ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2017 High of 84 Low of 73 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 SWISS VOTERS SAY ‘NEIN’ TO TAX BULLIES BUSINESS | PAGE 10 PANAMA PAPERS LAW FIRM PARTNERS ARRESTED Ghost of CarePay haunts collections BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The lack of real-time electronic verifica- tion of and authorization for health insurance coverage in the Cayman Islands is driving up costs and “the frustration level” for everyone involved, lawmakers heard Monday afternoon. Superintendent of Health Insurance Mervyn Conolly told the Legislative Assem- bly’s Public Accounts Committee that the need for a real-time electronic verification system for healthcare claims has been recognized for years, but never successfully implemented. “Unfortunately, we know what happened with that particular initiative,” Mr. Conolly said. “It’s really unfortunate. I can’t stress how much we need such a system. “It would reduce the number of com- plaints we receive from healthcare practitio- ners from 60-70 percent … and it certainly would help the insured persons.” What “happened” between 2014 and last year was the arrest, trial and corruption conviction of former Health Services Authority board chairman Canover Watson in con- nection with an elaborate scheme to funnel money from the public hospital’s patient swipe-card system, known as CarePay. Although the CarePay cards were never used outside of the public hospitals, the former United Democratic Party government had intended at one point to expand the system to the islands’ nine private sector in- surance companies. However, the system was abandoned prior to Mr. Watson’s conviction in early 2016 on fraud and corruption charges. ‘Fairly complex’ The Cayman Islands healthcare system currently depends on what Mr. Conolly re- ferred to as a “fairly complex” arrangement between the nine private sector health insur- ance providers, the public system (Health Ser- vices Authority), the insurance companies and the patients. Mr. Conolly said that while the government CUBANS REQUEST LEGAL COUNSEL KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Cuban migrant detained in George Town made a plea for asylum Monday that he hoped would reach the Cayman Islands Gov- ernor’s Office. Miguel Garcia, who said he has been held in Grand Cayman for three-and-a-half months, made an attempt to share a handwritten letter from inside the detention center, in which he requested the governor consider his request for political asylum. The letter was confiscated by facility officials who deemed the message to be a possible security concern. An officer confirmed that 71 Cubans are currently being held in the facility, used to de- tain migrants who make unauthorized landfall Girlfriend: ‘Syed wanted to marry me’ Former girlfriend says professor bought weekly gifts JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The former girlfriend of Hassan Syed testified Tuesday that the professor had wanted to marry her and had bought her lavish gifts, including jewelry, cash and a car. Katrina Parchment met the former president of the Univer- sity College of the Cayman Is- lands when she was working in the Portfolio of the Civil Service, according to her police state- ment, which was read into evi- dence in Syed’s Grand Court trial. She said she had found the professor intelligent and “fasci- nating to listen to” and they had started dating. “He wanted me to be his girl- friend and shortly after that he proposed and wanted us to get married.” Ms. Parchment, in her state- ment, indicated that Syed gave the impression that he was very rich and bought her gifts on a weekly basis. “We frequented The Ritz- Carlton. We would go there for cocktails and sometimes we would go upstairs to Tiffany’s Jewelry Store. “Sometimes I would be with him and he would pur- chase something. If I looked at HospiceCare set to break ground within weeks TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Groundbreaking for the new four-bed- room Cayman HospiceCare building, behind Coconut Joe’s Beach Bar and Grill on West Bay Road, is scheduled within 10 weeks, ac- cording to HospiceCare executives. Contractors have already cleared a pre- liminary access road into the site, which houses a Dart Realty arboretum and two abandoned homes. Construction on the $2.5 million project will begin immediately, taking a year to finish. The new building will replace Hospice- Care’s current premises, which combine administration at Trafalgar Place and med- ical care in a two-bedroom inpatient unit at The Pines. HospiceCare last summer left its original home, the 3,000-square-foot Conch Shell House on North Sound Way. HospiceCare Director of Operations and Development PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » GOVERNOR KILPATRICK INJURED IN FALL Cayman Islands Governor Helen Kilpatrick has been hospitalized since Saturday after she was injured in a fall at her residence. According to a government state- ment released Tuesday afternoon, Ms. Kilpatrick was admitted to hospital in George Town over the weekend after “slipping on a wet floor and in- juring her ribs.” The statement continued: “She is currently responding well to treat- ment and is likely to be released in the next few days.” An architect’s rendering of the new Cayman HospiceCare facility on West Bay Road.2 LOCAL&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - WEDNESDAY - LEGO BATMAN 3D (PG) 12:30 | 3:45 2D | 6:50 | 9:35 2D XXX: RETURN OF THE (PG13) XANDER CAGE 3D 12:40 2D | 4:00 | 7:25 2D | 10:00 FIFTY SHADES DARKER (R) 12:45 | 3:50 | 7:15 | 9:55 HIDDEN FIGURES (PG) 1:00 | 4:00 | 6:50 | 9:45 PATRIOTS DAY (R) 12:35 | 3:40 | 6:45 | 9:40 The quoted sale fare is based on roundtrip economy class purchase for travel between Roatan and Grand Cayman. Government and airport taxes and fees of up to CI$122.12 per ticket apply. Taxes may vary based on currency exchange rates at the time of booking. No minimum stay requirements apply and a maximum stay of seven (7) days is allowed. Fares are valid for travel between March 16, 2017 and June 30, 2017. All tickets must be purchased between February 10 - 28, 2017, or within one day of booking, whichever is earlier. All segments must be confirmed. Fares are non-refundable and non-transferable. Seats are limited for this fare and may not be available on every flight. Change fee is CI$63.00 plus any fare difference. Through fares to the Sister Islands are available for up to an additional CI$50.40 per roundtrip. For details and to book, call Cayman Airways Reservations on 345-949-2311, contact a travel agent, or book online at caymanairways.com AIRFARES NOW ON SALE! NOW FLY NONSTOP TO HURRY! SALE ENDS FEBRUARY 28, 2017. TRAVEL BETWEEN MARCH 16, 2017 AND JUNE 30, 2017. $142* CI *Roundtrip to/from Grand Cayman, plus taxes & fees SALE FARES STARTING FROM JUST Anne Frank’s stepsister to share story of Holocaust survival Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, the stepsister and best friend of Anne Frank, will speak at The Ritz- Carlton, Grand Cayman next month about her experience surviving the Auschwitz con- centration camp and her life of humanitarian work. The event, scheduled for 7 p.m. on March 6, is free and open to the public. Mrs. Schloss was Anne Frank’s childhood friend in Amsterdam before the start of World War II and the German occupation of the Netherlands. Ms. Frank’s writings, published in “The Diary of a Young Girl” in 1947, documented the occupation from 1942-1944. Anne Frank and her sister Margot died of typhus at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945. After Ms. Frank’s death, Mrs. Schloss said, she often felt left in her friend’s shadow and was motivated to use her own life to inspire others. The two became stepsis- ters after the Holocaust when Ms. Frank’s father married Mrs. Schloss’s mother. Rabbi Berel Pewzner, di- rector of the Chabad Cayman Jewish Community, said Mrs. Schloss’s story offers a lesson on strength and courage that transcends religion. “She is 87 years old and although she is very sharp mentally, re-living the terror and the embers of hope that burned throughout the years of degradation and starvation requires almost superhuman energy,” Rabbi Pewzner said in a press statement. “Her story of hope and re- silience will inspire all of us for its courage and for the example it sets of good out- weighing evil. “Being able to hear a firsthand account of Anne Frank’s life is truly a once- in-a-lifetime opportunity. She has left behind a diary that allowed the world to see the ravages of war through a child’s eyes and through the daily life of a family being torn apart bit by bit, limb by limb, dream by dream,” Rabbi Pewzner said. “Eva went on to live in the shadow but also in the light, creating for herself a full and rich life – author, wife, mother, grandmother, humanitarian.” Reservations to attend the event can be submitted at www.jewishcayman.com/annefrank. Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss Anne Frank at school in 1940 Venezuela’s VP shrugs off drug sanctions CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – Venezuela’s vice president shrugged off U.S. sanctions identifying him as a major international drug traf- ficker, saying Tuesday that the actions by the Trump ad- ministration only deepen his commitment to the anti-im- perialist revolution started by the late Hugo Chavez. In a series of defiant messages posted on social media, Tareck El Aissami said the “miserable and defama- tory aggression” by the U.S. won’t distract him from his job of rescuing Venezuela’s crashing economy from what he called sabotage by its conservative opponents. “They’ll never be able to de- feat our unbreakable reso- lution to be free forever,” El Aissami said. The Trump administration on Monday froze the U.S. as- sets of El Aissami and banned him from entering the U.S. for his alleged role facilitating multiple ton-loads of cocaine shipments from Venezuela. El Aissami is the highest- ranking Venezuelan official to ever be sanctioned by the U.S. and his designation as a drug kingpin is bound to ratchet up tensions between the two countries, who have not exchanged ambassa- dors since 2010. But whether the ac- tion signals a hardening U.S. stance toward Presi- dent Nicolas Maduro’s so- cialist government, or is just a carry-over of policies set in motion by the Obama ad- ministration, remains to be seen, analysts said. Under Obama, the U.S. was careful not to call for the unpopular Maduro’s removal, as the op- position has been seeking, choosing instead to support a Vatican-sponsored dialogue aimed at avoiding bloodshed. “Patience has worn out,” said Chris Sabatini, editor of Latin America Goes Global, a website that tracks U.S. policy toward the region. “There’s a mounting sense of frustra- tion, even in the State Depart- ment and on the Hill, that the dialogue is going nowhere.” For now, no additional ac- tions against Venezuela are in the works, said a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity be- cause he was not authorized to discuss policy. It’s also not clear whether Trump person- ally signed off on the sanc- tions, although in conver- sations over the weekend with the presidents of Peru and Colombia he raised concerns about Venezue- la’s deteriorating humani- tarian situation. Sabatini pointed out that unlike previous sanctions, issued under legislation al- lowing Obama to go after Venezuelan officials behind human rights abuses, the latest asset seizure was car- ried out by the Treasury De- partment under two-decade- old drug kingpin legislation that in theory is driven by law enforcement investiga- tions. The U.S. Embassy in Caracas, in announcing the sanctions, made no mention of El Aissami’s position in- side Venezuela’s government. El Aissami, 42, has been the target of U.S. law enforce- ment investigations for years, stemming from his days as interior minister when dozens of fraudulent Vene- zuelan passports ended up in the hands of people from the Middle East, including al- leged members of Hezbollah.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2017 The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” Coming out of Switzerland is a developing story that’s not exactly “Man bites dog,” but certainly constitutes “Man bites back,” and is particularly instructive to the people of the Cayman Islands. In brief, Swiss voters rejected plans (backed by top poli- ticians, big business and European interests) to end special tax breaks for foreign companies based in Switzerland, fearing that proposed reforms would lead to cuts in govern- ment services and/or higher taxes on individual residents. The “powers that be” (or at least “pretend to be”), including the European Union and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, have been pres- suring Switzerland to do away with relatively low tax rates for multinationals for more than a decade. (It’s a familiar application of the OECD’s financial philosophy masquer- ading as concern over “fairness.) The Swiss government capitulated, promising in 2014 to end the “loophole” by 2019. To make up for the expected increase in federal taxation for the multina- tionals, officials concocted a package of reforms, including local tax breaks and deductions for those companies. Swit- zerland’s Federal Assembly passed the measures, but the Swiss people successfully petitioned for a referendum. When the government’s tax reform platter was pre- sented to voters – they turned up their noses and refused to eat it. That’s sent officials back to the drawing board … er, kitchen cutting board … to see what else they can cook up. Strictly speaking, what happens in Switzerland no longer stays in Switzerland, after their government (again under EU pressure) poked bigger holes in the coun- try’s famous “bank secrecy” regime than are present in the country’s famous slices of Swiss cheese. But what happens to Switzerland should be watched quite carefully, and with great caution, by territories that are striving to emulate and eventually surpass the Swiss offshore model — including Cayman. Cayman prides itself (and rightly so) for being one of the largest financial services centers facilitating the global economy. In the offshore world, the seminal pioneer and ultimate standard by which all other jurisdictions are judged is, of course, Switzerland. Cayman is a pretty big fish in the offshore pond, but Switzerland is the biggest. Accordingly, if something is foisted upon Switzerland (with all its clout, wealth and history), it is easy to imagine its being foisted upon Cayman. The “globalist/localist” dynamic playing out in Switzerland is, in our minds, illustrative of the greater pattern of shifting alliances across the planet. In simple and limited terms, it could be described as the promoters of “tax fairness” versus the proponents of “tax competition.” In the former camp fall the “Old Global Guard” repre- senting the EU, European Commission, Angela Merkel’s Germany, OECD, Financial Action Task Force, etc. We think of them collectively as “Brussels’ Bullies,” full of self- importance and bureaucratic bluster, comprised, mostly, of discredited leftist/socialist orthodoxy better suited for a Harvard class on Keynes than the real world. In the latter camp are Theresa May’s United Kingdom and Donald Trump’s United States, with upstarts in France, Greece and other places threatening to upend the “Euro- centric” order that has been the mentality, sentimentality and reality for the past 30-plus years. In the middle, offshore financial centers occupy some- what-shifting ground, with the most prominent con- stantly under siege by the OECD and their like-minded ilk. That, of course, includes Cayman, and to an even greater extent, Switzerland. We in Cayman should keep in mind the following: Although Switzerland and Cayman share common foes, our relationship is one of friendly rivals. Every dollar that Switzerland loses, or surrenders, is an opportunity for someone else. (Why not Cayman?) That being said, we applaud our Swiss friends who had to the good sense to realize that the “power of the vote” translates deftly into the “power of the purse.” Swiss voters say ‘Nein’ to tax bullies WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Gerrymandering against democracy Why is no one protesting? BRIAN KLAAS Special To The Washington Post There is an enormous par- adox at the heart of Amer- ican democracy. Congress is deeply and stubbornly un- popular. On average, between 10 and 15 percent of Ameri- cans approve of Congress – on a par with public support for traffic jams and cock- roaches. And yet, in the 2016 election, only eight incum- bents – eight out of a body of 435 representatives – were defeated at the polls. If there is one silver bullet that could fix American de- mocracy, it’s getting rid of ger- rymandering – the now com- monplace practice of drawing electoral districts in a dis- torted way for partisan gain. In the 2016 elections for the House of Representatives, the average electoral margin of victory was 37.1 percent. That’s a figure you’d expect from North Korea, Russia or Zimbabwe – not the United States. But the shocking re- ality is that the typical race ended with a Democrat or a Republican winning nearly 70 percent of the vote, while their challenger won just 30 percent. Last year, only 17 seats out of 435 races were decided by a margin of 5 percent or less. Just 33 seats in total were de- cided by a margin of 10 per- cent or less. In other words, more than 9 out of 10 House races were landslides where the campaign was a foregone conclusion before ballots were even cast. In 2016, there were no truly competitive Congres- sional races in 42 of the 50 states. That is not healthy for a system of government that, at its core, is defined by polit- ical competition. Gerrymandering, in a word, is why American de- mocracy is broken. Gerrymandering has been increasingly used as a tool to divide and distort the elec- torate. More often than not, state legislatures are tasked with drawing district maps, allowing the electoral foxes to draw and defend their henhouse districts. As a result, districts from the Illinois 4th to the North Carolina 12th often look like spilled inkblots rather than coherent voting blocs. They are anything but accidental. The Illinois 4th, for example, is nicknamed “the Latin Ear- muffs,” because it connects two predominantly Latino areas by a thin line that is effectively just one road. In so doing, it packs Democrats into a contorted district, en- suring that those voters cast ballots in a safely Democratic preserve. The net result is a weakening of the power of Latino votes and more Re- publican districts than the electoral math should rea- sonably yield. Because Dem- ocrats are packed together as tightly as possible in one district, Republicans have a chance to win surrounding districts even though they are vastly outnumbered geographically. These uncompetitive dis- tricts have a seriously corro- sive effect on the integrity of democracy. If you’re elected to represent a district that is 80 percent Republican or 80 percent Democratic, there is absolutely no incentive to compromise. Ever. In fact, there is a strong disincen- tive to collaboration, because working across the aisle al- most certainly means the risk of a primary challenge from the far right or far left of the party. For the overwhelming majority of Congressional representatives, there is no real risk to losing a general election – but there is a very real threat of losing a fiercely contested primary election. Over time, this causes sane people to pursue insane pandering and extreme po- sitions. It is a key, but often overlooked, source of con- temporary gridlock and end- less bickering. There are two pieces of good news. First, several court rulings in state and fed- eral courts have dealt a blow to gerrymandered districts. Several court rulings objected to districts that clearly were drawn along racial lines. Per- haps the most important is a Wisconsin case (Whitford v. Gill) that ruled that dis- tricts could not be drawn for deliberate partisan gain. The Supreme Court will rule on partisan gerrymandering in 2017, and it’s a case that could transform – and rein- vigorate – American democ- racy at a time when a posi- tive shock is sorely needed. Second, fixing gerryman- dering is getting easier. Given the right parameters, com- puter models can fairly ap- portion citizens into districts that are diverse, competitive and geographically sensible – ensuring that minorities are not used as pawns in a na- tional political game. Partisan politics is to be exercised within the districts, not during their formation. But gerrymandering inten- sifies every decade regard- less, because it’s not a politi- cally “sexy” issue. When’s the last time you saw a march against skewed districting? Even if the marches do come someday, the last stub- born barrier to getting re- form right is human nature. Many people prefer to be sur- rounded by like-minded citi- zens, rather than feeling like a lonely red oasis in a sea of blue or vice versa. As the urban/rural divide in Amer- ican politics intensifies, com- petitive districts will be harder and harder to draw. The more we cluster, the less we find common ground and compromise. Ultimately, though, we must remember that what truly differentiates democ- racy from despotism is po- litical competition. The longer we allow our districts to be hijacked by partisans, blue or red, the further we gravi- tate away from the founding ideals of our republic and the closer we inch toward the death of American democracy. Klaas is a Fellow in Comparative Politics at the London School of Economics and author of ‘The Despot’s Accomplice: How the West is Aiding & Abetting the Decline of Democracy.’ © 2017, Washington Post5 LOCAL&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2017 Shane Storr Senior Relationship Manager, Business Banking It’s All About You Shane Storr is one of RBC’s leading business banking relationship managers, having served in this capacity for the past 12 years. He has extensive experience in banking and finance and is proficient in the areas of loss mitigation, commercial banking, structured financing, risk management, business development, financial analysis and real estate financing. Shane is a two time recipient of the RBC Leo Awards for 2015 and 2016 – the most prestigious award and pinnacle of recognition at RBC, presented to a select few outstanding employees globally. He holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on finance and business strategy from Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada. For more information about RBC’s business banking products and services, call 914-8222 or 916-7234 or email Shane at shane.storr@rbc.com www.rbc.com/caribbean, ®/™ Trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence Absolute discharge given for leaving scene of fatal accident Tibbetts entered guilty plea in Traffic Court CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Nicholas Patrick Tibbetts, who completed a prison sen- tence for causing death by careless driving, received an absolute discharge on Tuesday for the related of- fense of leaving the scene of an accident. Immigration officer Tib- betts, 26, appeared in Traffic Court before Magistrate Adam Roberts. The magis- trate asked defense attorney Amelia Fosuhene what had happened with Tibbetts’s matter in the Grand Court. Ms. Fosuhene replied that the defendant had pleaded guilty. The charge was causing the death of Donnie Ray Connor, 59, by driving carelessly on along the Lin- ford Pierson Highway on April 23, 2015. She explained that Tib- betts had since served his sentence of three-and-a-half months. She said the sen- tencing judge, Dame Linda Dobbs, had taken into con- sideration the aggravating factor that Tibbetts had left the scene. Further, she noted, the judge had com- mented that the prosecution “would take a view” of the charge of leaving the scene. “The prosecution has taken the view that they will not take a view,” she added. Leaving the scene of an accident without reasonable excuse is a category C offense in the Traffic Law, meaning it can be heard only in the Summary Court. The magistrate put the charge to Tibbetts – that he unlawfully left the scene of an accident that occurred on Linford Pierson Highway in the vicinity of Halifax Drive on April 23, 2015, without reasonable cause for leaving. Tibbetts replied, “Guilty.” The magistrate then told Tibbetts he would give him an absolute discharge. Cayman’s Criminal Pro- cedure Code gives a court the discretion to make an order discharging an ac- cused person absolutely if it is of the view that it is not expedient to inflict any punishment. The U.K. Sentencing Council, frequently cited in Cayman cases, explains that an absolute discharge means that the court has taken the decision not to impose punishment. How- ever, the offender still gets a criminal record. After dealing with the matter, the magistrate told Crown counsel Garth Dixon he was sure that Mr. Dixon did not make the decision to proceed with this case, “but it’s ridiculous.” Ms. Fosuhene had further advised the court that the sentencing judge had taken into account the 19 months Tibbetts spent wearing an electronic monitor. The starting point for the sentence was 12 months im- prisonment, with discount for a guilty plea taking it to eight months. Partial credit for the time Tibbetts’s lib- erty was curtailed reduced the sentence further to three- and-a-half months. As previously reported, Tibbetts had told police when interviewed that he had no recollection of the in- cident, saying he must have fallen asleep at the wheel. CCTV from a gas station had shown him making re- pairs to the car shortly after the incident. Tibbetts said he only realized he was in an accident when he was by the Country and Western Bar on Crewe Road. In her sentencing re- marks on Dec. 16, Dame Dobbs said she found it hard to believe that Tib- betts had slept through the incident. She said the im- pact of Mr. Connor hitting the car and being carried on its bonnet and the sound of his bicycle being dragged beneath the car “would have woken the dead.” The Crown has been asked whether the sentence will be appealed as unduly lenient, but as of press time there was no reply. COLOMBIA KEEPS COCAINE FROM SPOILING VALENTINE’S DAY FLOWERS BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) – Co- caine is probably the last thing most people think about when buying roses. But every year, police and growers in Colombia must work around the clock to make sure that the ro- mance of Valentine’s Day is not spoiled by the drug, the nation’s other major export along with flowers. As much as 330,000 pounds of flowers leave Co- lombia on 30-plus jumbo cargo planes daily starting in late January, presenting an opportunity for the coun- try’s ingenious drug car- tels to penetrate the fren- zied, overworked chain of suppliers and stash drugs amid the roses. “Without a doubt we’re a target,” said Au- gusto Solano, president of the Colombian flower ex- porters’ association. Security protocols that the flower industry devel- oped with police begin the moment that refrigerated trucks carrying rose buds depart dozens of flower farms dotting the wa- terlogged savannah sur- rounding Colombia’s cap- ital. Once the flowers are inside the airport, 100 po- lice offices equipped with 15 drug-sniffing dogs and electronic scanners inspect each shipment. Last year, police said they found almost 200 pounds of cocaine hidden in flower boxes. “We have to guarantee that our flower exports aren’t contaminated by criminal gangs,” Col. Julio Triana said as he and his drug-sniffing Labrador re- triever walked through the refrigerated warehouse where flowers are kept be- fore being loaded onto cargo planes.DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days Sister Islands WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Thanksgiving service kicks off LSHS anniversary events As part of its 50th anniver- sary celebrations, the Brac’s Layman E. Scott Sr. High School held a special thanks- giving service last month. The service, organized by the anniversary celebratory committee headed by Wanda Tatum and Yvette Gayle, was held on Sunday, Jan. 29, at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre. It marked the official launch of the school’s 50th “Golden” anniversary and was at- tended by various dignitaries from education and govern- ment, along with alumni and members of the community, a press release states. Spe- cial guests included Premier Alden McLaughlin, Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell, Minister of Education, Em- ployment and Gender Affairs Tara Rivers, and Acting Chief Education Officer Lyneth Monteith. The school’s first principal, the late Layman E. Scott, was represented by family members who were in attendance. According to the school’s website, the Cayman Brac Secondary Modern School opened on Jan. 23, 1967 with 73 students and 4 staff members. “Previous to this time, the Jamaica Local Centre had been the only Govern- ment facility whereby Brac students could pursue ed- ucation beyond Standard 6 – which represented 8 years of formal schooling – with most students reaching this point at about 14 years of age,” it states. The site notes that those who were successful in passing first, second and third year exams at the Centre were eligible to pursue enrollment at either Shortwood or Mico Teachers Colleges in Jamaica. Other- wise male students either usually opted for a career at sea, while females sought out whatever employment could be found on the Brac. “Some moved to Grand Cayman to explore the pos- sibilities of further education or employment there, and a few went to Jamaica as well as the USA,” the site notes. “Often this meant that an entire family would relo- cate in pursuit of higher ed- ucation and/or employment. The evidence of this lies in the many successful long term enterprises on Grand Cayman which are owned by Cayman Brackers.” According to the site, the school’s origins lie in the ef- forts of Sister Islands elected representative, Capt. Keith Tibbetts, who along with his colleague Burns Rutty, had fought for a high school on the Brac for many years. With a grant from Colonial Devel- opment Funds from the U.K. the school was built at an es- timated cost of £20,000 by local builder Lee Jervis, su- pervised by U.K.-based Vol- untary Service Overseas en- gineer Mike Griffiths, and completed in December 1966. Mr. Scott, who was working in Canada, was recruited by Chief Education Officer Islay Conolly to be the first prin- cipal. Teachers G. Hartwell Wood of Bodden Town, Joan Hughes of the U.K., and Vir- ginia Tibbetts, only 15 at the time, of Cayman Brac made up the rest of the staff. In his address at the thanksgiving service, Mr. McLaughlin praised the vi- sion of those who worked to establish the school in 1967. “The school’s motto is ‘Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might,’” he noted. “Given the high rate of achievement of Brac students over the years, it is apparent that this is a motto that students, faculty and staff have embraced and emulated,” he continued, commenting the school has succeeded in pre- paring students for life, work and tertiary education. The service also fea- tured a performance from the school choir, and sev- eral speakers, including re- marks from former student Stephen Ryan, who under- scored the importance of acknowledging God in all our accomplishments. Heidi Knowlton-Wallace and Elisa Ryan-Brown gave vocal per- formances and accompa- nying music was provided by the school’s music teacher, Kasandra Scott-Salazar. The school’s 50th anniversary celebrations continue until July 2017. Information can be found on www.facebook.com/lshs50ann. 50 years ago: New babies for Hurlstons and Bryans In the Feb. 15, 1967 edition of the Cayma- nian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, Cayman Brac correspondent Lilian Ritch wrote: “On Jan. 18, Mr. and Mrs. O’Neil Hurlston of Spot Bay received the gift of their first child, a son David O’Neil (8 pounds 2 ounces) at St. Louis Hospital, Ponce, Puerto Rico. “Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Bryan of North East Bay re- ceived the gift of their first daughter at the clinic, Stake Bay – Dr. Collins and Nurse Service attending on the 7th. “Good sailing to Sherdon Malton of Spot Bay, who re- turned to S.S. Richards of National Bulk Carriers. “In January we wel- comed home some folk who have been away many years. Visiting with his mother and sister Mrs. Day Lee Tibbetts and family at the Creek we had Mr. Hiram Yap of Kingston who goes second mate with National Bulk Carriers. Hiram was here nine years ago and is pleased with the improve- ments, especially elec- tricity, which has modern- ized living conditions. He wants to be back. “Guests with the Medley Fosters of Stake Bay and Mrs. Katie’s sister and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Woodley F. Foster of Mobile, Alabama for the winter. “We are also glad to have Capt. Evan Foster and his wife in residence in their cottage at Stake Bay. “After 14 years, one of the island’s largest land- owners Mr. Bert Foster re- turned to visit the Brac and Little Cayman. A former Government employee, teacher, and wireless op- erator, I have often heard the mention of Mr. Bert’s name evoke ‘you can pick out his students’ for ability. Resident in Trinidad, he sails for Alcoa Lines (Subi) shuttling bauxite from Su- riname to Trinidad. He is brother-in-law of our Dis- trict Commissioner Mr. D.H. Foster and we are inter- ested that his son is a civil engineer for Texaco, Trin- idad, and daughter, Mar- guerite, is an all-island scholarship winner at uni- versity in England special- ising in languages. “Greetings to Southern Cross Club visitors from Asheville, North Carolina, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Carmi- chael and their guests Dr. and Mrs. Walter Watts. “The Carmichaels are original members of Southern Cross and their cottage is a Rondette, of simple design by Buckmin- ster Fuller which contrib- utes much to the enjoyment of their yearly six week va- cation. Dr. Watts is an or- thopedic surgeon. All are enjoying the relaxation. “Sunday afternoon at the airport we saw among old friends on vacation Mr. Carl Marcon, Dr. and Mrs. Hasselbach of the U.S.; Glen Tibbetts of Jamaica, who with his wife is visiting with her brother Mr. and Mrs. Nat Tibbetts of Cotton Tree Bay; Mrs. Mavis Chisholm (nee Morton of Little Cayman) and her son Desmond of Kingston, Jamaica, who are on a trip home; Mr. Trevor Foster; and Mr. Daniel Lewis of Spot Bay who had been in Jamaica for his health. Re- turning to Grand Cayman from official visits to the is- land were Mrs. Islay Conolly, Acting Director of Educa- tion; Dr. Liston, Director of Medical Services Overseas London; Dr. and Mrs. Hus- band; Mr. Chadwick, Di- rector of Civil Aviation; and Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Cook, civil engineer (airport).” Elisa Ryan-Brown and Heidi Knowlton-Wallace sing at the Layman E. Scott Sr. High School thanksgiving service. Premier Alden McLaughlin was among the dignitaries at the thanksgiving service. The school choir performs at the 50th anniversary thanksgiving service.DISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days Sister Islands CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2017 Foster parenting draws interest on the Brac Several potential foster parents from the Brac had the opportunity to meet with government officials last week to learn more about how they can help vulnerable young children. According to a press re- lease, the Department of Children and Family Ser- vices began its drive to re- cruit foster parents in Cayman Brac with a meeting at the District Administration building on Feb. 9. The information session, “Open Your Heart, Open Your Home,” was led by Adop- tion and Foster Care coordi- nator Nicole Carter and social workers Juliette Garricks and Lois Webb, and attracted nine people from across the island. Ms. Carter previously noted the important role that foster parents play. “Foster parents will forever hold a place in the hearts of the children they care for be- cause they demonstrate love and kindness to children that are at their most vulnerable,” she said. “They are the unsung heroes of our community.” Hillside Church pastor Audley Scott, a former deputy district commissioner for Cayman Brac who was among those in attendance, said, “I was there principally to hear all about the foster care pro- cess and what qualities the Department is looking for in potential foster parents.” Mr. Scott left with several foster parent application forms and pamphlets to keep in his office for members of his congregation. “I’ve always been inter- ested in becoming a foster parent and was very inter- ested in what the presenters had to say about my eligi- bility,” said Jacquline Chan- tiloupe, who said she wel- comed the session as a chance to talk face-to-face with foster care experts. “I am certain I could give a loving foster home to a child in need … and will work towards becoming a foster parent in the fu- ture,” she said. The session gave prac- tical details of what the local foster care process involves and invited those ready to sign on to take the ini- tial application steps. There was also a question-and- answer segment. The presenters outlined the different types of care, which include respite, emer- gency and short- and long- term care. They also discussed the reasons some children need foster care, what it takes to be an effective foster parent, the challenges foster parents may face, access, contact and visits between the foster child, siblings and their birth parents, preference when making placements to keep siblings together when- ever possible, and what kind of help foster parents receive. A press release states that the initiative is an important aspect of the protective ser- vice interventions provided by the Department of Children and Family Services. “Having identified the need for this service in Cayman Brac, we are seeking to develop, grow and ex- pand on our ability to care for children using families from within your commu- nity to assist children who require care and protec- tion away from their home,” said Department Director Felicia Robinson. “Rather than take a child or siblings from the Brac, we would much rather keep them here with supportive foster parents in the same commu- nity where they can remain in the same school and be with their friends.” Minister of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports Osbourne Bodden; Chief Officer, Dorine Whittaker; Director of Children and Family Services, Felicia Robinson, Assistant Chief Officer Joel Francis, and Department of Children and Family Services staff with attendees at the Brac’s foster parenting information session Thursday evening. Retiring Brac caregivers feted at luncheon Two long-serving elder care workers were celebrated by colleagues, management and a ministerial delega- tion from Grand Cayman at a retirement luncheon at the Cayman Brac Beach Re- sort on Feb. 9. Kirkconnell Community Care Centre’s longest-serving staff members Carmen Francis and Yvonne Earle were honored for their dedi- cated service of more than 25 years and 19 years, respec- tively, in caring for Brac se- nior citizens at the 30-bed residential facility. Minister of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports Osbourne Bodden, Ministry Chief Officer Dorine Whit- taker, Assistant Chief Officer Joel Francis and the head of the Department of Children and Family Services, Felicia Robinson, were all on hand to offer their congratulations. Their supervisor, Frances Clyne, praised both retirees for having given unstintingly during their careers. “Popular evening and night-shift workers with colleagues and residents alike, they were acknowl- edged as hardworking and conscientious,” a press re- lease states, noting that Ms. Francis worked in home care for the Department of Chil- dren and Family Services before the center was built, transferring once the facility opened. An exuberant and energetic caregiver, she was told that she will be most re- membered for her lively and outgoing ways, the press release states. Mr. Bodden said he was grateful for “the meticu- lous care she gave to her cli- ents.” He also told the gath- ering that he was assured that she would be, “a tough act to follow.” Ms. Earle was said to be quieter than her colleague but equally valued for her “sterling contributions and her unflappability in an emergency.” She was also thanked for her willingness to pitch in at a moment’s notice when called on to cover for other staff. The release states that the most poignant part of the retirement leave- taking was a speech for Ms. Francis, written and read by her friend and colleague, Sonia Creary, Ms. Francis’s co-worker at the Centre’s Tibbetts Annex. “This phase in life is not about giving up, losing yourself, slowing down or feeling old,” said Ms. Creary. “Retirement is about en- joying the longest holiday of life. It’s about doing what you want to do, when you want to do it, where you want to do it and how you want to do it.” Both retirees received gifts from their colleagues, as well as floral baskets, awards and cards from the minis- terial team. After the buffet lunch, guests enjoyed sharing a retirement cake. From left, Ministry of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports Assistant Chief Officer Joel Francis, Ministry Chief Officer Dorine Whittaker, Carmen Francis, Yvonne Earle, Director of Department of Children and Family Services Felicia Robinson and Minister of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports Osbourne Bodden at Thursday’s retirement luncheon. Friends and colleagues came out to celebrate the retirement of Carmen Francis and Yvonne Earle. Minister Bodden with Carmen Francis and Yvonne Earle. Kirkconnell Community Care Centre’s longest-serving staff members Carmen Francis and Yvonne Earle were honored for their dedicated service of more than 25 years and 19 years, respectively.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS LUNCH SPECIAL EVERYDAY MON-SAT 11.30 TO 4PM DIM SUM SUNDAY 11-3PM Plaza Venezia, North Sound Road, George Town 945-3490 OPEN FOR DINNER DELIVERY AFTER 5PM something I liked, he would just buy it.” She said Syed had taken her on a trip to Mon- tego Bay for his birthday, paying for everything, in- cluding hotel, air fare, meals and gifts. She said she was under the impression he was “very rich” and she had not questioned where his wealth came from. He had indicated that he had pre- viously worked as a CEO in Asia and was also pulling in substantial royalties from his published works as a professor, as well as rental income from prop- erty in London and Toronto. She said he had six credit cards that he used interchangeably. “He knows I like jew- elry and he purchased it for me frequently. “He just said he loved me and was wealthy enough and wanted me to be happy and have things I liked.” During the course of their relationship, she tes- tified, Syed bought her a car, paid off her student loan, funded renovations to her apartment and gave her cash gifts whenever she went overseas. On one occasion she arrived home to find a new television in her living room. She said she had offered to pay him back for some of the purchases, including the car, but he had refused. “He told me he was in- sulted and he doesn’t want my money because he had millions.” She said Syed had bought gifts for almost ev- eryone she knew, including a car for her mother and jewelry for her friends and co-workers. “His little line was every woman deserves a piece from Tiffany’s.” Syed is accused of theft in connection with alle- gations that he dishon- estly spent more than US$200,000 by using his UCCI credit card for per- sonal purchases. Suspicious transac- tions highlighted by the prosecution include nearly US$80,000 in spending on jewelry, including more than US$50,000 on items from Tiffany’s. Ms. Parchment said Syed had talked to her about leaving his job at UCCI, in- dicating he had an offer for a $300,000-a-year position with Cable & Wireless. However, she said, she suspected he planned to leave the island because he had a meeting with UBS Bank in which he indi- cated he wished to transfer money to an account in Switzerland. She said he had called her one evening to tell her he was leaving the next day for an operation to remove blood clots behind his eye. She said they continued to communicate at times while he was away, but that she had stopped talking to him in May 2008. Earlier on Tuesday, two former members of the UCCI board of gover- nors gave evidence about recruiting Syed to the president’s job. Syed is accused of ob- taining a pecuniary ad- vantage by deception by falsely claiming to have a doctorate in computer sci- ence from the University of Victoria in Canada in order to secure the job and the CI$135,000 annual salary. Both Richard Hew and Rohan Small testi- fied Tuesday that a doc- torate had been one of the job requirements and that they would not have rec- ommended Syed for the po- sition if they had not be- lieved his claim on his resume to have a Ph.D. Syed has denied a total of 12 offenses connected to allegations that he stole or misappropriated more than CI$500,000 from the university. The trial con- tinues Wednesday. in the Cayman Islands. The islands are a common yet typically unintended stopover for migrants fleeing Cuba, many in search of asylum in the United States. Mr. Garcia described his message through the holding center’s fence, saying, “We are here and we are asking for political asylum. What we want is to be right with the law here and to know what they can do with us. We want to work, in construction or whatever else.” Mr. Garcia had spoken previously with the press on Jan. 15, following the abrupt end to the U.S. “wet- foot, dry-foot” policy, which granted asylum to Cubans who touched American soil. At that time, officials did not object to dozens of detainees freely speaking to the media through the center’s fence. On Monday, however, fa- cility security officers and Royal Cayman Islands Police Service officers were sent to ask that a Cayman Compass reporter leave the premises and schedule a facility tour. Interview requests by the Compass sent Jan. 13 and Jan. 16 to the prisons service and government information officers were not answered. On Monday, officers provided new press contacts, including an email that bounced back. Messages have been left with information officers re- questing more detail. One official said that while the detainees are not considered prisoners and have the right to speak with the press, the center would rather interviews occur only on an official basis. Another officer said speaking with the press would upset detainees and could lead to disruptions, such as detainees climbing on roofs and throwing rocks. Two detainees, Yanet Orozco and Reinato Torres, were brought out for super- vised interviews. The two were permitted to speak through an interpreter and could provide only yes or no responses unless given explicit permission other- wise by officers. Ms. Orozco attempted to share details from her case file but was ordered to put the information away. She said she has been allowed a phone call with a lawyer but was not permitted by offi- cials to provide greater detail. Mr. Torres said Monday he has been in detention for three-and-a-half months. He expected to have a meeting with a lawyer later that day. He was not allowed to speak further about his case. Similarly, detainees were not allowed to provide the names of the lawyers they had contacted. Officers said the com- munication measures were not intended to restrict press access and said de- tainees have been allowed to meet with church members and attorneys. Mr. Garcia said he has been in contact with Samson & McGrath attorney Laura Larner. He said one issue for detainees is the cost of ac- cessing legal representation, which most cannot afford. Another detainee, Marlo Molina, said he is no longer hoping for asylum and would simply like his case to be re- viewed so he can return home to his family in Cuba. He said rough seas caused his boat to hit the reef in Cayman Brac, forcing an unplanned stop- over in the Cayman Islands. Detainee Armando Acosta said he has not had access to a lawyer for seven months. The claim could not be inde- pendently verified through the government. Girlfriend: ‘Syed wanted to marry me’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 A Cuban detainee sits Monday in a George Town facility where 71 Cuban migrants are currently being held. - PHOTO: KAYLA YOUNG Austrian politician documents Turkish surveillance abroad VIENNA (AP) – Turkish dip- lomatic offices around the world are gathering infor- mation in a bid to under- mine organizations loyal to a Muslim cleric who Turkey believes was behind last year’s coup attempt, an Austrian lawmaker said Tuesday. Greens Parliamentarian Peter Pilz showed The Asso- ciated Press memos from the Turkish Embassy in Vienna and the Turkish Consulate in Salzburg. They show ATIB, the union of Turkish- Islamic cultural organiza- tions in Austria, sending reports on organizations backed by U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen to diplo- mats, with the information then forwarded to Ankara. Pilz said his team is working on publishing sim- ilar documents from 30 other countries in Europe, Africa and Asia. He spoke of a “global spying network,” with the religious attaches of the various embassies “very often the main Er- dogan agents,” in reference to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey is pressing na- tions to crack down on the Gulen movement’s network of schools and charities out- side of the country. It ac- cuses Gulen of orchestrating the July 15 coup that saw renegade military officers and soldiers use fighter jets, helicopters and tanks to at- tack parliament and other state buildings. Some 270 people were killed. Gulen condemned the coup attempt and denied he was involved, though he ac- knowledged that some of his supporters may have participated. In an interview Monday with the Austrian daily Ku- rier, Fatih Karadas, an offi- cial at the Turkish embassy in Vienna who also leads ATIB, denied the activities constituted spying. He said it was “our religious duty to conduct investigations into whether in Austria … Turkish-origin citizens were influenced and misused or radicalized by Gulen.” Both published docu- ments are addressed to the Turkish government’s for- eign department of the Of- fice for Religious Affairs, Diyanet. One, an undated cover letter written on the letterhead of the Turkish Embassy and signed by Karadas, says “all possible … activities” of Gulen orga- nizations were investigated. It says these include “compa- nies, educational organiza- tions … NGOs, aid organiza- tions, [and] networks.” The other, from the con- sulate, outlines the main or- ganizations run by Gulen sympathizers and speaks of a warning issued in 2014 to ATIB functionaries against “open and sometimes covert attempts” by Gulen backers to “infiltrate the ATIB clubs.” It speaks of ATIB and other religious officials “destroying all books, audio materials, video CDs, volumes of poetry, brochures [and] newspapers” issued by Gulen-affiliated organizations. Cubans request legal counsel Hassan Syed arrives at court. - PHOTO: CAYMAN 27The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2017 maintains stringent require- ments for insurers to operate in Cayman, the insurers’ objective is to ensure the healthcare premiums they charge aren’t “outstripped” by the claims they receive from the healthcare providers. “I don’t think we can fault them for that” Mr. Conolly said. “Where I have a problem as superintendent of health insurance is where an in- sured person has a plan of benefits which clearly meets the particular … episode of illness and where those claims are denied with little or no justification.” In those instances, the Health Insurance Commis- sion, which Mr. Conolly heads, pursues the insurer to accept the claims. However, many insurers in Cayman and elsewhere use a process called pre- certification, or “pre-cert,” which ends up delaying pay- ment of healthcare claims, particularly for elective sur- geries and non-emergency procedures, Mr. Conolly said. The use of pre-certi- fication is not regulated in Cayman Islands law. “The way it operates now is that a healthcare provider can submit a claim and the insurance company can say ‘we need pre-cert on that’” he told the committee. “There are varying standards that are applied to this pre-cert. “This really frustrates the healthcare providers, meaning that a health in- surance company can use the pre-cert process, not re- ally to deny the claim, but to delay the claim. When they do that it means that they’re questioning the attending physician as to whether the care is necessary or not. So you have a non-physician, who is questioning a physi- cian as to whether a treat- ment or service is medi- cally necessary.” Mr. Conolly said the Health Insurance Commis- sion was looking into the practice and would issue reg- ulations on it if the market “could not resolve itself.” Doctors’ pay The current method used by insurance companies to reimburse doctors, re- ferred to as the standard health insurance fees, is there to establish “some level of reasonableness” regarding fees paid on be- half of insured patients for services, according to Mr. Conolly. Mr. Conolly said the standard health insur- ance fees, or SHIFs, which have not been changed since 2005, are still being used by about 45 percent of local doctors when charging patients and their insurers for services. The doctors may charge more to patients if they wish, he said. “Obviously, [the doctors] would prefer to have fees that are higher than the current level,” Mr. Conolly said. “But the feedback I get is ‘we can work with these fees, the problem is we need to be paid in a timely manner.’” The cash flow issue was expressed by Public Accounts Committee chairman, North Side MLA Ezzard Miller: “When they can no longer deny, they delay, and then when they can no longer delay, they write a check … that takes two months to clear” Mr. Conolly said im- plementing an electronic claims verification system would essentially solve the reimbursement lag. “We recognize the need for an electronic verifica- tion system,” he said. “The technology is there.” Mr. Conolly acknowl- edged there is some com- plexity involved in doing that with a system of nine different approved private sector insurers who are selling a “myriad” of plans. Mr. Miller suggested having the Health Services Authority charge a service fee for insurance compa- nies for the implementa- tion of a nationwide pay- ment verification system. “We have to make it a requirement for each in- dividual licensed insurer,” Mr. Miller said. “How they provide it is up to them to go and negotiate it.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 N. Korea leader’s half-brother slain at Malaysian airport KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) – The half-brother of North Ko- rean leader Kim Jong Un was assassinated at an airport in Kuala Lumpur, telling med- ical workers before he died en route to a hospital that he had been attacked with a chem- ical spray, a Malaysian official said Tuesday. Kim Jong Nam, 46, was at- tacked Monday in the shop- ping concourse at the airport and had not gone through im- migration yet for his flight to Macau, said the senior gov- ernment official, who spoke on condition of anonymity be- cause the case involves sensi- tive diplomacy. He was taken to the airport clinic and then died on the way to the hospital. Kim Jong Nam was es- tranged from his younger brother, the North Korean leader. He had been tipped by outsiders to succeed their dictator father, but reportedly fell out of favor when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport in 2001, saying he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. He was believed to have been living recently in Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. Multiple South Korean media reports, citing unnamed sources, said Kim Jong Nam was killed at the airport by two women. TV Chosun, citing unidentified “multiple govern- ment sources,” said the women were believed to be North Ko- rean agents. It said they fled in a taxi and were being sought by Malaysian police. In Washington, the U.S. State Department said it was aware of reports of Kim Jong Nam’s death but declined to comment, referring questions to Malaysian authorities. Kim Jong Nam and Kim Jong Un have the same father, late dictator Kim Jong Il, but different mothers. Since taking power in late 2011, Kim Jong Un has ex- ecuted or purged a slew of high-level government offi- cials in what the South Korean government has described as a “reign of terror.” The most spectacular among them was the 2013 execution by anti- aircraft fire of his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, once considered the country’s second most powerful man, for what the North alleged was treason. South Korea’s government has said North Korea also ex- ecuted a vice premier for edu- cation in 2016 for unspecified anti-revolutionary and fac- tional acts, and a defense min- ister in 2015 for complaining and sleeping during a meeting. North Korea also has a history of dispatching spies to kill high-level defectors critical of its system. A TV screen shows a picture of Kim Jong Nam, the older half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at the Seoul, South Korea, railway station. - PHOTO: AP/AHN YOUNG-JOON Danielle Coleman said the new site “will bring the ad- ministration and the inpa- tient unit under one roof in a very serene location.” “There are numerous ben- efits,” she said. “Obviously, the custom-made facility is designed with our patients’ needs at the forefront. Ad- ditionally, being at the same location there are benefits from an HR/time-manage- ment perspective. “Whenever we have pa- tients in residence, nurses have to come and go between the two facilities. By being at the same location, hospice staff can look after patients and do their administra- tive tasks in a more efficient manner,” Ms. Coleman said. The four new bedrooms, according to Building Com- mittee Chairwoman Nancy Lewis, can be expanded as needs require: “The hos- pice can easily convert into a six bed within the same building. If more beds are re- quired in the distant future, we have room to build and relocate the administration facilities and expand further.” However, she said, de- mand is unlikely to require expansion in the near future. “Based on current utilization of our villa and the coun- try’s population, we do not see this being needed for at least 20 years.” HospiceCare Chairman Chris Duggan said the site will not only include a sprawling single-story building and dedicated ad- ministration space, but also private gardens, pathways, a wooded area, parking and a dedicated access road to the one-acre site. The building will have two nurses’ stations, family rooms with overnight facili- ties and common areas with coffee, music and television. “We are now very close to being able to submit our plans to the [Planning De- partment’s Building Con- trol Unit] for approval to commence construction,” Mr. Duggan said, “and, as- suming all goes well, we are hoping to break ground in March or April.” Design, building mate- rials, land, furniture, air- conditioning, labor for the construction, costs and even wood, cement, rocks, bricks and mortar have been do- nated by local companies, government and volunteers. “Reaching this point is the culmination of a huge amount of work by our Hos- pice staff, volunteer board members and our architects, all of [whom] have contrib- uted huge amounts of time and effort to get us to where we are,” he said. “I am extremely grateful to all who have been in- volved to date and all who continue to support Cayman HospiceCare.” A major contributor to costs has been fundraiser and Dart Realty security chief Derek Haines, who has raised nearly $2 million for the project after competing in six marathons in 2014. Final costs for the project, Ms. Lewis said, are “difficult to quantify as we are in pro- cess of acquiring in-kind do- nations for materials and construction. “However, thanks to Derek Haines and his fun- draising efforts, we do have US$1.6m …. ” Initially, she said, ground- breaking had been set for late 2016, but planners had con- fronted a series of delays. “This [inpatient unit] is being designed, constructed and managed by volunteers. It is the first unit of its kind to be built in the Cayman Is- lands, and we also required outside input from hospice architects off-island. “We felt it was instru- mental to ensure the de- sign was correct, and it also requires heavier ap- provals. In addition, the land is donated in full, and zoning permissions needed to be obtained. Unfortu- nately, all of those variables require time.” Cayman HospiceCare re- ceives $50,000 a year from government but relies on donations to meet an $1,800 per day budget, providing free end-stage-illness ser- vices such as clinical vol- unteer programs, a lunch club, music therapy, an- imal therapy, art therapy, counseling, yoga, ther- apeutic massage, reiki, acupuncture and a be- reavement program. Ghost of CarePay haunts collections “When they can no longer deny, they delay and then when they can no longer delay they write a check … that takes two months to clear.” EZZARD MILLER, chairman, Public Accounts Committee CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 HospiceCare set to break ground within weeksNext >