High of 90 Low of 77 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 PR DELAYS: ARE THE COURTS THE ONLY SOLUTION? SPORTS | PAGE 19 RIDERS COMPLETE COMBINED TRAINING LEAGUE ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY JUNE 14, 2017 Three businesses targeted in armed robberies KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com Meal service for housebound clients was disrupted Monday after thieves broke into Meals on Wheels’ George Town office over the weekend and stole $500 cash and dam- aged property. On Monday, the organization’s volunteers were only able to deliver boxed lunches and could not distribute hot soups, leaving the el- derly recipients with just one meal. Director Beulah McField said the burglary occurred sometime after she left the office Sunday afternoon and before 6 a.m. Monday. The burglars cut the location’s phone line, UK government appoints new FCO minister Musical chairs: John Gray musicians visit Brac A specially chartered Cayman Airways flight recently took students and teachers from John Gray High School’s music department to Cayman Brac. Students from the choir, swing band, steel pan band and string ensemble performed a concert on the Brac on June 9. For more, see page 6. BURGLARS HIT MEALS ON WHEELS Two gas stations and convenience store robbed at gunpoint JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Police are investigating three armed robberies in the space of five hours on Tuesday morning. Two 24-hour gas stations were held up at gunpoint. In both cases, the masked rob- bers threatened staff with weapons before taking cash and escaping in a stolen vehicle, a red Honda Civic. They struck first at Brown’s Esso in Industrial Park at 4 a.m., and then hit Brown’s Following the recent general elections in the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Theresa May is rebuilding her government and has appointed Tariq Mah- mood Ahmad, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, as Minister of State for the Foreign and Common- wealth Office. He replaces Baroness Anelay of St. Johns, who is now Min- ister of State for the Department for Exiting the European Union. Premier Alden McLaughlin said in a press release that the appointment of Lord Ahmad is positive for the Cayman Islands since he had a 20-year career working in banking and finance in the City of London. This in- cluded a stint at the NatWest Group, where he was a senior manager in corporate banking and financial markets. He was also vice president and marketing director of Alli- ance Bernstein and strategy and marketing director at Sucden Fi- nancial before he joined the gov- ernment, where in the past year he was the minister for aviation. “Whilst it is a shame to lose Baroness Anelay as our min- ister at the FCO, we have now gained a great friend that will The former head of the police traffic unit, Adrian Barnett, was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving Monday in connection with a crash close to Hur- ley’s supermarket on Saturday. He has been suspended from police duty. See full story on page 5 FORMER TRAFFIC CHIEF ARRESTED, SUSPENDED Tariq Ahmad, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, is the new Foreign and Commonwealth Office minister. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY JUNE 14, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS SATURDAY, JUNE 17th, 8PM A Contemporary Evening Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 THE MUMMY 3D (PG13) 1:20 2D VIP I 5:00 I 7:00 2D VIP I 9:00 2D CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS (PG) 12:30 I 2:40 I 4:00 I 6:20 BAYWATCH (R) 1:20 I 4:05 I 7:00 I 10:00 A FAMILY MAN (R) 1:00 I 3:55 I 6:45 I 9:45 WONDER WOMAN 3D (PG13) 12:45 I 3:55 2D VIP I 8:10 I 9:30 2D VIP PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES 3D (PG13) 12:35 2D I 3:30 I 6:30 2D I 9:45 - WEDNESDAY - 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) To mark World Blood Donor Day on Wednesday, Health Minister Dwayne Seymour reminds Cayman Islands resi- dents and visitors about the importance of giving blood. “It is up to all of us to make sure that the blood bank located at the Health Ser- vices Authority has a constant and plen- tiful supply of blood,” Mr. Seymour said in a press release. The Health Services Authority has set a goal of reaching 500 new donors this year; to date 375 have registered. At the end of 2016, the HSA reported that it had about 1,000 registered donors. Medical technologist Greg Hon- eyghan said even though the HSA rou- tinely stocks all eight blood types, it particularly wants to encourage people whose blood type is O Positive, O Nega- tive, A Positive and B Negative to donate, as these blood types are either used very regularly or they do not have suf- ficient donors of the blood type in the donor registry. The minimum eligible require- ments for blood donation are that the donor must weigh at least 110 pounds, be healthy on donation day, be able to climb in the donor chair and be at least 18 years of age, or 17 if parents write a consent letter. Donors on the day are required to have eaten a regular meal, and to drink at least five glasses of water at a min- imum of 30 minutes before donating, and to have had plenty of rest the night before. “It cannot be taken for granted that there will always be blood available if you, or a loved one, need it for routine surgery or an emergency,” Mr. Seymour said. “… It is up to all of us to make sure that the blood bank located at the Health Services Authority has a constant and plentiful supply of blood.” He noted that a “very successful blood drive was held on Tuesday at the Government Administration Building, and he hopes that other public and pri- vate sector workplaces will hold similar registration drives for their employees.” “As we observe this year’s World Blood Donor Day, please consider reg- istering to give blood. It is a small and easy step to take, but an enormous help to our community,” he said. The blood bank is at the Cayman Is- lands Hospital on the second floor in front of the Paediatric Department. It is open Mondays to Fridays from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Donors can sign up on the website www.bloodbank.ky or call to make an appointment on 244-2674. Visit the Facebook page for Cayman Islands Blood Bank for more information. Residents encouraged to donate blood Webster questioned about girl’s video CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Defendant Errington Webster was questioned on Tuesday morning about a video that has led to a charge against him of gross indecency. He has pleaded not guilty to that count, and not guilty to three counts of indecent assault of a girl who was 13 years old at the time. The girl gave her evidence last week and told a jury of five women and two men that she took the video of Webster on her phone while she was with him in a vehicle. She said the indecent as- saults had occurred previously. She said she had taken the video because if she was to accuse him of anything and did not have evidence, “then the whole case would be dropped.” Crown counsel Darlene Oko asked Webster, 55, about the day the video was made – generally agreed to be June 25, 2016. She said that, by his evidence, Web- ster seemed to have a detailed recollec- tion of what happened before the video and what happened after the video, but had a “memory gap” when it came to the video itself. Webster agreed that the person in the video “appears to be me, yes, ma’am.” Ms. Oko said the video showed him doing an intentional act of touching himself vigorously. Webster replied, “That’s not fair to say because I don’t know any- thing about it.” Ms. Oko asked about the speech heard in the video and suggested there was no slurring. “It doesn’t sound like me,” Webster replied. He also pointed out that the video ap- peared to show him “performing a ne- farious act with my left hand. That’s not me. I’m not a left-handed person. Some- thing wasn’t right there.” Ms. Oko had the video shown in court again. Justice Charles Quin and ju- rors saw it last week when the girl gave her evidence. This time, Ms. Oko asked Webster to show where he was acting “unconsciously.” After the viewing, Webster said, “Whatever I was doing in that video, I don’t recall it.” He did recall that when he was driving, the girl wanted him to stop at the house of a friend of hers. As he went down a certain road, she told him he had passed the house. He stopped the vehicle with the in- tention of reversing. He felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck and the pain went into his head. The next thing he recalled was driving the girl back to her house. When he got to his own home, he felt a similar pain and found himself sitting on the floor with the “car porch” door between his legs and he was trying to figure out how he got there. He got up and went to lie on his bed. He tried to monitor various WhatsApp groups he was in. He did not call a doctor or a family member. Later that evening his wife treated him with home remedies. Webster was still in the witness stand at the lunch adjournment and de- fense attorney Steve McField asked to postpone further questioning because expert witnesses were scheduled to give evidence Tuesday afternoon. MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office is offering rewards for information leading to the arrests of those responsible for the murders of five journalists and the attempted murder of a sixth this year. The government published the offers of up to 1.5 million pesos (US$83,000) in Tuesday’s official gazette. Six journalists have been killed in Mexico so far this year. The Attorney General’s Office did not immediately explain why it in- cluded four from this year and one from December. The government promised changes to protect journalists and pursue their killers following the May 15 murder of prominent journalist Javier Valdez in the western city of Culiacan. It is the first time a reward has been offered in the case of a murdered jour- nalist in the administration of Presi- dent Enrique Pena Nieto. MEXICO OFFERS REWARDS AFTER JOURNALISTS MURDERED PANAMA CITY (AP) – Pan- amanian officials say the decision to break dip- lomatic relations with Taiwan in favor of China was put in motion nearly a month ago – though the roots go back a number of years. Two Panamanian offi- cials who spoke on con- dition of anonymity be- cause they were not authorized to discuss the negotiations say the two sides began meeting a few weeks ago. They say China agreed to solve one problem by helping about 80 Pana- manians who have been studying at universi- ties in Taiwan. The officials said on Tuesday that Panama did not ask for any major in- frastructure projects. China is already a major investor in the country. Panamanian gov- ernment spokesman Manuel Dominguez says Panama made the move to boost its economy. President Juan Carlos Varela said years ago that he favored shifting recognition from Taiwan to China. PANAMA’S SWITCH FROM TAIWAN TO CHINA HAMMERED OUT QUICKLY SAO PAULO (AP) – The former governor of Bra- zil’s Rio de Janeiro state has been sentenced to 14 years and two months in prison for corruption and money laundering. Sergio Cabral was ar- rested in November on charges of receiving bribes and laundering money as part of a colossal graft probe roiling Brazil. His sentence was handed down Tuesday by Judge Sergio Moro who heads the inves- tigation of the corrup- tion-kickback scandal at Brazil’s state-owned oil company Petrobras. Prosecutors have said Cabral received hundreds of thousands of dollars a month from several com- panies in exchange for help getting building con- tracts that ranged from projects in slums to re- furbishing Rio’s Ma- racana Stadium. Cabral’s lawyer Ro- drigo Roca says he’ll ap- peal the sentence. BRAZILIAN GOVERNOR SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS FOR CORRUPTION The Health Services Authority hopes to attract 500 blood donors for the blood bank this year.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JUNE 14, 2017 Friday, June 16, 2017 George Town branch 9:00am to 4:30pm Red Bay branch 11:00am to 6:00pm Competitive Rates Up to 100% financing Big Discounts on Cars Up to 96 months to repay > > > > HURRY! 1 DAY ONLY ® / ™ Trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. RBC® and Vampt Motors Feature Friday Auto Loan Special Visit the booth at George Town branch and download the new RBC Mobile app for a chance to win free top ups and a great prize. Visit the booth at George Town branch and download the new RBC Mobile app for a chance to win free top ups and a great prize. Get your new or used car loan with RBC Royal Bank! For pre-qualification, call or visit your nearest RBC branch today. Cayman businessman Mike Simmons dies JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Businessman Daniel ‘Mike’ Simmons, who was also one of the founding shareholders of Cayman Na- tional Bank, passed away on Monday at the age of 81. Mr. Simmons was among the pioneers of the infra- structure development of the Cayman Islands in the 1960s. He went on to open a number of businesses and restau- rants on Grand Cayman. Mr. Simmons was a charter member of the Lions Club of Grand Cayman. Originally from Turks and Caicos, Mr. Simmons moved to the Bahamas and then to Cayman in 1956. Sybil Joyce Hylton, one of Cayman’s first social workers, was his locally ad- opted mother. One of Mr. Simmons’s good friends, Alfonso Wright, said many of the proj- ects the Lions Club got in- volved with to help people in need were through her [Ms. Hylton’s] connection with Mr. Simmons. “As a boy growing up, I al- ways knew who Mike Sim- mons was … it was a rather popular name around the place,” he said. He said Mr. Simmons came into his life when Mr. Wright became a charter member of the Leos Club of Grand Cayman around 1974. Right away, Mr. Sim- mons became someone he looked up to, he said. From day one, he became one of his mentors and in spite of the age difference, they became close friends. “We confided in each other and I saw a humani- tarian individual who would do anything to help people in the community … someone who took pride in helping people but insisted he get no credit for it. “He had a lot of respect for people’s privacy … he was a good man and will be greatly missed,” he said. A letter from the Lions Club of Grand Cayman to its members Tuesday notifying them of Mr. Simmons’s death said, “Mike was a charter member, an amazing Lion, a most generous humani- tarian, an electrifying per- sonality, a pioneer, a business leader, true friend, mentor, father figure and inspi- ration to many. “Mike was respected, deeply loved and admired and he will be truly missed.” Mr. Simmons is survived by eight children, Italia Sim- mons-Fox, Kim Simmons, Meggan Simmons, Sandra Simmons-Francis, Eryka Sim- mons, Kenya Simmons, Paul Simmons and Ann Chris- tian; grandchildren Mike and Jessica Fox, Chris and Melody Christian; and 10 great-grandchildren. Dead juvenile shark sparks concern JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A juvenile blacktip shark that appeared to have been bludgeoned to death was found in the shallows off Starfish Point on Monday. Mark Tilley, a boat captain and tour guide with Main- stay Sailing, made the grim discovery during a trip with a group of tourists to the popular site. “I was really shocked to find that” he said. “I’ve been on the water around the is- land for a long time and I have never seen a shark that small before. Why someone would do this to a tiny juve- nile shark, I have no idea.” He said the shark looked as though it had been hooked and then bludgeoned. “Possibly someone caught it and didn’t know how to get it off the hook,” Mr. Tilley said. He said the find was par- ticularly disappointing be- cause blacktip sharks, though sometimes seen in Cayman, are not among the most common species. He reported the find to the Department of Environment, but without more evidence there is little its staff can do. Killing sharks in Cayman’s waters is illegal under the National Conservation Law. Mr. Tilley said he hoped people would begin to realize the value of sharks to both the ecosystem and to Cay- man’s tourism product. He said he believes posi- tive conservation messages are getting through, particu- larly to the younger genera- tion, but some are still resis- tant to change. “It is a shame because by removing these creatures, you affect the health of the whole reef system,” he said. The find follows the dis- covery in April of the car- casses of two mutilated eagle rays, also a protected species under the conservation law. Johanna Kohler, a Depart- ment of Environment officer and shark research project coordinator, said, “Sharks are vital to our marine ecosystem and help keep our coral reef environment healthy and in balance. Under the Na- tional Conservation Law, it is illegal to ‘take’ any shark in Cayman.” She said anyone who witnesses an offense should call the DoE on 946-8469 or call 911. This tiny juvenile blacktip shark was found in shallow water off Starfish Point. – PHOTO: MARK TILLEY During a Heroes Day ceremony in 2013, Mike Simmons, center, receives an award for his adopted mother Sybil Joyce Hylton from then-Governor Duncan Taylor, left, and then-Premier McKeeva Bush.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 JUNE 14, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS “Soon come” has come and gone for the roughly 1,000 people with pending applications for Cayman Islands permanent residency. For years, the Cayman Compass Editorial Board has called for government to resolve issues related to those applications and clear the burgeoning backlog. With each day that passes, legal liability and human rights problems only grow more urgent. Now, local attorneys are instructing clients in how to engage in a class-action lawsuit against the govern- ment for delays in processing their permanent residency applications. Who could blame them? After all, the only two PR applications that have been approved under the 2013 Immigration Law were those of men who, instead of waiting patiently, took their cases to court. In a letter to his firm’s legal clients late last week, HSM partner Nicolas Joseph wrote that while litigation should never be undertaken lightly, it may be the only realistic path forward for PR applicants who have been stuck in limbo, sometimes for years. “There seems to be an ‘invisible hand’ preventing progress,” the letter stated. “Whose it is, and where they sit, is yet to be understood or determined.” The government’s reasons – stated or speculated – for delays are no longer relevant. Narrow legal issues with the points system were resolved months ago – and should have been resolved years ago. The election in May put to rest any concerns about political blowback from certain swathes of the country’s voters. As Mr. Joseph wrote, “Although clear utterances have been made that applications are being progressed, and even that requests for updates are being sent out, we have seen no actual evidence of this. For reasons that we do not know, it appears clear that no actual progress is being made in relation to anyone’s applications.” Meanwhile the U.K. (meaning Governor Helen Kilpat- rick and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) has been content to sit on the sidelines – even though many British citizens are trapped in this quagmire, and despite a Privy Council decision outlining that immigration applications should generally be considered within one year. We under- stand the U.K. prefers to let certain policy matters, such as immigration, fall into the remit of Cayman’s govern- ment, but London has been far too inactive on this issue for far too long. Cayman’s “PR limbo” is a violation of human rights that puts the public treasury at risk. Fresh off his successful re-election campaign, Premier Alden McLaughlin has named the issue a top priority and has promised to “sort out immigration generally.” We trust and expect he is earnest in his commitment. However, rather than embarking upon a “comprehensive” (and thus interminable) immigration review, we urge the premier to separate out the PR backlog for immediate resolution. Yes, Cayman’s overall immigration system – and how it interacts (or doesn’t) with local employment efforts – is a problem … but the PR quagmire is a crisis. Premier McLaughlin has stepped forward to take own- ership of the PR issue. However, that does not exonerate the entity that is directly responsible for considering, or refusing to consider, PR applications – the politically appointed, and supposedly independent, Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board, chaired by local attorney Waide DaCosta. For years, we have warned about a potential torrent of court actions that could be (justly) filed by aggrieved PR applicants. We have never argued that the board should grant PR status to all applicants (or any particular appli- cant), but that the board is obligated to act in a timely manner – according to the law. And yet, throughout this time, Mr. DaCosta has been unwilling to comment or provide explanation on the record for his board’s behavior. It’s been more than three years since the problem was created (via the passage of the 2013 Immigration Law), three months since the government ostensibly fixed it (by tweaking the points system) and 30 days since the two permits were approved (for the two men who sued). Still, some 1,000 PR applicants and their family members are living in uncertainty, with no clarity about their future on island, no instructions to stay – or depart – and no indication about when they will receive an answer. Regardless of whether the government decides to do the right thing, or the court is forced to make the decision for them, PR applicants deserve those answers. Not soon, but now. PR delays: Are the courts the only solution? 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” Destroying financial privacy Do you want your relatives, friends, business competitors and government bureaucrats to know precisely how much wealth you have, in what form, and how you spend all of your money? Most people were ap- palled when they learned the extent of monitoring of tele- phone and electronic commu- nications by the various in- telligence agencies. But what is even more shocking is the extent to which various gov- ernment organizations mon- itor and, in many cases, re- strict financial freedom, and seize assets without crim- inal conviction. Despite the limited tech- nologies to monitor and control financial transac- tions at the time, the Amer- ican Founding Fathers clearly saw the danger of a govern- ment that could examine and meddle in people’s financial affairs. The right to privacy can be found in the Bill of Rights, specifically in parts of the Fourth and Fifth Amend- ments to the U.S. Constitution. In an excellent report, “Fi- nancial Privacy in a Free So- ciety,” Heritage Foundation scholars Norbert Michel and David Burton detail the on- going abuses of the basic right of financial privacy in the United States and else- where. “Financial privacy can allow people to protect their life savings when a govern- ment tries to confiscate its citizens’ wealth, whether for political, ethnic, religious or ‘merely’ economic reasons. Businesses need to protect their private financial infor- mation, intellectual prop- erty and trade secrets from competitors in order to re- main profitable.” The government argues that it must collect finan- cial data and then share it with many domestic and for- eign government organiza- tions in order to stop tax eva- sion, money laundering, drug dealing, other assorted crimi- nality, and terrorist finance – all of which sounds good at first glance, until one looks at what really happens. If you think that the war on drugs has been a failure, look at the war on money laundering, tax evasion and terrorist finance for an even bigger failure. First, money laundering is a crime of intent, rather than actions, in which two different people can engage in the same set of financial transactions, but if one has criminal intent he or she can be charged while the other person is home free. Such vague law is both ripe with abuse and difficult to prove. There are almost infinite ways to launder money, so those relatively few who are convicted tend to be the less clever. Ironically, the more complex the tax law becomes, the easier it becomes for those who want to invest the time and resources to evade full payment of taxes. Most terrorists spend very little money. Renting a truck and buying a few knives is never going to show up on a ter- rorist money watch activity, and even making bombs is relatively inexpensive. Mr. Michel and Mr. Burton provide extensive data dem- onstrating that the attack on financial privacy by govern- ments is largely a waste of money – many billions spent to obtain few and very costly convictions. It is also a prime example of the tyranny of good intentions. It was not until 1986 that “money laun- dering” and many other al- leged financial crimes were made explicitly illegal – and the government provided the power to seize a person’s assets on the mere suspi- cion of wrongdoing rather than conviction. Two decades ago, Judge John Yoder wrote: “When I set up the Asset Forfeiture Office, I thought I could use my position to protect citi- zens’ rights, and tried to en- sure that the U.S. Depart- ment of Justice went after big drug dealers and big- time criminals, rather than minor offenders and innocent property owners. Today over- zealous government agen- cies and prosecutors will not think twice about seizing a yacht or car if they find two marijuana cigarettes in it, regardless of where they came from. I am ashamed of, and scared of, the monster I helped create.” Judge Yoder and his successor as head of the Asset Forfeiture Office, Brad Cates, have written ex- tensively and worked hard, because of the abuses, to abolish the practice and le- gality of asset forfeiture at both the federal and state levels – with some successes. Unfortunately, Judge Yoder passed away this past Friday. His voice for liberty and reason will be sorely missed. The financial informa- tion that government agen- cies now routinely collect is widely shared, not only with other domestic government agencies, but increasingly with foreign governments – many of which do not protect individual liberty and other basic rights. Information sharing among governments is clearly appropriate in the cases of terrorism and vio- lent crime, but not in cases of political speech or peaceful protest, gambling, homo- sexual behavior and tax eva- sion. Information should only be shared in cases of dual criminality; that is, where the information being requested relates to what is a criminal offense in both countries. For instance, countries should not be required to enforce tax law violations that are not criminal violations under their own laws. More abuses of basic rights are occurring on a daily basis by government officials concerning financial privacy than on political speech – but both need to be stopped. Richard W. Rahn, chairman of Improbable Success Productions and a board member of the American Council for Capital Formation, is on the Editorial Board of Cayman Financial Review. © 2017, The Washington Times, LLC RICHARD W. RAHN RICHARD W. RAHN5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JUNE 14, 2017 Opposition firms up roles in shadow government The members of the Leg- islative Assembly who are not part of the governing co- alition announced Tuesday that they have formally orga- nized in opposition. According to a press re- lease, Ezzard Miller, the leader of the opposition, will shadow Premier Alden McLaughlin and Deputy Pre- mier Moses Kirkconnell. Mr. Miller, the elected represen- tative from North Side, has served four terms in the Leg- islative Assembly. Alva Suckoo, the elected representative from New- lands, is the deputy leader of the opposition and will shadow Juliana O’Connor- Connolly, the Minister of Ed- ucation, Youth, Sports, Agri- culture and Lands. Arden McLean, the repre- sentative for East End, will shadow Joey Hew, the Min- ister for Commerce, Plan- ning and Infrastructure, and Mr. Kirkconnell in his ca- pacity as Minister of Tourism and Transport. Chris Saunders, elected in Bodden Town West, will be responsible for opposing Roy McTaggart, the Minister of Public Finance and Devel- opment, and Tara Rivers, the Minister of Financial Ser- vices and Home Affairs. Kenneth Bryan, the rep- resentative for George Town Central, will shadow Mr. McLaughlin, the Min- ister for Community Affairs, and Dwayne “John John” Seymour, the Minister of Health, Environment, Culture and Housing. Anthony Eden, the elected representative for Savannah, will not have a formal role in the shadow government but will offer his advice and ex- perience across all ministries. Each shadow min- ister will act as the main spokesman for the oppo- sition’s informed criticism of government policies, the press release states. As part of their intro- ductory statement, the six- member opposition proposed changing the Legislative As- sembly’s current require- ment of meeting at least four times per session to meeting once per week with a rolling agenda. Ezzard Miller, the leader of the opposition, will shadow Premier Alden McLaughlin and Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell. Kenneth BryanArden McLeanEzzard MillerAlva Suckoo JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The former head of the police traffic unit has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and sus- pended from duty in con- nection with a traffic ac- cident close to Hurley’s supermarket on Saturday. The Cayman Compass understands from mul- tiple sources that the in- spector is Adrian Bar- nett, the former head of the police traffic unit. Mr. Barnett declined to com- ment on Tuesday. The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service said in a statement Monday that the driver of a white SUV, identified as a police inspector, left the scene of the accident and could not be located. In a statement on Tuesday, police said the driver, a 53-year-old man from George Town, had been arrested and released on police bail as the inves- tigation continues. The collision was re- ported around 4:15 p.m. Saturday at Hurley’s roundabout on Crewe Road. A white Pontiac SUV was reported to have driven into the back of a silver Land Rover. No one was injured. At that stage, police said officers were able to de- termine that an off-duty police inspector was the driver of the SUV, but they were unable to locate him until Monday afternoon. A police spokesperson confirmed the inspector had been suspended from duty Tuesday. FORMER TRAFFIC CHIEF ARRESTED IN DANGEROUS DRIVING INQUIRY The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service said in a statement Monday that the driver of a white SUV, identified as a police inspector, left the scene of the accident and could not be located.DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days Sister Islands WEDNESDAY JUNE 14, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS John Gray students perform on the Brac About 50 members of John Gray High School’s music department visited Cayman Brac on June 9 to perform a concert for the island’s students. Fran McConvey, head of music, said the Grand Cayman school brought its choir, swing band, steel pan band and string ensemble for the event at the Aston Rutty Centre. “It was a fantastic day,” she said of the concert. The school chartered a jet to the Brac with the support of Minister Tara Rivers, who helped them with a dona- tion toward the cost of the trip. “In addition to the larger groups, we had performances from vocal soloist Jaedyn Hanna, pianists Cameron Gilson and Mark Plowright and from cellist Dequan Smith,” said Ms. McConvey. After the concert, school buses took the students on a tour of the Great Cave and Rebecca’s Cave before they had a buffet lunch at the Brac Beach Resort. Students from John Gray’s geog- raphy and leisure/tourism Year 10 classes came along as well and spent the day touring the island. The students left for Grand Cayman at 5 p.m. Ms. McConvey said she hopes Layman E. Scott Sr. High School stu- dents can make the trip to Grand Cayman next term for joint workshops and a concert. “It was a fantastic day.” FRAN MCCONVEY, head of music, John Gray High School The John Gray High School string ensemble gets ready to perform. JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Brac Na- tional Trust will host a tea party on June 19 to honor the official 91st birthday of Queen Elizabeth II and to raise money to buy land on the Brac. The tea party will take place at the Brac Heritage House in Northeast Bay from 4-6:30 p.m. The event will feature hot and iced teas, sweet and savory scones, mango jam, tropical gazpacho, fancy cakes and sand- wiches – all homemade – on the front lawn of the Heritage House. Trust members are asking people to wear their best Sunday attire to the event, including hats. A plant sale and art show will also be held, and attendees will have the opportunity to become a members of the Brac National Trust. Proceeds from the event will go to the Brac District of the National Trust Land fund for buying property on the Brac and conserving natural habitats. For the past month, Trust members on the Brac have been selling “Split the Pot” raffle tickets and so far more than $1,000 has been collected. Raffle win- ners will be announced at the event. Tickets for the event are $7 at the door. The party will take place at the Brac Heritage House in Northeast Bay from 4-6:30 p.m. TEA PARTY WILL BE HELD FOR QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY In the June 7, 1967 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, “Cayman Brac Calling” correspondent Lilian Ritch wrote: “Sincerest congratulations to the champion and runners-up in the Spelling Bee Contest. We are humbly proud of Barbara’s high standard. She went forward in 1966 from Spot Bay Pri- mary on a scholarship to the Secondary Grammar School. Our appreciation is due to LACSA Airlines Inc., CITA, and the hosts in Grand Cayman for their gra- cious hospitality to Mrs. LeVonne Ryan and our six contestants. “In May we welcome two visitors to our churches: Dr. Dodson Mills, repre- sentative of the Southern Baptist com- munity. Dr. Mills, regional coordinator for the Caribbean and for the Campaign of the Americas – a four-year evangel- ical campaign which originated in Sao Paulo, Brazil – talked of the missionary field in South America. He came to us from Jamaica where he is on loan to the church to help them organise their work through radio and television. “Mr. Will T. Bodden of ‘the Gospel of the Kingdom’ spent a week in exhorta- tion with members and friends of the Church of God (Full) Gospel Hall, Spot Bay, of which Elder Carl Scott is leader. “Congratulations to Henry M. Con- nolly who has achieved his third Asst. Engineer’s License (Liberian). He is cur- rently on the Ore Transport in this ca- pacity. Welcome home, Geddes Grant, ex Ore Chief; Johnie Haven, ex Petro Em- peror; Cyril Parchment and Audley Scott, ex S.S. Universe Defiance. “ Mr. A.F. Dantzler and his Port Captain arrived by chartered flight to interview seamen for a contract he has in Australia, thus opening another source of employ- ment. Mr. Dantzler has approx. 12 tugs engaged in various parts of the world. “News has been received of the death of Captain Cleveland Bodden, a native of Spot Bay in Kingston Jamaica on May 16. Resident of Kingston and a govern- ment employee, he collapsed as he got aboard his ship at Port Royal. It is un- derstood he suffered a heart attack. Cap- tain Cleveland worked for years in Trin- idad and Tobago. He was 69 years old. He is survived by his wife Louise, two sons – Ed of New York and Earl of Ja- maica, daughter Mrs. Aurelia Tatum of Jamaica, and their families. “Mr. and Mrs. Ellis Walton of Creek re- cently completed a five week vacation in Miami made very enjoyable by the greatest hospitality of Caymanian friends and visits to the Miami Seaquarium and the Monkey Jungle, where the animals’ per- formances were thrilling and amusing.” Fred rejoined the yacht Danginn in Freeport, Bahamas and Winnie returned home on the 10th, feeling fine.” 50 YEARS AGO Spelling Bee winners congratulated John Gray High School’s music department visited the Aston Rutty Centre June 9 to perform a concert.7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JUNE 14, 2017 Tel: 640,6272 / 922.9711Email: carclinic.ky@gmail.com Oil & Filter Service + 26 POINT INSPECTION OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE Mon-Friday 7:30am - 5pm Saturday 9am -12pm. Auto Care Center diagnose the problem and fix it right the first time. 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Ms. Cuylaerts, originally from Belgium but a longtime Cayman Islands resident, was invited to announce the winners of the World Oceans Day photo competition. She shared the stage with luminaries of the en- vironmental world, in- cluding Sir Richard Branson, Dr. Sylvia Earle and Na- tional Geographic’s Brian Skerry, during the four-day event at U.N. headquar- ters in New York. Actor Leanardo DiCaprio, who narrates a new film about climate change, “Be- fore the Flood,” also pre- sented a message via video at the conference. Ms. Cuylaerts, a previous winner of the photo competi- tion, said photographers have an important role to play in bringing the beauty of the oceans to life. “Our goal is to capture the essence and the soul of the ocean,” she said. She added she is hopeful that “we all care to preserve life on this planet, grateful for oceans that keep us healthy, balanced and bring us peace in turbulent times.” She told the Cayman Compass it was an honor to be asked to speak in front of such a distinguished crowd. “To be able to convey our message to such an audi- ence makes you think twice of what you want to say, [so] instead of numbers and sad facts I wanted to simplify and talk from my heart, and give hope that everybody can make a difference,” she said, “and that especially photog- raphers and filmmakers have a privilege to be able to wit- ness so much beauty and they can show the source of life from our planet to an audience with no direct connection.” UCCI to host debate on the existence of God A British university chaplain on Thursday will make the case for the exis- tence of God, at the Univer- sity College of the Cayman Islands campus. Alistair Donald of Edin- burgh’s Heriot-Watt Univer- sity comes as part of UCCI’s distinguished lecture series. His presentation, “The Case for God – An Examination of the Arguments for the Exis- tence of a Deity,” begins at Sir Vassel Johnson Hall at 6 p.m. Thursday, and will be free and open to the public. UCCI’s acting dean of academic affairs, Liv- ingston Smith, said the talk will tackle one of the most debated questions in human history. “There are few questions as important, and that have engaged the human mind – Christian and non-Christian alike – as that of the existence of a deity,” Mr. Smith said. “Such a theological dis- cussion is timely and ap- propriate and I hope that the Cayman population will come out in their numbers to be part of this intellectual discourse and interrogation of a deity’s existence.” The presentation begins at Sir Vassel Johnson Hall at 6 p.m. Thursday, and will be free and open to the public. She shared the stage with luminaries of the environmental world, including Sir Richard Branson, Dr. Sylvia Earle and National Geographic’s Brian Skerry, during the four-day event at the UN headquarters in New York. Ellen Cuylaerts speaks at the United Nations in New York on World Oceans Day. Alistair DonaldThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 WEDNESDAY JUNE 14, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Esso on Shamrock Road in Red Bay at 4:40 a.m. In a separate incident, Mr. Arthur’s store on the George Town waterfront was held up at gunpoint just before 9 a.m. Tuesday. This time, the gunman threatened staff be- fore escaping with the cash register under his arm. A different vehicle, a tan- colored car believed to be a Honda, was used in the rob- bery on the convenience store. Police believe the first two gas station robberies are linked, though they are not yet drawing any links be- tween those robberies and the hold-up at Mr. Arthur’s. According to a police statement, in both gas sta- tion robberies, two men en- tered the premises with their faces covered and brandished weapons before escaping with cash. A third man was seen in the vehicle during the second robbery. At Mr. Arthur’s store on North Church Street, 80-year- old proprietor Arthurlyn Scott said she was get- ting used to such hold-ups after numerous burglaries and robberies at the store over the years. She said, “He pointed the gun at me and said, ‘gimme what you got,’ then he grabbed the cash register and ran off.” Ms. Scott was threatened with a machete in a pre- vious robbery and was inside Cayman National Bank when it was robbed by a gang of armed men in 2012. She said, “It never fazed me. When you get to 80, you don’t let these things bother you.” She said the man had initially tried to buy a fruit punch with his credit card. The cashier told him he needed to spend more than $5 to use his card. He left the store, she said, and returned with the weapon, pointing it at the two women in the store before fleeing. Police have released a partial regis- tration plate number “583” for the getaway vehicle. No shots were fired and no one was injured in any of the raids. The vehicle used in the two gas station robberies, a red Honda Civic, was stolen overnight from a home on Denham Thompson Way in George Town. Derya Ilyn Kirkconnell Bengston, the owner, said she was shocked to find out her car had been used in a robbery. She said she found out the car had been stolen when police investigating the raids knocked on her door early Tuesday. “I feel so bad because I work hard to get my things. I’m a single mother, I have to go work everyday and drop my son to school. Now ev- erything is complicated to me,” she said. Police are asking anyone who saw the vehicle, reg- istration, 147 523, over- night to call them immedi- ately on 949-4222. disabling the security system, and smashed out a back window to enter the building. This is not the first break- in at the location: Ms. Mc- Field said computers were stolen last summer. This time, she said, she was grateful that only cash and some juices were taken. “I’m at a loss as to why they would do this,” Ms. Mc- Field said. “They went into the office. Usually we don’t keep any cash there, but Friday was such a crazy day for us that I left some funds unsecured in the office.” While Ms. McField’s as- sistant normally would have deposited the money at the bank, she was out sick that day. “It means we’ve lost that money, which is a shame. It’s a shame that there are people out there who do not mind taking food out of seniors’ mouths,” she said. The organization will be putting in a new secu- rity system. Meanwhile, the broken window has been boarded up and Ms. Mc- Field is waiting on the Public Works Department to re- pair the damage. Cayman’s Meals on Wheels program provides warm meals to 215 seniors and additional nutrition ser- vices to families through its food pantry and grocery store vouchers. Ms. McField said those in need are always wel- come to come to the office for assistance. “I make sure the people get what they need. So someone breaking in and stealing has nothing to do with need because they could just come in and ask,” Ms. McField said. Flow was working Tuesday morning to restore the office’s phone line. In the meantime, Meals on Wheels can be contacted by email at info@mealsonwheels.ky. Police confirmed that an investigation is under way. 7 th Year Anni v ersary G. Leon O. Powell 14th June 2010 – 14th June - 2017 Lo v e & Miss y ou Lee Lee From your Loving Mom & Stepfather In Loving Memory to My Wonderful Son Of all the special gifts in life However great or small To have you as my Son Was the greatest gift of all. A special time A special face A special Son I can’t replace, With an aching heart I whisper low I miss you Son And love you so. UK government appoints new FCO minister be at the Brexit negoti- ating table who is familiar with the combined pri- ority areas of the Over- seas Territories,” said Premier McLaughlin. “I congratulate Lord Ahmad on his appointment and look forward to working with him to address areas of common interest and continue to improve the United Kingdom’s under- standing of our aspira- tions and priorities.” Mr. McLaughlin added, “I welcome the opportunity to meet Lord Ahmad and hope to continue the spirit of positive engagement and mutual respect we have en- joyed over the past four years, which has served to enhance the position of the Cayman Islands in the United Kingdom and on the global stage.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Burglars hit Meals on Wheels Three businesses targeted in armed robberies CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Family says US college student released by N. Korea is in coma WASHINGTON (AP) – Otto Warmbier, an American col- lege student serving a 15- year prison term in North Korea for alleged anti-state acts, was released and med- ically evacuated from the reclusive country Tuesday and has been in a coma for months, his parents said. Secretary of State Rex Til- lerson said that the State De- partment had secured Warm- bier’s release at the direction of the president. He said Warmbier, 22, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was en route to the U.S., where he will be reunited with his family. The announcement on Warmbier’s release came as former NBA player Dennis Rodman was paying a re- turn visit to Pyongyang. Rodman is one of few people to have met both North Ko- rean leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump. But Rodman said the issue of several Americans detained by North Korea is “not my purpose right now.” Tillerson made no men- tion of Rodman’s visit, and said the department would have no further comment on Warmbier and his condition, citing privacy concerns. Fred and Cindy Warmbier said in a statement to The As- sociated Press that their son is in a coma and flying home. They said they have been told their son has been in a coma since March 2016 – when he was last seen in public, at his trial when he was sen- tenced to hard labor – and they had learned of this only one week ago. “We want the world to know how we and our son have been brutalized and terrorized by the pariah regime” in North Korea, they said. “We are so grateful that he will finally be with people who love him.” A North Korean foreign ministry official said Warm- bier was released and left the country Tuesday morning. The official spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because no formal statement had been released. Joseph Yun, the U.S. envoy on North Korea, met with North Korean foreign ministry representatives in Norway last month, a White House official said. Such di- rect consultations between the two governments are rare as they do not have formal diplomatic relations. At the meeting, North Korea agreed that Swedish diplomats could visit all four American detainees, which at that time included Warmbier. Yun then met last week with the North Korean ambas- sador at the U.N. in New York, where Yun learned about Warmbier’s condition. Yun was then dispatched to North Korea and visited Warmbier with two doctors on Monday, and demanded his release on humanitarian grounds. The White House official was not authorized to speak on the record about the se- quence of events and re- quested anonymity. Tillerson said that the State Department is con- tinuing “to have discussions” with North Korea about the release of other three American citizens who are jailed there. The red Honda Civic, used in the gas station robberies, was stolen from a home in George Town overnight. Police were on the scene of an armed robbery at Mr. Arthur’s convenience store on the waterfront just before 9 a.m. Tuesday. – PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKERThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JUNE 14, 2017 Registration open to Corporate & Government Teams Cost for registration CI$100.00 per team RCIPS 6-A-SIDE CHALLENGE CUP Registration Deadline: June 15, 2017 Maximum 12 players per team. Females, Female Teams, Youth Clubs and Church Groups are also welcome. Register your team today! Match Day: July 3, 2017 For additional info, payment and registration forms, please email rcipwelfare@gov.ky Nairobi building collapses; 3 missing Rescuers pulled a child and the child’s mother from the rubble of an eight- story building Tuesday that had collapsed in a low-income part of Kenya’s capital, while three people were thought to remain trapped in the debris. Two children were believed to be among those missing, an official said. EU moves to gain control of key London financial market LONDON (AP) – The Euro- pean Union moved Tuesday to tighten its oversight of a key financial market based in London, threatening tens of thousands of jobs in Britain once the country exits the bloc. Draft regulations pub- lished by the EU executive Commission would force any clearinghouse consid- ered important to the EU fi- nancial system to accept di- rect oversight from the bloc and, if requested, relocate to inside the EU. Clearinghouses act as in- termediaries to reduce the risk of default by ensuring funds are delivered to the seller – a way of undergirding the financial system. Even though Britain is not part of the euro, it is the home to the vast majority of clearing of euro-denominated financial contracts, which amount to almost $1 trillion every day. One report sug- gests that losing the market could cost the country 83,000 jobs, mostly in London, one of the world’s top finance hubs. Experts say it may not be so simple because there are legal hurdles to requiring the businesses to relocate, and that the Commission’s move is mainly an effort to gain an edge in the upcoming Brexit talks. The Commission says the proposals are part of the EU’s drive to strengthen reg- ulation of the financial in- dustry after risky practices fueled the global financial crisis that began in 2008. Clearing firms are “systemi- cally important,” it says. So while current EU rules allow the Bank of England to reg- ulate Britain’s financial mar- kets, the country’s departure from the bloc raises the pos- sibility of new scrutiny from EU authorities. “The continued safety and stability of our financial system remains a key pri- ority,” Commission Vice Pres- ident Valdis Dombrovskis said. “As we face the depar- ture of the largest EU finan- cial center, we need to make certain adjustments to our rules to ensure that our ef- forts remain on track.” While European author- ities say they want euro- clearing to be handled inside the EU to ensure proper over- sight, financial services firms around the continent would also benefit by prying the business away from London. Representatives of Brit- ain’s financial industry im- mediately cried foul, arguing the EU was playing poli- tics with a critical part of the international financial infrastructure. “This kind of currency na- tionalism is likely to lead to less competition, higher costs and market fragmentation,” said Miles Celic, chief ex- ecutive of TheCityUK, an in- dustry lobby group. “These are dangers that the U.S. watchdogs and interna- tional bodies have also un- derlined, and they should not be ignored.” Simeon Djankov, di- rector of the Financial Mar- kets Group at the London School of Economics, said the commission is making the same argument it used in 2014 when it last attempted to pull euro-clearing away from London. In that case, the U.K. successfully ar- gued that the rules should be rejected by the European Court of Justice. If the court were to rule that euro-clearing must take place in a eurozone state fol- lowing Brexit, then those rules would also apply to transactions in the U.S. New York has the second-biggest market for euro-clearing after London, with some $200 bil- lion a day in business. And if these rules were applied to the United States, the U.S. government could take tit-for-tat action against the EU, arguing that dollar- denominated trading cannot take place in Europe. “Normally that would not be likely, but under the cur- rent administration, it is very likely,” Djankov said. Simon Gleeson, regulatory partner at the law firm Clif- ford Chance, said that none of the proposed legislation would come into force until after the U.K. has left the EU. “I think what is re- ally going on here is the EU trying to create a bargaining chip that it can employ to get a more substantial say in the way that London clearing is regulated post- Brexit,” he said. EU Commission Vice President Valdis DombrovskisNext >