High of 91 Low of 82 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 WORK PERMITS: PICK YOUR CATEGORY, PICK YOUR PRICE BUSINESS | PAGE 10 GREENLIGHT GIVING RED LIGHT TO TESLA ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY AUGUST 9, 2017 Court grants review of five permanent residency cases BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Five permanent residence applicants have been granted requests for Grand Court judi- cial review hearings following claims that they suffered financial damages as a result of the government’s years-long delays in hearing their applications. The judicial review proceedings authorized Tuesday are in addition to three other cases in which individuals who had already been granted permanent residence status pressed forward with their own legal challenges. Those three men are seeking monetary damages due to the earlier delays in hearing their cases. HSM Chambers attorney Alastair David said he was not certain, at this stage, how matters would proceed – whether the court would combine the judicial review actions or if they would be heard separately. “Nothing has been withdrawn,” Mr. David said. “[All five of the residence applicants] have cleared the first hurdle.” More than 1,100 residence applicants – non-Caymanians who are seeking to remain in the islands for the rest of their lives – are awaiting word on their applications filed since October 2013. Both the Cayman Islands Immigration De- partment and the Caymanian Status and Per- manent Residency Board have stepped up ef- forts to hear the backlogged applications within the last two months. According to figures released Tuesday by the government, 12 permanent residence ap- plications were approved last week and four were denied. Seventeen others considered last week were deferred to a later date. Since the board and immigration staff began hearing the residence applications in May, after a two-and-a-half year delay, govern- ment reports that 26 people were granted resi- dence, and 32 were denied that status. Seven other applications were withdrawn by the ap- plicant and another four were not heard be- cause they had been filed too late. Thirty-nine of the applications considered since mid-May have been deferred. HSM lawyers said they had received word that several of their clients had been granted LIQUOR BOARD CLAMPS DOWN ON MULTIPLE LICENSES JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Businesses will be limited to only one type of liquor license per premises under a new policy, restricting the options for gas stations and liquor or convenience stores seeking to sell alcohol on Sundays. The Liquor Licensing Board of Grand Cayman has given businesses with multiple li- censes until September to pick which license they want to keep. The new policy follows an application from Peanuts convenience store at the Red Bay Rubis gas station to add a “retail license” – which would have allowed it to sell alcohol on Sundays – to its “package license” – which al- lowed it to sell liquor only during the week. Following that application at its March meeting, the liquor board sent out a list of decisions indicating that the application had been approved. It later published minutes of the meeting, which indicated it had been rejected on the basis of the new “one premises, one li- cense” policy. Woody DaCosta, acting chairman of the board, has claimed that the initial decision to grant the license was sent out in error. He claimed that the minutes from the Young Caymanian chef wins UK competition KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com Young Caymanian chef Jack Barwick will take over the menu of an award-winning London restaurant for five nights this month in a showcase of the U.K.’s most promising new cu- linary talent. Mr. Barwick, 23, tied for the top spot out of a 50-candidate pool representing the U.K.’s best up-and-coming chefs during the M & Bookatable Young Chef of the Year Awards. After months of evaluation, the top 10 candidates faced off in a final, 10-day round of competition at M Victoria St., where Mr. Barwick will now offer his own four-course menu from Aug. 22-26. Mr. Barwick, who works with London restaurateur Robin Gill, impressed judges and diners with Caribbean and English- inspired flavors. An inventive menu included lamb loin with black garlic, grilled banana and white chocolate fudge. “It was a lot of fun. I was super happy being in the top 10. Just being in the top 50 is amazing,” Mr. Barwick said. “The best feeling was making people proud. Everyone has al- ways supported me in Cayman.” He said his ability to compete PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » Cayman-born Young Chef of the Year Jack Barwick, left, poses with chef Michael Reid, center, and fellow competition winner Perry Torrance.2 REGIONAL NEWS WEDNESDAY AUGUST 9, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. 640-FILM (640-3456) SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - WEDNESDAY - EMOJI MOVIE 3D (PG) 1:30 2D I 3:00 2D VIP I 4:15 I 6:30 2D I 8:45 ATOMIC BLONDE (R) 12:20 VIP I 4:30 I 7:10 I 9:55 VIP SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING 3D (PG13) 12:45 2D I 3:45 I 6:45 2D I 9:40 KIDNAP (R) 2:20 I 5:30 I 7:45 VIP I 9:50 GIRLS TRIP (R) 1:20 I 4:10 I 7:00 I 9:45 DUNKIRK (PG13) 12:30 I 3:00 I 5:15 VIP I 7:35 I 10:05 Brazil’s president could face new charges RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Bra- zil’s attorney general strongly criticized Congress’ lower house for voting against put- ting President Michel Temer on trial for bribery, adding that plea bargains being negotiated could lead to charges of racketeering and obstruction of justice. The comments by At- torney General Ricardo Janot, published by the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, came just days after the Chamber of Deputies voted against sending Temer to trial for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to line his pockets with millions of dollars in il- licit payments. Janot said the chamber’s decision did not help Brazil solve a long-standing po- litical crisis. “A political solution can’t be treating a thug as a poli- tician,” he said. “A thug who hides behind politics is not a politician, but a thug.” Temer, then vice president, took over the presidency last year when President Dilma Rousseff was impeached for illegally managing the fed- eral budget. His administra- tion has been rocked by re- peated scandals. The latest began a few months ago, when a re- cording emerged that appar- ently captured him endorsing the continued payments of hush money to former lower house Speaker Eduardo Cunha, currently serving a 15-year sentence for corrup- tion. It also came to light that Temer was being investigated for planning to receive mil- lions in bribes for helping meat-packing giant JBS in a business dispute. Janot came forward with the bribery charge in June. Temer denies wrongdoing, and argues there is no proof he ever received money. Janot’s term as Brazil’s top lawman ends Sept. 17, meaning his time is running short to bring more charges against Temer, which he has been expected to do. A second charge would provoke another vote in the Chamber of Deputies, forcing lawmakers again to decide whether to continue sup- porting a deeply unpop- ular president a year be- fore elections. All 513 seats of the house are up for elec- tion next year. Janot’s successor, Raquel Dodge, was hand-picked by Temer despite not being the most voted by the National Association of Federal Attor- neys. Several former attor- neys general have had that distinction when selected by the president. In an interview with daily Estado de Sao Paulo last week, Temer said changes in the attorney general’s office “will put investigations back on its right course.” Temer, whose approval rating was 5 percent in the latest national poll, is trying to overhaul pension and tax laws in an attempt to get the economy back on track. Further charges could put extra pressure on his already weakening coalition, de- railing the reform agenda. Temer sought to get his agenda back on track Monday, in part by shoring up support with parties in his coalition. He met with Mayor Joao Doria in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city and the country’s economic engine. Doria is a rising star in the Brazilian Social Demo- cratic Party, a key group in Congress that Temer needs to pass his overhaul legisla- tion. While he has frequently criticized Temer, he was more conciliatory Monday. “We can no longer have Brazil mutilated by conflicts and situations that prevent Congress from voting on the reforms,” Doria said. 109 US salmonella cases linked to papayas from Mexico (AP) – An increasing number of people have been sickened by eating papaya now traced to a farm located in southern Mexico, U.S. public health officials said this week in an update on the outbreak first reported more than two weeks ago. Salmonella has now sick- ened 109 people in 16 states and 35 were serious enough to be hospitalized, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on its web page dedicated to the outbreak. One person in New York City died. Papaya traced to the Carica de Campeche farm in Campeche, Mexico, appears to be the likely source, the FDA said. The farm is located on the Gulf of Mexico side of the Yucatan Peninsula. The company did not im- mediately respond to an email and phones went un- answered on Tuesday. A storm warning was posted for the area as Tropical Storm Franklin was making its way across the Yu- catan Peninsula. Papayas from the Carica de Campeche farm tested positive for five different strains of salmonella bac- teria, which can cause diar- rhea, vomiting, stomach pain and fever. Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are the most likely to have se- vere infections. Cases in New York nearly tripled to 36 since the last report on July 21 and New Jersey cases have more than doubled to 26. Virginia has had 11 cases, Penn- sylvania seven and Mary- land has had six. Connecticut and Min- nesota each have four cases, and Massachusetts has had three. Iowa, Kentucky, North Carolina and Oklahoma have reported two cases and Del- aware, Louisiana Mich- igan and Wisconsin have had one each. The FDA said it is working with Mexican food safety authorities to conduct in- spections and other follow up activities. The Campeche farm has been added to an import alert which allows FDA field per- sonnel to stop fresh produce from entering the U.S. from the farm until it’s proven to have resolved issues that caused the bacterial contam- ination. It was not immedi- ately clear how the papaya was contaminated, an FDA spokesman said. “The investigation is con- tinuing and we’ll post more information when it’s avail- able,” said Peter Cassell. DAY-CARE WORKER FACES CHARGES AFTER BOY FOUND DEAD IN VAN ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – A Florida day-care van driver will face criminal charges after a child was found dead inside the ve- hicle at the end of a swel- tering summer day, law enforcement officials said Tuesday. Orlando Police Chief John Mina said 3-year-old Myles Hill spent all day in the van outside the Little Miracles Academy before he was discovered Monday night. Mina would not say what charges the day- care worker could face but says the worker has been cooperative. Detectives were awaiting autopsy results, but believe they will show the death was caused by the heat. Temperatures reached a high of 94-de- grees Fahrenheit in Or- lando on Monday. Tem- peratures inside a vehicle under the summer sun can rise much higher. “This is an absolute tragedy that could have been prevented,” Mina said at a news conference. Myles was supposed to have been dropped off in the morning at another Little Miracles Academy day care center but in- stead the boy was taken to the location where he was found on the floor of the vehicle more than 11 hours later. It was too early to say why Myles was taken to the wrong location, but the driver “did admit to not doing a head count,” Mina said. Florida Department of Children and Families records show the Little Miracles Academy was found not in compliance last month with a rule requiring day care cen- ters to maintain logs of the time children arrive, where they were supposed to be transported and what time they departed. No one answered the phone at the day care Tuesday afternoon. An- other number for the day care’s president found in state Division of Cor- poration records was disconnected. Mina said Myles’s death was the fifth fa- tality in Florida this year involving a child left in a hot vehicle. He pleaded with parents and care- givers to put their cell- phones, wallets or purses in the back seat with their children so they are reminded to look back there when they leave their vehicles. “Every time we hear about this … it hurts us all,” Mina said. Brazil’s President Michel Temer TROPICAL STORM FRANKLIN DUMPS RAIN ACROSS MEXICO’S YUCATAN MEXICO CITY (AP) – A weak- ened Tropical Storm Franklin chugged across Mexico’s Yu- catan Peninsula Tuesday, dumping heavy rain after coming ashore on the Ca- ribbean coast. The National Hurri- cane Center said the storm’s center was 60 miles east- southeast of Campeche and moving west-northwest at 13 mph Tuesday morning after making landfall overnight. Franklin’s maximum sus- tained winds had decreased to 45 mph, but it was ex- pected to strengthen again Wednesday as it crossed the bay of Campeche. Three to six inches of rain were forecast across the Yu- catan, with localized amounts of up to 12 inches. Franklin was expected to make land- fall again Thursday, threat- ening flash floods and mud- slides in mountainous central Mexico. A tropical storm warning was posted for the Mexican coast from Rio Lagartos to Sabancuy and from Veracruz to Rio Panuco. Tropical storm- force winds extended up to 140 miles from the center. The boy’s death was the fifth fatality in Florida this year involving a child left in a hot vehicle.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY AUGUST 9, 2017 SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Dora, the dog badly burned in an alleged animal cruelty incident in May, has made a nearly full recovery and is available for adoption from the Cayman Islands Humane Society. Dora is living with a foster family that has administered the care needed to recover from her burns, which cov- ered her flank and abdomen. The dog was allegedly set aflame by her former owner on May 13, and it took emergency surgery from Dr. Brenda Bush of Island Veteri- nary Services to save the ani- mal’s life. Dora was pregnant at the time, but the puppies were lost due to the injuries and the trauma inflicted by the incident. The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service made an arrest on suspicion of animal cruelty on May 21, but the suspect was subsequently released on police bail. No charges have yet been laid.. “The file in this matter has been completed and was sub- mitted to the [Office of the Di- rector of Public Prosecutions] for a ruling,” police said in a statement. “We do not have a ruling as of yet as to whether there will be a charge or not.” The dog’s foster mother, who requested anonymity, provided an update on the animal’s recovery to the Cayman Compass in an email exchange on Monday. “Dora has adjusted well to living in my home. She is one of three,” she said. “I have one adopted dog and one other foster dog.” She said she will not be able to keep Dora perma- nently because she wants to keep her home open to other injured animals. Dora, who is aged between 1 and 2 years old and weighs about 40 pounds, quickly set- tled into the routine in her foster home. “She does not chew on anything other than toys provided for her. She waits patiently for her meals. Dora sits and gives a paw be- fore she gets her food,” her foster mother explained. Following her surgery, Dora had to be kept still for about four to six weeks and she had trouble walking nor- mally for weeks after the in- cident. Now, she is just days away from being completely healed from her burns, a pro- cess that took 10 weeks of diligent care. “She continues to have areas that are still sore and most of the affected area is without fur,” said Dora’s foster mom. “I cover her with a small coat if we are going out for long periods as I am concerned about her skin get- ting burnt from the sun.” “Her skin will need to con- tinue to be monitored as it is hard to know how much of her fur will grow back. Her adopters may need to cover her affected area to prevent sunburn,” she added. “Dora is a quirky dog full of character. She is friendly and affectionate,” and de- spite the ordeal she has gone through, she is not a nervous dog, she said. “She is a dog that lives life to the full and I plan to find the right person, couple or family who can give her her much-deserved second chance at a happy, loving home.” Anyone interested in adoption can visit www.caymanislandshumanesociety. com/pet/dora/. Dog burned in cruelty case up for adoption COMPANY PLEADS GUILTY TO PENSION CHARGES FROM 2008 CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A pensions case that has been before the courts since October 2008 should be final- ized in October 2017 when representatives of the com- pany return for sentencing, after guilty pleas were en- tered on Tuesday. Dorothy Scott, a di- rector of Champion House Ltd, trading as Champion House II, entered the pleas on its behalf. Defense at- torney Graham Hampson had asked that the charges be put “for clarity.” Court files and informal records kept by the Cayman Compass show that guilty pleas were entered in Feb- ruary 2010, but it was not clear whether they were entered by directors per- sonally or in the name of the company. The charges include failure to comply with a request for information from the Super- intendent of Pensions, failure to pay past due pension con- tributions, and failing without reasonable cause to provide a pension plan or make con- tributions on behalf of em- ployees between January 1999 and August 2008. The matter has been be- fore the courts on numerous occasions, with at least two other attorneys pre- ceding Mr. Hampson. In September 2012, Crown counsel Kenneth Ferguson agreed to further adjourn- ments, saying that the ulti- mate objective of the prose- cution was for employees to get what was legally theirs. In October 2013, the court was advised that there was an agreement to pay $5,000 per month. In March 2015, Mr. Fer- guson advised the court that no payment had been made since 2014. Ms. Scott said in her opinion the amount owed was $60,000 but the pen- sions office had indicated it was more and she was trying to sort it out. Mr. Hampson, who subse- quently took the matter over, noted there were some signif- icant issues in the case and he would be making submis- sions accordingly. Sentencing was set for Monday, Oct. 2. Dora is recovering well from her burns.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 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 offi ce. A woman walks into a grocery store and approaches two bins of identical tomatoes. On one bin, the sign reads, “Tomatoes: 2 dollars a pound.” On the other, “ToMAHtoes, 4 dollars a pound.” Now, imagine a store that contains thousands upon thousands of such bins, many of them containing almost identical items with slightly different names – but radically different prices. Welcome to the world of Work Permits, which contains more than 1,100 job categories, plus an addi- tional 5,000 sub-categories. As we published on the front page of Tuesday’s Compass, a review of the 24,880 work permits held by non-Caymanian workers revealed that the Immigra- tion Department’s array of job titles is characterized by disorganization, duplication, and outright nit-picky nonsense. Can anyone keep tabs on 15 different sub-catego- ries of “Beach Attendant/Deck Hand?” Or 370 sub- categories involving “sales?” Fragrance and cosmetics sales associates, for example, were classifi ed variously under the occupa- tional categories of Buyer, Merchandise/Retail Trade, Sales Associate, Sales Representatives/Agents, and Jewelry Makers and Repairman. If you are a Computer Repair Technician who also serves as a Sales Representative, you are in luck: Gov- ernment has a category for that. There are special classifi cations for an employee who works as a Cashier/Receptionist Typist, one who is a Retail Cashier, and one who is a Non-Retail Cashier. But if you are talking Counter Clerks (including Grocery Store Clerks, Cashiers, Counter Agents and Sales Associates), that is a separate category alto- gether, apparently different from Customer Service Representatives (including Sales Clerks, Service Repre- sentatives and Retail Sales Associates), and not to be confused with Grocery Clerks (including Cashiers, Deli Clerks, Grocery Clerks, Meat and Seafood Associates, Sales Associates, etc.) For our business community’s highly valued admin- istrative assistants, the government has a half-dozen classifi cations: Administrative Assistant, Administra- tive Assistant for Fund Services, Administrative Clerks, Administrative Secretaries and Administrative Secre- tary. (Yes, the last two are distinct.) Are you dizzy yet? We sure are. The absurdities enumerated above might be comical if they did not engender such serious conse- quences. Consider the costs to companies to comply with the system, or the costs to taxpayers as gov- ernment attempts to administer and enforce it. Or consider the mental health of our beloved civil servants who have to deal with this nonsensical system each and every day. We ask two questions: First, who created this chaotic system in the fi rst place? (A name would be welcome.) Embarrassingly, the list of occupational categories is replete with mis- spellings that would never get past the watchful eye of a fourth-grade English teacher. Remember, we are looking at a work product that represents our country! Second, as we sometimes say at the Compass, “Didn’t anybody read this thing before we published it?” Other government databases similarly demon- strate labyrinthine unintelligibility, including occupa- tional listings for permanent residency applications and, memorably, Cayman’s Customs codes. (Who can forget the line item we once highlighted that estab- lished the offi cial duty on locomotives imported to the Cayman Islands?) An ancillary consequence of such sloppy (not to mention silly) work in the public sector is that it dimin- ishes our respect for, and confi dence in, government work in general. We as taxpayers have every right to expect high-quality services and output from our expansive public sector. When it comes to our “tomatoes analogy,” we wonder, reluctantly, who is minding the store? – EDITORIAL – Work permits: Pick your category. pick your price WEDNESDAY AUGUST 9, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS The insurance compulsion Venezuela is the latest global disaster caused by so- cialism. Over the last couple of hundred years, virtually every variety of socialism has been tried – from com- munism to national socialism (Nazism) and fascism, to various varieties of “demo- cratic socialism” – with one common characteristic – they all failed. Despite the eco- nomic failures, loss of lib- erty and the tens of millions of deaths resulting from the socialist experiments, it has an enduring romantic at- traction. Bernie Sanders and millions of his followers call themselves socialists, without embarrassment, claiming that next time they will get it right. Many countries still have socialist parties. How can so many be so ignorant of the never-ending misery so- cialism has brought? Many of those who advo- cate socialism not only suffer from real or studied igno- rance, but a fear of not being able to fend for themselves. They fear that they cannot make a living on their own or pay their own medical bills. They fear competition. When some political type says, “The state will take care of you and give you food, shelter and medical care,” for many it becomes easier to accept the words as truth without thinking through the history, costs and consequences of such promises. Life is scary and uncer- tain. Part of becoming an adult is taking on the respon- sibility for taking care of our- selves, which means insuring as much as possible against life’s risks. Responsible adults take certain actions, such as insuring against unemploy- ment by deferring immediate gratifi cation and spending time, effort and money to ob- tain more education and job skills. Responsible adults buy medical insurance, auto insurance and homeowners insurance to protect them- selves, at least partially, against events they may not be able to control. Insurance costs money, and it is human nature to prefer that someone else pay your bills. In essence, so- cialism is a system in which others are forced to pay your bills no matter how irrespon- sible you may be. Margaret Thatcher famously pointed out that socialism works until socialist governments run out of other people’s money. Recognizing that many will be irresponsible and not buy adequate insurance, states require people to buy auto insurance as a condition of driving on public roads. Companies that provide mort- gages require those who have a mortgage to buy home- owners insurance. The fi rst duty of govern- ment is to protect the citizens and their property – which requires a military, police and court system. This in- surance has to be paid for – and citizens are required to pay taxes for these functions. Most people, not including anarchists, believe these are necessary functions of gov- ernment. So most debate is about how much to spend on these functions, not whether or not it is desirable to insure against these risks. The socialists promise to insure the individual against almost all of life’s risks, but to do so, they have to compel people to provide whatever share of their earnings neces- sary to pay for all of the ben- efi ts. The demand for more benefi ts is never-ending. The amount required to pay for the benefi ts becomes so high that most individual initia- tive, investment and work in- centives are destroyed. State monopoly agencies to provide for all the benefi ts have little incentive for cost control, nor do the people working within the agencies have many in- centives for good “customer” service. At some point, the sit- uation becomes so bad that the people revolt. The Chinese Communist Party still calls itself socialist, despite having largely a free- market system. A few years back during one of my trips to China, I was in a discus- sion about the economy with a high-ranking Chinese gov- ernment offi cial. He had been defending the supremacy of the party. I noted that during the fi rst 30 years of commu- nist rule, the economy had been a disaster, but three de- cades ago, when they turned to a market economy, with some property rights, work and investment incentives, the economy boomed. His reply: “We originally thought that we could go directly from a poor agrarian society to communism, but then we realized that fi rst we would need to build a rich capital- istic society, which might take 100 years, before going to communism.” The current debate about the government role in health care insurance illustrates the muddled thinking among the political class. Under Obam- acare, there is a requirement that people are compelled to buy insurance from selected providers or pay a fi ne. Many young people saw this cor- rectly as a bad deal for them, so they chose to pay the fi ne to a coercive government. Many Republicans said they would take away the pur- chase requirement as an un- just infringement on personal liberty – but then many quite irrationally said they would cover pre-existing conditions – which destroys any incen- tive to purchase insurance until one is ill. This will lead to a fi scal disaster. A reason to severely limit government’s role in insuring against individual risk is that history shows free markets can provide insurance for most things more effi ciently and without compulsion. Richard W. Rahn is chairman of Improbable Success Productions and on the board of the American Council for Capital Formation. © 2017 The Washington Times, LLC. RICHARD W. RAHN RICHARD W. RAHN 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 fi nd their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY AUGUST 9, 2017 *The Promotion Period will start on July 1, 2017 and end at midnight on September 15, 2017. During the Promotion Period Special Rates will apply to Scotia Plan Loans. Customers agree to be bound by the Bank’s operating processes and procedures, account operating terms and conditions and confidentiality requirements. The terms and conditions of the Scotia Plan Loan Summer Campaign can vary at any time, at Scotiabank’s discretion without giving any notice or reason. Further conditions apply. Subject to credit approval. ®Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used under licence. LIMITED-TIME OFFER ON UNSECURED LOANS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15* Affordable rates and flexible terms mean that you can borrow what you need to do the things you want, with easy monthly payments. Now’s the time to get a Scotia Plan Loan.* #ThingsYouWant Apply today! Visit your nearest branch or go to ky.scotiabank.com/planloan Do the things you really want. Furnish her room Book a family cruiseSend her to school Police officers are vulnerable and deserve protection, magistrate says CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Alcohol and medica- tion did not mix for a man who ended up in custody after chasing a police of- ficer and a neighbor while wielding a knife. Robustiano Torrez Mar- tinez, 69, was sentenced in Summary Court on Monday after pleading guilty to two counts of causing harass- ment, alarm or distress on Dec. 28, 2016 at his Bodden Town residence. Crown counsel Aliyah Mc- Carthy told Magistrate Valdis Foldats that a female police officer responded to a report of child abuse at an address in Bodden Town. The officer was met by the defendant’s spouse, who said it was her husband who had called po- lice, but there was no child abuse going on. Martinez, who had been in the yard, at that point ran into the house and came back out with a knife that he was holding to his throat. The officer shouted at him to drop the knife. Instead, he held it over his head in a stab- bing motion and began to chase the officer around the yard. She called for assistance and a neighbor came to help. Martinez then began chasing the neighbor, who jumped over a fence to escape. The officer shouted again for Martinez to drop the knife and he started to chase her again. “She was in fear for her life,” Ms. McCarthy said. Then police sirens could be heard as back-up personnel responded to the officer’s call. At that point, Martinez ran back into the house with the knife and he locked himself in. The officers were eventually able to arrest him and take him into custody. The neighbor said Mar- tinez had been agitated and upset, and he thought the man had been drinking. Defense attorney Martha Rankine said Martinez wanted to apologize to the court, the police officer and the neighbor for any distress he might have caused. “He re- alizes his conduct was un- called for and out of the or- dinary,” she said. “He was on medication and may have taken more than prescribed, along with a quantity of li- quor …. The combination may have had an adverse impact on his conduct.” Ms. Rankine said her client had been in custody until mid- March and asked the court to give credit for that time served. She pointed out that the neighbor had suffered no financial or psychological damage and had no fear of re- maining at the property. The magistrate said the defendant’s behavior was so serious that he had to impose a custodial sentence to make sure the public knew such be- havior could not occur. He referred to a Court of Appeal case, in which the judges had said that knives are serious weapons and, if taken to any confronta- tion, could easily cause fatal consequences. He referred to another case in which a man with a knife had threatened an of- ficer. Police officers are enti- tled to go about their difficult responsibilities without such threats, he said, and they de- serve the highest respect and protection from that sort of behavior. In that case a vio- lent, drunken man had been disarmed and the officer was not injured. The sentence he received was nine months. The magistrate set the sentence starting point at one year and raised it to 18 months because of previous convictions. He took one-third off because of Martinez’sguilty plea, resulting in a term of 12 months. Given his age, time in custody and cooperation, Martinez would benefit from a suspended sentence and strong probation conditions, the magistrate decided. He said it seemed clear that Mar- tinez had a problem with al- cohol – and maybe with pre- scription drugs. For causing harassment, alarm or distress to the po- lice officer, the magistrate im- posed a sentence of one year, suspended for two years. For the same offense against the neighbor, he imposed two years probation with manda- tory attendance at any pro- gram determined by the coun- selor. Other terms include keeping the peace, submit- ting to random testing, and staying out of all liquor li- censed premises. Alcohol and medicine do not mix, BT man discovers Police investigate motorcycle crashes A George Town man was badly hurt when his motor- cycle smashed into a con- crete wall Tuesday morning. According to police, the motorbike crashed on Crewe Road just after 8 a.m. No other vehicles were involved. Police said the man suf- fered serious injuries but was expected to survive. The crash tied up morning traffic on Crewe Road, but it was cleared within two hours, police said. Motorbike rider arrested In a separate incident, police arrested a 15-year- old boy last week after the motorcycle he was on crashed near the Light- house Restaurant in Bodden Town on July 21. The boy was released from hospital on July 31 after suffering what police described as “permanent in- juries” from the accident. The teen, from North Side, was arrested last week on suspicion of stealing the motorbike, handling stolen property and driving without being qualified. He has been released on police bail. Fire drills raise smoke Plumes of dark smoke vis- ible over George Town are part of training exercises for firefighter recruits, ac- cording to the Cayman Is- lands Fire Service. The exercises are being conducted at the training grounds behind Owen Rob- erts International Airport. “The exercises are causing large clouds of smoke to rise in the sky, but please do not be alarmed as these are con- trolled burns and part of the recruitment training,” the Fire Service said in a press release. The exercises will con- tinue for the next three weeks, the Fire Service advised. MAN STABBED IN GT A panhandler outside a George Town Subway res- taurant stabbed a man in the chest early Tuesday morning, according to police. Police said the restau- rant patron was entering Subway around 1:30 a.m. when he was approached by the panhandler, who asked for money. The victim told the man he did not have money, and when the beg- ging persisted, the cus- tomer “felt threatened” and pushed the panhandler away, police said. Police said the man asking for money then stabbed the customer with “an unknown object” in the chest. The suspect ran off down Cardinall Avenue. No arrests were immedi- ately reported. The victim went to nearby Cayman Islands Hospital for treatment of a minor injury. Robustiano Torrez Martinez appeared in Summary Court on Monday on two counts of causing harassment, alarm or distress. The Fire Service is currently training recruits.DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days Sister Islands WEDNESDAY AUGUST 9, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS ‘Na Na’ Walton gets special birthday gift 50 years ago: Missouri divers love Little Cayman REMEMBERING BLOSSOM VILLAGE In the Aug. 9, 1967 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, the fol- lowing article appeared: “Forty-one divers from Missouri, recently spent an active week of scuba diving in the Cayman Islands. “They were based on Little Cayman at the site of the Southern Cross Club. The object of their visit to the Caymans was to take underwater pictures for which they were well pre- pared, carrying over 24 un- derwater still and movie cameras. The diving men and women were most im- pressed with Little Cay- man’s Bloody Bay, famed for its pirate history. They also engaged in an inter- esting dive along the coast of Cayman Brac. “During the last days of their dives at Bloody Bay, they were joined by a group with Bob Soto on the Cayman Pilot. “This was the second year that this group of Missouri divers visited the Cayman Islands. Last year, they headquartered at the Tortuga Club of Grand Cayman. “Over 36 diving expe- ditions were conducted by them and they were up early at 7 a.m. each morning, diving till 6 p.m. each night. The group was well supervised by six cer- tified scuba instructors, six senior lifesavers and three water safety instruc- tors. They caught practi- cally all of their own meals by fishing for grouper, hog- snapper, triggerfish and conch. Their prize catch was a rockfish, weighing slightly over 86 lbs. At first the catch was thought to be a jewfish but the identifying red markings were missing, so it was declared a prize rockfish instead. “The divers were spon- sored by the Associated Re- searchers of Geography, Oceanography, Nautics and Aquatics Using Techniques of Scuba (ARGONAUTS), a group which recently re- ceived top billing along with Captain Cousteau’s ‘Ocean- auts’ on television. “The Argonauts have left their mark on many an ocean expedition. They have partaken in sailing expedi- tions, porpoise dives and undersea sound studies in Atlantic and Caribbean wa- ters and are famed for many a major dive. The Argonauts publish their own news bul- letin ‘Splashdown’ named for the re-entry tactics of their counterparts in outer space, the Astronauts. Most of all, the Argonauts are known for their establish- ment of Sea Schools. These sea schools are conducted for teenagers during the summer months in the Ca- ribbean area. Here, young- sters are taught about the oceans and to learn to re- spect the sea and its inhab- itants. A vacation combining learning with recreation, sea schools have become pop- ular with teenagers. “The Missouri diving group was the first adult project of its kind con- ducted by the Argonauts.” G NOWAK This Image of Blossom Village, downtown Little Cayman, goes back to 1974, when approximately 25 people lived on the is- land. There were but a few weekly flights via an old DC-3 aircraft. This photographer re- members stopping by “WeOne,” a tiny grocery store owned by Douglas Chisholm. He stocked some canned items, fish hooks, sugar, flour and candy. On the shelf, there was a sign that read “Special Sale – Four Cans for $1.” The cans were without labels – bugs and rust had worn off any information of what might be inside. When I asked Mr. Chisholm what the cans contained he responded by saying, “What do you expect for $1?” Curiosity got the best of me so I purchased four cans. They con- tained condensed milk and pork n’ beans. At the time, Aulbury Keener, a retired busi- nessman from Tyler, Texas, dove a blue convertible El Dorado Cadillac, one of the few vehicles on the island. This image is from the book ‘The People Time Forgot.’ All proceeds from the book sales go toward National Museum projects. JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Cayman Brac great- grandmother was given a special gift on her 85th birthday – a trip to church and lunch with her family. “I went to church for the first time in years, because I could walk with assistance … I felt good knowing that I was back in my church … thank God, it was really good and I enjoyed it,” said Naomi Walton, speaking by phone to the Cayman Compass from her home in Spot Bay, Cayman Brac, on Tuesday. Fondly known by many as Na Na, Ms. Walton cel- ebrated her birthday on Thursday, Aug. 3. It was also a very special day for her granddaughter Julianne, who shares a birthday with her grandmother. “We could not have spent a more rewarding day than to take my mother to wor- ship together at her Church, the Bethel Baptist Church in Spot Bay, and followed by a family luncheon at my house,” said her daughter Annie Rose Scott. According to Ms. Scott, the family rented a special needs vehicle and, with the use of a wheelchair, they were able to get her mother, who is par- tially bedridden, to church. “They did … everything nice, I was very glad and happy for everyone helping me to enjoy the day. I went to church and they had a lovely dinner for me at Annie Rose’s house,” Ms. Walton said. Bobbie Turner, 84, wife of Pastor Russell Turner, 87, who has known Ms. Walton for 48 years, said it was a blessing to have her at church Sunday. “Before the pastor preached his sermon, he rec- ognized Ms. Walton … she is a member of the church and she loves the Lord … ev- eryone was glad to have her in church,” Ms. Turner said. Ms. Walton has three chil- dren, Raymond, Leasa and Annie Rose, and lots of grand- children and great-grandchil- dren. Her husband Matthew passed away some years ago. Ms. Walton worked at a Cayman Brac day care center for 18 years before being in- volved in a car accident, after which she could no longer do manual work. Growing up in Cayman Brac, Ms. Walton said that, unlike on Grand Cayman, there was not much food and goods available, but ev- eryone managed. “We would bake lots of heavy cakes and I would also do hairdressing … we had to eat whatever we could get those times and what was available,” Ms. Walton said. “I thank God for bringing me safe and for helping me … I never cease to praise him,” she said. Naomi Walton celebrates her birthday trip to church with family and members of Bethel Baptist Church.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY AUGUST 9, 2017 permanent residency status in recent weeks; however, those applicants had not re- ceived written confirmation of the grants. Residence ap- plicants are asked to provide a wide range of information to the government, including details of age, salary, educa- tion, employment, commu- nity involvement, investment in the islands and bank ac- count records. Those applicants who re- ceive permanent residence are not told how many points they received on their application, Mr. David said. All successful applicants must receive at least 110 points out of a possible 215 under the Immigration De- partment’s scoring system. The applicants who are refused residency will re- ceive brief details stating how many points they achieved in each area and may appeal the refusal to the Immigration Appeals Tri- bunal and, ultimately, to the Grand Court. However, Mr. David said since his firm’s clients had not received any formal notifications on ei- ther approvals or denials, attorneys could not prop- erly advise their clients on how to proceed. “We are completely un- aware of how the board [is] processing these applica- tions,” Mr. David said. In recent weeks, the board itself has delegated many of the residence appli- cations to specially trained immigration staffers who are allowed, under the cur- rent law, to approve or deny applications under the chief immigration of- ficer’s authority. The move has sped up the processing of applications within the past two weeks. The Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board was hearing about 10 applications per week. Administrative staff are reviewing an average of 30 per week so far. against those trained by Michelin-star chefs demonstrates that talent from diverse backgrounds can make their mark in the kitchen. Scores were based in part on an evaluation by a panel of judges, including professional chefs and res- taurateurs. A bulk of the judging came down to the public taste test, however. Two-thirds of the scores de- pended on diners who paid for their meal. Mr. Barwick tied with 20-year-old Perry Torrance of Smiths of Smithfield with 674 points out of a 750- point maximum. Mr. Torrance will also take over M Victoria St. for five nights from Aug. 29–Sept. 2. As part of the award, the two will also travel to Reims, France, courtesy of Cham- pagne Pommery. Mr. Barwick plans to treat guests to some of his favorite Caymanian flavors, including Scotch bonnet, banana, and his grandmother’s fudge recipe. A banana and clotted cream ice-cream dessert will be a tribute to his Cayma- nian-British heritage. “A lot of the techniques I use are traditional, but it’s the combination that’s un- usual, and using all of the products, not throwing the stem away or using the head of the mackerel,” he said. DJM Restaurants owner Dean Max had the oppor- tunity to witness Mr. Bar- wick’s culinary creativity in the kitchen at the Brasserie in Grand Cayman. “Working with him, you can immediately see from his creative side that he likes to push the envelope,” Mr. Max said. “I really think he is going to be someone that’s highly re- garded, talked about, written about because he’s just super creative and he’s got a person- ality to push himself. He has business sense, natural intel- ligence, a creative mind, talent for tastes and flavors, and he has built his resumé working with good chefs.” Although Mr. Barwick cur- rently lives in London, he re- turns to Cayman occasion- ally to cook for select events, including the most recent Cayman Cookout. “The cool part for Cayman is he does have a love for being home, and I think we’ll see him come back. I’ve al- ready talked to him about wanting to do something to- gether with him back in Cayman,” Mr. Max said. The M & Bookatable Young Chef of the Year com- petition is the brainchild of chef Michael Reid and seeks to support a new genera- tion of chefs. “The competition was in- spiring from start to finish. We have incredible talent in the U.K.’s kitchens and with Bookatable and Pommery, we were able to offer a fan- tastic experience to both en- courage and nurture young chefs. I can’t wait for Perry and Jack to now rock it in the two-week take-over,” Mr. Reid said. Reservations for the ‘take-over’ dinners can be made at www.bookatable.co.uk. March meeting, published in June, accurately reflect the board’s decision to formu- late a new policy and reject Peanuts’ application. He ac- knowledged that this discus- sion and decision had not taken place in March, as the published minutes suggest, and attributed this to an- other administrative error. It is not clear when the additional meeting took place, but the result is a policy that will restrict busi- nesses to one license only. That means liquor stores and gas stations are less likely to be granted re- tail licenses, which are typ- ically designed for bars and nightclubs, to sell al- cohol on Sundays. Attorney Cline Glidden, who represented Peanuts and several other gas sta- tions in applications to the liquor board, had indicated in March that he would be bringing applications on be- half of other gas stations seeking retail licenses to open Sundays. The new policy prevents them from doing so, without first giving up their package licenses, which allow them to sell alcohol during the week without re- strictions on quantities. Mr. DaCosta, in an emailed response to ques- tions from the Cayman Com- pass, said the board had re- convened sometime between March and June to consider a number of matters, including a review of existing licenses, in light of the new 2016 Li- quor Licensing Law. “All current licence holders with multiple licences will need to decide which one of the eight licensing categories best represents their venture at the forthcoming Annual Li- censing Session scheduled for September 2017,” he wrote. He suggested that gas stations could apply for re- tail licenses instead of their package licenses, though this type of license allows only for beer in quantities “of not less than 6.82 litres” to be taken off the premises. “This Board holds that nothing in the 2016 Liquor Law precludes a Gas Station that features a convenience store from applying for a re- tail licence to be able to sell intoxicating liquor seven day per week as its sole liquor licence,” he said. Cayman Distributors is one of several companies that currently carries multiple dif- ferent types of liquor licenses at its various premises. This includes a distribu- tors license and a package li- cense for its main depot on Eastern Avenue, which oper- ates both as a distribution center and a cash-and-carry- style liquor store; and both a retail and package license for the Cayman Islands Yacht Club, which features a bar and a convenience store that sells alcohol seven days a week. Matthew Bishop, CEO of Cayman Distributors, said he was not sure yet how the changes would impact its businesses. “We look forward to opening a dialogue with the board over the future direc- tion of how liquor licenses will be dealt with and would wel- come an opportunity to dis- cuss these issues in more de- tail,” he said. Robert Hamaty, who owns Tortuga Rum Company, said he was happy with the one license, one premises rule, and said businesses were es- sentially exploiting a loop- hole in the law to try to sell on Sundays. But he said he believed the board had granted Peanuts a license, as the initial corre- spondence suggested. “It should never have hap- pened in the first place,” he said, “but they should never have turned around and said it was not granted. Admit your mistake, say you should never have done it and then repair it at the next session. They need to come clean.” Mr. Hamaty does not sup- port Sunday liquor sales in general and said the new policy would actually do nothing to stop Sunday “carry out” sales from bars. The law allows for bars with retail licenses to sell al- cohol for consumption off the premises providing it is “not less than 6.82 liters” of beer – equivalent to a 24-pack of bottled beer – or 0.75 liters of wine or spirits. He said this was already being used by some bars to sell alcohol to take away on Sundays – essentially al- lowing them to operate as a liquor store as well as a bar, while the regular liquor stores were closed. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Liquor board clamps down on multiple licenses Young Caymanian chef wins UK competition Court grants review of five permanent residency cases CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 MAN CONVICTED OF HAVING PIPE BOMB IN LUGGAGE LONDON (AP) – A man who arrived at a British air- port for a flight with a pipe bomb in his hand luggage was convicted Tuesday of trying to smuggle explo- sives onto a plane. Nadeem Muhammad, 43, denied wrongdoing after security staff found the device inside the zip lining of his bag at Man- chester Airport on Jan. 30. He said the bomb, made from masking tape, bat- teries and a marker pen tube, must have been planted by someone else. But prosecutors said he planned to deto- nate it during a Ryanair flight to Italy. During his trial, pros- ecutors also revealed that security officers did not initially think the bomb was viable. Muhammad was allowed to fly to Italy several days later. After he departed, a fo- rensic expert examined the device and judged it to be “crude but poten- tially viable.” It contained smoke- less propellant, which is normally found in fire- arms ammunition and made of nitroglycerin and nitrocellulose. Jack Barwick, right, is evaluated by culinary judge Richard Bainbrige during the M & Bookatable Young Chef of the Year competition. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The Liquor Licensing Board of Grand Cayman has given businesses with multiple licenses until September to pick which license they want to keep. DEMOCRATS FRUSTRATED OVER HONDURAS APPROACH WASHINGTON (AP) – A group of Senate Democrats has voiced frustration over the Trump administration’s efforts to address corrup- tion and violence in Hon- duras, urging Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to link continued U.S. aid to the country with improvements in human rights. In a letter to Tillerson, the lawmakers warned that the situation in Honduras remains grave despite U.S.-backed programs to strengthen and profession- alize key government in- stitutions, such as law en- forcement and the judiciary. Led by Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the Democrats said there is “credible evi- dence” that not all Honduran officials support serious ef- forts to combat organized crime and corruption. They also told Tillerson that so- cial activists continue to be the target of threats and at- tacks and the government of Honduras’ “engagement with civil society has not materi- ally improved.”The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 WEDNESDAY AUGUST 9, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Britain wants review of Fox bid for Sky Britain’s culture ministry is asking the country’s broadcast regulator to take a new look at the takeover bid by Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. for satellite broadcaster Sky. The ministry said Tuesday that it had written to regulator Ofcom seeking new advice. It wants a reply by Aug. 25. South Africa’s president again survives no-confidence vote Strong quake strikes southwest China, killing at least 5 BEIJING (AP) – A strong earthquake shook a moun- tainous region in south- western China near a fa- mous national park Tuesday evening, killing five tourists and injuring 63 other people, while causing power to be cut and phone networks to be knocked out. The magnitude 6.5 quake struck a region bordered by the provinces of Sichuan and Gansu at a depth of just 5.5 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more damage than deeper ones. The China Earthquake Networks Center measured the earthquake at magnitude 7.0 and said it struck at a depth of 12 miles. The quake occurred at about 9:20 p.m. near Jiuzhaigou, or Jiuzhai Valley, a national park known for spectacular waterfalls and karst formations, the Chinese agency said. The area is on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau in northern Sichuan province, home to many Tibetan and other ethnic minority villages. A man surnamed Song who answered the phone at a local emergency office in Aba prefecture, where the Ji- uzhaigou national park is lo- cated, said the nearby town of Zhangzha reported the deaths and injuries. Song did not say where the five tour- ists who died were from. Earthquakes are common in China’s west, although the low population density there often means casualties are low. China’s deadliest earth- quake this century, a mag- nitude 7.9 temblor with a depth of 12 miles, struck Si- chuan province in May 2008, killing nearly 90,000 people. The epicenter in Tues- day’s quake was about 24 miles from the county of Jiuzhaigou, which has a population of around 80,000, in an area that was 6,562 feet above sea level. It was 177 miles from Chengdu, the densely populated capital of Sichuan province, according to the Chinese center. The official Xinhua News Agency said strong tremors could be felt in Chengdu. The Sichuan provincial gov- ernment’s news website said that after the quake struck, a number of train services to Chengdu and other cities were suspended. Jiuzhaigou county was suffering from a massive power outage following the quake, Song said. Local of- ficials were being sent to the town of Zhangzha, which was closest to the quake’s epicenter. “The tremors were very strong,” said a woman in Jiu- zhaigou town who gave only her surname, Wang, and said she worked for a travel com- pany. She said the damage in the town center seemed minimal other than the sus- pension of electricity. “People from other regions are a pretty frightened,” Wang said. Xinhua cited a worker at the Jiuzhaigou park named Sangey as saying that some houses in the tourist site col- lapsed or cracked following the quake and that authori- ties were organizing evacua- tions of residents. Images circulating on Chinese social media sites showed rocks scattered on roads and people running out of bars and cafes in Jiu- zhaigou town onto the street. A report on the news site’s official microblog also cited Zhao Wei, the party secre- tary of the Communist Youth League’s Jiuzhaigou division, as saying some telephone communications networks were down, making it diffi- cult to determine the scale of the damage caused. Another Jiuzhaigou gov- ernment official was quoted as saying that many people had run onto the streets after the earthquake struck, but that there were no im- mediate signs of any major damage to houses or other buildings, and that the situa- tion was orderly. The China Earthquake Networks Center said the quake was followed about 20 minutes later by a temblor measuring 3.3 in magnitude at a depth of 5.5 miles. JOHANNESBURG (AP) – South African President Jacob Zuma again survived a no- confidence vote in parlia- ment Tuesday in the most se- rious attempt yet to unseat him after months of growing anger over alleged corruption and a sinking economy, while his party that has ruled since the end of apartheid con- tinued to fracture. Zuma had survived six previous attempts to dis- lodge him in parliament, but this was the first to be held by secret ballot after par- liamentary speaker Baleka Mbete on Monday made the surprise decision to allow it. Opposition parties hoped it would encourage disgrun- tled legislators with the ruling African National Con- gress party to vote against Zuma, who has faced nu- merous allegations of graft while the economy has fallen into recession. Instead, ANC members in the chamber began singing shortly before the results were announced and soon broke out in cheers, while party supporters outside started dancing. “We reiterate that we will never endorse or vote in favor of any motion that seeks to cripple our country,” the ANC said immediately after the re- sults were announced, calling the vote an attempt to remove the entire party from power. Of the 384 votes cast, 177 were in favor of the no- confidence motion and 198 were against, with nine ab- stentions. The no-confi- dence motion needed 201 votes to succeed. Dozens of ANC members ended up supporting the no- confidence motion, as the ruling party holds 249 of the seats in parliament, five of which are currently vacant. Some party members quickly denounced those who voted against Zuma as sellouts, and chief whip Jackson Mthembu said the party would con- sider disciplining them. The main opposition Democratic Alliance party said after the vote that “the majority of the ANC have chosen corruption, looting” over the country’s inter- ests. Its no-confidence mo- tion said Zuma had “lost all sense of rationality and sound judgment,” harming the country’s economy and its poorest citizens. Widespread frustration over Zuma has hurt the ANC, the former liberation move- ment that has led South Af- rica since the end of white minority rule and the first all-race elections in 1994. Some longtime party mem- bers and anti-apartheid ac- tivists have openly called on Zuma to go. On Tuesday, former Presi- dent Thabo Mbeki said ANC lawmakers must “recall that they are the representatives of the people,” according to a video posted by a Nairobi- based journalist on Twitter. Many predicted that the vote would fail, saying most members of the decades-old liberation party would hesi- tate to make any major lead- ership changes that were ini- tiated by the opposition. “For me, it’s among the biggest reasons for the failure of African liberation movements is this misplaced loyalty to the end for the sake of holding it together,” said William Gumede, ex- ecutive chairman of the Jo- hannesburg-based Democ- racy Works Foundation. “It’s a tragedy in a sense.” Demonstrations both for and against Zuma, who has led South Africa since 2009, took place in front of the parliament building in Cape Town before the much-an- ticipated vote. “As you can see, thou- sands of people have reached the end of their tether in terms of what is happening in our beautiful country, our beautiful, diverse country that we should enjoy but we can’t enjoy because millions of our people are without jobs,” said one protester, Johnnie Jacobs. “We have got to get rid of this man before he destroys everything that we have all worked so hard for,” said an- other protester, Anne Shirley. While Zuma’s term con- tinues until elections in 2019, there have been calls from within the ANC for him to quit earlier and allow the party to shore up support before the vote. The ruling party is expected to replace Zuma as ANC president at a meeting in December. The reputation of Zuma, who spent a decade in prison for his anti-apartheid activi- ties and has been popular among some South Africans for his personal warmth and populist policies, has been tarnished by allegations of impropriety. Last year, the Constitu- tional Court ruled unani- mously that Zuma “failed to uphold” the constitution by not paying back some of the $20 million-plus in state money used to upgrade his rural home. Zuma’s ties to the Gupta family, immigrant businessmen accused of trying to manipulate govern- ment leaders and state com- panies for financial gain, also have stirred public anger. The president’s firing of widely respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan in a Cabinet reshuffle in March led two agencies, Fitch and Standard & Poor’s, to lower South Africa’s credit rating to below investment grade, or junk status. Zuma had survived six previous attempts to dislodge him in parliament, but this was the first to be held by secret ballot. The quake occurred at about 9:20 p.m. near Jiuzhaigou, or Jiuzhai Valley, a national park known for spectacular waterfalls and karst formations, the Chinese agency said. Mandla Mandela, grandson of the late Nelson Mandela, celebrates in South Africa’s parliament Tuesday after President Jacob Zuma again survived a no-confidence vote. - PHOTOS: AP African National Congress demonstrators rally in support of President Jacob Zuma as they watch the proceedings on a large screen outside parliament in Cape Town on Tuesday.9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY AUGUST 9, 2017 EU nations move to resume returning migrants to Greece Venezuela court orders opponent’s arrest CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – Venezuela’s supreme court ordered the removal and ar- rest of a Caracas-area mayor at the heart of recent anti- government protests and President Nicolas Maduro’s all-powerful constitutional assembly planned to meet again Tuesday, forging ahead on vows to punish the so- cialist leader’s foes. The government-packed high court sentenced Ramon Muchacho to 15 months in prison for not following an order to remove barricades set up in the leafy Chacao district of eastern Caracas where the Emory Univer- sity MBA graduate has been mayor since 2013. He’s the fourth opposition mayor whose arrest the high court has sought in the past two weeks. The court also ordered an investigation into another prominent Caracas-area mayor, David Smolansky, for the same alleged crimes. Muchacho’s whereabouts were not immediately known, but he denounced the ruling on Twitter, saying that “all of the weight of the revolu- tionary injustice has fallen on my shoulders” for doing his job to guarantee the constitu- tional right to protest. Chacao was previously governed by Leopoldo Lopez, the most prominent activist to have been jailed by the Maduro government, and is the main gathering point for protests that have left at least 124 dead and hundreds more injured or arrested. The crackdown on the opposition following last month’s widely questioned vote to elect the constitu- tional assembly is likely to dominate a meeting in Peru on Tuesday where foreign ministers from more than a dozen Latin American gov- ernments were gathering to discuss how to force Maduro to back down. Peru’s president has been vocal in rejecting the new Venezuelan assembly, but the region has had trouble agreeing on collec- tive actions. Still, Venezuela is facing mounting pressure and threats of deepening sanctions from trade part- ners. It was recently sus- pended from South America’s Mercosur trade bloc and the Trump administration sanc- tioned several top officials in- cluding Maduro. Maduro has remained firm in pressing the con- stitutional assembly for- ward in executing his priori- ties. As a counter to the Peru meeting, he was hosting a meeting of foreign ministers from the Bolivarian Alliance, a leftist coalition of 11 Latin American nations. The new constitutional assembly has signaled it will act swiftly in following through with Maduro’s com- mands. It voted Saturday to replace chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz with a gov- ernment loyalist and create a “truth commission” that will wield unusual power to pros- ecute and levy sentences. “It should be clear: We ar- rived there to help President Nicolas Maduro, but also to create strong bases for the construction of Bolivarian and Chavista socialism,” Di- osdado Cabello, a leader of the ruling socialist party and member of the new as- sembly, told a crowd of sup- porters Monday. Opposition leaders, mean- while, vowed to remain in their posts in their only gov- ernment foothold – the coun- try’s single-chamber congress – despite threats from the constitutional assembly to strip them of any authority and lock up key leaders. Lawmakers voted unani- mously Monday not to rec- ognize any of the new super body’s decrees. They also are vowing to remain on the streets, be- ginning with a call for sup- porters for to blockade streets and bring the nation to a standstill. Since the disputed elec- tion, security forces have stepped up their presence. The U.N.’s human rights com- missioner warned of in a re- port issued Tuesday of “wide- spread and systematic use” of excessive force, arbitrary detention and other rights violations against dem- onstrators and detainees in Venezuela. In the face of increasingly tough tactics, and divisions within the opposition about how to confront the govern- ment, turnout at recent dem- onstrations has been small. “Maduro knows this country is ungovernable,” lawmaker Juan Requenses said late Monday in calling for a new wave of street dem- onstrations. “The only thing he wants today is for us to abandon the street.” Opposition parties face a rapidly approaching deadline to decide whether they will take part in regional elections scheduled for December. Can- didates are expected to sign up to run this week. Opposition members re- fused to participate in the election for delegates to the constitutional assembly but have thus far been divided on taking part in the contests for governors. While Maduro’s popular support is estimated to run at no higher than 20 percent, some opposition leaders are skeptical of running in re- gional elections they fear could be rigged. The official turnout count in the constitu- tional assembly election has been questioned at home and abroad. The CEO of voting technology company Smart- matic said last week that the results were “without a doubt” tampered with and off by at least 1 million votes. BRUSSELS (AP) – European Union countries have begun the process of sending mi- grants who arrived over the last five months via Greece back there to have their asylum applications as- sessed, resuming a prac- tice that was suspended as Greece struggled to cope with a massive refugee influx. EU rules oblige migrants to apply for asylum in the country they first entered. But the requirement was put on hold as hundreds of thousands of people, many of them Syrian refugees, reached Greece on boats from Turkey in 2015. The EU’s executive arm recommended in December that member countries grad- ually resume sending unau- thorized migrants who ar- rived after March 15 back to Greece, which often is the first point of entry to the 28-nation EU. Some countries have re- quested permission from Greece to return such people, but none have been trans- ferred since mid-March, Greek officials say. “Greece has to give as- surances that they have ad- equate reception condi- tions,” European Commission spokeswoman Tove Ernst said Tuesday, adding that the country’s services for mi- grants, overwhelmed a year ago, had improved to the point that the commission felt comfortable making its non-binding recommendation for transfers to resume. Greece’s asylum ser- vice says it has received re- quests to accept more than 400 returned migrants. Seven people, most of them Syrian nationals, have been ac- cepted so far. A spokesman for the German Interior Min- istry confirmed Tuesday that Berlin has asked Athens to take back 392 asylum-seekers. “So far, no transfers to Greece have taken place yet,” Johannes Dimroth told The Associated Press. “However, I can tell you that to date the confirmation from Greek au- thorities has been received in three cases.” The Greek asylum of- fice put the German re- quest number at 354 asylum seekers. Austria, Belgium, Britain, the Czech Republic, France, Luxembourg, the Nether- lands and non-EU countries Norway and Switzerland have also asked to transfer smaller numbers, according to the asylum service. Greece’s migration min- ister said the returns would involve “tiny numbers.” “We will accept a few dozen people in coming months,” Ioannis Mouzalas told private Skai TV Tuesday. “This will be done provided we have the proper condi- tions to receive them.” Mouzalas said it was a “symbolic move” dictated by Greece’s EU obligations. He added that Greece’s EU partners so far have taken in more than 30,000 refu- gees and migrants under relocation and family re- union programs. Greece’s asylum service said the refugees and mi- grants returned to Greece under the rules known as the Dublin agreement would be housed in rented accom- modations or camps on the mainland. They also will have the option of seeking asylum in Greece, the service said. Dimroth said it was not possible to say when the de- portations from Germany would take place, or how many people the country ul- timately would seek to send back to Greece. He said it depends on the number of people who request asylum in Germany and fulfill the conditions to receive it. The number likely to be sent to Greece represents only a tiny fraction of the total number of migrants re- quired to leave Germany. Germany deported a total of 3,085 people to EU member states Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein in accordance with the Dublin agreement during the period Jan. 1 to June 30 this year. The figure for the same pe- riod last year was 1,758. Under a September 2015 agreement, EU coun- tries committed to take in 160,000 migrants from over- burdened Greece and Italy over two years. Fewer than 30,000 people have relo- cated a month before the scheme expires. The European Commis- sion is encouraging EU na- tions “to show solidarity with Greece, in particular by con- tinuing to fulfil their reloca- tion commitments.” The government-packed high court sentenced Ramon Muchacho to 15 months in prison for not following an order to remove barricades set up at a district in eastern Caracas where he has been mayor since 2013. In this March 2016 file photo, a Greek police officer checks registration papers as refugees crowd to cross the border from the Greek side at Idomeni to Macedonia. - PHOTO: AP A cut-out of Venezuela’s late President Hugo Chavez stands out during a rally among those backing the new Constitutional Assembly, outside the National Assembly building in Caracas, Venezuela, on Monday. - PHOTO: APNext >