High of 84 Low of 73 Seas: Rough with wave heights of 5 to 7 feet. A small craft warning is expected to be in effect. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REGISTRY: WHY RUSH TO ESTABLISH WHAT IS NOT A GLOBAL STANDARD? BUSINESS | PAGE 12 FLOW CARIBBEAN PRESIDENT PROMOTES DEREGULATION ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY MARCH 8, 2017 Police ‘not able to substantiate’ MLAs’ claim they were followed KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has not been able to substantiate claims that private investigators have been following op- position members of the Legislative Assembly. The RCIPS said Tuesday that it had re- sponded to safety complaints filed by MLAs but had not found evidence of surveillance. “We have jointly investigated these com- plaints with Immigration, and have not been able to substantiate that any such surveillance has taken place,” RCIPS said in response to queries from the Cayman Compass. “The complainants have been fully cooper- ative with our investigation and have been in- formed of these findings. Should any further concerns be brought to our attention on this matter, they will be duly investigated.” During a Monday press conference, MLA Winston Connolly said he had filed a formal complaint with police and expected a follow- up meeting with law enforcement. The surveillance claim was first made public during a Feb. 27 press conference, when Mr. Connolly and other MLAs spoke out against the proposed Legal Practitioners Bill. Mr. Connolly and East End MLA Arden McLean alleged private investigators, possibly foreign, were hired to follow them, either to intimidate or to dig up dirt. Bodden Town MLA Alva Suckoo requested before the House later that day that the RCIPS, Attorney General’s Office and Immigration De- partment immediately investigate the matter. Mr. Suckoo said after receiving information that Mr. Connolly and Mr. McLean were being followed, other independent members of the Legislative Assembly became concerned for their own safety. “All of the independent members were potentially targets as well,” Mr. Suckoo said Tuesday. He said the investigation would re- main open and that members still sus- pect wrongdoing. “The fact that they haven’t found anyone on the island doesn’t mean there wasn’t some- thing happening,” he said. Mr. Connolly told the Compass Tuesday, NEW MOVE FOR SUNDAY LIQUOR STORES More gas stations seek to sell alcohol JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Several liquor stores are seeking per- mission to open on Sundays in a new move to liberalize the sale of alcohol in the Cayman Islands. Liquor 4 Less and Peanut’s store at Red Bay Esso gas station, which was recently awarded a liquor license in a contested policy switch, are seeking licenses to sell al- cohol on Sundays. Business owners Prentice Panton and Gary Rutty told the Cayman Compass that Sunday is an important leisure day for tourists and lo- cals and it made no sense that they could buy alcohol in bars but not in a store. The liquor licensing board is also being asked to review five new applications from different gas stations for permission to sell alcohol. Tortuga Rum Company owner Robert Ha- maty told the Compass the decision to grant a license to the Red Bay Esso station had “opened the floodgates” and exposed Cayman’s stores to competition from multinationals like Sol, Rubis and Esso. He said there was a specific Cabinet order HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR: ‘YOU COULD SEE THE HATE IN THEIR EYES’ TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com The audience in The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman ballroom on Monday evening knew something serious was afoot when the pro- grammed slide show preceding the appear- ance of Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss displayed pictures of her mother’s 1938 German passport. Stamped in both German and Dutch, the pages bore entry and exit visas featuring the Nazi eagle, clutching in its talons the small circle and inlaid swastika. Before Ms. Schloss took the stage in the packed room, organizers showed a 10-minute black-and-white film, detailing the rise of the Fuhrer, 1930s Germany and the escalating persecution of Jews, exemplified by random street attacks and silent witnesses. The address by the 87-year-old Ms. Schloss to the 750 people in attendance took the form of an interview, conducted by Rikal Pew- zner, wife of the Chabad head of the Jewish Community of Cayman, Rabbi Berel Pewzner, whose introductory remarks touched on the struggles of his own grandparents in 1942 when Russian troops invaded their Ukraine village, killing more than 1,800 people. Ultimately, he said, the family landed at New York’s Ellis Island immigration center in PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Eva Schloss is interviewed at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman on Monday night. - PHOTO: DEEP BLUE IMAGES2 LOCAL&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY MARCH 8, 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 - LOGAN (R) 12:30 | 6:40 | 9:40 RINGS (PG13) 12:45 | 3:45 | 7:05 | 10:10 THE GREAT WALL 3D (PG13) 12:40 2D | 3:40 | 7:00 2D | 9:45 THE SHACK (PG13) 12:35 | 3:55 | 6:50 | 9:50 JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 (R) 12:55 | 3:50 Deputy governor prepares for 5K by getting ‘Off the Couch’ Franz Manderson launched the Off the Couch fitness program Monday evening, ahead of his an- nual Deputy Governor’s 5K Challenge. Off the Couch is a free weekly walk/run which aims to get people in shape for the 5K Challenge to raise money for the YMCA of the Cayman Islands, according to a gov- ernment press release. Held every Monday, the Off the Couch walk/run is open to civil servants, pri- vate sector employees and the public. On Monday, the deputy governor was joined by sev- eral walkers and runners, as well as by members of the YMCA, who are planning to build a ropes challenge course to benefit the young people of the Cayman Is- lands, the release stated. “This is a fantastic cause and I encourage everyone to come out and get fit for the 5K Challenge in April,” Mr. Manderson said in the re- lease. “For this year’s fund- raising event, I have chosen to focus on our youth, and the YMCA is a fine example of an organisation working with the young people in our communities,” the press release said. To take part in Off the Couch, which is run by the Cayman Islands Government Wellness Committee, partic- ipants will meet at the staff entrance to the Government Administration Building on Elgin Avenue at 5:30 p.m. every Monday. Ropes challenge According to the re- lease, the YMCA ropes chal- lenge course will provide “an alternative to class- room-style learning in areas proven to increase self-esteem, confidence and team-building skills. “It provides participants with practical examples of ways to improve communi- cation, awareness of them- selves and others, and to gain leadership skills. In addition, the course will allow partici- pants to overcome fears, inse- curities, depression, and anti- social behaviour.” YMCA Chairman An- drew Johnson said, “We are very happy to have our par- ticipants and supporters join the Off the Couch pro- gram. It will help us all get fit as we join together in our fundraising efforts to build the challenge course for the young people of the Cayman Islands.” The 5K will be held on Cayman Brac on Sunday, April 23, and on Grand Cayman on Sunday, April 30. For more information, visit www.caymanactive.com/dg5K. Deputy Governor Franz Manderson leads off Monday’s night’s inaugural ‘Off the Couch’ weekly walk/run at the Government Administration Building. Big reef predators vanishing from Caribbean The coral reef forma- tions of the deep sea are huge rocklike structures with thousands of nooks and cran- nies that little fish call home. John Bruno, a University of North Carolina marine biolo- gist, has seen them up close while diving. But a trip to a reef is not satisfying if big predators – sharks, barracuda, grouper and such – aren’t lurking there, looking to snack on some pretty little thing that ventures from its hole. Bruno says he has not been satisfied in a long time, and his newest research, published last week, shows why: Up to 90 percent of reef predators have been removed from the Caribbean because of overfishing. “Reefs are largely de- void of anything big,” he said during an interview, in a tone bordering on sad. “Just like the forests, there’s nothing big … just squirrels, a few deer here and there. Bear has all been hunted out.” The consequences are twofold, explained Bruno, a professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The absence of apex predators, and even smaller predators like snapper, can throw an ecosystem out of whack. Consider the removal of wolves from forests and sea stars from the Pacific Ocean off California, Oregon and Washington. Without wolves, deer run amok, eating areas of the forest bare, trampling grasses and gnawing on trees, all of which ruins the habitat of smaller animals. In the Pa- cific, a wasting disease that has devastated sea stars in turn has left the sea urchins they preyed on to multiply and gobble kelp, removing hiding places for small fish and eventually causing the urchins to starve. Another problem is that sharks are worth a lot to Caribbean islands because they’re what snorkelers and divers want to see, far more than candy-colored tropical fish. “A live shark is worth over a million dollars in tourism revenue over its life span be- cause sharks live for decades and thousands of people will travel and dive just to see them up close,” said Abel Valdivia, a study co-author who was a UNC graduate student during the research. He now works at the Center for Biological Diversity in Oakland, California. Valdivia and Bruno, along with a third researcher, Courtney Cox, visited 39 reefs off Belize, Mexico, Cuba, the Bahamas and Florida – some protected in reserves, most not – to determine how many fish had vanished. They counted predators as they circled them. They compared the num- bers counted at pristine reefs that were full of life to the typical reef. That’s how they arrived at the conclusion that 90 percent of predatory fish are gone, more than likely from overfishing. Bruno said they might have over- counted sharks, especially, because they often circle back around and can easily be counted twice. “Right now, there are less than 1 percent of diverse reefs, not many of them across the Caribbean,” Bruno said. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, took three years of searching and traveling to reefs in the Caribbean. The most diverse and spectacular reef was off Cuba, in a reserve called Jar- dines de la Reina. Jardines thrives, Bruno said, essentially because anyone with a boat good enough to reach the area would rather use it to es- cape the island altogether to reach Florida. After being disappointed by reefs in Mexico, the Ba- hamas and other areas, Jar- dines “totally opened my eyes to what natural was in the Caribbean,” Bruno said. The silver lining is that, if left alone, reefs with small fish can come back to life, at- tracting predators in search of food. Of course, fish- ermen would also have to stay away from grouper, a fa- vorite restaurant fish. Taking reef sharks would also have to be outlawed. © 2017, The Washington Post A Caribbean reef shark prowling in the Bahamas. - PHOTO: THE WASHINGTON POST/NEIL HAMMERSCHLAG3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MARCH 8, 2017 Attention all RBC Royal Bank Client (ATM) Card Holders Upgrade to RBC Visa Debit Card! Switch to the RBC Visa Debit Card which upgrades and replaces your existing RBC Client (ATM) Card. The Visa Debit Card is safe, secure, easy to use and offers more functionality than your existing ATM card.. We invite you to request your RBC Visa Debit Card as soon as possible, by calling or visiting your home branch. Please note: You will no longer be able to access your deposit accounts using the RBC Client (ATM) Card* either locally or abroad after March 31, 2017; however, your new RBC Visa Debit card will be available for collection from your home branch. ® / ™ Trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. For further information call or visit any RBC Royal Bank branch or log on to www.rbc.com/caribbean *Note: The number on your discontinued RBC client (ATM) card will continue to serve as your access number for Royal Online™ Internet Banking Legislature may go until last day Parliament to ‘dissolve’ on March 28 BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Government is running out of time to consider a long list of potential laws, including the Legal Practi- tioners Bill, new rules for government authorities, the elimination of independent FOI and complaints commis- sioner’s offices and the estab- lishment of local fuel market regulations, as lawmakers face the final three weeks of their current term. Starting Wednesday, leg- islators will have about three weeks until parlia- ment is dissolved on March 28 ahead of nomination day (March 29) for the gen- eral election. Unless legislators de- cide to meet on Tues- days, generally reserved for Cabinet meetings, or on weekends, that schedule leaves 12 working days to finish everything. In addition to a few dozen bills left to approve, law- makers are also expected to convene a meeting of the Leg- islative Assembly’s Finance Committee to review supple- mental expenses made since mid-2013. A slew of par- liamentary questions and about a dozen private mem- bers’ motions remain on the agenda as well. Progressives postpone party conference In a sign that the ruling Progressives party expects the meeting to go down to the wire, a political party conference set for March 18 was delayed until April 8. “We’ve had to postpone our party conference due to the fact that the Legislative Assembly is in session and it is anticipated that this ses- sion will last a few weeks,” according to a notice sent to Progressives party members Monday by General Secretary Barbara Connolly. Lawmakers have not met since Monday, Feb. 27, due to scheduling conflicts, in- cluding Premier Alden McLaughlin’s trip to London in the middle of last week. The trip was made partly to discuss recent amend- ments to Cayman’s Compa- nies Law to formalize a ben- eficial ownership agreement with the U.K. government. Political campaign Both of Cayman’s major political parties, the Pro- gressives and the Cayman Democratic Party (formerly the United Democratic Party), have significantly de- layed planned candidate announcements for the up- coming May 24 election. The Progressives are ex- pected to run all of their current slate of 10 office- holding candidates, in- cluding veteran MLAs Kurt Tibbetts and Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, both of whom have vacillated about their future political plans in recent weeks. A recent list of potential Progressives candidates that was sent around the islands had current Financial Ser- vices Minister Wayne Panton leaving Bodden Town district to run for one of the seats in George Town, but Minister Panton described that list as “nonsense.” A number of other names for potential Progressives candidates in Bodden Town and West Bay districts have been mentioned, but so far the party has confirmed none of them. The Cayman Demo- cratic Party has confirmed a number of candidates, in- cluding its own party mem- bers as well as a number of independents. Party leader McKeeva Bush said in February that he and other Cayman Dem- ocratic Party members, MLAs Eugene Ebanks and Bernie Bush, would join former MLA John Jefferson Jr. in West Bay. In George Town, Mr. Bush listed potential CDP candi- dates as former government Minister Mike Adam, busi- nessman Jon Piercy and Dr. Darley Solomon. Mr. Piercy confirmed he did intend to run with the CDP, and Mr. Adam said he was “leaning towards it,” but had not yet confirmed. Dr. Solomon said recently that he was leaning away from the campaign due to personal considerations. At least three other CDP candidates have been named and discussed, but party of- ficials have not yet confirmed the names. Mr. Bush said he was also inclined to sup- port George Town indepen- dents MLA Winston Connolly, Karin Thompson and Ken- neth Bryan if they all choose to contest the election. In Bodden Town, Mr. Bush said he would sup- port either veteran MLA An- thony Eden, an indepen- dent, or his successor if he chooses to retire. Mr. Bush said independent MLA Alva Suckoo would also get his support. Businessman Robert Bodden, a candidate in Bodden Town East, could also get CDP support if he runs, Mr. Bush said.The last day the current Legislative Assembly will be able to meet will be March 28. Unless legislators decide to meet on Tuesdays, generally reserved for Cabinet meetings, or on weekends, that schedule leaves 12 working days to finish everything.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. WEDNESDAY MARCH 8, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS In a keynote speech at a conference at Blackstone Chambers in London, Premier Alden McLaughlin last week noted that Cayman leads the way with its adher- ence to relevant international standards. It is not the absence of rules but the introduction of sensible and balanced regulation that has ensured business growth in the islands, he said. Cayman, therefore, “seeks to operate based on pro- portionality in regulation, such that before a measure is introduced, we like to be satisfied that is necessary; appropriate given the nature of the financial services business in the Cayman Islands; and proportional to the identified risks. In short, the regulatory impact and its benefits outweigh the costs.” It is questionable whether government’s rushed passing of three bills in the Legislative Assembly last week meets these criteria. The Companies Amendment No. 2 Bill, Companies Management Amendment No. 2 Bill 2016, and the Limited Liabilities Companies Amendment Bill 2016 define beneficial ownership and allow the creation of a corporate ownership registry that would be accessible by foreign law enforcement and tax authorities. Opposition leader McKeeva Bush, for one, was irked by the lack of proper consideration and the speed at which the bills were passed into law. Moreover, if the aim is to have necessary, appro- priate and proportional legislation, the creation of beneficial ownership registries does indeed raise a number of issues. First, transparency around the beneficial owners of corporate vehicles in the form of centralized registers is not a global standard. The U.K. requested all overseas territories to estab- lish centralized beneficial ownership registries not because they are widely adopted but because it wants them to be. There is scant evidence that they are needed or that Cayman’s existing system of assisting overseas law enforcement is insufficient. The number of information requests under the current system is low. On average, Cayman shares beneficial ownership data with U.K. authorities 12 times per year; even lower is the number of prosecu- tions based on those requests. It is thus doubtful that the proposed centralized beneficial ownership platform is necessary or that it is appropriate. Neither the United States, nor all of Europe, has adopted the transparency plan that Cayman has now signed into law (nor are they likely to). Cayman, as a “first mover,” is now competing for international investment on a playing field that is no longer level. Cayman’s existing system of service providers col- lecting and maintaining beneficial ownership informa- tion and releasing it on request remains in place. Yet, the new system adds costs and security concerns for both the service providers and the government. As far as proportionality is concerned, even the European Data Protection Supervisor recently con- cluded that proposed amendments to the EU Anti- Money Laundering Directive on beneficial ownership “show a lack of proportionality, with significant and unnecessary risks for the individual rights to privacy and data protection.” The planned corporate ownership platform is at best a compromise between the U.K. pushing for wider public access to reveal the true owners of companies and the Cayman government defending the privacy rights on which Cayman’s financial services are built. The compromise deal with the U.K. means that from June this year, British authorities will have expedited access to information on who truly owns Cayman-registered companies and other entities through a centralized platform. This may prevent general access by the public to registries of beneficial ownership for the time being, but “the regulatory impact and its benefits” hardly “outweigh the costs.” BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REGISTRY Why rush to establish what is not a global standard? LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Partner supports lawyers bill I am writing to express my support for the passing of the Legal Practitioners Bill. As a Caymanian partner at a local law firm, I am con- cerned to ensure that we pass legislation that provides a framework to support the progression of Caymanian lawyers, and protects our fi- nancial services industry. The Legal Practitioners Bill would achieve both. To miss the opportunity to pass the bill would be a set-back that Cayman cannot afford. Passing the Legal Prac- titioners Bill would achieve two main things. Firstly, it would secure opportunities for Caymanian lawyers. It would do this through a set of commitments, given by law firms, in relation to the recruitment, development and progression of Cayma- nian lawyers. Through these commitments, the bill would provide the structure and ac- countability to support ca- pable Caymanian lawyers to progress in their careers. Secondly, the bill helps to ensure the success and stability of our financial ser- vices industry. It does this by putting Cayman in a posi- tion to achieve a satisfactory assessment in the upcoming CFATF review, and by en- suring that Cayman’s strong profile in the international markets is retained through the practice of Cayman law overseas. I recognize the concerns raised about the practice of Cayman law overseas, and want to address those di- rectly. Like a number of Cay- manian lawyers, I benefited from practicing Cayman law overseas. I have seen first- hand how the experience gained by Caymanian lawyers overseas will be increasingly important to prepare them for management positions and leadership roles within law firms. Restricting the prac- tice of Cayman law overseas would close off opportunities for Caymanian lawyers to de- velop professionally. It would also make our financial ser- vices industry less competi- tive. Our ability to compete with other jurisdictions is enhanced by the presence of Cayman law firms overseas, and our presence in the inter- national markets where our clients are based has been critical to Cayman’s success and stability. Our competitors would be delighted to see us stop prac- ticing Cayman law overseas. It would enhance their profile in the major financial markets, weaken the Cayman brand internationally and limit our ability to compete on the global stage. The draft Legal Practitioners Bill recognizes that the practice of Cayman law overseas is important for the jurisdiction, and for Cay- manian lawyers. It also rec- ognizes that the practice of Cayman law overseas must be done in a responsible way. It does this by ensuring that the practice of Cayman law over- seas is always controlled from within Cayman. Finally, I want to make two points. Firstly, it is im- portant that dialogue on the LPB is both constructive and well-informed. I encourage everyone to read the Legal Practitioners Bill, and to ask substantive questions about the important issues facing our jurisdiction. Secondly, there should be no doubt that we are all on the same team. We all have a vested interest in the success of our financial services in- dustry. Ensuring that we pro- vide opportunities for capable Caymanian lawyers within law firms is critical to that success. A new Legal Practi- tioners Bill would help to se- cure those opportunities, and give us a platform from which to continue our success as a leading financial services ju- risdiction. The approach that we take to resolve our dif- ferences on the Legal Prac- titioners Bill should be one that will enhance Cayman in these two areas. I would encourage direct dialogue between the parties in an effort to pass a Legal Practitioners Bill that is good for Caymanians and our fi- nancial services industry. David Collins, Partner, Walkers law firm Regarding the recent and past drownings, I think there needs to be more public awareness regarding these strong currents. I have been in Cayman for 14 years and I am a strong swimmer, recreational diver and avid fisherman. I was with my niece a couple of years back snorkeling the south side of the island at Spotts Beach. We were along the reef, and when we passed by the channel opening we were swept out by what seemed like an underwater river, out of protection of the reef, into the open ocean very quickly. I could not swim fast enough to get back in and was starting to panic. We moved to the side and were able to grab onto some rocks and take a break and come back in from the side. It was a scary moment because once you get blown outside of the reef you have the current that takes you west along the island at 1-2 knots. I read over and over again about these deaths and wonder why there is no sig- nage [for] public awareness. Colin Wilson Signs could save lives PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman, KY1-1108 Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MARCH 8, 2017 Hospital kitchen gets ‘all clear’ after food scare Weevils found in Quaker porridge JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com An environmental health inspector’s report has given the Cayman Islands Hos- pital kitchen the “all clear” after two patients on the ma- ternity ward found insects in their food. The report indicates that the worm-like insects, found in breakfast porridge on Saturday morning, were “weevil larvae.” It says the issue was traced to a box of Quaker Creamy Wheat cereal and recommends the disposal of all boxes of that ce- real remaining in storage at the hospital. The report found no is- sues with the condition of the hospital kitchen or the storage areas and stated that all food handlers at the hospital had received food hygiene training from the Department of Environ- mental Health. It states, “It should be noted that it is not uncommon for cereals and grains to be harvested with dormant insect eggs. Some- times processing does not get rid of all dormant eggs. However, detection of weevil is considered a food contam- inant but generally poses no health risk to the food or consumers. “At times, when certain food products are stored for prolonged periods, the dor- mant eggs can hatch and their larvae can develop and be present in the food.” The report also recom- mends a check of all other cereals, flour and sim- ilar products in storage at the hospital. “Measures should be taken if any other contami- nation is detected to prevent these products entering the food chain,” it states. It also recommends that the original supplier of the cereal be asked to check and ascertain the extent of the contamination at its location. New mother Jhannaye Bodden told the Cayman Compass on Sunday that she was stunned and disgusted to find what she believed to be maggots in her food after being served the break- fast porridge at the hos- pital on Saturday. She said she was con- cerned at being served con- taminated food at a hospital. “My first thought was to warn all the mothers on the ward because we are all breast feeding and the ba- bies are getting the food we are getting,” she said in an interview. The inspector’s report indicates that one other pa- tient on the same ward found “what appeared to be mag- gots” in their food. A total of 48 patients had been served porridge that morning, ac- cording to the report. After being notified of the problem, hospital staff re- called the breakfasts and 17 were returned to the kitchen while others were discarded on the wards, the report states. The DEH report indicates that the inspector was called in as soon as the complaint was made and an investiga- tion began immediately. It states, “Closer examina- tion of some of the recalled porridge in the kitchen re- vealed what appeared to be meal ‘weevil larvae.’ “There were no evidence of maggots present in any of the porridges inspected or in any other similar products that were examined. “The kitchen and storage areas were deemed to be in a satisfactory sanitary condition and as such did not present any risk to the foods being prepared in the facility.” The environmental health report says the issue was traced to a box of Quaker Creamy Wheat cereal and recommends the disposal of all boxes of that cereal remaining in storage at the hospital. NEW CO-CHAIRS FOR 100 WOMEN IN FINANCE Lise Baril, a director of Deloitte Cayman, and Monette Windsor, man- aging director of MUFG Alternative Fund Services (Cayman) Ltd., have been elected as co-chairs of the Cayman branch of 100 Women in Finance. The group, which re- cently rebranded from 100 Women in Hedge Funds, describes itself as a “global affinity group for women in the finance and alternative investments industries.” Ms. Baril and Ms. Windsor succeed Odette Samson, a partner of De- loitte Cayman, and Jo Cun- ningham, a partner of Maples Cayman. Ms. Baril has served on the group’s main com- mittee since 2013 and re- cently served as co-chair of the organization’s philan- thropy committee, which has raised US$155,000 for local charities. “It’s an exciting time for 100 Women in Finance as we look to continue to strengthen opportuni- ties for peer engagement, philanthropic and educa- tional initiatives for pro- fessional women as well as the finance industry,” Ms. Baril said. Ms. Windsor has also served on the main com- mittee since 2013, as well as serving as co- chair of the organization’s peer engagement com- mittee since 2014. The Cayman group has more than 600 members. Internationally, 100 Women in Finance has more than 15,000 members. From left, new co-chairs of 100 Women in Finance Monette Windsor and Lise Baril with former co-chair Odette Samson.DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days Sister Islands WEDNESDAY MARCH 8, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS 50 years ago: Scott sisters visit Brac after 49 years away In the March 8, 1967 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, Cayman Brac corre- spondent Lilian Ritch wrote: “Two seamen of Spot Bay, sons of Elder and Mrs. Carl Scott, left on Sunday 26th for New York via Grand Cayman. Roosevelt (Dinks) will visit with family there while Evelyn (Prince) is to sit for his third Mate’s li- cence. Both are with Na- tional Bulk Carriers Inc. “Guests with Mrs. Val- erie Marson of the West End have been her cousins, Mes- dames Ruth Scott and Joyce Rumff of Mobile, Alabama. These sisters, daughters of the late Capt. Eldridge Scott of the West End are of the clan of the island’s first set- tlers. They enjoyed the is- land, especially visiting with the people who were so cordial and friendly. “To quote, ‘Our visit to the [Secondary Modern] school was especially ap- preciated and enjoyed. We are happy to find such a lovely school. The children and faculty were most gra- cious to us. Sorry we did not get to visit the other schools in session, but we did take a look at West End Primary. It made us so happy to find the West End church filled to capacity for worship on both Sun- days we were there. Despite the many changes in the 49 years since we left Cayman Brac it is still ‘home’ to us and we love the island and all the wonderful people who live here.’ “Mrs. Ruby Pegg, grad- uate of Lincoln School of Practical Nursing, California, 1965 and of the Metropolitan Nursing School of Infants and Ge- riatrics, New York, 1966, is a native of Creek and is very enthusiastic over the Cayman Brac hospital project. Engaged in private nursing in New York she took the last weekend of a vacation in Jamaica to be home with her family, Mr. and Mrs. Alford Scott of Cotton Tree Bay. “Accompanying Mrs. Pegg were her nephew Glad- stone ‘Trigger’ Black, sales representative of Edwin Charley (Jamaica) Limited, and little son, Richard, and a friend, Mrs. Lovita Levy of Kingston. “Mrs. Levy (nee McCoy) is another Caymanian visiting the islands. Born in Bodden Town she went to Jamaica in 1933 where she married and has been resident. Some 30 years ago she visited the Brac. Now she would like to have a home here. “Dr. Edlin Merren, den- tist, held office at the Gov- ernment clinic, Stake Bay, on Friday 3rd for a couple of hours in the interim of Cayman Brac Airways’ flight to Jamaica.” Brac youth gearing up for a weekend of fun, sports and activities Teenagers and young adults on Cayman Brac will be treated this weekend to an array of free events as part of the Brac Spring Weekend. Kicking off on Friday, March 10, the event is being organized by the Youth Services Unit of the Ministry of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports, and features a variety of activities, including youth forums, drone racing and sports, according to a press release. “The Brac Spring Weekend is to empower young people in the Brac to participate and advocate for their community,” said Acting Youth Services Unit head James Myles. “Its main goals are to encourage attendance to its two youth fo- rums: One for high school students, and the other a breakfast forum for 17 to 25 year olds to gather and di- alogue. We’re very excited by the feedback we’ve been getting about all the events we’ve planned and expect a strong turnout.” Friday’s Brac Youth Forum be- gins at 2 p.m. at the Layman E. Scott Senior High School. Hosted jointly by the Cayman Islands Youth Assembly, the interac- tive session will encourage teen- agers to discuss topics of in- terest as they relate to them and the community. Next on the agenda is a 3-on-3 basketball tournament at 7:30 p.m. at the high school’s basketball courts. Teams will get the chance to show off their skills with the winners earning prizes. Starting at noon on Saturday, young people are invited to watch a drone racing exhibition by trained drone pilots on the Bluff Play- field, followed by a scavenger hunt which starts at 1 p.m. According to the release, the all-island hunt, hosted with help of the Cayman Islands Scouts, will test partici- pants’ tracking and clue-inter- preting skills. The afternoon’s activities con- tinue at 4 p.m. with a kickball com- petition open to all ages and skill levels, and entertainment by the Koalition Dance Group. After the tournament Cayman Brac FC will face off against Academy FC in an U-13 match. To round off the day, a Half-Line Kick-Off Compe- tition will take place during the halftime of the Cayman Islands Football Association’s Division 1 match between Cayman Brac and North Side. According to the release, food and non-alcoholic drinks will be on sale at some of the events with the proceeds going toward helping the local community. On Sunday, a Young Adult Breakfast Forum, free to young adults aged 17-25, will be held at the Cayman Brac Beach Resort from 8:30–10:30 a.m. The break- fast discussion will encourage at- tendees’ to speak about topics of mutual interest. For further information, or to register for the scavenger hunt, basketball, kickball or kick-off competitions, email camille.angel@gov.ky or call 943-1127. Go-karting was one of the many activities enjoyed at the last Brac Spring Weekend in 2015.DISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days Sister Islands CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MARCH 8, 2017 The start of March has young people front and center in Cayman Brac, with numerous events catering to kids and youth scheduled over the coming days. The Lions Club of Cayman Brac Claudette Upton “Speak Off” public speaking con- tests will be held at the Cayman Brac Beach Re- sort for primary students on Wednesday, March 8, and for high school students on Thursday, March 9. Also on March 8, the monthly community thatch plaiting class will take place at 7 p.m. at the Cayman Brac Heritage House. Con- tact simones@candw.ky for more information. On March 10, as part of the Layman H. Scott High School 50th anniversary cel- ebrations, the school will hold a special alumni as- sembly for students from years 2007–2016 at 8 a.m. at the school hall. Visit www.facebook.com/lshs50th for more information. Cyclists are busy taking pledges for another fun event this weekend. On Saturday, March 11, the Rotary Club of Cayman Brac’s 35th annual Bike-a-Thon fundraiser starts at 8 a.m. sharp at the Spot Bay turnaround, with the route taking cyclists to West End community park, for a good cause. Transportation will be provided for riders and bikes from the West End post office at 7:15 a.m. “Riders of all ages are welcome to take part in this event, but we are spe- cifically hoping for lots of young riders – we en- courage everyone interested to participate,” said Brac Rotary President Laurise Ashman. Contact 929-9002, 924-7898 or 939-5303 for more information. On Saturday, Cayman Brac FC U-13s plays Cayman Academy ‘B’ at 10 a.m. at the Cayman Brac sports complex. Then, at 8 p.m. Cayman Brac FC faces off against North Side at the same venue. Also this weekend, on March 11 and 12, resi- dents and visitors are in- vited to the Climb On! event with the Rock Iguana Ltd. climbing school. Open to climbers ages 8 and up and all fitness levels, the rock climbing school is holding a number of events to offer an opportunity to try rock climbing on the Brac. On Saturday from 3-6 p.m. the company is offering a taste of top roping, climbing on routes rated from 5.6 to 5.10 (easy to moderate). Sat- urday also features a party at Barracudas at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday at 9 a.m. climbers can experience an adrenaline rush with a Bluff rappel, and at 3 p.m. a clinic will allow climbers to work on their technique. Kids 8-16 with pa- rental supervision can join the climbing and rappelling for half price. For more information and prices, call 936-2722; email info@climb.ky or visit www.climb.ky. The Layman H. Scott Se- nior High School 50th anni- versary celebrations continue on Monday, March 13, with a World Culture Day and open house starting at 1 p.m. at the school hall. For more informa- tion, visit www.facebook. com/lshs50th. Participants at last year’s bike-a-thon. Rock Iguana Ltd. is hosting a number of climbing events this weekend. Climbing, cycling events this week An introduction to climbing is scheduled this weekend. - PHOTO: ROCK IGUANA Council plans to advance protection of Little Cayman’s east end A large parcel of Crown land in Little Cayman’s east interior is among six sites on the island nominated for Protected Area status under Cayman’s new National Con- servation Law. The National Conserva- tion Council has resolved to advance the nomination, which is still to be approved by Cabinet, in the interest of protecting the parcel’s di- verse and pristine natural en- vironment. As the nomination document notes, the lands in- cluded in the parcel are for the most part untouched and represent Little Cayman’s primeval landscape. Adjoining landowners and the general public have until May 2 to comment on the proposed nomination be- fore the Council presents it to Cabinet. According to the nomi- nation document posted on the Department of Environ- ment’s website, the interior of Little Cayman’s east end includes open wetlands im- portant to Whistling Duck and other water birds, a mosaic of dry shrubland, large inland ponds, and buttonwood wetlands. “Most of the area is prac- tically inaccessible, and there may well be more rare and endangered spe- cies there than we know about,” it states. “The land forms the back- drop for the huge natural vista that can be seen inland from the higher parts of the east coast road.” According to the docu- ment the nomination com- prises a large Crown-owned parcel which includes sub- stantial wetland areas, and an undisturbed expanse of xerophytic shrubland [dry shrubland consisting of plants used to living off very little water]. “The wetlands include open ponds and buttonwood shrubland, with a small area of herbaceous flats that at- tract West Indian Whistling Duck and other waterfowl,” it continues. “The majority of this area has not been biologically ex- plored, and unexplained fea- tures are apparent in the largest pond which may or may not be caused by living organisms.” Little Cayman’s east interior is largely untouched by humans.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 WEDNESDAY MARCH 8, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Police ‘not able to substantiate’ MLAs’ claim they were followed “When I was advised that private investigators had al- legedly been hired to follow me, I took the matter seri- ously and immediately re- ported it in the Legislative Assembly and to the police to have them investigate. “They advised me that the matter was investigated fully but to date the informa- tion I was given could not be substantiated. They have left the matter open and I have confirmed that if something does arise later I would want to fully prosecute anyone carrying out or having au- thorised such activities.” He added, “I take my fam- ily’s security and safety very seriously and would like to thank the police for their professionalism and thor- oughness in this matter.” Mr. McLean and Mr. Miller did not respond by press time to Cayman Com- pass calls and emails seeking comment on the result of the RCIPS investigation. Opposition members respond to Cayman Finance statement During Monday’s press conference, the MLAs de- fended their criticisms of the Legal Practitioners Bill and lambasted Cayman Finance for “interfer[ing] with the su- premacy of Parliament.” MLAs Messrs. Connolly, McLean, Suckoo and Miller have criticized the bill, saying it seeks to legitimize lawyers practicing Cayman Islands law from abroad. They took issue with a Thursday statement by Cayman Finance in de- fense of the bill. “Cayman Finance, as an entity, serves a very impor- tant role in the financial ser- vices sector of the islands. However, in this instance, with a board that has mem- bers from the Cayman Is- lands legal associations and the Cayman Islands gov- ernment, the statements are inaccurate and deliber- ately self-serving,” the op- position group said in a joint statement. Mr. Miller said it was ri- diculous to say the MLAs’ accusations against local law firms were damaging to the country’s economy and reputation. “Money, power or inter- national embarrassment cannot and should not be put before the adherence to the rule of law. After all, we are the country that ar- rested a serving premier on allegations of corruption and subsequently removed him from office,” the joint statement said. Mr. Connolly said the number of lawyers prac- ticing from abroad cannot be determined. He estimated the number to be more than 180, based on a 2013 statement by Law Reform Commission chairman Ian Paget-Brown. “No one has been able to get those numbers be- cause the law firms don’t talk about their structures. No one in Cayman knows the exact size of the law firms or how they are structured,” Mr. Connolly said Monday. He stopped short of calling for greater law firm transparency. “We’re asking a question. We’re not the court of law. We’re not the ones in charge of legal practices here. We’re asking the question and we want the answer. We think the answer goes toward public policy, good governance and transparency,” he said. At the heart of the MLAs’ concerns is Mr. Paget-Brown’s 2013 statement: “There are at least fourteen such firms [advising on Cayman Islands law from abroad], with ap- proximately 180 lawyers working for those firms out- side of the Cayman Islands. It is for these 180 lawyers that they now need practicing certificates.” Mr. Miller said a require- ment of obtaining a prac- ticing certificate is to be a Cayman Islands resident. He took issue with the idea that lawyers might be granted a certificate without first ap- pearing before the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. The MLAs called again for an investigation of these at- torneys, but would not name specific cases of wrongdoing. Mr. McLean said a formal complaint had not been filed with police because the role of a legislator is to en- gage the public. Mr. McLean opposed the establishment of a legal permit process for over- seas lawyers on grounds that the lawyers’ identities were not known. Compass reporter James Whittaker contributed to this story. 1951 “as one of the very few survivors of six million vic- tims” of the Nazi Holocaust. Ms. Schloss, a veteran speaker, detailed memories of Nazi occupation, her fami- ly’s concealment behind false walls and floorboards, their capture, deportation to Po- land, enslavement and tor- ture, and the death of her fa- ther and brother. She spoke in measured, calm tones, but was un- sparing in her descriptions. Born in 1929 in Vi- enna, she described Aus- tria as beautiful, the people as lovely, but “it all changed in a minute when the Nazis marched in,” during the 1938 culmination of Hitler’s an- nexation of the country. “I was 9 years old,” Ms. Schloss said, “and you could see the hate in their eyes,” describing both the mili- tary and her neighbors. Her best friend’s mother forbade Ms. Schloss to enter their home, while her brother’s friends “turned on him” in the street, beating him “as people watched.” Her family fled to Belgium, then Holland, where school- girl Ms. Schloss, then 11, met Anne Frank, whose “Diary of a Young Girl” is among the best-known chronicles of the Holocaust, read in schools around the world. In 1940, “The Germans marched into the Nether- lands,” and while “things did not change at first,” Hol- land’s Nazi party greeted the invaders. The Frank family, the Schloss family and thou- sands of other Jews ig- nored a subsequent order to “10,000 people to report to a certain spot to go work in German factories. “We knew better,” Ms. Schloss said. Despite a pro- hibition on Jews owning ra- dios, the BBC’s Dutch-lan- guage service mentioned the 300 death camps in Ger- many and Poland, and said the Jews were systematically being gassed. “We went into hiding,” she said, noting that the family changed places an- other six times during three years, eluding home inva- sions by Nazi troops who tore down walls and ripped up floors, confiscating any- thing of value. Ultimately, her family – like the Franks – was be- trayed, and while Ms. Schloss says no one can identify the culprit, she sus- pects a local nurse posing as part of the Resistance, but secretly a double agent. “She even betrayed her own boyfriend.” For three or four days the family rode a freight train, packed with 80 others and two buckets, “one for a toilet and one for water.” Her father wept, she said. “He could no longer protect us.” When the train finally stopped and the doors opened, “It was Auschwitz.” In a sense, the family was lucky, she said. Auschwitz had a selection process: One line went immedi- ately to the gas chambers, a second went to the barracks and hard labor. “At Treblinka and So- bibor,” Ms. Schloss said, “there was no selection. They went right to the gas cham- bers. At least in Auschwitz, you had a chance.” She faced the infamous Josef Mengele, “the white angel,” as he winnowed the prison population, sending some to death, others to medical experiments. “My mother was selected for death,” she said. A cousin in Mengele’s of- fice saved her mother, but Ms. Schloss did not learn of it until months later, long after she encountered her fa- ther one day and told him of Mengele’s selection. “He just crumpled,” she said, “and died days later.” The sheer degrada- tion is her overriding sense of the camp, she said. Women were forced to strip, standing naked for hours before guards. Their heads were shaved, they were or- dered to forget their names and remember the num- bers that were tattooed on their arms. Lethal compe- tition for inadequate bread and water was underlined by prisoners’ theft from each other of concealed food; eight people slept in a single wooden bunk. Somehow, she and her mother survived Auschwitz and the death marches forced on prisoners by the Nazis as Russian troops closed in. She again met Anne Frank’s father, Otto, and they waited in Odessa, Ukraine, for the war’s end, ultimately migrating to Am- sterdam, then London, where Ms. Schloss resides today. Mr. Frank had a small package “wrapped in string, which he gave to me to open because it was too emo- tional for him.” It was Anne Frank’s famous diary, which abruptly ended as her family was deported to Poland. Alone among the family, Otto Frank survived; Anne died in Bergen-Belsen. Ms. Schloss’s mother ultimately married Otto Frank in 1953, making Eva Schloss Anne’s posthu- mous stepsister. Ms. Schloss married in 1952, bearing three daugh- ters, but not before strug- gling with the legacy of the Holocaust. “I prayed every day, but God was either not there, not listening or didn’t care. I came out an atheist,” she said, describing what is now called “Holocaust The- ology,” asking how God could permit something so unut- terably monstrous. “In 1946, I wanted to commit suicide. I still ques- tion. I am still searching for an answer: Why did this happen? How could it happen? “Education,” she pleads, “is the only thing” to prevent a recurrence. banning gas stations from selling liquor and called for Commerce Minister Wayne Panton and Attorney General Samuel Bulgin to clarify the law on the issue before any more licenses are granted. Agenda papers for the li- censing board’s March 24 meeting show a number of new applications. Liquor 4 Less is seeking to expand its opening hours during the week and to open Sundays at its stores on Airport Road, George Town and Savannah. Prentice Panton, who owns Liquor 4 Less, has also applied to op- erate his Papajack’s Mobile Bar Service through the night until 3:45 a.m. on Saturdays. Mr. Panton said an antic- ipated new wave of compe- tition from gas stations had prompted him to make a bid to open on Sundays. He said some hotels, bars and stores already sell takeaway liquor by the bottle on Sundays to customers under what he de- scribes as a “loophole” for re- tail licenses. “This is something we have had requests for, for many years,” he said. “If alcohol is being sold on Sundays at bars, why should we be any different?” Mr. Rutty, who owns Peanut’s at the Red Bay gas station, said he is also seeking a license to sell on Sunday. “Many people are looking to get a six pack and go to the beach or out on the boat. We have tourists coming in and we have to tell them they can’t buy it on a Sunday.” He said he did not see any issue with gas station stores being allowed to sell alcohol. Mr. Hamaty said he be- lieved licensing liquor sales at gas stations were prohibited by Cabinet order. He said the Legislative Assembly had lifted a moratorium on new liquor li- censes late last year, but had not lifted the Cabinet order.e. He said the concept of al- lowing gas stations to serve al- cohol undermines long-estab- lished rules on liquor sales and threatens the business model of the traditional liquor store. “The floodgates have been opened now and we have nu- merous gas stations wanting to serve liquor. This is going to wreck an industry that has been carefully regu- lated for decades. “If you are a gas sta- tion store, you can open up 24 hours a day, seven days a week, just by locking up the li- quor at certain times.” He said businesses like his, which had set up dedicated li- quor stores with opening hours defined by the license condi- tions, were at a disadvantage. Cayman’s churches have argued against any expansion of Sunday trading or liberal- ization of the liquor stores. Bishop Nicholas Skyes said it is “unfortunate” that gas sta- tion owners were citing the historical granting of a few li- cense permissions to gas sta- tions many years ago to “inflict this idea on the whole country.” He added, “In my view and I would suppose many, this could be the worst idea of the century, to bring already hor- rible driving into an unholy union with alcoholic impair- ment by having it advertised and sold at the same outlets as fuel. Whatever can they be thinking about?” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Holocaust survivor: ‘You could see the hate in their eyes’ New move for Sunday liquor stores CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Opposition MLAs, from left, Winston Connolly, Ezzard Miller, Arden McLean and Alva Suckoo at a press conference on Monday. - PHOTO: KAYLA YOUNGThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MARCH 8, 2017 Kosovo’s president wants regular army Kosovo President Hashim Thaci asked parliament to transform the lightly armed security forces into a regular army, a move likely to anger Serbia. Thaci said, “The transformation of Kosovo Security Force into an army is a normal step of a sovereign and independent state.” Women in business: be the change © 2017 KPMG, a Cayman Islands partnership and a member firm. At KPMG we welcome and embrace diversity of thought and opinion, and on International Women’s Day we get to celebrate the extraordinary women in our firm. Sheenah Hislop Partner, Alternative Investments KPMG in the Cayman Islands 1988 - Granted KPMG Accounting scholarship 1991 - Joined KPMG Cayman 1993 - Obtained CPA designation 1997 - Promoted to Manager 1999 - Moved to part- time status. Afforded time to raise family 2000 - Promoted to Senior Manager 2001 - Promoted to Principal 2014 - 1st female president of CIIPA 2003 - 2nd female Partner KPMG Cayman 2016 and on - KPMG Partner & Head of Scholarship Program Be bold, be extraordinary kpmg.ky US moves defense system to S. Korea SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – U.S. mis- sile launchers and other equip- ment needed to set up a controver- sial missile defense system have arrived in South Korea, the U.S. and South Korean militaries said Tuesday, a day after North Korea test-fired four ballistic missiles into the ocean near Japan. The plans to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, within this year have an- gered not only North Korea, but also China and Russia, which see the system’s powerful radars as a se- curity threat. China responded quickly, saying it will take “necessary measures” to protect itself and warning that the U.S. and South Korea should be pre- pared to bear the consequences. Washington and Seoul say the system is defensive and not meant to be a threat to Beijing or Moscow. The U.S. military said THAAD can intercept and destroy short and me- dium-range ballistic missiles during the last part of their flights. “Continued provocative actions by North Korea, to include yester- day’s launch of multiple missiles, only confirm the prudence of our al- liance decision last year to deploy THAAD to South Korea,” Adm. Harry Harris, head of the U.S. Pacific Com- mand, said in a statement. Some South Korean liberal pres- idential candidates have said that the security benefits of having THAAD would be curtailed by worsened relations with neighbors China and Russia. “China firmly opposes the de- ployment of THAAD,” Chinese For- eign Ministry spokesman Geng Sh- uang said at a regular briefing Tuesday. “We will definitely be taking necessary measures to safe- guard our own security interest. All consequences entailed from that will be borne by the U.S. and (South Korea). “We once again strongly urge the relevant sides to stop the process of deployment and re- frain from going further down that wrong path.” Experts say China could also send Chinese coast guard ships to escort fishing boats into waters claimed by South Korea, dispatch military aircraft and ships into South Korean air and sea space, and suggest that it might do less to re- strain North Korea from provoca- tive behavior. Russia has supported China’s opposition to the system. Militarily, Russia and China could deploy more missiles, especially those with ma- neuverable warheads to overwhelm THAAD, along with the use of de- coys and attempts to jam the system, analysts say. On Tuesday, China’s Global Times, an outspoken nationalist tabloid pub- lished by the ruling Communist Par- ty’s flagship People’s Daily, criticized North Korea over its missile tests. “By firing four missiles at once this time, the military confronta- tion between Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington escalates a notch,” the newspaper said. “Noticeably, the Chinese public is angry that Pyongyang’s nuclear program has provided an excuse for Seoul to deploy THAAD.” An official from South Korea’s Defense Ministry, who did not want to be named, citing office rules, said the equipment that arrived in South Korea included launchers, but did not confirm how many. While South Korean media spec- ulate that the THAAD deployment could be completed as early as April, the ministry official could not con- firm those reports. The official said the plan was to have the system op- erational as soon as possible. On Monday, North Korea fired four ballistic missiles in an apparent protest against ongoing U.S.-South Korean military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal. The missiles flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) on average, three of them landing in waters that Japan claims as its exclusive eco- nomic zone, according to South Ko- rean and Japanese officials. The North’s state media on Tuesday said leader Kim Jong Un supervised a ballistic rocket launching drill, a likely reference to the four launches reported by Seoul and Tokyo. Involved in the drills were artillery units tasked with striking “U.S. imperialist aggressor forces in Japan,” according to the Korean Central News Agency. There was pride and defiance among the elite citizens who live in North Korea’s showcase cap- ital, Pyongyang. “If the U.S. imperialists and their South Korean puppets shoot even just one spark into our sovereign ter- ritory, we will completely destroy those aggressors, without any mercy, with our invincible Hwasong artil- lery, which are loaded with nuclear warheads,” Sim Chol Su, echoing the propaganda often found in state media, told The Associated Press. North Korea uses “Hwasong” to describe a broad range of its bal- listic missiles, including Scuds and the mid-range missiles that are re- ferred to as Rodong and Musudan by outside analysts. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles fired by the North were believed to be “improved versions” of Scud missiles. South Korean experts say North Korea’s extended-range Scuds and mid- range Rodong missiles are capable of hitting Japan, including U.S. mili- tary bases in Okinawa. Trucks carrying parts of U.S. launchers for the THAAD missile defense system arrive at Osan air base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on Monday. - PHOTO: U.S. FORCE KOREA VIA APNext >