ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY MAY 22, 2017 High of 88 Low of 76 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 THE GOVERNMENT’S CALLOUS APPROACH TO EXPATS (AND PENSIONS) WORLD & REGIONAL | PAGE 10 TRUMP SUMMONS MUSLIM WORLD TO CONFRONT ISLAMIC TERROR 6 $11.95 CHILI CHEESE $9.95 CLASSIC WHITE OPTION FOR Expats eye financial impact of changes to Pensions Law JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com For Val Danulescu it was not a difficult choice. The day the Pensions Law changes were announced was the day he decided to leave. He looked at the money in his retirement fund, crunched some numbers and began packing his bags. “It was a simple calculation,” he told the Cayman Compass. After nine years in Cayman, he had nearly US$80,000 in his pension fund. Together with some savings, it was enough to invest in a property in his home country, Romania. With rental income and resale values, he figures he could double his money in 30 years. But the change to the Pensions Law left him with a relatively short window to leave the island or face waiting until he reached re- tirement age to access his money. The track record of his pension fund over the preceding years did not inspire confidence. “When I looked to my pension account, it recorded some increases, then some decreases, and after almost nine years was a bit less, compared to the scenario in which I would have left the money in a savings deposit with no interest.” With the permanent residency process un- certain, Mr. Danulescu, who has worked as an engineer for several companies, including C3, decided to take his money and leave. He expects a lot of people reaching seven or eight years in Cayman, with significant sums in their pensions funds, to follow suit. The Chamber of Commerce, the Cayman Is- lands Tourism Association and several major employers warned last month that busi- nesses face the prospect of mass resigna- tions from workers who want early access to their savings. The Chamber estimates as many as 2,500 RESORT CASHIER GETS 14 MONTHS FOR THEFT CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The former general cashier at The Ritz- Carlton resort was sentenced on Friday to 14 months’ imprisonment for thefts totaling $13,397 over a three-month period last year. Narine Hunter, 55, pleaded guilty in Jan- uary. Sentencing was adjourned so that the court could obtain a social inquiry report and victim impact report. Hunter was the general cashier at The Ritz- Carlton, Grand Cayman for over eight years and as such managed the daily intakes from the hotel’s various facilities, such as restau- rants and bars. She was the only one who had the full combination to the main cash vault, the court heard. Two other people had half of the combination, so both would have needed to be present to access the vault. Hunter on a daily basis conducted an un- witnessed audit of the vault contents. On July 27, 2016, she conducted her last audit because she was going on vacation for one month. Her access code was changed to give control of the vault to the person taking her place. It was at that stage that a discrepancy was found, Crown counsel Greg Walcolm had told the court earlier. During an internal investigation, Hunter admitted taking the missing funds in small amounts over a period of time. At the sentencing hearing on Friday, Magis- trate Valdis Foldats considered mitigating fac- tors put forward by defense attorney Crister Brady, along with character references that Rival supporters clash as campaign rallies heat up JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Rival supporters crossed paths in the streets on Saturday as two political ral- lies intersected on a busy final weekend of campaigning ahead of Wednesday’s general election. There were no reports of any phys- ical violence. More than 200 vehicles joined the Pro- gressives motorcade, which wound its way through the streets of Grand Cayman, cul- minating in a rally at Savannah Meadows. As the procession of vehicles, led by a truck filled with waving candidates dressed in red shirts and caps, made its way through Bodden Town, the parade was ambushed by supporters of Dwayne “John John” Seymour. The independent candidate, who is run- ning against the Progressives’ Osbourne Bodden, had been hosting a fun day at Coe Wood Beach. His supporters intercepted the motor- cade, waving yellow “Vote Dwayne ‘John John’ Seymour” T-shirts and posters of their candidate at the traveling convoy. Some Progressives supporters in turn tried to hand out their party’s shirts to the crowd. Bystanders said the clashes appeared to be largely good-natured, though Mr. Bodden suggested later that some of the cars in the motorcade had been damaged during the exchanges. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » Dwayne ‘John John’ Seymour supporters rally for their independent candidate as the Progressives motorcade passes through Bodden Town on Saturday afternoon. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY MAY 22, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Keys left inside a car overnight at a home in Bodden Town led to a bur- glary and the theft of an- other vehicle parked out- side the premises last week, police reported. Officers who responded to a report Thursday morning at the residence on Calabash Drive found that house keys left in a ve- hicle had been used to gain access to the house. “After using the house keys to enter the house and taking contents of a handbag, including a mo- bile phone and wallet, a second vehicle was stolen from the prop- erty and later found aban- doned at a nearby loca- tion,” police said. Detective Superinten- dent Pete Lansdown asked residents not to leave keys or valuables in their vehi- cles. “Burglars are clearly taking advantage of those who leave their keys in any accessible place,” he said. “We have sent re- inforcements to Bodden Town to address the bur- glary situation, including a team of detectives, and are conducting proactive pa- trols at night.” Police reported last week that more than half of the burglaries island- wide in May occurred in Bodden Town. Anyone who sees suspicious activity in their area is asked to call Bodden Town Police Sta- tion at 947-2240. Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING (PG13) 12:30 I 2:50 I 5:10 I 7:40 I 10:15 THE LOST CITY OF Z (PG13) 12:45 I 3:50 I 7:10 THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS 3D (PG13) 2:00 2D I 5:00 I 8:00 2D ALIEN: COVENANT (R) 1:30 VIP I 4:30 I 7:05 VIP I 10:00 KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD 3D (PG13) 1:20 I 4:15 VIP I 7:30 2D I 9:50 VIP GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 3D (PG13) 12:30 2D I 3:30 I 6:30 2D I 9:30 - MONDAY - 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. *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. 640-FILM (640-3456) DR. SARA WATKIN Consultant Pediatrician and Neonatologist is now at Grand Harbour Medical Clinic. Please call for appointments 949-4309 or 623-4309 Children’s ward gets $4K from Just for Kids JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A recent Walk-For-A- Cause-Thon raised $4,000 for the Cayman Islands Hospi- tal’s children’s ward. Students at Just for Kids Preschool in Prospect pre- sented the check to Pediatric Department head Dr. Earl Robinson and Health Ser- vices Authority Chief Execu- tive Officer Lizzette Yearwood at the school last Friday. Dr. Robinson said as clinical head of the pediatric unit he is al- ways delighted when there are donations such as this, specifi- cally just for children. “Just thinking of others is really a quality that is in- stilled at a very young age in the children,” he said. “The hospital continues to be very grateful to Just for Kids Preschool every year … they do sponsored walks and they give the donations to the pediatric ward unit,” said Ms. Yearwood. “I think this is a great mentorship that Ms. (Ev- elyn) Rockett and staff are doing for the kids to teach them from a very young age to give back to the commu- nity,” she said. Parents, students and teachers sponsored the walk, with the proceeds going to- ward fulfilling needs the pe- diatric ward may have, ac- cording to Ms. Rockett, owner of the preschool. She said for the past four years the school has carried out the walk-for a-cause- thon, which was started at the school by the late Wendy Quinland. The walks are now dedicated to her memory. Adventist church promotes child safety Protecting children from dangers on the in- ternet and ways in which adults and organizations can mitigate potential for abuse of children were key aspects of a special joint meeting of all Adven- tist churches on May 13 at Kings Church. The meeting with local and international speakers from business and child services sec- tors was convened as part of the church’s observance of Child Month. The main presenters were Daisy Montes de Oca, an account executive with responsibility for risk man- agement from the world headquarters of the Adven- tist Church in Washington, D.C., and Rudy Myles, Flow Caribbean regional fraud manager, based in the Cayman Islands. Other speakers at the afternoon event were Fe- licia Robinson, director of the Department of Chil- dren and Family Services, Cereta McDonald, director of the Adventist Confer- ence’s Children and Ado- lescents’ Ministries, under whose umbrella a full slate of Child Month activities were organized. Commenting after the meeting, Ms Montes de Oca said, “The churches need to be involved in child safety, and I am impressed that the Cayman Islands Con- ference takes child safety and risk management seri- ously and is taking steps to ensure that the proper pro- cedures are in place.” TEEN CHARGED WITH BURGLARY OFFENSES Police have charged a 16-year-old on suspi- cion of burglary and at- tempted burglary. Officers arrested the Bodden Town juvenile on Wednesday in connection with an attempted burglary at a home on Brook Drive in Bodden Town. The teen was also charged with bur- glary relating to a break- in at a residence on Car- rington Lane on May 17. The teenager appeared in court last Friday, when his next court appearance was set for May 26. BURGLAR STEALS CAR AFTER FINDING KEYS Teachers and children join Pediatric Department head Dr. Earl Robinson and Health Services Authority CEO Lizzette Yearwood, holding a check given by children of Just for Kids. Owner Evelyn Rockett is pictured to the left of Dr. Robinson. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Speakers at the child safety seminar were, front, from left, Pastor Shion O’Connor, Daisy Montes de Oca and Cereta McDonald. Back, from left, are John Wesley, Rudy Myles, Felicia Robinson and Pastor Reinaldo Dracket.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MAY 22, 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. MONDAY MAY 22, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS STEPHEN RADEMAKER Special To The Washington Post · Last Sunday, North Korea successfully demonstrated for the first time that it could strike U.S. territory in the Pa- cific. After more than 25 years of wrestling with the North Korean nuclear threat, it’s time to recognize that North Korea is not merely seeking to gain bargaining leverage against us. Rather, it is determined to possess nuclear weapons, and we need to develop a realistic strategy for containing, de- fending against and deterring what will be a persistent and growing nuclear threat. There’s every reason to con- tinue pursuing sanctions and diplomacy, but we should not premise our policy on the ex- pectation that such efforts are going to succeed in persuading North Korea to change course. We must also recognize that there is no acceptable military solution to the problem. Even before the North pro- duced its first nuclear weapon, the United States calculated that the potential cost for any military strike was too great for America and South Korea. Now that North Korea has nuclear weapons, as well as missiles that can reach Guam and beyond, this logic is even more compelling. It is indeed true, as the Trump administration has concluded, that China has the wherewithal to compel North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons. But China is a great power that has had plenty of time to think through its policy. It is concerned, but clearly not panicked. More im- portant, it perceives plenty of downsides to overreacting, in- cluding the potential collapse and absorption of its ally, North Korea, into America’s ally, South Korea. So great is our dependence on China that, like hostages held by a kidnapper, all previous ad- ministrations developed a sort of Stockholm syndrome, coming to believe that China was doing everything it could to help solve the problem, when it manifestly could do more. After 25 years, we should not assume that more hectoring, promises or threats will persuade China to act in ways it believes contrary to its interests. In the absence of good mili- tary options or a Chinese deus ex machina, the remaining options for eliminating the threat are limited. We’ve tried them all, and all have failed. Bill Clinton pursued engage- ment, which lasted until North Korea was caught cheating on its commitments to us. George W. Bush switched to confronta- tion, until North Korea tested its first nuclear weapon. Then he reverted to engagement, but Barack Obama found the re- sults so disappointing that he shifted to ignoring the problem (or, as his administration called it, “strategic patience”). The Trump administration can pick any of these options, but there’s no reason to expect different results. North Korea has repeatedly demonstrated that it can withstand sanc- tions and that it will pocket whatever inducements we offer without abandoning its nuclear weapons program. It’s time to take North Ko- rea’s words and actions at face value: North Korea is a nuclear- armed state and is determined to remain one. The deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, mis- sile defense system to South Korea is a welcome first step to contain the threat, allowing us to shoot down short- and in- termediate-range missiles fired from North Korea. As North Korean missile ca- pabilities grow, THAAD needs to be augmented with more robust missile defense sys- tems, including the ship-borne Aegis system, the Aegis Ashore system now being deployed in Romania, expanded interceptor capabilities in Alaska and the corresponding sensors neces- sary to maximize the effective- ness of all these systems. But purely defensive sys- tems will not suffice in de- terring North Korea. We need new offensive capabilities that match North Korea’s. For starters, because of U.S. pres- sure, the range of South Ko- rea’s ballistic missiles has been limited by mutual agree- ment since 1979. Such limi- tations make no sense in the face of North Korea’s growing missile threat and should be lifted immediately. At the same time, additional offensive strike options need to be made available to our allies in the region, including long- range strike aircraft, aerial re- fueling capabilities and preci- sion-guided munitions. President Donald Trump was ridiculed during his cam- paign for suggesting that South Korea and Japan may want to consider deploying their own nuclear weapons. But Trump did not invent this idea. Polls show that roughly two-thirds of South Koreans believe their country should have its own nuclear weapons. As an alternative, the United States should be pre- pared to return its own tactical nuclear weapons to the Korean Peninsula. The withdrawal of those weapons was announced by President George H.W. Bush in 1991 as North and South Korea were finalizing an agree- ment to denuclearize the pen- insula. North Korea has never respected that agreement, so we need not defer to it, either. None of these ideas rep- resent a preferred response to the North Korean nuclear threat. They are, instead, a last recourse. But the past quarter- century teaches that we have no realistic alternatives. Rademaker, a principal with the Podesta Group, was an assistant secretary of state responsible for arms control and nonproliferation from 2002 to 2006. The Progressives government’s attitude toward expatriates too often can be approximated in a half- dozen words: “If you don’t like it – Leave.” Unfortunately, following changes to the Cayman Islands Pensions Law, that’s precisely what as many as 2,500 work permit holders – 6 percent of the coun- try’s workforce – may choose to do. The potential consequences are tremendous, to the country as a whole, to employers (particularly in the key tourism sector) and, most importantly, to the lives of the individual workers who arrived in Cayman with a certain set of financial expectations only to have the rules changed midway through the game. It is wrong on every level. Through the end of 2017, expatriates who leave Cayman retain the ability to “cash out” of their private pension plans once they’ve been off the island for two years or more. Under the revised Pensions Law, foreign workers who stay past Dec. 31, 2017, are “locked in” to those plans until they reach the age of retirement (50 to 65, depending on individual circum- stances). Taken alone, the revisions are significant (making Cayman a less attractive destination for foreign workers in the future) but not severe. However, when they changed the Pensions Law, the Progressives failed to insert a “grandfather clause” allowing workers already in Cayman to abide by the old rules that existed when they first entered the country. Before the Progressives executed their “bait and switch,” workers were counting on that money to be available when they returned to their home countries so they could buy homes, invest in property or start their own businesses. As reported on today’s front page, many expats consulted their calculators and determined it’s time to depart Cayman before their pensions are held hostage. The negative impacts were easily foreseeable. But just like when they changed the Immigration Law (resulting in more than 900 permanent residence applicants being left in “legal limbo”), it seems the Progressives either didn’t think, didn’t care – or acted with intention. Labour Minister Tara Rivers said, “Everybody that understands the principle of a pension understands that pensions are for retirement and retirement is wherever you are.” (Tell that to the hundreds of Cay- manians who, since 2011, have “dipped into” their pensions savings to purchase land or homes … exactly what the expats had planned to do.) Even more chilling is the “official” statement from Ms. Rivers’s ministry as to why existing work permit holders weren’t accommodated under the new law: “The ministry does not have a desire to apply pension legislation differently to non-Caymanians, nor does it have a desire to create an additional administrative burden to operate or monitor two separate systems depending on when a person was hired.” Translation: Government can’t be bothered. As for officials’ explanation that Cayman’s pensions policies should align with those of other countries, that’s the absolute worst reason for anything. Just think about how that motivation would alter our country’s approach to, for starters, marriage (i.e. gay marriage), abortion (i.e. abortion rights) and income taxation (i.e. bye-bye, financial services). As if all that weren’t bad enough, apparently the government has no plans to manage the upcoming upsurge in new work permit applications to replace the departing expats. (All too typically, our queries to the Immigration Department on this issue have gone unanswered.) Ms. Rivers’s ministry, along with politicians such as independent Bodden Town MLA Alva Suckoo, have offered the infantile suggestion that employers hire Caymanians instead. (Oh, if it were that easy – or mathematically possible – to fill 2,500 vacancies from the country’s pool of 1,400 unemployed Caymanians.) Underlying the entire situation is the fundamental reality that Cayman’s private pensions scheme isn’t so much a retirement plan as a potentially harmful fiction. The bottom line is that 10 percent annual savings fall far short of what is needed for retirement. The arithmetic is simple: Imagine that someone works for 40 years, accruing pension savings worth four years of their average salary. After retiring at age 65, their pension can sustain them, at their accus- tomed standard of living, until the age of 69. So … What happens when they turn 70? … Minister Rivers? The government’s callous approach to expats (and pensions) It’s time to treat North Korea as a nuclear threat 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”The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MAY 22, 2017 DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days George Town MONDAY MAY 22, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS PROUD OF THEM George Towners Jonathan Christian, Chambria Dalhouse honored Jonathan Christian, 25 and Chambria Dalhouse, 16, are two of this year’s Proud of Them awardees hailing from George Town. Recognized for his achieve- ments in academics and busi- ness, Mr. Christian’s interests are in the mobile and digital areas of commerce. According to a press release, through his company JRC Investment Inc., he has launched his first business venture, a mobile ticketing app called Event Pro, available in both the Apple App and Google Play stores. Through the app, users can buy and sell tickets and promote events. Mr. Christian embodies the entrepreneurial spirit, having first started working at 13 as a bagger at Kirk Market, the release states. After high school, he worked at Uni- versal Communications for several years, where he gained sales, customer service and business experience. Addi- tionally, he has worked as a freelance graphic designer, a skill that he began acquiring in high school. He has also demonstrated academic proficiency. In May 2016 he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in management from Johnson and Wales University. He reached this achievement while also working remotely for Heritage Holdings. Mr. Christian is currently pursuing a master’s degree from the University of Essex, in England. He is expected to earn his degree in July. Chambria Dalhouse, rec- ognized for her accomplish- ments in sports, has been described as determined, te- nacious and persistent. She is the only female currently representing the Cayman Is- lands in boxing, and is the youngest to do so. She trains at the gym four to five times a week, for two hours each day, often sparring with her male counterparts. According to a press re- lease, Ms. Dalhouse trained for more than a year without participating in a fight. Her hard work and patience paid off in October 2016 when she traveled to England for her debut fight. Despite losing, she gained the respect of her opponent and, not discour- aged, she was back at the gym the following Monday. She returned to the ring in November 2016, traveling to Jamaica for her second inter- national fight against the fe- male Caribbean champion. This time she won, and beat the same opponent again in January 2017. Ms. Dalhouse is also suc- ceeding academically, and as part of a dual enrollment pro- gram, she has passed 16 sub- jects. She is pursuing an as- sociate degree in hospitality at the University College of the Cayman Islands, main- taining a 3.5 GPA. In addition, Ms. Dal- house plays the saxophone and passed the Grade 8 exam from Trinity College London, an international exam board for the performing arts. She has also taken up the steel pan and performs with the university’s pan band. The 2017 Proud of Them award recipients were chosen from more than 120 nomi- nations. The faces and biog- raphies of the honorees will be featured on billboards throughout Grand Cayman. Jonathan ChristianChambria Dalhouse 50 years ago: Hurricane Hunter visits Cayman Last month, storm trackers on board a U.S. Air Force WC-130J Hurricane Hunter flew into Owen Rob- erts International Airport on their public awareness tour ahead of the Caribbean’s hurricane season. Hundreds of members of the public and schoolchildren toured the plane during its brief stopover in Cayman. The visit echoed one 50 years ago, when another Hur- ricane Hunter touched down in Cayman. The May 24, 1967, front page of The Cayma- nian Weekly, a precursor to the Cayman Compass, car- ried the following story: “On Monday morning, a Super-Constellation ‘Hur- ricane Hunter’ of the U.S. Navy which has multiple radar and electronic equip- ment was at our airport for about three hours. “The visit is part of joint U.S. Navy and Essa Weather Bureau pre-hurricane trip through the Caribbean for the purpose of familiarizing the Navy crew with facilities that might be used by the Hurricane Hunters during the hurricane season ahead, and to permit Weather Bu- reau officials to coordinate arrangements and prepa- ration for the coming hur- ricane season. “The plane was open for inspection and mem- bers of the public as well as scholars from the Sec. Grammar School with Mr. H. Horsley in charge, were very impressed in the tremen- dous amount of equipment on board. The plane can fly for 22 hours without refuel- ling and the radar operates over a radius of 200 miles. “On this flight were 18 Navy personnel and seven concerned with the meteo- rological side. There are six aircraft in the Squadron which is the only Navy Weather Squadron which is the only Navy Weather Squadron on the East Coast of the U.S. “Prior to coming to Cayman, the plane, starting from Jacksonville, called at Miami, Nassau, San Domingo, San Juan, St. Maarten, Barbados, Trin- idad, Curacao and Kingston. From here it returns to Jacksonville via Miami. “The Hurricane Hunter, a U.S. Air Force WC-130J air- craft, landed with crew at Owen Roberts International Airport between stops in Honduras and Turks and Caicos. The visit is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- tion’s annual tour of Latin America and the Caribbean. “Hundreds of school- children and members of the public were in- vited to tour the plane and view its weather-tracking tools used to monitor ac- tivity from Africa’s western coast to Hawaii.” Hurricane experts who flew in for a few hours on May 22, 1967, on the Hurricane Hunter aircraft were, from left, Cmdr. J.D. McGill, W.R. Davis, Hurricane Center, Miami; Arnold Sugg, hurricane forecaster, Miami; Jose Colon, meteorologist in charge, WBAS, San Juan, Puerto Rico; E. A. Wood, Overseas Operations Division; and Frank Roulstone Jr. of the U.S. Weather Bureau in Grand Cayman.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MAY 22, 2017 The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 MONDAY MAY 22, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Happy birthday in heaven For you we dedicate one of your favorite hymns - Walking in footsteps of gentle forbearance, Footsteps of faithfulness, mercy and love, Looking to Him for the grace freely promised, Happy, how happy, our journey above. How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior, Stepping in the light, stepping in the light, How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior, Led in paths of light. We miss you dearly, your loving husband Robert, Your children, grand-children and great-grandchildren Emily Naomi Ebanks 22 May 1936 - 27 August 1997 Happy birthday in heaven described Hunter as edu- cated and responsible, re- liable and hard-working, “the most honest person that I have ever met.” The magistrate quoted from the social inquiry re- port, which explained that Hunter and her husband di- vorced about two years ago. This had a “major financial effect on her and she was adjusting to paying all the expenses on her own.” She was struggling to make ends meet and “in a diffi- cult financial situation as she was three months in arrears of her mortgage and facing foreclosure …. She was under enormous pressure and folded under the financial pressure.” The magistrate said fi- nancial pressure is an issue many people have to deal with. “Turning to crime to lessen one’s burden cannot be condoned,” he said. The magistrate found that although Hunter’s thefts were planned and the hotel records were ma- nipulated, the offending was not very sophisticated. It was taking cash and al- tering figures. However, he pointed out, the hotel’s cash-handling procedures reflected the high degree of trust in Hunter. The level of harm, in terms of cash, was at the low end of the sentencing category that ranges be- tween 10,000 and 100,000 British pounds. But the magistrate said he also had to consider whether there was significant ad- ditional harm. He found there were three such factors. First, there was a high level of inconvenience to staff and others, who had to work overtime and view hours of CCTV footage. The hotel had to bring in an inves- tigator. There was emo- tional distress to Hunt- er’s co-workers, some of whom had treated her like a mother figure, and some who felt that because of her actions all employees be- came suspects. The magistrate referred to the hotel management’s “fair-minded and compas- sionate” comment – “We don’t want to see [the defen- dant] hurt and we know she has a son that we wouldn’t want to see suffer.” The maximum sentence for theft in Cayman is 10 years. The magistrate ar- rived at an initial starting point of 34 months. Given the amount of money stolen, he reduced the starting point to 24 months. The hotel had ex- pressed concern that pre- vious publicity about the incident may have af- fected its reputation internationally. The magistrate quoted from Cayman’s sentencing guidelines – “Some offenses cause harm to the commu- nity at large (instead of or as well to an individual victim) … This may be par- ticularly relevant where the offense has a potential im- pact on the tourist or finan- cial services industries of the Islands …. ”Taking into account Hunter’s remorse, cooperation with the inves- tigation and admission of responsibility, the magis- trate reduced his starting point from 24 months to 21 months. gave her full credit for her guilty plea, a one-third deduction that resulted in a prison term of 14 months. “The defendant is now a convicted thief; that is part of the personal price she must pay or her crime. The defendant has lost her reputation and her job, her family relations are in tur- moil, she will have diffi- culty finding similar em- ployment in the future and no doubt incarceration will be a shock to her,” the magistrate said. Mr. Brady had urged him to consider that non- custodial options could satisfy the public interest, but the magistrate did not agree. “A term of immediate imprisonment is necessary to ensure that individuals, particularly those in the tourism industry, who may be inclined to commit sim- ilar offenses are deterred and to mark publicly the gravity of this type of be- havior,” he said. He did not order com- pensation because Hunter did not have the means to pay it. He said, if the hotel chose, civil proceedings could be brought against the defendant. Election candidates split over immigration restructure BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Three candidates in Wednesday’s general elec- tion took deeply divided po- sitions on immigration re- form, with some favoring a work permit moratorium and others seeking to take the granting of work permits away from the Immigration Depart- ment entirely. The final televised debate of the 2017 political cam- paign season, held Thursday night at the Arts and Recre- ation Centre in Camana Bay was marked by the absence of the territory’s two political party leaders – Premier Alden McLaughlin and Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush – and a third candidate, Finance Min- ister Wayne Panton. All three had been invited. For those who did take part, political hopefuls Chris Saunders (independent, Bodden Town West), Kent Mc- Taggart (independent, Sa- vannah) and Jonathan Piercy (Cayman Democratic Party, George Town West), immigra- tion issues took center stage. Mr. Saunders wasted no time in taking shots at the absent Progressives party members. “Caymanians should feel entitled in this country,” he said. “This is what this cam- paign is about, putting Cayma- nians first. Not like what we have … with the PPM (People’s Progressive Movement, former name of the Progressives), and I’m really sorry they’re not here tonight to defend their dismal record. They have a lot to answer for.” Mr. Saunders was the only one of the three candidates to support a moratorium on work permits. Mr. Piercy, the lone party- supported candidate, said a moratorium was “not neces- sarily” needed. “We just need to enforce the laws that are there,” he said, adding that proper enforce- ment of the current Immigra- tion Law should end situations where Caymanians with col- lege degrees cannot find jobs, or qualified Caymanians are passed over for promotion. Mr. McTaggart opposed a moratorium, saying “It’s ac- tually disadvantageous to us” in the long run, and he blamed the government ser- vice for lack of Immigration Law enforcement. Mr. Saunders said a tem- porary work permit morato- rium was needed. “We have a system that doesn’t allow any form of en- forcement,” he said. “This lack of enforcement is the reason why we have 900 people waiting on permanent resi- dence right now.” To fix the immigration-re- lated difficulties, Mr. Piercy suggested removing the ap- proval of work permit appli- cations from the Immigra- tion Department – an idea which has also been sug- gested, but not implemented – by the current Progressives- led government. He said a human re- sources authority could help direct people in need of work to the vacant jobs, as well as speed up the permit applica- tion process where non-Cay- manian workers were legiti- mately required. Mr. McTaggart also said he doubted the Immigra- tion Department could fix it- self with regard to the work permit/labor issues, and some public agency needs to act as a “clearinghouse” in labor-re- lated matters. Poor attendance In a campaign season that has been rife with non-atten- dance at various debates (Mr. Piercy did not attend his own district candidate forum on May 2 in George Town West), the absence of both political party leaders was noted by the candidates who did ap- pear and by the television commentators. According to debate host Tammi Sulliman, Opposition Leader Bush declined to at- tend Thursday’s public event, and Premier McLaughlin, upon learning Mr. Bush would not attend, also declined to show up. Mr. Panton dropped out at the last minute, citing personal reasons. Debate commenta- tors Ben Meade and Johann Moxam upbraided the party leaders for not appearing. Mr. Meade said the lack of attendance did the country a “disservice” less than a week before the gen- eral election on May 24. Mr. Moxam, who was touted as a potential political candidate for this year but who de- cided not to run, called out both party leaders. “You are in leadership po- sitions in this country; you are not beyond sharing your views, your message … for the country,” Mr. Moxam said. “This is just typical, Cayma- nian power-play arrogance at its best.” Mr. Bush told the Cayman Compass that he had in- formed the organizers more than a week before the event that he would not be at- tending because he did not belive that Hurley’s Media, which is owned by a business partner of Progressives cab- inet minister Wayne Panton would be impartial. “I was not prepared to go, in my last public appear- ance before the election, for a boxing match with the Pre- mier and allow people to set me up,” he said. Resort cashier gets 14 months for theft CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “I believe we are fright- ening them,” Mr. Bodden told the crowd at the Pro- gressives rally, referring to the large number of ve- hicles in the motorcade. All the Progressives candidates addressed the crowd, ending with Pre- mier Alden McLaughlin, who urged supporters to come out and vote on Wednesday. “Today was special. It gave me goose bumps to see all those cars with all those flags,” he told the crowd. Dismissing the in- dependent candidates, backed by Dr. Steve Tom- linson, as the “coalition for chaos,” he said they would struggle to get anything done if elected to government. Referring to the event at the Lions Centre, spon- sored by Dr. Tomlinson, the premier said it was clear who the leader of the independents was, and he was not on the ballot. “All indications are that they are proposing, for this country, its first un- elected premier,” he said, referring to Dr. Tomlinson. At the Lions Centre, several independents, in- cluding Kenneth Bryan, Catherine Tyson, Ellio Sol- omon and Raul Gonzales, shared the stage to give speeches amid a carnival- style event that also in- cluded live music, acro- batics and poetry. Dr. Tomlinson spon- sored the event. Ms. Tyson, indepen- dent candidate for George Town South, urged voters to pick the best can- didate regardless of party allegiance. “They say independent people can’t do anything. They can’t tell me I can’t help people because I have done it and I know how to do it … on May 24, choose the best people, the power is in your hands.” Mr. Bryan, indepen- dent candidate for George Town Central, told the crowd,“I promise to have no allegiance to anybody or any party other than you, the people.” The Cayman Demo- cratic Party, which held its own motorcade and rally last week on the Monday public holiday, had a relatively low-key final weekend of cam- paigning, hosting an event for Cayman’s La- tino community at a home in West Bay. Party leader McK- eeva Bush said around 300 people attended. A CDP meeting is planned for Monday at Birch Tree Hill, and rallies will be held Tuesday night at the four-way stop in West Bay and later at A. L. Thompson’s store car park in George Town. Rival supporters clash as campaign rallies heat up CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MAY 22, 2017 people could leave the island before the end of this year, when the new rules start to impact workers. Some poli- ticians have dismissed those estimates and suggested the number is likely to be far lower. Others, like indepen- dent Al Suckoo, have high- lighted the expected ex- odus as an opportunity for unemployed Caymanians, while some, including Op- position Leader McKeeva Bush, say they would roll back the change to prevent serious problems for Cay- man’s economy. The reforms effectively close a loophole that has al- lowed workers early access to their savings within two years of leaving the island. Anyone moving overseas from December 2017 onward will only be able to access their money when they reach retirement age. Government has defended the reforms and said it will bring Cayman’s pension re- gime in line with the rest of the developed world. But businesses have warned they will face sky- rocketing turnover this year as a result. Some workers have al- ready left. Others, like Al- bert Cabudoy, who works at Vigoro landscaping business, are waiting to see if the elec- tion changes the equation. “I’m thinking about it, but I will stay until the elec- tion and see what happens. I heard Ellio Solomon (inde- pendent candidate) say he would change it, so I will see if the election makes a difference.” If not, he said, he would likely leave before the end of the year. “With that money I can start something at home, like a business. I am 40, so I can’t wait till I am 65, if I’m still living, to get the money.” Mr. Cabudoy, who has been in Cayman for 13 years, returning home to the Philip- pines for a year on rollover, said the money in his orig- inal pension fund had gone down in the last few years. He said many people from the Philippines are in the same position and would likely leave to gain access to their savings for business or property investments back home. He estimates, based on conversations with friends and colleagues, that as many as half of the workers from the Philippines could leave the island as a result. “A lot of people want to share their feelings about it, but they can’t communicate what they feel. They don’t like what happened,” he said. A woman, also from the Philippines, who works at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, said she and her husband, who also works in tourism, had no choice but to leave. “We bought property in the Philippines and we al- ready allotted the money to pay the mortgages,” said the woman, who asked not to be named. “I am only 30; I can’t wait for another 30 years to get access to the money. It is money that I earned. “The reason why we are here is to save money. I think it is unfair for them to change the law at this point.” Government suggests no further compromise Government has indicated there will be no further com- promise on the plans, despite the concern from workers and businesses. Some politicians, in- cluding Mr. Bush and Mr. Solomon, have indicated that if elected, they would repeal that aspect of the law and allow workers to take their funds with them when they leave. Others, like Bodden Town independent Al Suckoo, believe an exodus of expats would help deal with Cayma- nian unemployment. Labor Minister Tara Rivers, speaking at a can- didate debate last month, defended the change, saying it brought Cayman’s system in line with interna- tional standards. “Everybody that un- derstands the principle of a pension understands that pensions are for re- tirement and retirement is wherever you are. “Those persons can get that money in a lump sum upon retirement or they can get payments from the Cayman Islands however they choose,” she said. Departing expatriates also have the option of transfer- ring their pension savings to a similar fund in their home country, under the new legislation. In response to questions from the Cayman Compass, a spokesperson for Ms. Riv- ers’s ministry said it had al- ready considered and ac- commodated the concerns of businesses, which fear they will lose employees, by al- lowing a year of leeway be- fore that aspect of the law was implemented. “The 12-month transi- tion period was introduced to allow employees to have ample time to make a deci- sion and preparation with respect to their future em- ployment within the Cayman Islands, and to allow busi- nesses ample time to make the necessary recruit- ment adjustments for busi- ness continuity.” Businesses had also high- lighted concerns that the Im- migration Department will need to be ready to handle an unprecedented number of work permit requests as they look to replace large numbers of employees this year. The Immigration De- partment did not respond to questions from the Com- pass about its state of read- iness, but the Ministry of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs said it was “monitoring the situa- tion” and urged businesses to seek to fill vacancies by hiring locally. “The ministry does en- courage potentially affected businesses to ensure that they follow the Immigration Law with respect to making best efforts to identify and hire suitably qualified Cay- manians and permanent res- idents, prior to seeking labor from outside of the jurisdic- tion,” it said in a statement. The official said govern- ment did not believe it was necessary to allow expats who had been hired under the old law, and who may have planned their finances on the belief that they could access their pension fund when they left the island, to be dealt with any differently to new hires. “The ministry does not have a desire to apply pen- sion legislation differ- ently to non-Caymanians, nor does it have a desire to create an additional admin- istrative burden to operate or monitor two separate sys- tems depending on when a person was hired.” Explaining the legal change, the ministry indi- cated the “refund option” was an anomaly in the previous law that does not exist in other jurisdictions. It said removing the ability for departing workers to take their pension funds with them in a lump sum payment would mean “more funds remain and grow in the local pension funds – which is a benefit to everyone who is a member of a pension plan in the Cayman Islands.” The statement also raised the possibility that under the old law, employees – both Caymanian and non-Cayma- nian – could leave the island and cash out their retirement savings and later return to Cayman, becoming a burden to the state. “This policy shift was deemed necessary in order to minimize the possibility of persons accessing and de- pleting their pension bene- fits prior to retirement, and then subsequently becoming wards of the country later in life,” it said. Politicians weigh in Several politicians weighed in on the issue, with the Cayman Democratic Party leading calls for that part of the law to be walked back. Mr. Bush said he be- lieves the change in policy was unfair, would be bad for the economy and for Caymanian businesses and should be repealed. “When elected, we will seek to revamp the law. It is not fair. You don’t want people here but you want to keep their money? I don’t think that’s right. You can’t have your cake and eat it. “I’m not saying 2,500 people will leave, I don’t know if it will be that many. Yes, it will free up some jobs, but look what else it will do to the economy. There are far too many Caymanians out of work for the good of the country, but if you get that many people leaving at once, you can bet that would be a serious blow to our economy.” Other candidates ques- tioned whether the pre- dicted exodus would actually happen, while some high- lighted it as a good thing. Speaking at a national election debate, independent member for Bodden Town Al Suckoo said any such ex- odus would be an oppor- tunity to help deal with unemployment. “We have tourism busi- nesses telling us there’s going to be a mass exodus of people from these islands,” he said. “Why haven’t they embraced and prepared and trained Caymanians to take those jobs? Why is it now that they’re going to go out and raise the alarm that they’re going to lose 2,500 em- ployees. There should’ve been 2,500 Caymanians prepared to take those jobs. What they need to do is register them with the NWDA and stop the scare-mongering.” According to the most re- cent labor force survey, Cay- manian unemployment was 7.1 percent, just over 1,400 people, in October last year. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Changes good for savers, say pensions funds JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s two largest pri- vate sector pension funds, Silver Thatch and the Chamber of Commerce Pen- sion Fund, have suggested that changes to the Pensions Law, though a temporary in- convenience to businesses, will be good for Cayman savers in the long term. Victoria Taylor of Silver Thatch said the trustees of the fund were “generally sup- portive” of the phased re- moval of the “two-year cash- out rule” – which has allowed expats to access their savings two years after they have left the Cayman Islands. She said Silver Thatch be- lieves the change will lead to lower fees for the pen- sion membership as a re- sult of larger participation in the scheme. “On a personal level, we are very sympathetic to those who this change has af- fected,” she said, “especially members from Third World countries who were effec- tively using the pension plan as a short-term savings plan to achieve goals other than to use the funds as a retire- ment benefit.” She also expressed em- pathy for tourism businesses facing the prospect of high staff turnover as a result. She added, “However, from the point of view of pension savers, this change is almost certainly going to be of ben- efit. I suppose the question is how do we best balance the interests of everyone involved, and that is the difficult ques- tion for government.” Randall Fisher, di- rector of operations of the Chamber Pension Plan, said more money invested in the plan meant lower costs and potentially higher sav- ings for members. He said, “The trustees un- derstand the frustration ex- pressed by members that felt the ‘forced savings’ were monies that would be avail- able to them to take when they leave the island.” He said there are still vi- able options for some expats who want earlier access to their savings. He said anyone currently over the age of 48, under a transitional clause in the law, has the option to take early retirement at age 50 and apply for a retirement savings arrangement that could result in their getting access to their money when they left the is- land. One area of concern and possible controversy, high- lighted by opponents of gov- ernment’s pension reforms, is that the changes to the law impact existing contractual arrangements. Venesha McLean, an as- sociate with HSM Chambers, said the amendments to the Pensions Law could be re- garded as retroactive be- cause they affect employment contracts signed before the law was passed. She said there is a general presumption that laws are not intended to have retroac- tive effect. However, she said, the pensions amendment law could arguably be regarded as an exception because the majority of the amendments merely change the legal pro- cedures in the law. Ms. McLean acknowledged that some might see this as the “goal posts being moved” but said it would be difficult and expensive to contest. “The ability to make or amend laws is an essential power of a sovereign legisla- ture and is subject principally to constitutional limitations and our constitution contains no limits on the retrospective operation of law.” She said it was unlikely that many employers gave ex- plicit contractual guarantees to employees regarding the handling of their pension on leaving the islands. “An employee who had the means could bring a claim in court against the government arguing that the amendment law is contrary to the consti- tutional doctrine of legitimate expectation, meaning that an employee should be able to conduct his affairs with reasonable certainty of the legal consequences of his ac- tions,” she said. “It would be interesting to see how the court would rule as the government would need to demonstrate that they considered the general public interest and international standards including the Eu- ropean Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.” The Chamber of Commerce estimates as many as 2,500 people could leave the island before the end of this year, when the new rules start to impact workers. 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