ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY OCTOBER 2, 2017 High of 90 Low of 80 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 BEACH VENDORS: GOVERNMENT’S CHANGING TIDES WORLD | PAGE 14 O.J. SIMPSON OUT OF PRISON AFTER NINE YEARS FOR ARMED ROBBERY SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY BACON CHEDDAR RANCH CHEDDAR BBQ BACON BACON CHEDDAR RANCH NEW CRISPY CHICKEN NEW CRISPY CHICKEN PRESELL + INSERT Denied PR applicants start filing appeals BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com At least five people who were denied per- manent resident status within the past two months have filed appeals against those deci- sions, the Cayman Compass can reveal. “Four appeals have now been filed … in the last few days,” HSM Chambers law firm partner Nick Joseph wrote in an email to firm clients, which also stated that a fifth person had earlier sought to appeal the denial of their residency case, and a potential sixth ap- peal was being considered. “We continue to receive such instructions [from clients], and expect the number of ap- peals to grow,” Mr. Joseph said. Records reviewed by the Compass last week showed 277 residence applications, which allow non-Caymanians to remain here for the rest of their lives, had been decided since Aug. 1. Those records showed a total of 154 ap- plications were heard and decided during Au- gust, and 123 were decided through Sept. 22. Of those, 166 were approved, 95 were declined, 10 applications were withdrawn and six were thrown out because they were filed late. The withdrawn or “time barred” applica- tions do not have a right of appeal. The Immigration Department has a specific process for how those matters are to be dealt with, once an appeal is filed. First, a person who is denied residency must receive an offi- cial letter from the department or the Cayma- nian Status and Permanent Residency Board to that effect. The person then has 28 days from the date of the letter to file notice of appeal, which is basically a short statement noting the indi- vidual’s intent. All such cases are taken first to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal, which hears them and makes a determination. ARCHER NAMED CEO OF CAYMAN STOCK EXCHANGE Marco Archer, Cayman’s former finance minister, is back in a prominent position. The Council of the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange announced Thursday that Mr. Ar- cher will be the organization’s new chief ex- ecutive officer. Mr. Archer is replacing Valia Theodoraki, who will move to the United Kingdom to serve as the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange’s vice president of marketing. Mr. Archer holds an honors degree in law from the University of Liverpool, a BSc in Eco- nomics and Finance and an MBA, and he has over 12 years of experience in Cayman’s finan- cial services industry. Anthony Travers, chairman of the board ‘NO MISCONDUCT’ BY FORMER IMMIGRATION CHIEF BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Retired Chief Immigration Officer Linda Evans has been cleared following an internal investigation against her that took nearly three years to resolve. Ms. Evans has agreed to take early retire- ment from the civil service, according to a government statement issued Friday. Ms. Evans’s retirement took effect Sat- urday, Sept. 30. “There have been no findings of miscon- duct against Ms. Evans and she is retiring with a good record and thanks are extended for her years of service,” the statement, which Scuba hall of fame honors industry’s finest Six inductees and honorees were recognized at Friday night’s International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame induction ceremony, including Jason Washington, above right, who received his award from MLA David Wight, in the company of Miss Cayman Anika Conolly. Local dive pioneer Kent Eldemire was also honored, along with international inductees Dick Bonin, Kurt Schaefer, Krov Menuhin and Gardner Young. For a full report, see page 6. – PHOTO: MAGGIE JACKSON PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Peanuts license granted – then expires Board to seek legal advice on Sunday liquor sales JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Peanuts convenience store at Red Bay gas station has been issued a license to sell alcohol on Sundays with one significant catch – it expired on Saturday. New liquor board chairman Noel Williams confirmed Friday that he had signed the retail li- cense following the release of an internal audit report confirming the previous board had ap- proved the application in March. The audit found that the board later attempted to re- verse that decision and altered official records, but ruled that the original decision stood. Mr. Williams said the finding meant he was compelled by law to issue the license. However, all liquor licenses, including Peanuts’, expired at the end of September and the board will have to decide whether to renew the permission. Mr. Williams said the re- newal application would likely be deferred for advice from legal counsel and for policy direction from Cabinet. In the interim pe- riod, it is understood that busi- ness owner Gary Rutty will be able to sell alcohol to cus- tomers on Sundays. The board is also facing a new application from Tortuga Rum business owner Robert Hamaty for a similar “re- tail license” to open his liquor stores on Sundays. Mr. Hamaty said, “If the board is going to be granting retail li- censes to gas stations, we want to PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL MONDAY OCTOBER 2, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS I 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. - MONDAY - FLATLINERS (PG13) 12:50 VIP I 3:45 I 6:40 VIP I 10:10 BATTLE OF THE SEXES (PG13) 1:10 I 4:10 I 7:00 I 9:50 LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE 3D (PG) 1:30 2D I 4:00 I 6:30 2D I 9:00 KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE(R) 12:30 I 3:30 VIP I 6:35 I 9:20 VIP AMERICAN MADE (R) 1:40 I 4:25 I 7:15 I 10:05 IT (R) 12:50 I 4:00 I 7:05 I 9:45 Heart Survivors Wall unveiled at hospital SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com The stories of their re- spective journeys may even save your life. The Cayman Heart Fund and the Health Services Au- thority presented the Heart Survivors Wall on Friday at Cayman Islands Hospital, a tableau of local people who have survived a bout with heart disease. The faces – some men and some women, some young and some old – dot the side walls of the ambulatory sec- tion of the hospital. There are already 19 faces of people who have had their lives saved by local health ser- vice providers, and room for 41 more survivors as the years progress. The idea is simple, said David Dinner, chairman of the Cayman Heart Fund. It was conceived by Suzy Soto, the chair emeritus of the Heart Fund, as a bookend to the hospital’s Cancer Wall, and the hope is that it will lend itself to improving awareness of heart health among the Cayman populace. “We’ve done a lot of edu- cational programs and a lot of testing,” said Mr. Dinner during his introduction. “We’ve done a lot of … trying to raise awareness of car- diovascular disease in the Cayman Islands. “It’s been a challenge, but it’s been rewarding. I’m happy for the opportunity, and I’m happy to be here with you today on this mo- mentous occasion. This is the culmination of a lot of hard work, done mostly by Suzy. She saw the Cancer Wall and said, ‘We need one of those.’ For a number of years, we talked about it but never got around to doing it. This year is the year we really put a lot of effort into it.” The hospital chose the appropriate holiday, World Heart Day, for the wall’s un- veiling. The World Heart Fed- eration founded World Heart Day as a way of driving ed- ucation about cardiovascular disease, as at least 80 percent of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke can be avoided. For Ian Phillips, 52, the event was personal. Mr. Phil- lips is one of the heart sur- vivors pictured on the wall, and he said his heart con- dition was discovered lo- cally but operated on in Miami, Florida. “I had an abdominal an- eurysm and I didn’t think anything of it,” he said. “I went from feeling totally fit to having major surgery. Luckily, they caught it be- fore it ruptured, so it was a blessing in disguise.” Mr. Phillips needed to take five weeks off work while re- covering from heart trouble, and it took him three to four months before he was feeling like himself again. Now he’s back to playing foot- ball and serving as a swim official, and he thinks the wall is a nice touch for the local hospital. “The hospital and treat- ment here has always been first class and certainly in my case detecting it early prevented any serious com- plications,” he said. “I’ve got nothing but praise for the health service here.” Health Minister Dwayne Seymour attended the un- veiling of the Heart Survi- vors Wall, and he thanked the Cayman Heart Fund for the idea and the Health Services Authority for housing the display. “Each of the 19 people featured on the wall is an inspiration,” he said. “They show that heart disease can be beaten and they are a re- minder that heart disease can affect anyone. The good news is we can each take responsibility for our own health and cut the risk fac- tors that lead to cardiovas- cular disease.” Lizzette Yearwood, the chief executive officer of the Health Services Authority, was also on hand Friday, and she said that heart dis- ease results in more than 17 million deaths per year. That number is expected to rise to 23 million by 2030, but people can fight that in- crease by taking better care of themselves. “This is going to bring greater awareness to the importance of good heart health,” said Ms. Yearwood. “But it’s also going to rec- ognize those who have sur- vived the debilitating effects of heart disease and under- score the fact that cardiac disease is not a death sen- tence thanks to the breadth of services available in the Cayman Islands for preven- tion, care and support of cardiac-related diseases.” From left, David Dinner and Suzy Soto of the Cayman Heart Fund, MLA Roy McTaggart, Health Minister Dwayne Seymour, Pastor Randy von Kanel, Health Services Authority CEO Lizzette Yearwood, and Jennifer Ahearn, chief officer in the Ministry of Health, pose in front of the Heart Survivors Wall. COAST GUARD REPORT: CAPTAIN’S ERRORS LED TO EL FARO SINKING (AP) – A Coast Guard re- port released Sunday says the primary cause of the 2015 sinking of the cargo ship El Faro, which killed all 33 aboard, was the cap- tain underestimating the strength of a hurricane and overestimating the ship’s strength. The report said Capt. Michael Davidson should have changed the El Faro’s route between Jackson- ville, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, to avoid Hur- ricane Joaquin’s 150 mph winds. When the 790-foot vessel got stuck, he should have taken more aggressive measures to save it. Speaking at a news con- ference in Jacksonville, Florida, Capt. Jason Neu- bauer also said the Coast Guard would have sought to revoke Davidson’s li- cense if he had survived. Davidson “was ulti- mately responsible for the vessel, the crew and its safe navigation,” said Neu- bauer, who chaired the investigation. He said Davidson “mis- judged the path of Hurri- cane Joaquin and overes- timated the vessel’s heavy weather survivability while also failing to take ade- quate precautions to mon- itor and prepare for heavy weather. During critical pe- riods of navigation … he failed to understand the se- verity of the situation, even when the watch standards warned him the hurricane was intensifying.” Davidson, 53, was re- corded telling a crew member a few hours be- fore the sinking, “There’s nothing bad about this ride. I was sleepin’ like a baby. This is every day in Alaska,” where he had pre- viously worked. The report also says the ship’s owner, TOTE Mari- time Inc., had not replaced a safety officer, spreading out those duties among other managers, and had violated regulations re- garding crew rest periods and working hours. The Coast Guard said it will seek civil actions against TOTE but no criminal penalties as there was no criminal intent. CORRECTION The editorial published on the front page on Sept. 29 should have stated that current Liquor Licensing Board members Arleth Ebanks and Anthony Lawson were re- cently appointed and were not on the Board when it took action on the March application submitted by the Peanuts gas station to sell alcohol on Sundays. Additionally, current Board Chairman Noel Williams was not present during the March 28 meeting and did not actively participate in the approval of the Peanuts license. MEXICAN RESCUE DOG BECAME SYMBOL OF EARTHQUAKE HOPE MEXICO CITY (AP) – Even without rescuing anyone from the rubble after Mex- ico’s big earthquake, a pho- togenic yellow Labrador re- triever named Frida has gained an international so- cial media following. At least 344 people died in the Sept. 19 earthquake, in- cluding 205 in Mexico City. For days, rescuers who tun- neled into huge mounds of debris and selfless volunteers who threw themselves into work around the city were lauded for their efforts. But no individual captured the hearts of Mexicans and those watching the efforts from afar like Frida. Clad in goggles and neo- prene booties, Frida with nose to the ground and clambering over crumbled buildings be- came a symbol of hope. The Sept. 19 earthquake that shook Mexico City and nearby states was not even Frida’s first in September. She was dispatched to Juchitan, a town in Oaxaca state that sustained much damage in the magnitude 8.1 quake that struck southern Mexico on Sept. 7. Over the course of a six- year career, Frida – 8 years old, 65 pounds and trending internet topic – has found 41 bodies and 12 people alive. She has worked quake di- sasters abroad as well, in- cluding in 2010 in Haiti and 2016 in Ecuador. Frida, the Mexican rescue labradorThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY OCTOBER 2, 2017 Canal Lots at the Cayman Islands Yacht Club From US$499,000 A rare opportunity to purchase in Grand Cayman’s most enchanting neighbourhood Only four lots remain at North Creek, an exclusive residential enclave at the Cayman Islands Yacht Club. The North Creek lots provide a rare opportunity to own property in the coveted Seven Mile Beach corridor. Be one of only 11 owners to enjoy an exclusive address in North Creek, with direct access to a world-class marina boasting an impressive and convenient array of services and amenities and all the splendour of waterfront living. +1.345.640.7000 | provenanceproperties.com CAYMAN ISLANDS YACHT CLUB MORGAN’S RESTAURANT SALT CREEK PRO YACHT NORTH CREEK SEVEN MILE BEACH GOVERNOR’S HARBOUR ANCHORS N BACARO VISTA DEL MAR 7 8 10 11The 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. The sands at Grand Cayman’s public beach appear to have shifted. In this case (the case of unlicensed beach vendors), the erosion that is occurring is not of the coastline, but of governmental authority. Last week, we published news that Crown prosecu- tors were withdrawing charges of operating without a license against several Public Beach vendors who had been ticketed by the Department of Commerce and Investment about a year ago. In court, Crown Counsel Greg Walcolm advised that there had been “discourse” between the defendants and DCI, as well as the Ministry of Planning, leading to “good progress” in granting vendors permission to operate on the public beach. It has been five years since government first attempted to crack down on unlicensed beach vendors after neighbors complained they were con- tributing to a “carnival-like atmosphere” on Cayman’s placid public beaches. In September 2012, DCI’s Ryan Rajkumarsingh said, “If vendors are found without a valid trade and business license after Jan. 1, they will be immediately prosecuted by the RCIPS. … “We … are offering a grace period of three months, to give persons time to get in compliance with the law. But this grace period will definitely end on Dec. 31 2012. It is important for vendors to know that there are serious repercussions for not having a valid trade and business license.” What followed this stern warning was a series of missteps, mess-ups and miscommunications between the government and the vendors. In essence, the gov- ernment attempted to stare the vendors down … and the government blinked. First, officials threatened vendors with $5,000 fines and prison time for violating the country’s Trade and Business Licensing Law, which regulates local businesses in the Cayman Islands. Vendors pro- tested that they had applied for but could not obtain the appropriate licenses (because, in a catch-22, they never had permission to operate on Crown land). Government then conducted an extended flirta- tion with customer service training, codes of conduct and dress codes, followed by another round of tickets. Vendors protested, again, that they’d undergone the training offered by the Ministry of Tourism, but were directed to the Lands and Survey Department, which redirected them to get a trade and business license from the DCI – the same department which had attempted to levy fines on them for lack of proper licensing. “It’s wickedness, what they’re doing,” Seymour Silburn, the owner of Seymour’s Jerk Chicken, told the Compass at the time. “Just tell us what we need to do.” We empathize with the beach vendors – who as small entrepreneurs are the red cells of Cayman’s economic lifeblood, the flow of which is stanched by the government’s tortuous regulatory tourniquets. We also empathize with neighbors, residents and visitors who wish to enjoy Public Beach in peace without being hassled by hawkers, threatened by rental watercraft speeding too close to shore, or having their views of the sea obstructed by mountains of beach chairs (that are abandoned on the white sand when cruise ships aren’t in port). Resolving those conflicting interests should have been relatively simple. It’s a matter of government clearly establishing the rules in law, and then enforcing them. This spring, legislators passed a Public Lands Law, setting up a new commission to regulate commercial activities on Cayman’s beaches and other public areas. This may resolve the narrow question of who is allowed to operate on Public Beach (i.e., anyone who has a license from the Public Lands Commission) but does not address outstanding issues of whether the vendors are abiding by general regulations, such as health insurance or pensions; if they will have to follow those rules; if government will make more exceptions and exemptions; or if the country is in for another five- year struggle. Beach vendors: Government’s changing tides I supported the U.K.’s de- cision to leave the European Union. Simply stated, the Eu- ropean Union is a slowly sinking ship. Getting in a life- boat does not guarantee a good outcome, I noted, but at least there’s hope. That being said, there is a lot of angst in the U.K. about what will happen during the divorce process, in part because of the less-than- stellar performance of the Tory leadership. There are three things, however, that British politi- cians need to remember. First, the EU bureaucrats are terrified at the prospect of losing $10 billion of an- nual payments from the U.K., which is why they are desper- ately trying to convince pol- iticians in London to cough up a big pile of money as part of a “divorce” settlement. Second, European politi- cians are terrified that the U.K., which already has the world’s 10th-freest economy, will slash tax rates and be- come even more competitive in a post-Brexit world. Third, failure to reach a deal (also known as a “hard Brexit”) isn’t the end of the world. It’s not even a bad outcome. A hard Brexit simply means that the U.K. trades with Europe under the default rules of the World Trade Organization. That’s not complete, unfettered free trade, but it means only modest trade barriers. And since Britain trades quite successfully with the rest of the world under those rules, there’s no reason to fear a col- lapse of trade with Europe. Moreover, do not forget that many industries in Eu- rope will pressure their poli- ticians to continue free trade because they benefit from sales to U.K. consumers. The bottom line is that the U.K. has plenty of negotiating power to get a good outcome. So what does this mean? How should British politi- cians handle negotiations, considering that they would like free trade with Europe? Part of the answer is dip- lomatic skill. British officials should quietly inform their counterparts that they un- derstand a hard Brexit is not a bad outcome. And they should gently remind EU of- ficials that a hard Brexit al- most certainly guarantees a more aggressive agenda of tax cuts and deregulation. But remember that it’s in the interest of U.K. policy- makers to adopt good policy regardless of what deal (if any) is made with the Euro- pean bureaucrats. The first thing that should happen is for British poli- ticians to adopt a low-tax model based on Singapore. Some experts in the U.K. are explicitly advocating this ap- proach. Marian Tupy of the Cato Institute explains why copying Singapore would be a very good idea: “Why Singapore? Let’s look at a couple of statistics. In 1950, GDP per capita adjusted for inflation and purchasing power parity was $5,689.91 in Singapore. It was $11,920.58 in the U.K. Average income in Singapore, in other words, amounted to 48 percent of that in the U.K. In 2016, in- come in Singapore was $82,168.33 and $42,287.17 in the U.K. Put differently, Sin- gaporeans earned 94 percent more than the British. During the intervening years, Singa- porean incomes rose by 1,344 percent, while British incomes rose by 256 percent …. the “threat” of Singaporean tax rates and regulatory frame- work ought not to be a mere negotiating strategy for the British government vis-a- vis the EU. It ought to be a goal of the British decision makers–regardless of what the EU decides!” Or the U.K. could copy Hong Kong, as Telegraph col- umnist Neil Monnery sug- gests: ”Hong Kong … is now one of the richest places in the world, with income per capita 40 percent higher than Britain’s.” And much of the credit be- longs to John Cowperthwaite, who unleashed great pros- perity in Hong Kong by lim- iting the role of government. In other words, the United Kingdom should seek com- prehensive reforms to reduce the burden of government. That includes obvious choices like lower tax rates and less red tape. And it also means taking advantage of Brexit to implement other pro-market reforms. One example is that the UK will now be able to as- sert control over territorial waters. That should be im- mediately followed by the en- actment of a property rights- based system for fisheries. It appears that Scottish fish- ermen already are agitating for this outcome. Daniel J. Mitchell, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and chairman of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, is on the Editorial Board of the Cayman Financial Review. MONDAY OCTOBER 2, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Finding prosperity in post-Brexit world DANIEL J. MITCHELL DANIEL J. MITCHELL 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” Many industries in Europe will pressure their politicians to continue free trade because they benefit from sales to U.K. consumers.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY OCTOBER 2, 2017 Jail for dousing man with gasoline Defendant threatened to set victim on fire CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man who threw gaso- line over the husband of a woman with whom he was having an affair and then threatened to set him on fire was jailed for a year for the offense Friday. Dousing a person in gas- oline and threatening to set him alight was so far be- yond normal behavior that no record could be found of it happening in Cayman be- fore. Magistrate Valdis Fol- dats said the court had to do what it could to make sure it never happened again. He imposed a sentence of 12-months’ immediate im- prisonment for Kerry Rodary Jones, 39, who pleaded guilty to causing fear or provoca- tion of violence. For a sepa- rate but related assault of a woman, the magistrate added four months, for a total of 16 months. He said he was taking into account the effect a prison sentence would have on Jones’s family life, in- cluding the fact that the de- fendant had been on a work permit and might there- fore be deported. The throwing of the gaso- line was not planned, but it was done deliberately with intent to cause terror, the magistrate said. Crown counsel Kenneth Ferguson urged a sentence of immediate imprisonment after setting out the facts on Tuesday. He said Jones had been having an affair with a married woman. The wom- an’s husband spoke with her about it and thought the af- fair had ended. On the night of June 9, 2016, the man was driving and saw his wife’s vehicle ahead of him. He saw her turn into Jones’s driveway and Jones was there by his own vehicle. The man went to his wife’s car to talk with her and Jones went to the back of the property, returning with a two-liter soda bottle filled with a clear liquid. Jones sprayed the other man from his head down his entire body. Some of the liquid got into the victim’s eyes. He became fearful be- cause he did not know if Jones had a match. Jones threatened several times to set him on fire. The victim called police and the 911 operator stayed on the line with him while sending police to the location. Meanwhile, Jones had gone into his house. When police arrived, he said it was the victim who had attacked him and gone to the back of his house and seized the bottle. The bottle and the vic- tim’s clothes were analyzed. Gasoline was present in both. Jones gave a “no com- ment” interview but when the matter went to court he pleaded guilty early on. He had no previous con- victions and sentencing was adjourned for a social inquiry report. Jones was still on bail on Dec. 27, 2016 when he as- saulted the woman. Mr. Fer- guson summarized this offense also. She had transported Jones so he could collect something from a friend. She said she was “surfing the web” while she waited for him. When Jones came out and sat in the car, she attempted to put the phone in her handbag on the floor when he began punching her and asking who she had been talking to. He asked for her PIN so he could check her phone, but she refused to tell him. He continued to hit her, saying, “Why are you making me do this? Why?” She tried to get out of the car but he pushed her back in. Then when she did es- cape, he caught her and put her in a choke hold, saying, “Why are you making me crazy? I love you.” He smashed her work phone against a wall and then threw it over a fence, be- fore walking off, telling her “This is what you caused.” She returned to her vehicle and left the scene. Defense attorney John Furniss said the root cause of Jones’s behavior was alcohol, which led to expressions of anger and violence. Before passing sentence, the mag- istrate reviewed the victim impact reports. The man had suffered psy- chological harm. At the time of the attack, all he could think of was his children; it had scared him to know that “this monster” could im- pact his life and his children’s lives. After the incident he was wary of his surround- ings. When he got home, he worried that Jones might be in the bushes waiting for him. The magistrate said that throwing any noxious sub- stance, where that act is ac- companied by threat of harm, must be punished with imprisonment. For assault causing actual bodily harm to the woman, the sentence would have been one year because it was com- mitted while Jones was on bail, it was in a domestic context and there was an on- going effect on the woman. Her arm was in a sling for a week; she needed ice to reduce the swelling and makeup to hide the bruises. She took alternate routes to avoid Jones on the road and in the supermarket. The magistrate gave one-third credit for Jones’s guilty plea, reducing the one-year sentence to eight months. He subtracted an- other four months for a total prison term of 16 months. He noted that Jones had been to court in 2010 and had gone through the anti-do- mestic violence program then and no conviction was re- corded against him. The magistrate said that throwing any noxious substance, where that act is accompanied by threat of harm, must be punished with imprisonment. Geology Education Week to include photo competition The Water Authority – Cayman is inviting the public to submit photographs of their favorite geological sites in the Cayman Islands as part of Geology Education Week, Oct. 16-20. This year, the week will feature geology les- sons for high school stu- dents and professional development courses for ed- ucators, including a field trip to Cayman Brac. Brian Jones, professor of geology at the University of Alberta in Canada, whose work in Cayman has spanned more than 30 years, will re- turn to lead the events. Registration for the courses is restricted to high school students and teachers, but the public is invited to get involved through an In- stagram competition and a display of photographs in the Water Authority’s lobby. Hannah Reid, corporate communications officer for the Water Authority, said the addition of these events will help the public have a better understanding of the world around them. “Whether it’s the blow- holes in East End, or Peter’s Cave in Cayman Brac, or Hell in West Bay, we want to see the public’s favorite places of local geologic significance,” Ms. Reid said. During Geology Education Week last year, she said, the Water Authority exhibited a collection of work by sculptor Horacio Esteban. “And this year we wanted to add some- thing to the program to en- gage the public in a similar fashion but with a greater focus on social media.” The Instagram competi- tion will run from Oct. 1-20. People can use the hashtag #caymanrocks to showcase photos of their favorite local sites with geographical sig- nificance, and they can win a gift basket with a $50 gift certificate and Water Au- thority giveaways. The winner will be chosen by the public during voting from Oct. 20-31. The Au- thority encourages the public to “like” or “follow” its social media pages for more in- formation on the competi- tion and voting. Counterfeit banknotes found in Cayman The police’s Financial Crime Unit is warning the public to be on the lookout for counterfeit CI$25 and CI$100 bills. The Financial Crime Unit obtained counterfeit notes in those denominations stem- ming from incidents between Sept. 26 and Sept. 29. All of the bills came from the “D” series, and all bear the same serial numbers, D/119-4318 and D/145117 respectively. “If you receive a counter- feit note, or suspect one to be counterfeit, we ask that you observe the description of the person passing the note, as well as that of any com- panions that may accompany them. Do not return the note to the passer if possible,” said the Financial Crime Unit in a press release. “Instead, initial and date the white border of the note, then tag the note with a copy of the transaction receipt and call the police. If you have coun- terfeit report forms issued by the Financial Crime Unit, obtain as much information as possible from the person passing the note and write it on the form.” The “D” series banknotes were officially rede- signed in 2010. The new series of bills feature a color-shifting holographic stripe, see- through images, a turtle watermark and an irides- cent band, which make them distinguishable from counterfeit notes. The Monetary Authority advises the public that it is not able to compensate per- sons who come in posses- sion of counterfeit notes. “As we approach the Pi- rates Week and Christmas holidays, the Authority also reminds persons to be more alert as counterfeit activities tend to increase during these times,” CIMA stated in the press release. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service form for reporting counterfeit money can be found on the CIMA website www.cima. ky, under ‘Currency.’ For further information about how to identify counterfeit currency, contact CIMA’s Currency Division at 244-1694 or 244-1520. CIMA’s Currency Division or the RCIPS Financial Crime Unit at 949-8797 can also arrange workshops for frontline staff. “Whether it’s the blowholes in East End, or Peter’s Cave in Cayman Brac, or Hell in West Bay, we want to see the public’s favorite places of local geologic significance.” HANNAH REID, corporate communications officer, Water Authority – Cayman Dr. Brian Jones, left, educates the participants of a professional development course in 2015. He is returning to Cayman for the Geology Education Week this month. “As we approach the Pirates Week and Christmas holidays, the Authority also reminds persons to be more alert as counterfeit activities tend to increase during these times.” CAYMAN ISLANDS MONETARY AUTHORITY6 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY OCTOBER 2, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Scuba hall of fame honors industry’s finest KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Growing up around some of the best and bravest divers in the Cayman Islands, Kent Eldemire always knew he wanted to join their ranks. “Diving was one of my big ambitions, to follow in the footsteps of these great community leaders,” he said Friday night at the Interna- tional Scuba Diving Hall of Fame 2017 induction cere- mony at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort. “I don’t think there are any words to describe the feeling of honor and respect to be in the pres- ence of such absolutely mar- velous people. They’re a special breed.” Mr. Eldemire was one of six people to be honored during at the ceremony. He and Am- bassador Divers’ Jason Wash- ington were local honorees, and Dick Bonin, Kurt Schaefer, Krov Menuhin and Gardner Young were inductees. The Pro- fessional Association of Diving Instructors was given the “pi- oneer award” for its work in promoting the industry. A moment of silence was also observed for the passing of Capt. Charles “Chuckie” Ebanks, who died of cancer in July. Of the international in- ductees, only Mr. Menuhin was able to appear in person. The Australian documen- tarian, who filmed the first subsea footage of a blue whale, said his contribution to the industry was showing the public the beauty of the un- derwater world. “I wasn’t a great scientist. Instead, I approached film making like the travel writers … trying to bring the audi- ence to us, so they could par- ticipate,” Mr. Menuhin said. “I guess I chose to bring the spirit rather than the intellect.” Friends and family ac- cepted the awards for the other inductees. Some, like Dick Bo- nin’s son, Michael Bonin, kept their remarks brief, thanking the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame for honoring his father, who co-founded the diving company Scubapro and helped develop advances in diving equipment. Kurt Schaefer’s grand- daughter, Erika Schaefer, said she was grateful to have the opportunity to bring the Hall of Fame trophy back to her grandfather in Austria. Mr. Schaefer, an award-winning photographer, is credited with inventing the first modern un- derwater film camera, in 1946. Cayman resident Kris Berg- strom read one of the poems written by Gardner Young in honor of the Bahamian diver. “East of Belize city, we caught the windy gales, so we battened down the hatches, and shortened up the sails. But little did we know that hell lay in store, east of Belize city and 100 miles from shore. A Pacific typhoon was crossing the Yucatan, while a hurri- cane was roaring west, out of Grand Cayman,” Mr. Berg- strom quoted from Mr. Young’s poem, “Huriphoon.” Suzy Soto also spoke about Mr. Young, recounting the ac- complishments of his storied career, including him serving as a stunt double for Sean Connery in an underwater seg- ment of a James Bond film. Along with recounting some of the highlights of his career and life, local honoree Mr. Eldemire also made a political statement during his speech. “We have the most pow- erful man in the world saying global warming is not hap- pening,” he said, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump. “We have got to protect our en- vironment, we have got to pro- tect it for our children.” Mr. Washington, for his part, simply thanked those who made his career possible. “None of us got here alone. Whether the assistance we received was obvious or subtle, acknowledging some- one’s help is a big part of un- derstanding the importance of saying ‘thank you,’” said Mr. Washington, founder of the Cayman United Lionfish League, an organization re- sponsible for the removal of tens of thousands of lionfish from local waters. The International Scuba Hall of Fame Board of Directors: Keith Sahm, Rodney McDowall, Leslie Leaney and Tom Ingram - PHOTOS: MAGGIE JACKSON Local honoree Kent Eldemire speaks at the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Department of Tourism staff were out in force at the Hall of Fame event. From left are Shanna Wallace, Michael Gardner, Lorna Highwarden, Tunisia Barnes, Zachary Jones, Schelita Corpus, Patrick Gorham, Alyssa Miller and Ventisha Conolly. Representatives from PADI, Drew Richardson and Kristin Valette, with Cayman Islands-based Go Pro Diving’s Ash McKnight, were among the attendees at Friday night’s International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Krov Menuhin, pictured with his wife Karen, was one of the four international inductees honored at Friday’s ceremony. Kurt Schaefer Jr. and Erika Schaefer, the son and granddaughter of inductee Kurt Schaefer, attended the ceremony on his behalf.7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY OCTOBER 2, 2017 Improvements in Breast Cancer Treatment Help Patients at Cleveland Clinic Florida Breast cancer is a topic that concerns so many of us and needs greater attention. In the last few years several high-profile women and men including Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts have been diagnosed with the illness. Her public bravery in post- operative photos added to her popularity. Did you know that Dame Maggie Smith, Diahann Carroll and Richard Roundtree (better known as “Shaft”) also battled breast cancer? The state of the science in breast cancer is promising. However, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women and the chance that a woman will die from breast cancer is about 1 in 37. We can do more to prevent it and indeed, we must do more. For instance, mammograms, previously done by two-dimensional equipment, are now being replaced by 3D equipment, called tomosynthesis. With better screening and improved technology, we have better diagnostic capabilities. Tomosynthesis has reduced the “call- back rate.” Meaning, we are more accurate in diagnosing a spot that is likely to be cancerous, thus eliminating other unnecessary procedures. “From a surgical aspect, treatments are changing continuously and patients are benefiting from new therapies,” said Margaret Thompson, MD, breast surgical oncologist. “We’ve found that patients who required the removal of all lymph nodes can now be spared this invasive treatment option, and only have a few lymph nodes removed. Radiation can now take its place, safely, and with fewer troublesome side effects.” According to Dr. Thompson, “Every day, we understand how important a team approach is in conquering cancer. At Cleveland Clinic Florida, our patients typically see a multi-disciplinary team that includes not just a surgeon but also a radiologist, pathologist, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, plastic surgeon and ancillary staff,” she commented. For our patients who require reconstruction, a cohesive team approach is critical too. One of our most noteworthy innovations involves using fat injections during the plastic surgery portion of treatment. Our team removes the excess fatty tissue from the abdomen or thighs, and injects it into the breast during reconstruction. Cancer care is complicated and overwhelming, but Dr. Thompson comments that Cleveland Clinic Florida helps ameliorate the non-medical issues, too. “We provide navigators, genetic counselors, support groups, plus massage, art and music therapists to help patients undergoing treatment. There’s even a boutique to help patients look their best by supplying wigs/hats, post-mastectomy bras and makeup seminars,” she said. For a consultation or to make an appointment, please call +1.954.659.5080, or email us at flgps@ccf.org. PATIENT-CENTERED FEATURES AND AMENITIES Cleveland Clinic Florida’s Maroone Cancer Center includes an on-site lab, satellite and infusion pharmacy, a patient resource center, a wig and healing studio, as well as special facilities for pain management, physical and occupational therapy, and diagnostics. Support services include: • Kline Family Wig & Healing Studio • Art Therapy Group • Breast Cancer Book Club • Caregiver Support Group • Look Good Feel Better (American Cancer Society) • Music Jam Session Group • Nutrition Group • Survivorship Group • Yoga Group • Rieki and Massotherapy One team rallying against breast cancer. Margaret Thompson, MD Breast Surgical Oncologist For more information visit clevelandclinicflorida.org/breastcancer. +1.954.659.5080 | flgps@ccf.org One team rallying against breast cancer. Maroone Cancer Center Intruder guilty of indecent assault Ronnie Rodney Ebanks convicted of third sex offense CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Ronnie Rodney Ebanks was found guilty on Friday of indecently assaulting a female visitor in the Seven Mile Beach condo where she was staying with her son in February. Ebanks, 48, had pleaded not guilty and elected trial by judge alone. Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop heard the matter in August and delivered her verdict via video link. The issue was one of iden- tification, she pointed out. The victim had been awak- ened by a whimpering sound and she at first thought it was her son because he had suffered a migraine the night before. She asked if he was all right. Then she realized the person had a shirt pulled over his head; he was not wearing any pants or shoes. Her told the woman to touch him, telling her he would not use his gun. In a statement read to the court, the woman said it was a very scary incident and she went through a lot of emo- tions. When the man men- tioned his gun, she knew she had to be careful not to in- volve her son, who was in another room. She said she could not see the intruder’s face. After he left, she called 911. Officers attended and collected evi- dence that included swabs from the woman’s hands. Defense counsel Ben Tonner had argued that the woman’s description of the intruder did not match the defendant. Justice McDonald-Bishop agreed, but pointed out that the quality of the wom- an’s identification evidence would be extremely poor in the circumstances. She had been lying down, looking up from her bed, in the dark, having just been awakened. The judge found her de- scription to be unreliable and went on to consider the DNA evidence. Director of Public Pros- ecutions Cheryll Richards brought an expert witness to give evidence about the DNA. Mr. Tonner questioned the integrity and reliability of the DNA samples. The judge found there was no evidence to suggest that the DNA material had been compromised or contami- nated. She pointed out that Ebanks was not even in cus- tody when the material was collected. She also rejected the notion that Ebanks’s DNA was transferred indirectly. Justice McDonald-Bishop said she found the expert witness to be truthful, reli- able and objective, with the necessary skill and knowl- edge to assist the court. Any discrepancies had been re- solved in favor of the de- fendant. The tests were conducted “on a defendant- friendly basis.” She concluded that she was satisfied the Crown had established a case against Ebanks that warranted an answer “if he had one.” How- ever, he had chosen not to give evidence. Ebanks was also charged with burglary with intent to steal. Two days after the in- cident, the victim had dis- covered some $200 missing from her wallet. The judge said there was too much of a gap in time to link Ebanks to the missing money without more evidence. “The infer- ence that he stole the cash is not one I am prepared to draw,” she said. Sentencing was set for Friday, Oct. 27, when Justice McDonald-Bishop is sched- uled to be in Cayman for another matter. Cayman Compass ar- chives show that Ebanks pre- viously received a sentence of 10 years for burglary with intent to rape after pleading guilty following an incident in July 2009. The judge im- posing that sentence said he took into account the fact that Ebanks had been released from prison just two or three weeks earlier after serving a sentence of 12 years for rape. When the man mentioned his gun, she knew she had to be careful not to involve her son, who was in another room. POLICE RESPOND TO APPARENT GUNSHOT The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service re- sponded to the scene of an apparent gunshot Friday night in the vicinity of the parking lot behind Margar- itaville on Harbour Drive in George Town. The police responded around 11:25 p.m., and the sound was described as a loud explosion. Upon ar- rival, the police established a cordon around the area and conducted a search in which they recovered one spent shell. Nobody was injured in the incident, and the investi- gation is still ongoing. Anybody with informa- tion is asked to contact De- tective Inspector Joseph Wright at 949-4222. Anonymous tips can be provided directly to the RCIPS via their Confiden- tial Tip Line at 949-7777 or via the Miami-based call center of Crime Stoppers at 800-8477(TIPS). THREE ARRESTED FOR GANJA IMPORTATION Police arrested three men on suspicion of importing ganja after they fled from a boat that came ashore in the South Sound area in the early hours of Friday morning, Sept. 29. According to police, just after midnight, the Joint Ma- rine Unit and Air Operations responded to the sighting of a suspicious vessel reported to have come ashore. “Packages were being offloaded when police ar- rived on scene. The three oc- cupants fled the scene and were arrested shortly there- after,” the Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service said in a statement. The three men remained in police custody Sunday. The matter is under inves- tigation by the Drugs and Se- rious Crime Task Force.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 MONDAY OCTOBER 2, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Further appeals to the Grand Court can be done by way of judicial review. If the person does not appeal within the timeline, they are given 90 days to settle their affairs in the is- lands before departing. Once a notice of appeal is filed, immigration offi- cials must provide the de- nied applicant with written reasons for why their case was not approved. This includes a summary of how many points an ap- plicant received in each area measured by immi- gration officials including, salary, education, experi- ence, community involve- ment, local investment, age and nationality. If a residency applicant is successful, they are not told how many points they actually received – above the 110 point mark re- quired for approval of the application. Only the failed applicants are informed of their precise results upon appeal, Mr. Joseph said. “[This appeal process] will, for the first time, pro- vide us with insight as to the approach those consid- ering the applications are taking from a practical/ policy perspective,” he said. “We are yet to receive any details of the reasons un- derlying any refusals, but look forward to them in the coming days.” A permanent resi- dence appellant is allowed to remain in the islands and work while their ap- peal is current, according to HSM lawyers. Other legal challenges The permanent resi- dence appeals are separate from other matters still be- fore the courts involving residency applicants who sued the government over delays in hearing their applications. A total of eight people – all of whom have since been granted perma- nent residency – chal- lenged the government over the time it was taking to hear their cases, which ranged from two years to nearly four years. The applicants pursued their court reviews even after their residency re- quests were granted, but there has been no word on the outcome of any of those cases. The government began hearing residency appli- cations rapidly, starting at the end of July, largely be- cause of the legal threat it potentially faced. be able to operate in the same manner as Rubis and Esso.” He is seeking variations of existing licenses at seven loca- tions to open until 2 a.m. and to serve liquor on Sundays. Speaking to the Cayman Compass after the meeting, Mr. Hamaty said he did not support Sunday sales or the granting of liquor licenses to gas stations and convenience stores. He believes retail li- censes should not be applied to stores and should be re- served for bars He added, “I don’t want this, but if they are going to do it, then I am going to open on Sunday and I am going to open until 2 a.m. during the week.” Mr. Williams and deputy chair Lynn Bodden both told the Compass they believed the law was still unclear on how retail licenses, which allow for Sunday liquor sales in certain quantities and have typically been used for bars, should be applied to convenience stores and gas stations. Ms. Bodden added, “My view is the law is not clear and we will have to seek legal advice.” At the opening of Fri- day’s meeting, Mr. Williams, who was not present at the March meeting when Pea- nuts’ original application was considered and says he abstained from any involve- ment in internal board dis- cussions on that matter, said it would be a new slate with a new board. He said he did not have any issues with members of the old board, who were in- volved in the Peanuts matter, remaining in their roles. “For the last couple of weeks, this board has been under a lot of scrutiny in the press,” he said. “I want to publicly say I am com- fortable with my current board. We will do every- thing in our power under the law to deal with everyone equally and fairly. “What happened in the past is in the past. This is a new board and we are making every effort to do the right thing.” Ms. Bodden, who is a lawyer, said she could not personally give legal advice to the board and they would seek outside counsel to make sure their decisions were in keeping with the law. Mitchell Welds, the former chairman, who appeared be- fore the board on Friday as a representative of an ap- plicant seeking a liquor li- cense for luxury boat char- ters, offered his support for the board. “If I can be of any assis- tance, please reach out to me,” he told members. He said his lengthy tenure as board chair was down to the fact that “I did the right thing and I followed the law. Once you follow the law, you can’t go wrong.” In a separate develop- ment Friday, McRuss grocery store submitted an applica- tion for a package liquor li- cense, which would enable it to sell alcohol at its new George Town location from Monday to Saturday. It is understood that the lifting of a moratorium on gas stations seeking liquor li- censes also applies to conve- nience stores. Charles Russell of McRuss told the board the new venue was a 24-hour grocery store, but would sell alcohol in a separate section during permitted hours, that could be closed off to shop- pers outside the times stipu- lated by the license. for the stock exchange, said that Mr. Archer’s experience and knowledge will help position Cayman to be pre- pared for any change in the financial markets. “We are very fortunate to have someone of Marco Archer’s standing and rep- utation available to take the helm of the CSX at this time,” said Mr. Travers. “One possible outcome from Brexit if thought is given to U.K. law and reg- ulation is that the City will enhance the benefits it can obtain from the fi- nancial strength of the offshore financial cen- ters like the Cayman Is- lands by attracting further inward investment. The Cayman Islands Stock Ex- change has looked ahead and positioned itself for that outcome.” was not attributed to any person, read. Senior civil service offi- cials did not comment about the situation beyond the late Friday news release. Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin, who has oversight responsibility for the Immigration Ministry, de- clined to comment Saturday, stating he would discuss the issue further when Ms. Ev- ans’s replacement was chosen. The two-paragraph gov- ernment statement did not in- dicate who would be Ms. Ev- ans’s permanent replacement. Acting Chief Immigration Officer Bruce Smith has been running the Immigration De- partment since Ms. Evans was placed on paid leave as of Dec. 1, 2014. She never returned to the department following what was termed an “administra- tive investigation” against her. The Cayman Compass confirmed from multiple government sources early on in the investigation that Ms. Evans’s suspension was in connection with a probe into an award of Caymanian status and other adminis- trative matters. At the time, the chief im- migration officer was sus- pended under provisions of the government’s Personnel Regulations, which state: “The appointing officer (with the approval of the Head of the Civil Service if the period of leave is to be more than 30 days) may require an em- ployee to go on required leave where the appointing officer deems it to be in the public interest for the employee to do so, and that leave shall be leave on full pay for such pe- riod as the appointing officer deems necessary.” According to the then- Ministry of Home Affairs, the required leave provision was invoked “to allow the al- legations to be investigated quickly and thoroughly.” That statement was made in February 2015. What oc- curred with Ms. Evans’s case in the two-and-a-half years since then has never been made public. The only fur- ther substantive statement about the matter was re- leased on Friday. Premier McLaughlin made statements following the May 2017 general elec- tion indicating that im- migration leadership was among the many matters the department needed to resolve going forward. “There are signifi- cant problems there on a whole range of issues,” Mr. McLaughlin said in June. “From leadership, personnel issues, obviously issues with permanent residence, issues with the speed and efficiency with which work permits are dealt with. We’ve got to sort out immigration generally.” In the new coalition gov- ernment, the premier has been given direct respon- sibility for a newly formed Human Resources Ministry that includes the Immigra- tion Department and the National Workforce Devel- opment Agency. Mr. McLaughlin said he anticipated that the gov- ernment would create a “human resources depart- ment” that would deal with “all aspects of employment in Cayman,” including the approval of work permits and finding jobs for unem- ployed Caymanians. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ‘No misconduct’ by former immigration chief CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Denied PR applicants start filing appeals CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Marco Archer Archer named CEO of Cayman Stock Exchange Peanuts license granted - then expires CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 UK industries need trade deal before Brexit LONDON (AP) – Britain would be hurt more than the European Union if it leaves the EU without a trade deal, according to a study re- leased Sunday amid sugges- tions that Britain should walk away from Brexit talks be- cause of the inflexibility of the bloc’s negotiators. Four of Britain’s key man- ufacturing industries – auto- mobiles, technology, health- care and consumer goods – would lose 17 billion pounds ($23 billion) of exports annu- ally if trade between the two sides reverts to World Trade Organization rules, according to the study by international law firm Baker McKenzie. While the EU accounts for 49 percent of British ex- ports by the four industries, Britain buys just 9 percent of the goods shipped abroad by the same sectors in the EU, the study found. “We have heard a lot about how much Europe exports to the U.K., for example, in the automotive sector,” Ross Denton, a Baker McKenzie partner who specializes in trade issues, SAID. “That may be true in numerical terms, but when you look at this as a percentage of their trade, you can clearly see that the EU ex- ports a lot more broadly, to a whole host of other markets, and consequently, it is far less dependent on the U.K. as a market than the U.K. is on it.” As a member of the EU, Britain currently enjoys tariff- free trade with the EU’s market of more than 500 million people. Some leading members of Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party suggested last week that Britain should end its Brexit talks with the EU if there is no concrete progress by Christmas. The government should also be clear that it is pre- pared to allow WTO rules to take effect on the day Britain leaves the EU – making a so- called “hard Brexit” – to give clarity to businesses and in- vestors who are planning for the future, according to the Leave Means Leave campaign. The Sunday liquor license of Peanuts store at the Red Bay Rubis gas station expired Saturday. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Linda EvansThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 UN ups aid to Madagascar after plague deaths The UN health agency says it is stepping up its response to an outbreak of plague in Madagascar that has claimed 21 lives so far. So far, at least 114 people have been infected with the plague since the outbreak was identified in late August. CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY OCTOBER 2, 2017 Spanish police fire rubber bullets at voters in Catalonia Tillerson says US has direct channels to talk to North Korea BEIJING (AP) – U.S. Sec- retary of State Rex Til- lerson acknowledged on Sat- urday that the United State is maintaining direct chan- nels of communications with North Korea even as ten- sions rise over the North’s nuclear and missile pro- grams and the countries’ leaders spar through belli- cose name-calling. Tillerson said the U.S. was probing North Korea’s will- ingness to talk, and called for a calming of the situa- tion on the Korean Peninsula, adding it was incumbent on the North to halt the mis- sile launches. “We have lines of com- munication to Pyongyang. We’re not in a dark situa- tion, a blackout,” Tillerson told reporters during a visit to China. “We have a couple … three channels open to Pyongyang. We can talk to them, we do talk to them.” No elaboration about those channels or the sub- stance of any discussions came from Tillerson, who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top of- ficials in Beijing. While Tillerson affirmed that the U.S. would not rec- ognize North Korea as a nu- clear power, he also said the Trump administration had no intention of trying to oust Kim. “Despite assur- ances that the United States is not interested in pro- moting the collapse of the current regime, pursuing re- gime change, accelerating re- unification of the peninsula or mobilizing forces north of the DMZ, North Korean officials have shown no in- dication that they are in- terested in or are ready for talks regarding denuclear- ization,” U.S. State Depart- ment spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. The Korean Peninsula re- mains in a technical state of war, and the Demilita- rized Zone divides North and South Korea. Since President Donald Trump took office in Jan- uary, the U.S. has restored a diplomatic back-channel be- tween the State Department and North Korea’s mission at the United Nations. That is traditionally been a way for the two sides to communi- cate because they lack formal diplomatic ties. The main aim of the ini- tial contacts was to seek the freedom of several Amer- ican citizens imprisoned in North Korea, although U.S. officials have told The As- sociated Press that there were broader discussions about U.S.-North Korean re- lations. Those contacts, how- ever, have failed to reduce the deep mistrust between the adversaries and it’s un- clear to what extent they have endured the current spike in tensions. North Korea has in re- cent months tested long- range missiles that poten- tially could reach the U.S., and on Sept. 3 conducted its largest nuclear test explo- sion to date. The standoff has entered a new, more dan- gerous phase since then as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Trump have ex- changed personal insults and threats of war. “I think the most imme- diate action that we need is to calm things down,” Til- lerson said. “They’re a little overheated right now. And I think we need to calm them down first.” He did not di- rectly address the impact of Trump’s own rhetoric. “Obviously it would help if North Korea would stop firing off missiles. That would calm things down a lot,” Tillerson said. BARCELONA, Spain (AP) – Spanish riot police smashed their way into polling sta- tions in Catalonia and fired rubber bullets Sunday at protesters outside one Bar- celona polling station to try to halt a disputed indepen- dence referendum. Nearly 350 people, including some police, were injured in the melee, officials said. The officers fired the rubber bullets while trying to clear protesters who were trying to prevent National Police cars from leaving after police had confiscated ballot boxes from the voting center. The Spanish government has ordered police to stop the voting process in Catalonia, saying it’s illegal. The chaotic confrontations led to a war of words as each side blamed the other for the deteriorating situation. “Police brutality will shame forever the Spanish state,” Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said as crowds cheered. Top Spanish officials de- fended the police actions. Police acted with “firm- ness and proportionality,” de- clared Spanish deputy prime minister Soraya Saenz de San- tamaria, adding that authori- ties weren’t going after voters but referendum material. She accused the Catalan government of gross irrespon- sibility in staging the vote. “There hasn’t been a ref- erendum or the semblance of one,” she said. Tensions have been on the rise since the vote was called in early September, crystal- izing years of defiance by separatists in the affluent region, which contributes mightily to Spain’s economy. As one of Spain’s 17 autono- mous regions, Catalonia en- joys ample rights but key areas such as infrastructure and taxes are in the hands of Madrid. Separatist Catalans have long complained the re- gion is contributing too much to the state while not getting enough in return. Catalonia’s government spokesman said 337 people have been injured, some seri- ously, during the police crack- down Sunday and Spain’s In- terior Ministry said 11 police officers were injured. The regional government’s spokesman, Jordi Turull, blamed the violence directly on Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. He said ac- tions by Spanish National Po- lice and Civil Guard forces on Sunday were politically mo- tivated and showed “a clear motivation to harm citizens.” Catalan international af- fairs director, Raul Romeva, said regional authorities would appeal to European authorities to examine the vi- olations of human rights by Rajoy’s government. Elsewhere, Civil Guard officers, wearing helmets and carrying shields, used a hammer to break the front door glass and a lock cutter to break into the Sant Julia de Ramis sports center near the city of Girona. At least one woman was injured outside the building and wheeled away on a stretcher by paramedics. Clashes broke out less than an hour after polls opened, and not long before Catalonia regional President Carles Puigdemont was ex- pected to turn up to vote at the sports center. Polling station workers inside the building reacted peacefully, breaking into songs and chants challenging the offi- cers’ presence. Puigdemont was forced to vote in Cornella de Terri, near the northern city of Girona, his spokesman told The As- sociated Press. The Spanish govern- ment and its security forces are trying to prevent voting in the independence refer- endum, which is backed by Catalan regional authorities. Spanish officials had ear- lier said that force would not be used, but that voting wouldn’t be allowed. Spain’s Constitutional Court has suspended the vote. Regional separatist leaders pledged to hold it anyway, promising to declare independence if the “yes” side wins, and have called on the region’s 5.3 million eligible voters to cast ballots. Police had sealed off hundreds of voting cen- ters in the hours before the vote to prevent their use. Others were filled with ac- tivists determined to hold their ground. National Police and Civil Guard officers also showed up in other polling cen- ters where Catalan officials were expected. Catalans braved rain to vote and defied police or- ders to abandon designated voting stations. The officers fired the rubber bullets while trying to clear protesters who were trying to prevent National Police cars from leaving after police had confiscated ballot boxes from the voting center. Spanish riot police shoot rubber bullets at people trying to reach a voting site at a school assigned to be a polling station by the Catalan government in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday. – PHOTO: APNext >