mulroy has asked the court to quash that de- cision on the basis that “no lawful or rational reason has been given” for it. She states she requested the decision in writing from the government “immediately” after she was informed of it. “It is a long-settled prin- cipal of the rules of nat- ural justice that proper, ade- quate reasons must be given,” the judicial review docu- ment states. “[Ms. Mulroy] had a legitimate expecta- tion of being treated … sim- ilarly to other applicants in her similar position.” Under the Legal Practi- tioners (Students) Regula- tions attached to the Legal Practitioners Law, it is gen- erally possible for someone to receive an articled clerk- ship in the Cayman Islands if they are Caymanian and have reached age 18. Ms. Mulroy’s application is made under section 16(2) of the regulations which permit the clerkship if the applicant “has attained the consent in writing of the Cabinet to his registration.” The issue of articled clerk- ships, as well as the ad- mission and hiring of non- Caymanian attorneys, has been one of the most con- tentious issues surrounding proposed changes to the Cayman Islands Legal Prac- titioners Law, which are due to come before the legislature again next month. The previous draft of the lawyers’ bill proposed ex- tending the number of years of experience foreign at- torneys must have before coming to work in the islands from three years to four. However, a group of local at- torneys who opposed the bill during its last iteration in October have argued to push that to five years. Far more stringent rules were also proposed in the bill regarding hiring out- side attorneys on work per- mits, including requirements for a separate business staffing plan for law firms and the ability of a ma- jority Caymanian regula- tory body – created under the bill – to regulate the in- dustry and to discipline firms that fail to hire qualified local candidates. The bill was withdrawn at the last minute by gov- ernment, and Premier Alden McLaughlin has proposed to bring it back for passage in the final Legislative Assembly meeting of his administra- tion’s current term in office. CAL to start Roatan flights in March Cayman Airways plans to launch twice-weekly non- stop flights between Grand Cayman and Roatan, an is- land off the northern coast of Honduras, starting March 16, the airline an- nounced Thursday. The airline currently oper- ates flights year-round from Grand Cayman to La Ceiba, Honduras, twice-weekly. Cayman Airways board chairman Phillip Rankin described the expansion of the Honduras service as a means of building “on the al- ready-established synergies with the Honduras market.” “It will definitely be a positive step for both coun- tries, so we’re looking for- ward to starting this service in March,” he said in a press release. “The new Roatan twice-weekly service will further enhance direct and connecting travel opportu- nities for both business and leisure travelers.” Cayman Airways Pres- ident and CEO Fabian Whorms said in a press re- lease, “Our La Ceiba route did increasingly well last year, with a steady increase of passengers taking advantage of the connectivity we offer between Miami and La Ceiba via Grand Cayman. The intro- duction of an in-transit pro- cessing facility at the Owen Roberts International Airport in 2015 facilitated our ability to develop Grand Cayman as a convenient hub, and more and more we see passengers to and from Honduras taking advantage of our easy con- nections to and from Miami and other gateways. “Building on that growth, we are optimistic that the connections that will be available between Roatan and several gateways in our network, will ensure the success of this route.” Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said the Grand Cayman-Roatan route would reconnect a historical link between Cayman and Honduras, “and particularly the Bay Islands,” and pro- vide convenient travel op- tions for Caymanians and inbound visitors. “In addition to the direct service between our two countries, we also see op- portunities to explore dual destination travel in the fu- ture,” Mr. Kirkconnell added. According to Cayman Air- ways, the nonstop Boeing 737 flights to Roatan will op- erate on Thursdays and Sat- urdays, with flight KX884 departing Grand Cayman at 6:50 p.m., arriving in Roatan at 7 p.m. (Roatan time) where the aircraft will overnight. The return legs are on Fri- days and Sundays, with flight KX885 departing Roatan at 7:35 a.m., arriving on Grand Cayman at 9:45 a.m. Soccer ‘legends’ back in action for halfway house JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former soccer stars, pol- iticians and public figures will lace up their boots once again on Monday for the final match in a series of charity soccer games to raise money for a West Bay halfway house. The “championship game” pits George Town veterans XI against their West Bay counterparts. Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, octogenarian Ivan Farrington, George Town MLA Joey Hew and Brent Hydes, who runs the Hope for Today Founda- tion’s halfway house, will be among those suiting up for the game. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Ed Bush Sta- dium in West Bay. A social event and activities for kids start at 4:30 p.m. The event, dubbed the Championship of Clash of the Legends, pits the two most successful teams from a series of matches last year against each other for the Marcus Cumber Community Cup, named in honor of one of the key sponsors. West Bay will be looking for a measure of revenge after having lost twice to their George Town ri- vals last year. Mr. Hydes said it would be a different story this time. “The guys from West Bay are pumped and ready to rip,” he said. The championship game is the final match in the clash of the legends series, started by Mr. Hydes to raise money for the facility and to raise awareness of substance abuse issues. He said all of the games had been well supported and he expects Monday’s games to be no different. “Our motivation is to en- gage the community and lift the negative stigma around substance abuse,” he added. “We want people to open their eyes and recognize that there are people in this com- munity suffering with sub- stance abuse and we can’t turn a blind eye to it. As goes substance abuse, there goes crime. When you look at the cost of running the halfway house compared to locking people up in prison, it makes sense to try to support us.” Government last year committed $10,000 annu- ally to support the halfway house as part of a “purchase agreement” of services from the facility, which provides a substance-free home en- vironment and support for recovering addicts as they transition to society, often after lengthy prison sen- tences. The rest of the foun- dation’s operations are fi- nanced through corporate sponsors, donations and its own fundraising. From left, Ivan Farrington, Brent Hydes and Ivan Ebanks Jr. at a previous Legends football fundraiser in West Bay for the Hope for Today Foundation. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER “It will definitely be a positive step for both countries, so we’re looking forward to starting this service in March.” PHILLIP RANKIN, Cayman Airways chairman3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JANUARY 20, 2017 JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Landowners who block established public rights of way through their properties to the beach could face court action from government under new legislative amend- ments tabled this week. Planned changes to the Prescriptions Law will allow government to apply to the Grand Court to resolve disputes involving beach access paths. The proposal is the first legislative step toward re- solving an issue that has caused conflict between beachgoers, property owners and developers for decades. A new Public Land Use Bill to regulate how beach access paths are managed is also planned, though this has yet to be published. The proposals come in the wake of a growing number of complaints of private land owners blocking com- monly used access paths to the beach. In some cases, property owners have erected gates and removed beach access signs. In the most extreme cases, developers have built new properties across estab- lished access paths. Any path that has been in consistent use by the public for more than 20 years al- ready acquires the status of a public right of way under the Prescription Law, regardless of who owns the land. However, enforcement of this legislation has been a challenge for decades. Speaking in the Legisla- tive Assembly last year, Plan- ning Minister Kurt Tibbetts said the law was restrictive because it requires aggrieved citizens to bring a private lawsuit at their own expense to the Grand Court when an access is blocked. The amendments will allow government to do it for them, effectively giving them power to intervene when landowners block public accesses. An introduction to the amendment, published in the official government gazette this week, indicates that an agency charged with respon- sibility for ensuring public access to beaches would be able to make an application to the Grand Court to have a dispute settled. The issue of ensuring public access to the beach in the face of increasing de- velopment, particularly along the Seven Mile strip, has come before multiple govern- ments over the past 20 years with almost unanimous sup- port from legislators. Despite vocal support on all sides, rights of way have continued to be blocked. An action group, Con- cerned Citizens, filed 500 af- fidavits with government in 2003 in an attempt to con- vince government to reg- ister nearly 200 beach access paths as public rights of way. Director of Planning Ha- roon Pandohie, at the time an assistant in the planning de- partment, wrote a memo to government’s lawyers in sup- port of the move. He wrote, “The depart- ment supports the move and would be most grateful if you could process these affi- davits and supporting docu- mentation through the courts … the increased population and tourist arrivals result in decreased areas for resi- dents. Ensuring that all res- idents are allowed to access the beach and sea without too much difficulty will sig- nificantly contribute to our social development.” Stephen Hall-Jones, at the time a senior Crown counsel, wrote that it was not possible under the law to register new rights of way en masse. He said the Prescriptions Law automatically created the right of way and the courts were mandated to intervene only if there was a dispute. He said the only way to enforce the law was for citi- zens to bring private actions in court on each occasion their access was blocked. He said it was not possible for government to do it for them. “Individual members of the public must launch indi- vidual lawsuits against in- dividual landowners for in- dividual declarations of the court …. The problem is that individual lawsuits are ex- pensive and individuals may not be willing to spend lots of money establishing public rights of way on behalf of the public generally.” He advised that there was no way round this issue other than for citizens to at- tempt to raise money for their lawsuits. Now, nearly 15 years later, amid continued pres- sure from the Concerned Citi- zens Group and following on from a private members’ mo- tion from East End Legislator Arden McLean last year high- lighting new incidences of access paths being blocked, government is moving to change that law. Under the proposed changes, government or the planning department could take court action against land owners that block accesses. The proposal is the first legislative step toward resolving an issue that has caused conflict between beachgoers, property owners and developers for decades. New plan to enforce beach access rights A new Public Land Use Bill to regulate how beach access paths are managed is planned. - PHOTOT: TANEOS RAMSAYThe 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” FRIDAY JANUARY 20, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS We have deep concerns over the government’s scheme to “repeal and replace” all conventional vehicle license plates in the Cayman Islands with electronic tags over the next three years. We are equally troubled by what the government may be attempting to know about the activities of law-abiding motorists, as we are about what we don’t know about the government’s plan. The government’s usual inclination, regardless of how insignificant, technically obtuse or far-fetched a particular idea is, is to host an interminable series of town hall meetings to talk out a proposal. For example, consider plans for the (apparently now-stalled) cruise port, arts and culture policy, Oxitec mosquitoes, etc. And yet, with the electronic tags — which has quickly evolved from idea to reality — there has been no period of public input that we’re aware of, and nearly all aspects of the plan have never been explained adequately. Just for starters: • Whose idea is this? As far as we can tell, the impetus seems to have come from Planning Minister Kurt Tibbetts, and not directly from the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing, Royal Cayman Islands Police Service or the National Roads Authority. • What, exactly, are the capabilities of the devices that will be attached to everybody’s automobiles? Nobody has stated what it will take for the gov- ernment to move from the relatively straightfor- ward installation of electronic tags and coupons, to having an island-wide system that scans, tracks and stores information on the movements of people’s cars. • Where are these devices coming from? We still don’t know the identity of the manufacturer, any local vendor or what entity might maintain a full-blown tracking system. • When might a tracking system be implemented? The process and timeline for laying down a network of “monitors” are still mysteries. • Why is the government doing this? Is the system designed to help police track criminals (which the plates themselves, apparently, cannot do), or is it to prevent the supposedly widespread theft of number plates? (Before officials turn their attention to stolen plates, how about addressing far more obvious and ubiquitous problems, such as obscured plates, missing plates or eliminating vehicles such as dirt bikes that aren’t even eligible for plates?) • And, perhaps most importantly, how much is all this going to cost? The government has spent millions of dollars on Grand Cayman’s closed-circuit television network without ever having to demonstrate “value for money,” to justify the real and potential invasion of people’s privacy, or to show that the information being collected is secured, safeguarded and protected from misuse. It appears to us the electronic tag scheme has two possible outcomes: It is either a significant additional step toward transforming Cayman into a surveillance state, where public authorities employ watchful electronic eyes to oversee the behavior of all citizens, “just in case” — or, if the entire system never becomes operative, it’s another wasteful government boondoggle, where officials used taxpayer funds to purchase a bill of goods they can never fully utilize, didn’t understand and don’t want. Electronic plates: Whose idea, why and at what cost? FROM FACEBOOK ‘Pride of place’: Keeping Cayman spotlessly beautiful, Jan. 18 I was in Cayman for a week last year. I’m from the U.S. and one of its small coastal towns. I love the ocean. I’m an avid fly fish- erman and spend a lot of time on the ocean and wa- terfronts pursuing the sport and do so mostly on foot, walking and wading. While in Cayman, I fished every day and gained ingress and egress to the ocean at many points throughout the island. I was shocked and appalled! I have never seen any place as trashed and lit- tered as the waterfront of Cayman and I have walked, waded and fished a lot of waterfront in my life. Examining the trash and litter, I can only con- clude that the island coun- tries of the Caribbean must take their trash offshore and dump it in the ocean. Eighty percent of the trash was of a household nature and the balance, commercial in na- ture, mostly fishing. Just about all of it was plastic water bottles and their tops which tend to last much longer than the bottles. If you want a means to fund the cleanup, put a 5-10 cent deposit on plastic con- tainers, all plastic containers. I can’t say as I would ever return to Cayman, mostly for this reason. No matter where I fish I always bring back some quantity of trash and litter left behind by others, but what I saw in Cayman was overwhelming and be- yond the efforts of any one person. Even in the parks, trash was dumped, ap- pliances, mattresses, cars abandoned, debris and litter everywhere. You folks in Cayman can do better. You’re not a third world banana republic. Or maybe you are. Regardless of how it got there, the Cayman people and moreover, the govern- ment, obviously don’t care that their shores, land and parks look like they do, or they would do and have more of an effort on an on- going basis as opposed to once a year. I just know, given an- other choice to fish bone- fish, tarpon and cudda, I’ll go somewhere else. John Mathews The damage done by Chelsea Manning WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL BOARD President Obama’s de- cision Tuesday to commute the 35-year prison sentence of Pfc. Chelsea, née Bradley, Manning will be celebrated on the left as a vindication of a well-intentioned whis- tleblower whose imprison- ment at Ft. Leavenworth as a transgender woman was a travesty of justice. The real travesty is the show of leni- ency for a progressive cause célèbre whose actions put hundreds of lives at risk. For those who need re- minding, Manning was sta- tioned in Iraq as a low- level intelligence analyst when he gained access to troves of classified mate- rial. Starting in 2010 he leaked nearly 750,000 doc- uments to Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks. Included in the material were thousands of secret State Department ca- bles and masses of military information on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As- sange worked with reporters from several news organi- zations to publish the ma- terial, to much self-congrat- ulation about the virtues of transparency. U.S. diplomats and military officers took a less charitable view, with good reason. While many of the State Department cables con- tained little more than dip- lomatic party gossip, others disclosed sensitive conver- sations between U.S. diplo- mats and opposition leaders in repressive regimes. After the disclosure, Zimbabwe’s Morgan Tsvangirai was in- vestigated by the regime of Robert Mugabe for “trea- sonous collusion between local Zimbabweans and the aggressive international world,” as the country’s attorney general put it. Even more dangerous were leaks of operational se- crets, including the names of Afghan informants working with U.S. coalition forces against the Taliban. A Navy SEAL who participated in the 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Paki- stan testified that Manning’s leaks were found on the ter- rorist’s computer. Little wonder that at the time Mr. Obama criti- cized “the deplorable action by WikiLeaks.” Then-Secre- tary of State Hillary Clinton warned that the document dump “puts people’s lives in danger” and was “an at- tack on America’s foreign policy,” its partnerships and alliances. Prosecutors ini- tially sought a life sentence against Manning, who was eventually convicted of 17 of 22 charges, including espio- nage and theft. Within 24 hours of sen- tencing in 2013, Manning said he wanted to begin hor- mone therapy and be known as Chelsea. Last year the Army agreed to finance her medical treatment for gender dysphoria. In December the ACLU and numerous LGBT groups wrote to Mr. Obama urging that he grant clem- ency to Manning, in part on grounds that she has been held in solitary confinement after suicide attempts. The commutation sends a dreadful message to others in the military who might have grievances or other problems but haven’t stolen national secrets. The lesson is that if you can claim gender dysphoria or some other politically cor- rect condition, you can be- tray your country and get off lightly. On Tuesday Mr. Obama also commuted the sentence of Puerto Rican terrorist Oscar López Rivera, who was convicted of “seditious con- spiracy” against the U.S. gov- ernment. He belonged to the FALN, which was responsible for more than 70 bombings in the U.S. between 1974 and 1983, killing five and injuring dozens. Rivera, who has been in prison since 1981, had be- come the political project of “Hamilton” creator Lin- Manuel Miranda, who is a pal of President Obama. No word from the White House on whether the President alerted the families of the FALN’s victims. © 2017, Associated Press This undated photo provided by the U.S. Army shows Pfc. Chelsea Manning. - PHOTO: AP/U.S. ARMY5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JANUARY 20, 2017 Great Looks. Best Prices Always! info@tomlinsonfurniture.ky | www.tomlinsonfurniture.ky 9 Walkers Road | 2nd Floor, Tomlinson Building | George Town | At the 4-Way Stop by GT Hospital SAVINGS UP TO 30% SALE ENDS JANUARY 31 SOFAS JAN. CLEARANCE EVENT! SALE ENDS JANUARY 31 $ 499 As Low As Cayman’s tourism pioneers to be honored on Heroes Day On National Heroes Day on Monday, the Cayman Is- lands government will honor individuals who have played a role in developing and promoting the territory’s tourism industry. A public ceremony will be held in Heroes Square in downtown George Town starting at 8:30 a.m. Dress is business attire for the event, which has as its theme “Pio- neers in Tourism.” Nominations for tourism heroes have been accepted since September in categories for Early Pioneer, Pioneer, Emerging Pioneer, Memorial Scroll for deceased contribu- tors, the Long Service Award for a long-standing member of the industry, and a bravery citation for an individual of exceptional courage. Pio- neers will be awarded with commemorative insignia and certificates. Nine national heroes will also be honored: James Manoah Bodden, Sybil Ione McLaughlin, Thomas Wil- liam Farrington, Sybil Joyce Hylton, Ormond L. Panton, Desmond V. Watler, Mary Evelyn Wood, William Warren Conolly and Roy Ed- ison McTaggart. Premier and Minister of Culture Alden McLaughlin said in a press statement, “We chose tourism as the 2017 theme because the tourism sector is a vital part of our country’s past, present and future. It is time we rec- ognise the people who are committed to this constantly growing sector, and celebrate their hard work and efforts.” Highlights of the day will include 300 preschool and pri- mary schoolchildren waving the flag, a demonstration by the Pathfinders Drill Team, and the District Youth Cook-Off in the library parking lot from 1-3 p.m. Members of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service band, the Cayman Islands Fire Service, Her Majesty’s Prison Service, Cadet Corps, Girls’ Brigade and the Scouts will march through George Town. After the ceremony, there will be a tourism display at Town Hall, and live music and free refreshments will be available at the George Town Public Library parking lot. Road closures will be in effect from 6 p.m. Friday until 9 p.m. Monday to allow for setup and breakdown. Closures will be lifted tempo- rarily Saturday from midnight to noon. Roads affected are the top of Fort Street at the junc- tion of North Church Street, the bottom of Fort Street by the clock tower, Edward Street at the junction of Main Street, the end of Edward Street at Cardinall Avenue, and Albert Panton Street at the junction of Cardinall Avenue. PHILANTHROPIST DONATES BUS TO CAYMAN ACADEMY Local entrepreneur and philanthropist Kenneth Hall Jr. and his wife Waynette have donated a 26-seat school bus to Cayman Academy. The Halls have licensed and insured the vehicle for three years. The custom-made 2017 Ford bus, equipped with seat belts and driver-controlled window security, will trans- port students to and from Cayman Academy. When the bus was handed over on Monday, Mrs. Hall said the donation was prompted by transportation challenges her niece, Paula Ann Thompson, a student at the school, was experiencing. When the Halls checked at the school, they discovered that the school did not have a bus of its own. “All we ask of you is that you all take care of the bus so you can be proud of it whenever you travel in it,” Mrs. Hall told students at Monday’s ribbon-cutting cer- emony, officiated by deputy head boy Le-El Blake and head girl Kristen Reid. The Halls are direc- tors and owners of Cleaning Connection Ltd., a jani- torial service company. They are both members of the Adventist faith. “We are Seventh-day Ad- ventists first and foremost,” Mrs. Hall said, explaining their commitment to ser- vice. She said the couple had sought ways of expressing their duty to serve the com- munity, and as an example of his commitment to ser- vice, Mr. Hall will be one of the bus drivers. Pastor Ivor Harry, educa- tion secretary for the Seventh- day Adventist Conference, was the facilitator between the Halls and the school. “It is not often that we find persons with the spirit and willingness to discover and minister to the needs that exist around them. Cayman Academy is indeed grateful for this outpouring of consideration and kind- ness,” said Pastor Harry. Pastor Shian O’Connor, president of the Cayman Is- lands Conference of Adven- tists, said the increase in the school’s population and the growing complexity of curricular and extracurric- ular activities have made the acquisition of the bus a well-timed event. Principal O’Neil Duncan added, “This gift to the school is an answer to prayers.” Donors Kenneth and Waynette Hall, left with Pastor Shian O’Connor, Principal O’Neil Duncan, Pastor Ivor Harry, Angeline Shillingford and Christopher Rose.6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY JANUARY 20, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS MS Foundation brings fashion, awareness to National Gallery KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com Alyssa Christian describes her experience with mul- tiple sclerosis, an unpredict- able and often painful ner- vous system disorder, as something similar to a wom- an’s handbag. The item’s outward beauty, visible to passersby, belies the chaos hidden inside. “A lot of people, when you tell them you have MS, they’ll say, ‘Oh, but you look great,’ but on the inside I feel ter- rible,” Ms. Christian said. “So I thought about wom- en’s handbags, and they’re beautiful and we spend hun- dreds of dollars on them to get these designer bags and one-of-a-kind pieces, but when you open them up, they’re just a disaster. They are so messy on the inside, so I thought it was a perfect correlation.” Fashion show fundraiser Ms. Christian will bring her handbag concept to a National Gallery stage on March 11, when she will spearhead the “Pretty on the Outside” fundraiser and fashion show for the MS Foundation of the Cayman Islands. Diagnosed in August 2015, Ms. Christian, 27, launched the foundation last year to bring awareness and re- sources to the disease. While the March fundraiser is her first foundation event, she has already brought in sev- eral sponsors, including U.S.- based handbag designer Louise & Eleanor. The brand dedicates a percentage of its proceeds to women’s charities, including Lotus House for homeless women in Miami and Two Wings for sex trafficking sur- vivors in Los Angeles. While the MS Foundation deviates from the company’s standard causes, founder Megan Tierney was inspired by Ms. Christian’s story. She quickly agreed to work with her, even though the two will not actually meet in person until the week of the fundraiser. “I think that she had a dream and she went after it. She made it happen, and her dream is also about giving back to others,” Ms. Tierney said. “That is why we are on this planet … to do some- thing for others. She is very much aligned with the values we have.” Auction The brand has created a special run of bags for the foundation, to be pre- miered and auctioned at the show. The “Hope” bag, with a white background and orange squiggles, rep- resents the disorder created by the disease. Orange is the color commonly used for MS awareness. The 2017 Miss Cayman contestants will model the bags, in a tip of the hat to Ms. Christian, a former contestant. Contestant Taylor Langfitt said the group was inspired to support the MS Founda- tion at its charity this year in part to help fight stigma and promote awareness. “I think it really repre- sents what pageantry is about. It’s about commu- nity and supporting other women. It’s even better to support one who ran with us before, as well as educating the public and ourselves on what the symptoms are,” Ms. Langfitt said. Anika Conolly said their active role in the show also gives it a personal touch for the contestants. “You get a more in-depth look as to the reason why the foundation was created in the first place. You get to hear the stories multiple times and see the people that the foundation affects. You get to see the happy faces when things go well and get joy from seeing that” she said. One of those happy faces will be that of C. Joann West, a fellow MS sufferer who has found a commu- nity of support through the foundation. Mrs. West has stayed active despite her di- agnosis, working at Cayman Airways and volunteering with Junior Achievement Cayman Islands. Junior Achievement involved The children in the Ju- nior Achievement program, inspired by Ms. West, have also chosen to create their own bags to be auctioned at the event. Ten percent of the knapsack proceeds will go to the foundation. “I’m just hoping that what will come out of it is the same thing you see from the cancer societies,” Ms. West said. “I really hope you’ll see the same thing where you have people coming out in droves to support the foun- dation. I know a lot of my friends are there behind me to support this group.” Other event sponsors in- clude Barry Beaux, contrib- uting a dedicated bow tie to the auction, and Appleby. Tickets for the event go on sale on Jan. 24 and can be purchased at www.caymangiftcertificates.com. MS Foundation’s Alyssa Christian, seated, poses with a Louise & Eleanor bag, along with this year’s Miss Cayman contestants, from left, Anika Conolly, Kristin Amaya, Mahalia Seymour, Taylor Langfitt and Chante Smith-Johnson. The 2017 Miss Cayman contestants will model the bags, in a tip of the hat to Ms. Christian, a former contestant.7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JANUARY 20, 2017 MATTRESS SALE MEGA Age, jealousy might affect murder sentence CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com When Jackson Donovan Rainford was fatally shot on the night of Dec. 16, 2012, he was 23 years old. The man found guilty of murdering him, Tareek Ri- cardo Ricketts, was 21. In Grand Court on Wednesday, lead counsel John Ryder submitted that Ricketts’s age at the time of the crime was a factor Jus- tice Alexander Henderson should take into account when determining the ap- propriate specific sen- tence the convicted man should receive. Director of Public Pros- ecutions Cheryll Richards pointed out that at the time Ricketts was convicted, life imprisonment was the only sentence the judge could impose. The Conditional Release Law, which came into ef- fect in February 2016, sets 30 years as the time to be served for murder before the convicted person can apply for conditional re- lease. The 30 years may be adjusted if the judge con- siders there are exceptional factors that would raise or lower that term. Justice Henderson was the trial judge when Rick- etts was convicted in 2013. He has since retired, but has been returning to court to deal with murder cases in which he was the pre- siding judge. He heard sub- missions regarding Rick- etts’s sentence Wednesday and reserved his decision. Mr. Ryder said he did not rely only on Ricketts’s age, but that factor needed to be seen in conjunction with in- tense jealousy and frustra- tion. Ricketts had been in a relationship with a woman who had two children with him. They stopped being to- gether several months be- fore December 2012 and she began a friendship with Mr. Rainford. Just before the shooting, the woman and children had been dropped off at their home by Mr. Rainford and his brother. There was likely to have been a degree of emo- tional immaturity on Rick- etts’s part, Mr. Ryder sug- gested. “An older man might have exercised more restraint,” he added. The attorney said either factor by itself might not be an exceptional extenuating circumstance, but he urged the judge to take a holistic approach – to consider the collective impact of all the relevant circumstances. Mr. Ryder pointed out that Ricketts was of pre- vious good character, he had held a good job, he had continued to provide finan- cially for the children even after his relationship with their mother deteriorated, and he picked them up and took them to school daily. Justice Henderson put these submissions in other words – that Ricketts had been in a quasi-matrimo- nial relationship and was of an age likely to be enraged by the idea of his former partner driving around with another man. Ms. Richards did not agree that Ricketts’s age was an exceptional factor, but accepted that the court could consider his level of maturity. She said the question of jealousy did not amount to provocation, but the court could take it into account. She submitted that the use of a firearm was an ag- gravating factor. Justice Henderson com- mented that it was hard to say murder by shooting was exceptional; most of the murder cases in Cayman that he was aware of seemed to have involved firearms. Later, he observed that the Legislative As- sembly would have been aware that in a clear ma- jority of local murders, the weapon was a gun. He asked if Justice Quin had found exceptional cir- cumstances in a recent murder case involving a gun. Ms. Richards said yes. After being found guilty, Osbourne Douglas and Justin Ramoon were sentenced to 34 and 35 years, respectively, based on the manner in which the killing was carried out and the place – outside a nightclub, where members of the public could have been at risk. Mr. Ryder replied that those factors were not present in Ricketts’s case. The final issue ad- dressed by both counsel had to do with the fact that some inmates sentenced to life imprisonment had ap- plied to the governor for release on license and had been successful before the Conditional Release Law came into effect. Mr. Ryder said it would offend the prin- ciple of fairness to change a law so that a prisoner would have to serve longer now than he would have under the old law. Ms. Richards supplied a list of successful release ap- plicants and how long they had been in custody. The lowest time served was 22 years, she said, and that was one person. Others ranged up to 29 years. It could not be said that there was a legitimate ex- pectation of release after 22 years just because one person was released after that time. The first such release took place in June 2013, she noted. The scene of Jackson Rainford’s shooting on Dec. 16, 2012.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 FRIDAY JANUARY 20, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS FA Cup trophy coming to Cayman The FA Cup trophy, accom- panied by Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke, is set to arrive in the Cayman Islands over the weekend as part of a Caribbean tour to allow foot- ball fans in the region to have access to the cup. Current cup holder Man- chester United has joined with Flow to bring the trophy to Cayman and other Carib- bean countries. After arriving on island late Saturday, the cup will be on display Sunday at Fidel Murphy’s at 8:30 a.m. and at the Mango Tree at 11 a.m. On Monday, a public hol- iday for National Heroes Day, fans can meet Mr. Yorke and have photographs taken with him and with the FA Cup at Academy Sports Club on Out- post Road from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Flow spokeswoman Julie Hutton said. On Tuesday the cup will do the rounds of some of Cayman’s radio stations be- fore being taken to the Flow office so that staff can have their photo taken with it, Ms. Hutton added. The cup arrives in Cayman after being on display in Trin- idad, Barbados and Jamaica. Mr. Yorke, who lifted the FA Cup in 1999 with Unit- ed’s treble-winning team, is Flow’s special guest on the final leg of the tour to make an announcement about an upcoming skills-development initiative for young foot- ballers – another partnership between Flow and Man- chester United, according to a press release. “This is all for our cus- tomers who are lovers of the beautiful game,” Garfield Sin- clair, newly appointed presi- dent of Flow Caribbean, said in the release. “We are the Home of Sports in the Caribbean and our relationship with Man- chester United enables us to give our football fans this amazing opportunity to get up close to the FA Cup, which for some, is a once in a life- time event.” Organizers said fans will also be able to par- ticipate in activities and win prizes from Flow and Man- chester United. Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick of Manchester United lift the FA Cup after the Emirates FA Cup final match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium on May 21, 2016, in London. Fans in Cayman can have their photos taken with the cup and Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke after the cup arrives on island Saturday night. - PHOTO BY MATTHEW PETERS/MAN UNITED VIA GETTY IMAGES The FA Cup trophy is displayed ahead of the Emirates FA Cup final match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace. - PHOTO: MAN UTD VIA GETTY IMAGES US senators denounce Cayman as ‘tax haven’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 were willful …. ” Mr. Mnuchin founded Dune Capital International Ltd. in December 2004, reg- istering it at Queensgate House on South Church Street in George Town. In its listing, the com- pany says it “provides in- vestment services [and] of- fers day to day operations and control investment ac- tivities of various com- panies [sic].” “Dune Capital Man- agement LP is a privately owned hedge-fund sponsor,” according to a Bloomberg summary, which describes Mr. Mnuchin as “co-founder, co-chief executive officer and chairman.” “The firm also manages a real estate opportunity fund for its clients. It primarily invests in the public equity markets of the United States and Western Europe. The firm typically invests in the entertainment industry.” At least two other sena- tors joined Senator Stabe- now’s attacks on the sec- retary-designate, citing the Cayman Islands con- nection. Chuck Schumer of New York, the Senate mi- nority leader, said the nomi- nee’s “failure to disclose his Cayman Islands holdings just reeks of the swamp that the president-elect promised to drain on the campaign trail. “Never before has the Senate considered such an ethically challenged slate of nominees for key Cabinet positions,” he said. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden criticized Mr. Mnuchin for “setting up out- posts in Anguilla and the Cayman Islands, an action that can be explained only by the islands’ zero per- cent tax rate. “In Mr. Mnuchin’s case, millions of dollars in profits from Hollywood ex- ports like the movie ‘Avatar’ were funneled to an off- shore web of entities and investors,” Mr. Wyden said. Mr. Mnuchin said he had always paid personal in- come taxes, but, according to news reports, declined to tell the Senate panel why he operated offshore com- panies. He said tax advan- tages were only one possi- bility, but did not say if that had motivated his creation of the companies. “Didn’t you help create offshore companies to help them avoid paying taxes?” asked New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez. “No, not necessarily,” Mr. Mnuchin said. “I’m abso- lutely committed to working with your office … and not let anyone avoid taxes.” He told Florida’s Bill Nelson that he had moved Dune Capital Partners LLC to Anguilla at one point, saying he and his co-direc- tors had created a “master fund” in the British-ruled island “to become a for- eign entity,” but said the move was to help nonprofits and pensions. Locally, officials at the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority noted that nei- ther Dune Capital nor Mr. Mnuchin was listed under registered/licensed mutual funds or mutual funds ad- ministrators, but said his position as director would not necessarily be part of the public record. Former CIMA director and head of Maples and Calder Tim Ridley said he was unfamiliar with Dune or Mr. Mnuchin, but “would be surprised if he were not involved in hedge funds in the Cayman Islands.” Cayman boasts approx- imately 10,000 such funds, and is acknowledged as the world’s leading domicile. “It’s quite legal to be in- volved in hedge funds in Cayman,” Mr. Ridley said, “and to have them set up by investors. I think he [Mr. Mnuchin] has much more sensitive issues to face than that.”The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JANUARY 20, 2017 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 In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the John Gray Memorial Church, West Bay. The Family Of The Late Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. Owen Kirkwood Evans regret to announce his passing on Friday, 13 January 2017. A service of thanksgiving for the life of Kirkwood will be held at 11:00 AM Saturday, 21 January 2017 at the Wesleyan Holiness Church West Bay. Viewing will be held from 10:00 AM one hour prior to the service. Interment will follow in West Bay Cemetery. status in the Cayman Is- lands government means suspension with pay. The arrests were an- other major hit to the Im- migration Department, which has seen a number of high-profile arrests in recent years, as well as other allegations of admin- istrative misconduct. The most recent inci- dent involves charges filed against Assistant Chief Im- migration Officer Jeannie Lewis in connection with assisting an illegal immi- grant to remain in Cayman. A charge of driving under the influence against Deputy Chief Immigra- tion Office Garfield “Gary” Wong – who is in charge of the department’s enforce- ment section – was before the courts this month and is still being adjudicated. Chief Immigration Of- ficer Linda Evans remains on required leave in con- nection with an adminis- trative investigation that was made public in De- cember 2014. Ms. Evans has not been charged with a crime, and the misconduct allegations against her have still not been resolved. “While the Ministry is unable to speak for fu- ture administrations, we would hope that the ut- most consideration would continue to be given to the best interests of the Cay- manian people and the fu- ture sustainability of the cruise tourism industry,” he said in an emailed re- sponse to questions from the Cayman Compass. He attributed delays in the project to govern- ment’s desire to follow best practice for major projects, which include a business case and environmental impact assessment report, as well as later attempts to alter the design to ad- dress community concerns about damage to coral reefs in the harbor. “The Ministry is pleased with the steady progress being made and is satis- fied that we are doing ev- erything possible to deliver a world-class and afford- able cruise berthing fa- cility,” he added. “Some aspects of the process are unfortunately taking more time but even so, the process should not be rushed, otherwise we run the risk of compromising the efficacy of the reports.” Government is in the process of selecting con- sultants to help formulate the financial model for the project, which is expected to cost around $200 million. Mr. Kirkconnell believes the reports commissioned by the government have demonstrated the need for cruise berthing facilities for the island’s economy. “The provision of a cruise berthing facility is an issue relevant to the fu- ture sustainability of the cruise tourism industry and the people who depend on the success of this industry for their livelihoods. It can therefore be considered a national issue rather than an election issue,” he added. Leader of the Opposition McKeeva Bush also sup- ports a cruise berthing fa- cility. But he stopped short of committing to follow through with the cur- rent government’s plan for George Town harbor if he is elected as premier again in May. “I am concerned that we do need a cruise pier, par- ticularly for the mom and pop operations that depend mostly on cruise tourism. We have to be concerned about that, but we also have to look at any damage to the corals and the dredging that will be required. “After the election, I would sit down with both sides and look at the pros and cons. We would need to know how much is it really going to cost and how is it going to be paid for. I don’t think we have had all the answers about that yet.” He said he expected the issue to be a talking point in the run-up to the election. “It will be an issue for the PPM because they gave me licks about it and four years later they haven’t done any- thing except more reports.” Sustainable Cayman, which led protests against the port plan in 2015, said in a statement that it hoped priority would be given to preserving Cayman’s nat- ural environment. “Through petitions and peaceful protest, thousands of Caymanians and friends of our islands have ex- pressed the desire to pro- tect these reefs and shown concern for the state of our environment …. We have yet to see any evidence that the claimed economic benefits will jus- tify the ecological damage and the significant cost of the proposed Cruise Berthing Facility. “Our small islands cannot withstand the effects of over- development, nor do we have the infrastructure to support such large influxes of people and our own growing popu- lation. We need to begin to have a conversation about how to sustainably develop our tourism industry, and our country, as a community,” the statement said. Robert Hamaty, owner of the Tortuga Rum Factory and chair of the Association for the Advancement of Cruise Tourism, said he believes any sensible government would follow through with the cruise pier project. “I fail to see a new govern- ment not going ahead unless their decision is to let George Town die,” he added. Cruise project timeline ■■ The request for pro- posals for consultants to assist with the finan- cial modeling was is- sued in December 2016 ■■ Submissions in re- sponse to the RFP are due this month ■■ The review pro- cess is under way and a contract is ex- pected to be awarded in February 2017 ■■ Pre-qualification pe- riod for contractors is expected to run from March to May 2017 ■■ The request for pro- posals inviting pre- qualified contractors to submit a bid is expected to be issued in June ■■ A contract for con- struction is to be awarded later in 2017. White House denies clemency for Indian activist Peltier MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Presi- dent Barack Obama has de- nied a clemency request by American Indian ac- tivist Leonard Peltier, who has spent most of his life in prison in the killing of two FBI agents in South Dakota in 1975, Peltier’s attorney said Thursday. His attorney, Martin Garbus, said they received a letter from the White House on Wednesday night saying their application to com- mute his sentence to the 40 years he has already served has been denied. “He understands that this is a death sentence,” Garbus said. “He’s in very bad physical condition. (President-elect Donald) Trump is not going to grant him clemency.” Peltier’s supporters say he was wrongly convicted in the killings of FBI agents Jack Coler and Ronald Wil- liams during a shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He has ex- hausted his appeals and his parole requests have been denied. Peltier’s sup- porters consider their clem- ency request to Obama as their last chance for win- ning his freedom. The FBI maintains he is guilty and was properly sentenced to two consecu- tive life terms. Peltier, 72, is incarcer- ated at the federal prison is Coleman, Florida. He was active in the American In- dian Movement, which grabbed headlines in 1973 when it took over the village of Wounded Knee on the res- ervation, leading to a 71-day standoff with federal agents. Tensions between AIM and the government remained high for years, providing the backdrop for the fatal con- frontation in which both agents were shot in the head at close range. Amnesty International, which considers Peltier a political prisoner, issued a statement saying Obama’s decision means Peltier may die in prison. “The families of the FBI agents who were killed during the 1975 confronta- tion between the FBI and American Indian Movement (AIM) members have a right to justice, but justice will not be served by Peltier’s continued imprisonment,” said Margaret Huang, execu- tive director of Amnesty In- ternational USA. But former FBI agent Ed Woods, who has long cam- paigned to keep Peltier im- prisoned, issued a statement thanking the president. “We are collectively grateful, and humbled, that you chose not to grant com- mutation to Leonard Pel- tier,” Woods said. “His brutal attack and murder of two young FBI Agents and his remorseless public statements support that justice should continue as he serves the remainder of his lawful conviction and sentence.” Immigration staff arrested in bribe case CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 No cruise berthing contract before election American Indian activist Leonard Peltier in 1999 Peltier, 72, was active in the American Indian Movement, which grabbed headlines in 1973 when it took over the village of Wounded Knee on the reservation, leading to a 71-day standoff with federal agents. Government is in the process of selecting consultants to help formulate the financial model for the project, which is expected to cost around $200 million. Tourism Minister Moses KirkconnellNext >