ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2017 High of 88 Low of 78 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 PIRATES WEEK 2017: WELCOME ALL SAILORS, SEA DOGS AND SCALAWAGS LOCAL | PAGE 2 JURY: FORMER PEPSI CEO’S DEATH WAS BY MISADVENTURE 185009_PRINT-Strip-ReducedMiles-Page 1 10/25/17 5:48:35 PM ‘Paradise Papers’ hit headlines MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Leaked records from offshore law firm Appleby involving the dealings of U.S. Com- merce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Queen Eliz- abeth II, advisers to U.S. President Donald Trump, political donors and other law firm cli- ents have sparked a flurry of media reports around the world. The documents, held by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, con- sist of 13.4 million files from offshore law firm Appleby, trust company Asiaciti, and from company registries in 19 “secrecy” jurisdic- tions, including the Cayman Islands. A year and a half after it released the Panama Papers, the ICIJ said it is coordi- nating a global investigation into the docu- ments dubbed the Paradise Papers involving 380 journalists in 67 countries. Appleby says the files were not the re- sult of a leak but stolen when the firm was hacked last year. The data were first obtained by German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and shared with other media around the world. The re- cords contain nearly 7 million records from Bermuda-founded Appleby and its affiliates and cover the period from 1950 to 2016. The files include emails, loan agreements and bank statements of at least 25,000 entities connected to people in 180 countries, the ICIJ said. Most clients and entities named in the Appleby data are from the U.S., the U.K., Bermuda, Cayman, Hong Kong, China and Canada. In a statement on Sunday, Nov. 5, Appleby vigorously denied wrongdoing. “The journalists do not allege, nor could they, that Appleby has done anything un- lawful. There is no wrongdoing. It is a patch- work quilt of unrelated allegations with a GOVERNMENT TO LIMIT PAID SUSPENSION TIME BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A proposal to limit the time a Cayman Islands government employee can remain on paid leave during a criminal investi- gation will go to Cabinet members later this year, Deputy Governor Franz Man- derson said Friday. Mr. Manderson told the Cayman Com- pass Monday that proposed changes to gov- ernment’s personnel regulations, which would have to be approved by Cabinet, seek a 12-month maximum period of paid required leave (paid suspension) in cases of suspected criminal activity. “We believe [that] is sufficient time for a criminal case to be concluded,” Mr. Manderson said. Legislators have raised concern over the last few years regarding how long civil ser- vants who were suspended continued to be ‘Onerous standards’ ahead in money laundering review BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A long-anticipated review of Cayman’s anti-money laun- dering and anti-terrorism fi- nancing protections is due to occur next month and Attorney General Samuel Bulgin has warned the territory not to ex- pect an easy pass. “We are fully aware that the upcoming review by the Carib- bean Financial Action Task Force is not going to be an easy one,” Mr. Bulgin told Legislative As- sembly members Friday. “In- deed, I might make bold to say it is going to be rigorous. “The standards themselves are onerous. I just want to re- mind this House that some major countries have undergone this re- view and have been categorized for enhanced follow-up. Coun- tries such as the U.S., Canada, Belgium and Australia have all gone through this 4th round of evaluation … and were put into enhanced follow-up [meaning they will be given a year to ad- dress all issues identified].” Mr. Bulgin said Cayman would be familiar with periodic reviews done by the task force. More than 100 take part in triathlon Marius Acker speeds his way through the cycle stage of the Cayman First Triathlon Sunday. Acker finished first in the sprint event, while Patrick Harfield won the Olympic distance event. Michelle Bailey was first in the women’s sprint triathlon and Nadine Gray won the women’s Olympic distance. For more, see page 14. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » LANDFILL TOO FULL FOR CARS, SCRAP People with scrapped cars will have to find a temporary spot to store them while the Department of Envi- ronmental Health finds space at the George Town landfill. The department confirmed Monday that it is “tem- porarily operating at a reduced fre- quency for the acceptance of scrap metals and derelict vehicles.” For more on this story, see page 3.2 LOCAL&REGIONAL TUESDAY NOVEMBER 7, 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. - TUESDAY - JIGSAW (R) 12:25 I 2:45 I 5:10 I 7:30 I 9:55 VIP I 10:00 THOR: RAGNAROK 3D (PG13) 12:30 2D VIP I 12:55 I 3:45 2D VIP 3:55 2D I 6:50 2D VIP I 7:00 I 9:55 2D GEOSTORM 3D (PG13) 1:00 2D I 4:00 I 7:10 2D I 9:50 BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS (R) 1:10 I 4:15 I 7:10 I 9:45 TYLER PERRY’S BOO2! A MADEA HALLOWEEN (PG13) 12:45 I 3:35 I 6:40 I 9:35 Jury: Former Pepsi CEO’s death was by misadventure KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former PepsiCo CEO Roger Enrico suffered a death by misadventure while snorkeling near the North Sound sandbar on June 1, 2016, a jury unanimously de- termined at a coroner’s in- quest on Monday. Mr. Enrico, a U.S. na- tional who owned a home at Cayman Kai, was visiting the territory with his family and friends, and went on a snor- keling trip with three friends around 1 p.m. on the day of his death. According to a witness statement read by Coroner Eileen Nervik, one of Mr. En- rico’s friends advised him to swim against the current toward Rum Point, which would allow him to float to their boat on his way back. But instead, Mr. Enrico swam down-current, and was about 100 yards away from the other three people before they realized he had gone in the opposite direction. One of the friends went to retrieve Mr. Enrico, and found him floating face- down and unresponsive, Ms. Nervik read from the wit- ness statement. Mr. Enrico was taken aboard the boat, and one of his friends began ad- ministering CPR. Royal Cayman Islands Po- lice Service officer Dwight Rivers said at the inquest that he and other members of the RCIPS marine unit re- sponded to the scene shortly after 2 p.m., and transported Mr. Enrico to George Town. Emergency medical techni- cians took Mr. Enrico to the Cayman Islands Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:46 p.m. Pathologist Shravana Jyoti told the jury on Monday that he determined that the cause of Mr. Enrico’s death was a “probable acute car- diac event” and “seawater drowning.” The former Pepsi CEO had a heart attack in 1990, and had suffered two strokes in the previous six years, he said. Before jurors started de- liberating the evidence, Ms. Nervik instructed them to consider two important fac- tors. A cardiac event would suggest that Mr. Enrico’s death was by natural causes, she said. However, “water is a tremendous factor here,” she said, explaining that Mr. En- rico, who was 71 when he died, may have had a chance to survive his cardiac event if it had occurred on land. After deliberating for less than 15 minutes, the jury re- turned with its death by mis- adventure verdict. Mr. Enrico is widely cred- ited with helping form some of Pepsi’s most iconic ad- vertising campaigns, in- volving celebrities like Mi- chael Jackson and Madonna. He was labeled the “Cola King” during the 1980s for his success in elevating the Pepsi brand to compete with Coca Cola. Mr. Enrico also was an in- vestor in the Comfort Suites hotel on Grand Cayman, and remained good friends with hotel owner Burns Rutty and his family. ARGENTINA PRESIDENT VISITS NYC TERROR ATTACK SITE NEW YORK (AP) – The president of Argentina on Monday visited the site of last week’s New York City terrorist attack where eight people died, including five Argentines, and said such tragedies unite people of goodwill around the world. “We lament that we have to meet under these circumstances, but I am happy that this gives us the chance to reinforce the love and the work we do al- together,” President Mau- ricio Macri, speaking in Spanish, told Argentine of- ficials who attended an event to remember victims of the attack on a bike path in Manhattan. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and his wife, Chirlane McCray, stood by his side and paid tribute by placing white flowers at the path where an Uzbek cit- izen steered a rented truck and sped down the path toward the World Trade Center, striking cyclists and pedestrians. He was shot by a police officer after crashing the truck into a school bus. Sayfullo Saipov, 29, survived and was ar- raigned Wednesday on ter- rorism charges. Macri and his wife, Ju- liana Awada, also placed white flowers at the site and hugged Guillermo Banchini, an Argentine who survived the attack, and Mariana Dagatti, the wife of Argentine attack sur- vivor Martin Marro. Banchini and Marro belonged to a group of 10 friends from the Latin American country who came to the city last week to celebrate the 30th an- niversary of their high school graduation. Their story of longtime friend- ship captivated many people, with media world- wide publishing a photo of most of them at the air- port in Rosario, Argen- tina, looking giddy shortly before boarding their flight to the U.S. Macri stressed the im- portance of nations coor- dinating better their fight against terrorism. Mexico detains wanted US polygamist, 4 wives MEXICO CITY (AP) – Prosecu- tors in northern Mexico say they have detained wanted U.S. polygamist Orson Wil- liam Black and his fol- lowers and are investigating whether Black was involved in the death of three American youths whose bodies were found at a ranch in September. The arrest of Black on Sunday – along with four of his wives, a woman de- scribed as “a concubine” and about 20 Americans without proper documents – marks the end of the fundamentalist sect leader’s long, strange pe- riod on the lam. Few thought the trail to finding him would end in bloodshed. The prosecutors’ office in the border state of Chihuahua says Black, 56, was captured in an area largely populated by Mennonites and is under investigation for the deaths of three Americans aged 15, 19 and 23 on Sept. 10. In keeping with Mexican legal practice, the office iden- tified the victims only by their first names – Robert, Jesse and Michael – and sug- gested they may have all car- ried the last name Black. Prosecutors did not say why Black was a suspect in their deaths, but suggested the victims may have been members of his religious group. Black is a member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a sect that began after the main Mormon church dis- avowed polygamy in 1890. FLDS openly advocates plural marriage, and its members commonly have legal mar- riages with their first wife and “spiritual marriages” with the other wives. Prosecutors’ curiosity was piqued when members of the sect did not claim the youth’s bodies. “During the investigation, it was notable that the vic- tims did not have birth certif- icates and that the members of the religious community who appeared to identify the dead did not claim the bodies, and so the U.S. consulate was contacted to provide informa- tion on this group,” the state prosecutors’ office said. PepsiCo CEO Roger Enrico in his office in 1985. He died while snorkeling at Rum Point in Grand Cayman last year. A coroner’s jury delivered a verdict of death by misadventure Monday. - PHOTO: AP President Mauricio Macri of Argentina, right, and his wife Juliana Awada, second from left, reach out to Argentine bike path attack survivors as officials and others gather for a tribute Monday in New York. – PHOTO: AP Weekend crashes continue on local roads The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service recorded at least 20 crashes during the past weekend for the second weekend in a row and at least the fifth time so far this year. Police also arrested four people this weekend during road safety checks. Three of those arrests were for suspected driving under the influence. RCIPS Inspector Ian Year- wood said there were some incidents where drivers at- tempted to avoid police, put- ting others at risk. In one case early Sat- urday morning, police stopped a Honda Civic at a roadblock. The Honda’s driver attempted to evade the roadblock, police said. Ganja was found following a search of the car and its driver, an 18-year-old West Bay man, was arrested. Sunday afternoon, police responded to a crash on Ba- tabano Road in West Bay where the passenger in a Black Honda was critically injured after the car slammed into a light pole. The driver, 25, was arrested on suspicion of DUI and careless driving. “Those who leave the scene of an accident, or at- tempt to evade police road- blocks and fail to stop, will only compound their prob- lems when caught,” Inspector Yearwood said. The weekend of Oct. 27-29 saw some 30 vehicle crashes over the three-day period during heavy rains. Mr. Year- wood said a large number of those accidents were also blamed on suspected drunk driving. “Those who leave the scene of an accident, or attempt to evade police roadblocks and fail to stop, will only compound their problems when caught.” INSPECTOR IAN YEARWOOD3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2017 2017 / Sunday, 3 December 2017 Race starts at 5:00am Kids Fun Run starts at 10:30am Water stops every mile. All runners get a running tech shirt and special designed finishers medal! Register Online for all events at www.CaymanIslandsMarathon.com Packet Pickup… Saturday, 2nd December at Westin Resort 9:00am–3:00pm Collect Your Race Packet Late Registration available for all events. EVERYTHING YOU WANT... WE GOT IT! ✔ Flat and Fast Course ✔ A World-Class Marathon and Half Marathon ✔ Boston Marathon Qualifier ✔ Immediate Race Results online ✔ Half Marathon Walkers Welcome ✔ Finish line party ✔ Official 2017 Dri-Fit Tech Shirt ✔ Commemorative finisher’s medal ✔ Free beer at the finish • FULL MARATHON • HALF-MARATHON • 4-PERSON RELAY • KIDS FUN RUN DE SUNGLASS MAN Scrap cars in limbo MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Grand Cayman residents with dead cars will have to keep them on ice for awhile. The Department of Envi- ronmental Health announced Monday that its intake of ve- hicles at its scrap metal fa- cility at the George Town landfill is running at a “re- duced frequency.” Spokeswoman Stacey- Ann Anderson said the move went into effect a little over a month ago when the facility for processing the vehicles, before they are shipped off is- land, became overloaded. The number of cars being processed at Cayman’s land- fills has skyrocketed in recent years. According to the annual compendium of statistics re- leased by the Economics and Statistics Office, the Depart- ment of Environmental Health accepted 71 derelict vehicles in 2014, 402 in 2015 and 832 last year. That is a nearly 1,200 percent increase over the three-year period. “We have limited space,” Ms. Anderson said. “We de- cided we needed to re- assess and find a way to reassure safety and ac- commodate new [vehicles].” Collection of scrap metal has also been curtailed, ac- cording to a press release from the department. “We have not completely stopped the collection of scrap metals and derelict ve- hicles but have reduced the quantities going to the land- fill until we can safely stack the metals and prepare an- other area for the safe storage of the derelict vehicles,” said Department of Environmental Health director Roydell Carter, in the release. In the meantime, the de- partment is encouraging ve- hicle owners not to abandon their derelict cars by the side of the road or on someone else’s property. Ms. Anderson recommends that owners store the vehicles on their own property. Just how long they will need to do so is not clear. “It is difficult to say that this point,” Ms. Anderson said, adding that there is no target date. “I can’t give you a timeline. We’re working to see how soon we can have this rectified.” She said she was unaware if a similar situation had arisen in the past. Landfills in Cayman processed more than 800 derelict vehicles last year. The George Town landfill is currently accepting cars and scrap metal at a ‘reduced frequency.’ - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Cayman Democratic Party chair resigns BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The long-time chair- woman of the Cayman Is- lands Democratic Party resigned Monday, citing “personal reasons.” Theresa ‘Tessa’ Bodden wrote in an email sent Monday that she made the decision to resign, effective immediately. She declined to give any further explana- tion for the resignation. “It has been a privilege and a pleasure to work with the CDP over the nearly five years that I have been the chair [since Feb- ruary 2013] and I wish the party every continued suc- cess,” she said. The CDP, which was founded in 2001 as the United Democratic Party, only managed to get three of its candidates elected during the May 2017 election despite con- testing 11 seats. Ms. Bodden was not one of those successful candi- dates. She contested George Town East, but lost to Pro- gressives party incumbent Roy McTaggart. CDP leader, Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush, said Ms. Bodden had given him advance notice of her departure, with the par- ty’s annual general meeting coming up on Nov. 18. “She has given invalu- able service to the party and I thank her sincerely,” Mr. Bush said. Mr. Bush, who has led the CDP/UDP since its in- ception, said he would make a further statement about Ms. Bodden’s resig- nation later on. Tessa Bodden “She has given invaluable service to the party and I thank her sincerely.” MCKEEVA BUSH, CDP leaderThe 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. 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 findtheirownway” WASHINGTON – Evidence of national discernment, al- though never abundant, can now be found high on the New York Times combined print and e-book best-seller list. There sits Ron Cher- now’s biography of Ulysses Simpson Grant, which no reader will wish were shorter than its 1,074 pages. Arriving at a moment when excit- able individuals and hyster- ical mobs are demonstrating crudeness in assessing his- torical figures, Chernow’s book is a tutorial on mea- sured, mature judgment. It has been said that the best biographer is a consci- entious enemy of his or her subject – scrupulous but un- enthralled. Chernow, laden with honors for his biogra- phies of George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, is a true friend of the general who did so much to preserve the nation. And of the unjustly maligned president – the only one between Andrew Jackson and Woodrow Wilson to serve two full consecutive terms. He nobly, if unsuccessfully, strove to prevent the war’s brutal aftermath in the South from delaying, for a century, freedom’s arrival there. After reluctantly attending West Point and competently participating in the war with Mexico, his military career foundered on alcohol abuse exacerbated by the aching loneliness of a man missing his family. His civilian life was marred by commercial failures. Then the war came. Four years after he was re- duced to selling firewood on St. Louis streets, he was leading the siege of Vicks- burg. Six years after Vicks- burg fell, he was president. And a good one. He was hopelessly naive regarding the rascality unleashed by the sudden post-war ar- rival of industrialism en- tangled with government. But the corruptions during his administration showed only his negligence, not his cupidity. More impor- tantly, Grant, says Chernow, “showed a deep reservoir of courage in directing the fight against the Ku Klux Klan and crushing the largest wave of domestic terrorism in Amer- ican history.” He ranks be- hind only Abraham Lincoln and Lyndon Johnson as a presidential advancer of Af- rican-American aspirations. After the presidency, he was financially ruined by his characteristic misjudg- ment of the sort of miscre- ants who abused his trust when he was president. His rescuer from the wreckage inflicted by a 19th century Madoff was Mark Twain, who got Grant launched on his memoirs. This taciturn, phlegmatic military man of few words, writing at a pun- ishing pace during the agony of terminal cancer, produced the greatest military memoir in the English language, and the finest book published by any U.S. president. Chernow is clear-eyed in examining and evenhanded in assessing Grant’s de- fects. He had an episodic drinking problem but was not a problem drinker: He was rarely incapacitated, and never during military exigen- cies or when with Julia. Far from being an unimagina- tive military plodder profli- gate with soldiers’ lives, he was by far the war’s greatest soldier, tactically and strate- gically, and the percentage of casualties in his armies was, Chernow says, “often lower than those of many Confed- erate generals.” Sentimentality about Robert E. Lee has driven much disdain for Grant. Chernow’s judgment about Lee is appropriately icy: Even after failing to dismember the nation he “remained a southern partisan” who “never retreated from his ret- rograde views on slavery.” Chernow’s large read- ership (and the successes of such non-academic his- torians as Rick Atkinson, Richard Brookhiser, David McCullough, Nathaniel Phil- brick, Jon Meacham, Erik Larson and others) raises a question: Why are so many academic historians compar- atively little read? Here is a hint from the menu of presen- tations at the 2017 meeting of the Organization of American Historians: The titles of 30 included some permutation of the word “circulation” (e.g., “Circulating/Constructing Heterosexuality,” “Circulating Suicide as Social Criticism,” “Circulating Tourism Imagi- naries from Below”). Obscu- rantism enveloped in opacity is the academics’ way of as- signing themselves status as members of a closed clerisy indulging in linguistic fads. Princeton historian Sean Wi- lentz, who is impatient with academics who are vain about being unintelligible, confesses himself mystified by the “circulating” jargon. This speaks well of him. Chernow leans against to- day’s leveling winds of mind- less egalitarianism – the be- lief that because greatness is rare, celebrating it is undem- ocratic. And against the pop- ulist tear-them-down rage to disparage. The political phi- losopher Harvey Mansfield, Harvard’s conservative, says education should teach how to praise. How, that is, to rec- ognize excellence of character when it is entwined, as it al- ways is, with flaws. And how to acknowledge excellence of achievement amid the con- tingencies that always par- tially defeat good intentions. Chernow’s “Grant” is a gift to a nation presently much in need of measured judgments about its past. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2017, Washington Post Writers Group TUESDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS It’s time to trim the mainsail and dust off the old cutlass, as we kick off the 40th annual Pirates Week Festival of the Cayman Islands. Last weekend’s events on Cayman Brac marked the official start of the celebration – jam-packed with activities, from the first happy hour toast to the final parley and farewell. As visiting pirates and their crews descend upon our shores, we urge all of Cayman to give them a hearty welcome. The yearly homage to Cayman’s heritage, and cele- bration of all things pirate, has become a major attrac- tion for tourists and a much-anticipated break from the routine for residents. Like Cayman, the essence of Pirates Week cannot be captured in a single phrase – it is a colorful and cordial blend of history, whimsy, revelry and community. It presents a romanticized version of piracy’s golden age – thankfully long past. The real pirates, buc- caneers and privateers who sailed these seas from the 1500s to the 1830s were an incorrigible lot. Their names struck terror in the hearts of their adversaries and victims: Sir Francis Drake, Henry Morgan, Black- beard, Calico Jack Rackham and the “lady pirate” Anne Bonny. We are content to see those dreaded monikers relegated to the labels of rum bottles, but there’s no harm in a little pirate-themed fun. Once again, the festival committee has dreamed up a schedule that is as rich and vibrant as our islands, with events for children, families and more “adult oriented” fare. Movie pirates will mix with those wearing more historically accurate garb. Those wearing flip-flops and T-shirts mingle with buccaneers brandishing swords and eye patches. There are sports competitions and music, food, theater and fun. And, of course, there is plenty of laughter, good food and merriment. This year, orga- nizers are trying out a shortened schedule, shrinking the festival from 10 days to five, and consolidating Heritage Days into a one-day event in George Town. Organizers have said they will see how this “Cliffs Notes” version plays out before deciding how to organize next year’s festivities. While it remains to be seen how this year’s revised schedule will play, in general, imagination and innovation are integral to keeping long-running events “fresh” and relevant. Also key is retaining proven and popular core elements, including the traditional “pirates landing” and float parade which gets under way at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, in downtown George Town. Of course, this year’s Pirates Week still includes major events such as the cardboard boat race, sea swim, Pooch Parade, street dances, children’s fun day and fireworks. The festival kicks off in Grand Cayman on Thursday with Pirates Week happy hour, steel pan competition and street party downtown, and will end Monday, Nov. 13 with the traditional “Trial of the Pirates” and consol- idated Heritage Days. Those celebrations of Cayman culture, which had struggled with attendance at times in the past, will be presented in a combined event that should draw record crowds. Falling on Remembrance Day, most Cayman residents will be off from work and school. With a number of cruise ships scheduled to be in George Town harbor on the same day, this year’s combined event also presents a unique opportunity to introduce thousands of daytime visitors to Cayman’s history and culture. So let us all come together to welcome our visitors, piratical and otherwise, and make this year’s Pirates Week a festival to remember. Anchors aweigh! Pirates Week 2017: Welcome all sailors, sea dogs and scalawags Chernow’s ‘Grant’ offers measured judgment of past GEORGE F. WILL GEORGE U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2017 Remembrance PUBLIC HOLIDAY Dy t: 949 5111 e: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com EDITION BOOKING DEADLINE Monday, November 13th NO PUBLICATION Tuesday, November 14th Tuesday, November 7th Wednesday, November 15th Wednesday, November 8th Thursday, November 16th Friday, November 10th Friday, November 17th Friday, November 10th PLEASE BE ADVISED there will be no newspaper on Monday, November 13th Remembrance Day (Public Holiday) Celebrate PUBLICATION DEADLINES: Track coach Stephens loses appeal Court upholds conviction and sentence for offense against teen athlete CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former track coach Ato Modibo Stephens had his ap- peals dismissed on Monday after the Court of Appeal rejected arguments that asked for his conviction to be quashed or his sen- tence reduced. Stephens was convicted in August of misusing an information and commu- nications technology (ICT) network to abuse a female athlete who had been a member of the track club he coached. He was sen- tenced to 18 months’ impris- onment; the maximum sen- tence is two years. The Information and Communications Law spe- cifically states that a person who knowingly uses an ICT network to defraud, annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person is guilty of an offense. Attorney Amelia Fos- uhene submitted that mes- sages which Stephens sent to the girl asking her to send him photos of herself were not abusive. Director of Public Prose- cutions Cheryll Richards re- plied that the receiver of the messages in this case was a minor who had been encour- aged, enticed or persuaded to act to her own detriment by sending Stephens porno- graphic images of herself. A reasonable person would have to think that the child had been ill treated, she said. The court’s decision was delivered by Justice Sir Alan Moses, after delibera- tions with Sir John Goldring, court president, and Justice Sir Bernard Rix. The judges said that the messages, asking the girl to send semi-nude or nude photos of herself, had con- tinued over a lengthy period, starting when the girl was 14 and continuing after she turned 15. The relationship had been one of trust be- cause she was dependent on Stephens for the training and expertise he was able to give her as an athlete. The mes- sages were discovered by the girl’s parent. The issue was whether Stephens’s course of con- duct fell within the provi- sions of the Information and Communications Tech- nology Law. The argument before the judge and “skill- fully reiterated” by Ms. Fo- suhene on appeal was that in the context of the words used, this was not using the internet to abuse the victim because the words used were of an enticing nature without any pejorative or threat- ening language. “We disagree,” Justice Moses said. Words not threat- ening to one person may be to a more vulnerable person, he pointed out. Similarly, words of a sexual nature sent to a consenting adult could be acceptable, but not when sent to a person not capable of consent. Such words were an aspect of ill treatment of a minor, the judges concluded in dismissing the appeal against conviction. As to sentence, the judges noted that Ms. Fosuhene had agreed that 18 months was not excessive. The question was how to deal with the fact that Jus- tice Michael Wood, who had heard the matter without a jury, considered that Ste- phens had pleaded not guilty to this charge on legal ad- vice. He noted Stephens’s time in custody in the U.S. awaiting extradition and then in Cayman awaiting trial, which had amounted to almost a year, which was about the equivalent of an 18-month sentence. But under the new Con- ditional Release Law, a con- victed person must serve 60 percent of his sentence be- fore applying to be consid- ered for release on license. Ms. Fosuhene revealed that Stephens had had such a hearing on Friday, but the results were not yet known. The Court of Appeal said, “We think the court should not take into account fu- ture administrative consid- erations as to how sentences should be served.” Stephens had also been charged with and found not guilty of indecent assault and gross indecency involving the girl. Justice Wood said he had not for a moment found that the girl was a liar, but that was not the test. He had to be sure of the defendant’s guilt and there was “just enough doubt for me to be not sure.” CAYMAN RESIDENTS LOSE CASH IN BANK SCAM Two Cayman Islands res- idents have reported unau- thorized withdrawals from their bank accounts in “sub- stantial amounts” after re- sponding to a scam email purporting to be from a local bank. The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Financial Crime Unit did not state how much money the two indi- viduals lost but did note a number of fraudulent solici- tations from more than one local bank have been circu- lating recently. These solicitations send emails asking people to provide their bank ac- count numbers or per- sonal identification numbers from debit cards. Once the suspects ob- tained that information, they used it to hack the email ac- count of the victim. The email account is then used to send emails with their financial information to the bank, re- questing a wire transfer. Police said these types of emails should never be re- sponded to and urged res- idents to contact their banks immediately, if they are received. “Banking institutions will never solicit such infor- mation from you over your email,” said Chief Inspector Richard Barrow. “No matter how legitimate the email may appear, if it is asking you to input your account number and PIN, it is defi- nitely a scam.” Police: Weapons used in two robbery attempts Police warn public to exercise caution when walking at night Two attempted robberies over the past weekend re- sulted in one victim being sent to the hospital with stab wounds, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice reported. Nothing was taken in ei- ther incident. The first attack hap- pened late Friday or early Saturday. Police were called to the Cayman Islands Hos- pital around 1 a.m. Saturday where a man was being treated for stab wounds. Officers said the man was attacked by two sus- pects outside his Wash- ington Boulevard home in George Town. The man fought off the suspects, after they demanded his cell- phone, but was stabbed in the leg and arm during the fight. He was treated and released from the hospital over the weekend. The second attack hap- pened on Sunday night around 9:20 p.m. on Boilers Road in George Town. In that incident, a woman reported she was walking home when a man ap- proached and put a “sharp object” to her side while de- manding money. The sus- pect was startled by a passing vehicle, the victim said, and ran off. “The police are investi- gating both incidents and ad- vising members of the public to exercise caution when walking at night,” a state- ment on the attempted rob- beries read. “If an area is not well-lit, then avoid walking through it altogether or carry a flashlight. Try to walk in a group, if possible, and be aware of your surroundings.” Ato Stephens Stolen rifle, bullets recovered A man suspected of stealing a weapon and am- munition from an East End home Saturday was arrested Sunday by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. Police said a rifle and “several rounds of ammu- nition” were taken from the home of a licensed firearm holder. The 23-year-old suspect, who is from East End dis- trict, was arrested on sus- picion of possessing an un- licensed firearm and also on suspicion of causing damage to property. The weapon and am- munition were recovered shortly after the arrest. Police said these types of emails should never be responded to and urged residents to contact their banks immediately, if they are received. The man fought off the suspects, after they demanded his cellphone, but was stabbed in the leg and arm during the fight. He was treated and released from the hospital over the weekendThe islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. TUESDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, NOV. 7 PIRATES WEEK PARADE: Businesses, teams and clubs are invited to sign up and take part in the Pirates Week Day Parade on Saturday, Nov. 11 on Harbour Drive at 3:15 p.m. and/or the Illumination Night Parade on Monday, Nov. 13 at 7:15 p.m. Contact info@piratesweekfestival.com. CARDBOARD REGATTA: Teams are invited to register for the cardboard regatta scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. Fee is $150. Build a boat and race for prizes. Contact info@piratesweekfestival.com. SMALL BUSINESS: The Cayman Islands Small Business Association (CISBA) holds its official opening at 151 Mary Street, George Town from 5:30-7:30 p.m. All are invited to socialize and enjoy complimentary appetizers, live music and wine. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 8 FITNESS EXPO: The Intertrust Fitness Expo takes place 4:30-7 p.m. at The Venue at Caribbean Plaza, formerly The Bistro, where a host of fitness experts will be on hand to offer advice and guidance for those interested in walking or running. THURSDAY, NOV. 9 RECRUITMENT FAIR: The Law Enforcement and Public Safety Recruitment Fair takes place at the George Town Town Hall, 3-7 p.m. The Prison Service, Fire Service, Department of Immigration, Department of Labour and Pensions, Department of Public Safety Communications, Customs Department and Police Service will have representatives on hand to speak with interested persons and answer questions. PAN IN THE CITY: Steel Bands play in this annual Pirates Week event. CHAMBER COURSE: Dealing with Difficult Customers. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $150 members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. CHAMBER COURSE: Small Business Workshop – Using Media Communication to Leverage Your Brand. 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square;. Free. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. FRIDAY, NOV. 10 BRAC REGISTRY: General Registry staff members will be in Cayman Brac to inform local business owners of the new Cayman Business Portal online system. Registry staff also will explain how to register a nonprofit organization under new legislation, and provide a refresher on how to use Cayman’s new intellectual property laws to protect creative rights. The presentation will be 9:30-11:30 a.m., then repeated 1-3 p.m. Both sessions are at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre. For more information email cigenreg@gov.ky. SUNDAY, NOV. 12 REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY: Grand Cayman residents are invited to attend the ceremony at the Cenotaph outside Elmslie Memorial Church in George Town, starting at 10:45 a.m. Members of the public are asked to assemble by no later than 10:30 a.m. Cayman Brac’s Remembrance Sunday Service will be held at the District Administration Lawn in front of the Cenotaph in Stake Bay at 10:45 a.m. Members of the public are asked to assemble by no later than 10:30 a.m. TUESDAY, NOV. 14 CHAMBER COURSE: Giving Feedback. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $225 for members, $300 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 15 RUN IN THE DARK: 5K/10K walk or run. 8 p.m. A fundraiser for the Mark Pollock Trust, which aims to find a cure for paralysis. To find further information or sign up for this year’s event, visit www.runinthedark.org/ cayman-islands. CHAMBER COURSE: Fraud Prevention Seminar. AM Session, 8:30 a.m. – noon. PM Session, 1:15-4:30 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. FREE. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. THURSDAY, NOV. 16 SCHOOL PLAY: St. Ignatius Catholic School Musical Comedy, “The Addams Family.” Shows are at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with an additional 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday. Tickets on sale at the school office. Phone 949-9250. CHAMBER COURSE: Fraud Prevention Seminar. AM Session, 8:30 a.m. – noon. PM Session, 1:15-4:30 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. Free. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. CHAMBER COURSE: Business Master class – Operations. 9–11 a.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $175 for members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. SATURDAY, NOV. 18 INTERNATIONAL MEN’S DAY: Men’s Day Family Day at Kings Sports Centre, 3:30-7 p.m. will feature free bowling, rock climbing and skating facilities to provide men with opportunities to further bond with their children. All are invited. DEALS ON WHEELS: The Red Cross mobile thrift shop will be in Bodden Town from 6-10 a.m. at Rubis’ parking lot. Items available include clothing and shoes for men, women and children, ladies’ bags and accessories, linens, household items and more. USED BOOK SALE: At Foster’s Strand from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hard cover, $2. Soft cover, $1. Children’s books, 50 cents. TREE LIGHTING: Camana Bay’s annual tree lighting. 5-9 p.m. on the Crescent. THURSDAY, NOV. 23 PLAYHOUSE FAMILY CHRISTMAS: At the Prospect Playhouse. Annual holiday production. Opens tonight. Then Nov. 24, 25, 30; Dec. 1, 2 at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 26 and Dec. 3 at 4 p.m. Adults, $15. Children under 12, $12. Tickets at www.cds.ky or call 938-1998. SATURDAY, NOV. 25 CHRISTMAS ARTS AND CRAFT BAZAAR: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Loyola Hall, St. Ignatius Catholic School, Walkers Road. Arts, crafts, handmade jewelry, skin care products, baked goods, henna tattoos, and more. Many local crafters and artists. Great holiday gifts. Over 25 vendors will be selling their goods. All are welcome – free admission. For more information, contact Allison Taylor at 939-0220 or ataylor2005@hotmail.com All proceeds go toward Girlguiding Cayman Islands. GENERAL INTEREST CONCH AND WHELK SEASON: The Department of Environment wishes to remind the public that the conch and whelk season opens on Nov. 1. It is also still lobster closed-season. The legal limit for conch is five per person per day or 10 per boat, whichever is less. Whelk limit is two-and- a-half gallons in the shell, or two-and-a-half pounds of processed whelks, per person, per day. USED BOOK SALE: Through Saturday, Nov. 11, at the Red Cross Thrift Shop, Huldah Avenue. Customers can get all the books they can fit in a single bag for only $5. CAYMAN CRAFT: The exhibition, “Revive!” – Celebrating contemporary and traditional craft from the Cayman Islands, is open at the National Gallery. GARBAGE COLLECTION: The Department of Environmental Health urges residents and business operators to ensure that garbage containers are accessible to sanitation crews at all times – either at the front of the property or at a side that is accessible to the roadway. Receptacles must be stored in properly constructed enclosures and should not impede the flow of traffic. HURRICANE RELIEF: The Adventist Church has started a fund in aid of Hurricane Irma victims in the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas. Financial contributions may be made at the local office, 209 Walkers Road, during business hours, or at the nearest Adventist Church. Donations may also be deposited at the Royal Bank of Canada, to ADRA account number 500-6234. SCHOLARSHIPS: The Chevening Secretariat is accepting applications for U.K. government scholarships to study in the U.K. in 2018/2019. Applications for Chevening Scholarships are open until Nov. 7, with applications to be submitted via www.chevening.org/apply. CERAMIC OPEN STUDIO: Offered by the Visual Arts Society on Wednesdays to adults. 9 a.m. to noon at the Watler House Studio, Pedro St. James. $15 per person or $25 per non-member. Clay, materials and firing facilities available. Contact info@visualartcayman.com. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Volunteers needed for weekly sports training. Tuesdays – Track, bocce, football. Wednesdays – Lighthouse School swimming at Lions pool. Thursdays – Basketball. Saturdays – Adult swim. Golf is starting soon if interested. Contact Darrel Rankine, national director at soci@candw.ky or 916-2600. CANDLE MAKING: Visual Arts Society offers this workshop at the National Trust Club House on Sundays 3–4:30 p.m. Fee of $45 per member or $55 per non-member includes materials for two candles. Parasol painting workshops, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Same fee, includes one parasol. Contact info@visualartcayman.com. HUMANE SOCIETY THRIFT SHOP: The shop has moved to Plaza Venezia, next to China Village. The thrift shop is open Tuesday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., closed on Sunday and Monday. Phone 945-5596. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 68 Mary St. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc., in good condition always needed. RED CROSS THRIFT SHOP: The Thrift Shop opening hours are Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Friday hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and closed evenings. Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8 p.m., West Indies Wine Company. Join the Cayman Chess Club for a complimentary chess class and open challenges weekly. Anyone can learn to play and enjoy chess, even beginners. ARTISAN MARKET: Every Wednesday, noon–8 p.m. at Camana Bay Farmers Market. Visual Arts Society artists display arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale at the tents by KARoo Restaurant/ Bar. For more info email info@visualartcayman.com. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. The pirates are coming! Businesses, teams and clubs are invited to sign up for the Pirates Week Day Parade on Saturday and/or the Illumination Night Parade on Monday, Nov. 13. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2017 clear political agenda and movement against offshore,” the law firm said. ‘Illegal computer hack’ The firm reiterated that it was not the subject of a leak but the victim of computer crime. “This was an illegal com- puter hack. Our systems were accessed by an intruder who deployed the tactics of a pro- fessional hacker and cov- ered his/her tracks to the extent that a forensic inves- tigation by a leading interna- tional Cyber & Threats team concluded that there was no definitive evidence that any data had left our systems. “This was not the work of anybody who works at Ap- pleby,” the statement said. Appleby said it had “thor- oughly and vigorously inves- tigated the allegations and we are satisfied that there is no evidence of any wrongdoing.” More Paradise Papers news stories based on the leaked data are scheduled to be released each day of this week. The ICIJ said it will deal with strategies used by multinational cor- porations to shift profits to low-tax jurisdictions and de- tail how wealthy clients reg- ister private jets and yachts offshore and use trusts for tax planning. The group announced it would release the struc- tured data connected to the Paradise Papers in the coming weeks on its Offshore Leaks database. Appleby took aim at the media for reporting confiden- tial client information. “We take client confidenti- ality extremely seriously and we are disappointed that the media has chosen to use in- formation which has ema- nated from material obtained illegally,” the law firm said. “This has very little to do with accurate and fair re- porting, and everything to do with the pursuit of a political agenda. These journalists will not permit fairness and accu- racy to get in the way of their political objectives.” Cayman’s Minister of Fi- nancial Services Tara Rivers also said the reporting on the Paradise Papers has not provided any evidence of wrongdoing. Speaking in the Legisla- tive Assembly Monday, she said Cayman has a strong history of adhering to in- ternational regulatory stan- dards. “We will continue to strengthen our regula- tory framework and main- tain our strong relationships with international authori- ties, including through our multiple mechanisms for ex- changes of information on tax and beneficial ownership information.” Cayman’s compliance re- cord that is assessed by international organiza- tions proves that Cayman is not a place to hide wealth, she added. “It’s also important for the public to know that the Cayman Islands finan- cial services business in- cludes many types of inves- tors, and not exclusively the rich,” she said. “Our jurisdiction offers the international business community a framework from which to conduct legit- imate business; and invest- ments made using Cayman vehicles benefit many coun- tries around the world, in- cluding developed and devel- oping economies, to create jobs and generate domestic incomes. For example, in- vestments, such as pension funds, that use Cayman vehi- cles benefit the broader pop- ulations of these countries.” ‘Different from Panama Papers’ Meanwhile, tax experts expressed doubts whether the Paradise Papers files are comparable to the Panama Papers revelations in 2016. Pascal Saint-Amans, head of Tax at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development told the Financial Times, “They are quite different from the Panama Papers.” He said the schemes in question were mostly, if not totally, legal. “Some are not even questionable from a le- gitimacy point of view.” In fact, this latest iteration is a follow-up from recom- mendations the task force made in 2012. However, the December review will not just focus on what are generally con- sidered “technical” require- ments. It will be much broader in nature, in- cluding assessments based on the effectiveness of the overall regulatory system. Also, industries re- viewed will not just be lim- ited to the traditional fi- nancial services-related firms such as law offices, accountancy firms, banks and trusts. Task force offi- cials were also expected to review real estate compa- nies and precious metals dealers – non-financial ser- vices companies – as part of their anti-money laun- dering/terrorism financing standards protections. “We have some of the best and brightest profes- sionals … assisting with this preparation and we are confident that we will continue to demonstrate to the world that our finan- cial services industries, our regulatory framework, our legal framework, are among the best in the world,” the attorney general said. “The continuing good reputation of the financial services sector of these is- lands is paramount. These islands have been reviewed every which way and we have always managed to demonstrate our adherence to international standards.” The underlying objec- tive of the upcoming review is to ensure businesses that tend to handle large sums of money can verify, to a reasonable extent, that no cash laundering or terrorism support activi- ties are going on. The task force will also look into proliferation financing, or using the banking system to disguise financing pro- vided for nuclear weapons or material used to make those weapons. This largely involves “know your client” exercises and other due diligence mea- sures that would be car- ried out by a bank or finan- cial institution in the regular course of doing business. Financial Services Min- istry Chief Officer Dax Basdeo has said the gov- ernment does not mean to suggest that other, non-fi- nancial services indus- tries do not already have safeguards in place. How- ever, he said, there may be a need for some fine tuning in those industries. Over the past 18 months, those industries have been in- volved in extensive training exercises in anti-money laundering methods. Since March, the govern- ment Department of Com- merce and Investment has been regulating non-finan- cial services-related busi- nesses for the purposes of anti-money laundering re- quirements. The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority already regulates financial services-related companies. At present, the non-fi- nancial services companies should have written pro- cedures for how they de- tect and report suspicious transactions, similar to suspicious activity reports filed by local banks. Com- panies that do not main- tain such records may be inspected by the commerce department at random. A year and a half after it released the Panama Papers, the ICIJ said it is coordinating a global investigation into the documents dubbed the Paradise Papers involving 380 journalists in 67 countries. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ‘Paradise Papers’ hit headlines ‘Onerous standards’ ahead in money laundering review CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Ocean Conservation Month puts focus on plastic pollution JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A tiny turtle hatchling ne- gotiates a minefield of plas- tics and other debris as it makes its journey toward the sea. The image, snapped by a visiting media crew on a Little Cayman beach, dem- onstrates the threat posed by carelessly discarded trash to the island’s marine life. The Department of En- vironment warns that plas- tics pose a serious threat to marine life. Earlier this year, a hatchling was found dead with its head trapped in a sheet of plastic on Seven Mile Beach. Janice Blumenthal, re- search officer with the DoE, said discarded plastic fishing line, which takes more than 600 years to de- grade, was among the biggest threats. She said turtles, seabirds and other wildlife often be- come entangled in mono- filament fishing line. The department has installed 40 recycling bins for disposal of fishing line. Now it has partnered with the Guy Harvey Foun- dation to host a screening of the documentary movie, “A Plastic Ocean,” at Camana Bay, Tuesday night, to raise awareness of the global en- vironmental impact of plastic waste. Representatives from the department and from the Department of Environ- mental Health will be on hand to answer audience questions on the night. The movie screening is just one element of Ocean Conservation Month, or- ganized by the foundation of artist and wildlife re- searcher Guy Harvey. Jessica Harvey, of the foundation, said the docu- mentary, which also fea- tures Cayman freediver Tanya Streeter, had an important message about the impact of plastics on marine wildlife. She said the aim of Ocean Conservation Month, which also includes a shark talk and documentary for school chil- dren, a cocktail fundraiser, ocean story-time events for youngsters, and the screening of Mr. Harvey’s latest shark documentary, was to raise awareness of the wonders of the underwater world. “The idea is to put ocean conservation at the forefront of people’s minds and to make people more aware of what is in their backyard. If you don’t know about it, you are less likely to care about it,” she said. Shortlisted images in the Ocean Conservation Month photography competition are also on display throughout the month in an outdoor ex- hibition at Camana Bay. Ms. Harvey said the month of events, sponsored by the Kenneth B. Dart Foun- dation, was an extension of Mr. Harvey’s annual “shark talk” events. More than 900 school children are expected to at- tend a screening of “This is Your Ocean: Sharks, part 2,” a movie, featuring Caymanian youngsters swimming with tiger sharks in the Bahamas, that Mr. Harvey’s foundation produced last year. Local experts will also speak to schoolchildren at the events on Nov. 10 and 24. The finale to the month’s event will feature the pre- miere of another movie, “This is Your Ocean: Sea of Life,” which features footage of Cayman Islands students swimming with whale sharks and manta rays on a trip the Mexico’s Isla Mujeres ear- lier this year. Miss Harvey said she hoped Ocean Conservation Month would grow to be- come a regular fixture on the Cayman Islands calendar. “A lot of it is targeted at children, but hopefully that means we target families as well,” she added. This powerful image of a turtle hatchling navigating a debris-strewn shore was shot in Wearis Bay on the South Side of Little Cayman by a crew from the Alucia research ship during a visit last month. – PHOTO: IAN KELLETTThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS paid by government, as well as worries about the sheer number of those government workers who had been placed on leave. Mr. Manderson said the civil service has made good progress on both fronts. Within the past year, the deputy governor said, the number of civil service em- ployees on required leave had fallen from 26 to 16. Since he last reported to the Legislative Assembly in mid-2016, Mr. Manderson said a total of 11 civil ser- vants had been released from employment following their period of suspen- sion and another 14 had re- turned to work. Mr. Manderson cautioned that the list of suspended employees was “not static.” “The number will grow from time to time when our civil service leaders continue to demonstrate a zero toler- ance for misconduct, crimi- nality and corruption and take bold steps to investi- gate allegations when they arise,” he said. Lawmakers have also wondered why a large number of civil service po- sitions were filled by acting directors or managers. The situation persisted to such an extent that East End MLA Arden McLean fa- mously quipped that “Holly- wood” had come to the gov- ernment service. Mr. Manderson said that was no longer the case and that most of the positions Mr. McLean referred to had been filled since then. He said a large percentage of the managerial roles were now occupied by Cayma- nians as well. One senior management post, that of chief immigration officer, is still occupied by an acting manager. However, the gov- ernment recently resolved a long-standing employment issue with former immigra- tion chief Linda Evans, who agreed to take early retire- ment this year. More than a dozen senior civil service jobs have been filled with qualified Cayma- nian staff within the past two years, Mr. Manderson said. Those included three deputy chief officer roles, two deputy customs col- lectors, one deputy police commissioner, the director of education services, the deputy director of commu- nity rehabilitation, a chief financial officer and an as- sistant clerk at the Legisla- tive Assembly. “All of them have been promoted up within the civil service,” Mr. Manderson said. There have been some se- nior posts given to non-Cay- manians as well, most no- tably the newly created ombudsman’s office and the commissioner of police. Mr. Manderson said there were far fewer examples of those and that it was certainly not the norm. “We have a very bright fu- ture in the civil service,” he said. “We have some amazing young Caymanians who we are giving an opportunity to progress up and they are making us proud.” Within the past year, the deputy governor said, the number of civil service employees on required leave had fallen from 26 to 16. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Government to limit paid suspension time Egypt activist lawyer announces 2018 presidential bid CAIRO (AP) – A prominent Egyptian rights lawyer said Monday he will run for president in next year’s elec- tions. The move is unlikely to seriously challenge the campaign of the incumbent general-turned-president but will test his popularity at a time of deep economic hardships and a relentless crackdown on dissent and Islamic militants. Khaled Ali made the an- nounced to a packed news conference at the head- quarters of the opposition al-Dustour party, a small venue but one of the few the organizers were able to secure, and felt was safe, to host the event. They say police raided a printing house they had used to pre- pare materials and that they faced intimidation for daring to oppose the presi- dent’s leadership. “Egypt is in crisis after four years of rule by Abdel- Fattah el-Sissi,” Ali said, re- ferring to the president, “We have the right to have dem- ocratic elections … (but) we are expecting a crackdown and repression.” Ali has been a key figure among the small but vi- brant core of mostly young pro-democracy and secular activists known loosely as “the revolutionaries.” They were the main force behind the 2011 uprising that top- pled longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak. Briefly celebrated after Mubarak’s fall, they failed to forge a cohesive political force. “We are working with other democratic parties to ensure real guarantees for this battle,” Ali said. Ali said his campaign will involve reviewing all of el-Sissi’s much-trum- peted mega-projects to as- sess their impact on Egyp- tian citizens and the economy, release people held in detention without charges, and pardon those jailed on charges related to a law effectively banning all protests. He also says he will im- plement a court ruling to maintain possession of two Red Sea islands el-Sissi handed over to Saudi Arabia. Ali led the legal suit last year that succeeded in blocking the government’s plans to hand over the two strategic islands, Tiran and Sanafir. The ruling, upheld on appeal in January, gave Ali some celebrity as a de- fender of the country’s ter- ritorial integrity among the many who opposed the handover. Parliament however is packed with el-Sissi sup- porters and approved the agreement before he ratified it. Ali has vowed not to give up the fight. His candidacy faces major hurdles, however, the most pressing being a potential obscenity con- viction that would make him ineligible if his appeal is rejected. The next hearing over the charges, widely seen as politically motivated to block his run, is on Nov. 8. Ali said he is awaiting the court’s ruling and trusts it will find him innocent. “Egypt is in crisis after four years of rule by Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.” KHALED ALI, Egyptian rights lawyer Egyptian activist lawyer Khaled Ali, announces his candidacy in next year’s presidential election, during a press conference in Cairo, Egypt, Monday. – PHOTO: AP Israeli PM pledges West Bank bypass roads for settlers JERUSALEM (AP) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged 200 mil- lion shekels (US$57 million) Monday to build safe by- pass roads for Jewish West Bank settlers, in a move that looks to satisfy a key constituent but anger Pal- estinians who consider it a further encroachment upon their hoped for future state. Facing bereaved fami- lies of those killed in Pales- tinian attacks in the West Bank at parliament, Netan- yahu assured them the gov- ernment was committed to improving the roads, as well as the lighting and cel- lular coverage there to help prevent such attacks. “We have a clear com- mitment to solve or help solve the problem of the by- pass roads in Judea and Sa- maria,” he said, referring to the West Bank by its bib- lical name. “I come now from a meeting with the fi- nance minister and we de- cided together to immedi- ately allocate 200 million shekels to paving roads … We’re not just talking, we’re doing. Our actions are consistent, systematic and determined.” He said he planned to budget another 600 million shekels (US$170 million) for further improvements. West Bank settlers have been de- manding the improved in- frastructure for some time, protesting outside Netanya- hu’s residence against what they called a cavalier ap- proach to their safety. Israel captured the West Bank, along with east Jeru- salem, in the 1967 Mideast war. Most of the interna- tional community opposes all settlements there, con- sidering them illegal obsta- cles to peace that gobble up land for a future Palestinian state. Israel says the fate of the settlements, home to more than 600,000 Israelis, should be decided through negotiations. The announcement fol- lowed previous approval of additional settlement housing construction. The Palestinians see the roads as another way for Israel to seize land and entrench what they call a segregated system that favors settlers over Palestinians. “The Israeli prime min- ister is accelerating the set- tlement enterprise on all levels,” said Nabil Shaath, an adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. “All of this has only one goal, which is to destroy any possibility to revive the peace process based on the two-state solution. Abbas himself was scheduled to arrive Monday in Saudi Arabia for a meeting with King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman about the recent Palestinian reconciliation efforts between the Islamic militant group Hamas and Abbas’ Fatah movement. Also on the agenda are ideas presented to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks during a recent visit to Saudi Arabia by Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and adviser. Also Monday, Netanyahu said Israel will not return the bodies of five Pales- tinian militants killed last week when it destroyed a tunnel running from Gaza into Israel. He implied that Israel will hold on to the bodies until Hamas mili- tants agree to return the remains of two soldiers killed in a 2014 war, as well as two live Israeli ci- vilians believed held in the Gaza Strip. The family of one of the dead soldiers has urged the government not to return the militants’ bodies. “We will bring our boys home, there are no free gifts,” Netanyahu said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2017 3 Britons kidnapped in Nigeria freed; 1 killed The Foreign Office said Monday that U.K. missionaries Alanna Carson, David Donovan and Shirley Donovan have returned to their families after being kidnapped in Nigeria last month, but Ian Squire ‘was tragically killed.’ The four were abducted in the Niger Delta region on Oct. 13 We thought of you today, But that is nothing new. We thought of you yesterday And will tomorrow too. We think of you in silence And make no outward show For what it meant to love you Only those who love you know Remembering you is easy We do it every day We remember you by the many memories We made along the way Happy sixth birthday Gone but forever in our hearts Your Husband, children and extended family In Loving Memory of our Mother Alma Baronis Howell November 7, 1931- February 10, 2012 26 killed in church attack in Texas’ deadliest mass shooting With heavy police presence, crowds come out for NYC Marathon NEW YORK (AP) – Under the watchful eye of an ex- tremely heavy police pres- ence, crowds of spectators turned out Sunday to cheer on the runners taking part in the New York City Mara- thon just days after a truck attack killed eight people in lower Manhattan. In Brooklyn, where run- ners made their way down a long stretch, roads were blocked and officers lined the street. As the runners went by, they were accompanied by an escort of police vehicles. That did not deter spec- tators, though. Throngs lined the sides of the street, fran- tically waving cow bells and cheering as the mara- thoners came by. Karen Hester, 42, said she was “not in the slightest” bit concerned about being in a crowded space or the threat of a terror attack. The New Zealand native, who has lived in New York City for 10 years, watches the race every year, and this year wasn’t going to be any different. “There’s even more people this year,” Hester said. “I don’t think anyone is touched by any fear.” Families pushing prams held signs showing messages of encouragement, while some looked on from fire es- capes, balconies and roof- tops along Fourth Avenue, yelling support for the run- ners streaming past. “Vive Espana!” shouted one woman. Laughter erupted as a man dressed in a banana costume and a gold crown went by. A rock band revved up the crowd with the Lenny Kravitz song, “Are You Gonna Go My Way.” The marathon uses the layout of the city for its 26.2- mile course, which makes its way through residential neighborhoods before ending in Manhattan. The New York Police De- partment put together a se- curity detail that included hundreds of extra uniformed patrol and plainclothes offi- cers. There were also roving teams of counterterrorism commandos armed with heavy weapons, bomb-sniffing dogs and rooftop snipers. The department was also using a tactic that is been seen at parades and other events – sanitation trucks filled with sand, positioned at key intersections to keep people from being able to drive onto the course. But “I think once the race started, everyone has for- gotten it,” said Bart Ruijpers, 41, who was volunteering at a water station for runners along the route. “We are in the moment of the marathon.” A two-time participant, he said those taking part would have their minds on their races. “You prepare for this for months and months,” he said. “You are surrounded by all the energy of the crowd for 26 miles.” SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas (AP) – A man dressed in black tactical-style gear and armed with an assault rifle opened fire inside a church in a small South Texas community on Sunday, killing 26 people and wounding about 20 others in what the governor called the deadliest mass shooting in the state’s history. The dead ranged in age from 5 to 72 years old. Authorities did not iden- tify the attacker during a news conference Sunday night, but two other officials – one a U.S. official and one in law enforcement – iden- tified him as Devin Kelley. They spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of an- onymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation. The U.S. official said Kelley lived in a San Antonio suburb and did not appear to be linked to organized ter- rorist groups. Investigators were looking at social media posts Kelley made in the days before Sunday’s attack, in- cluding one that appeared to show an AR-15 semiau- tomatic weapon. Kelley received a bad-con- duct discharge from the Air Force for allegedly assaulting his spouse and child, and was sentenced to 12 months’ confinement after a 2012 court-martial. Kelley served in Logistics Readiness at Hol- loman Air Force Base in New Mexico from 2010 until his discharge, Air Force spokes- woman Ann Stefanek said. At the news conference, the attacker was described only as a white man in his 20s who was wearing black tactical gear and a ballistic vest when he pulled into a gas station across from the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, about 30 miles southeast of San An- tonio, around 11:20 a.m. The gunman crossed the street and started firing a Ruger AR rifle at the church, said Freeman Martin, a re- gional director of the Texas Department of Safety, then continued firing after en- tering the white wood-frame building, where an 11 a.m. service was scheduled. Wilson County Sheriff Joe D. Tackitt Jr., whose ter- ritory includes Sutherland Springs, said there was likely “no way” for the church con- gregation to escape once the shooting started. “You’ve got your pews on either side. He just walked down the center aisle, turned around and my under- standing was shooting on his way back out,” said Tackitt, who said the shooter also car- ried a handgun but that he didn’t know if it was fired. Tackitt described the scene inside the church as “terrible.” “It’s unbelievable to see children, men and women, laying there. Defenseless people,” Tackitt said. “I guess it was seeing the children that were killed. It’s one thing to see an adult, but to see a 5-year-old …” As he left, the shooter was confronted by an armed resident who “grabbed his rifle and engaged that sus- pect,” Martin said. A short time later, the suspect was found dead in his vehicle at the county line. Several weapons were found inside the vehicle and Martin said it was unclear if the attacker died of a self- inflicted wound or if he was shot by the resident who con- fronted him. He said inves- tigators were not ready to discuss a possible motive. Martin said 23 of the dead were found in the church, two were found outside and one died after being taken to a hospital. The man who confronted Kelley had help from another local resident, Johnnie Lan- gendorff, who told KSAT TV that he was driving past the church as the shooting hap- pened. He did not identify the armed resident but said the man exchanged gunfire with the gunman, then asked to get in Langendorff’s truck and the pair pursued as the gunman drove away. Langendorff says the gunman eventually lost control of his vehicle and crashed. He says the other man walked up to the ve- hicle with his gun drawn and the suspect did not move. He stayed there for at least five minutes, until police arrived. “I was strictly just acting on what’s the right thing to do,” Langendorff said. Gov. Greg Abbott called the attack the worst mass shooting in Texas history. “There are no words to de- scribe the pure evil that we witnessed,” Abbott said. “Our hearts are heavy at the an- guish in this small town, but in time of tragedy, we see the very best of Texas. May God comfort those who’ve lost a loved one, and may God heal the hurt in our communities.” Among those killed was the church pastor’s 14-year-old daughter, Annabelle Pomeroy. Pastor Frank Pomeroy, and his wife, Sherri, were both out of town when the attack oc- curred, Sherri Pomeroy wrote in a text message. “We lost our 14-year-old daughter today and many friends,” she wrote. “Neither of us has made it back into town yet to personally see the devastation. I am at the charlotte airport trying to get home as soon as i can.” Federal agents swarmed the small rural community of a few hundred residents, including ATF investigators and the FBI’s evidence collec- tion team. Alena Berlanga, a resident of nearby Floresville, known for its annual peanut festival, said everyone knows everyone else in the sparsely populated county. “Everybody’s going to be affected and everybody knows someone who’s af- fected,” Berlanga said. Church member Nick Uhlig, 34, was not at Sunday’s ser- vice, said his cousin, who was 8 months pregnant, and her in- laws were among those killed. “We just gathered to bury their grandfather on Thursday,” he said, shaking his head. President Donald Trump, who was in Japan, called the shooting an “act of evil” and said he was monitoring the situation. Investigators work at the scene of a deadly shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, Sunday. – PHOTO: APNext >