SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX FRIDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Camana Bay Christmas Tree Lighting is here! The annual spectacle brings entertainment and Santa Claus B7 ‘A Playhouse Family Christmas’ Grizz, Frizz, elves and a cast of festive characters are back B10 Events Theater Events ‘Peter Pan’ takes flight on Saturday Culture at the Cinema screens fanciful stage production B2 ■ ART & CULTURE National Gallery turns 20 Director Natalie Urquhart looks to the future and The Infinity Ball. B8 Keeping her eye on the prize Miss Cayman Anika Conolly prepares for the Miss Universe Pageant B5 STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July Registered Merchant of CaymanGiftCertificates.com Fine Wine and Spirits TORTUGA 15 stores island-wide and Mary Lou’s in Cayman Brac. For more information, please call 949-7701. 2for$30 MOSCATO SPUMANTE ROSÉ SAVE $7. REGULAR $18.50 EACH. For the Month of November. CAYMAN WEEKENDER National Gallery turns 20 EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 CEO MARCO ARCHER: THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE RIGHT POST High of 86 Low of 78 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2017 SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY Premier: ‘We cannot make unreasonable concessions’ to EU Europe accounts for 8 percent of investment in Cayman funds BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Premier Alden McLaughlin confided he had experienced “sleepless nights” in pre- paring for his Legislative Assembly speech Wednesday in which he indicated Cayman’s leadership was at wit’s end trying to comply with all directives, tax exchange agree- ments and information-sharing require- ments promulgated by the EU and Britain. “Only about 8 percent of the investment in Cayman funds comes from Europe,” Mr. McLaughlin pointed out. “[Of] the two big financial powerhouses in Europe, one is already outside the EU, Switzerland, and Britain is on her way out. So, I have no doubt, whether Cayman escapes the black- list or not, I have no doubt that over the me- dium term … the use of this jurisdiction and jurisdictions like ours by EU nations is going to fall away to almost nothing. “[The blacklisting] will have significant reputational consequences, negative conse- quences. We are doing everything we can to avoid that eventuality. “But … we have done everything that every other country in the world has done, and some more than most of them, 30-plus tax exchange agreements …. We know the beneficial ownership of every entity regis- tered in Cayman, which the U.K. can’t say and no country in Europe can say. Forget about the U.S. What more can we do?” “We cannot make unreasonable conces- sions which will have the effect of making the Cayman Islands irrelevant to the very busi- ness that is the basis of our existence as a fi- nancial services jurisdiction,” Mr. McLaughlin said during a Legislative Assembly debate. CAYMAN’S PUBLIC SERVICE WORKFORCE GREW IN 2016 BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands public service employ- ment rolls grew during the 2015/16 budget year, according to human resources reports re- leased to the Legislative Assembly this week. Deputy Governor Franz Manderson said a total of 54 departments across the civil service reported changes in staff “headcount” with an overall increase of about 3 percent for the en- tire public sector, including statutory authori- ties and government-owned companies. Between 2015 and 2016, the total number of public sector employees grew by 152 workers, 132 of them Caymanians. In most departments reporting staff in- creases, the numbers were small at “less than five employees,” the deputy governor said. The largest staff increases were reported at the Department of Education and the Ministry of District Administration. The Cayman Islands overall public sector workforce is now nearly 75 percent Cayma- nian, Mr. Manderson said. Based on data contained in annual human resources reports, the public sector staff went from about 72.5 percent Caymanian to 75 percent Caymanian in the period between 2012 and 2016. Mr. Manderson said the central civil ser- vice, which employs about 3,600 people, had 74.3 percent Caymanian staff and the New stamps celebrate Christmas season Christmassy scenes are already visible around the Cayman Islands in stores, roundabouts and gardens, and now they can be found on the latest issue of stamps. The Cayman Islands Postal Service issued four stamps and a first day cover that showcase local Christmas decorations. It features the decorations put up each year by the Bodden sisters on South Church Street and by the Crighton family at their home on Shamrock Road in Spotts. Both locations have become annual must-see sites for residents and visitors over the Christmas holidays. Available in denominations of 25 cents, 75 cents, 80 cents and $1, the stamps feature im- ages by Carmin Godfrey. The 25-cent stamp de- picts a nativity scene at the home of Maxine and Maureen Bodden. The 75-cent stamp celebrates many versions of Santa, depicted in a decora- tion at the Crighton home. The 80-cent stamp features a scene at the Bodden home that showcases the popular carol- lers who go all round the is- land every year. The $1 stamp depicts Santa and his elves in the snow, as seen in a Crighton home display. The official first day cover, sale price $3.60, also fea- tures a display of lights at the center of the Crighton home. Postmaster General Sheena Glasgow said in a press release, “The Postal Service sincerely thanks Ms. Godfrey for pro- viding us with these beautiful scenes. We have captured them on what I hope will become a cherished stamp issue that hails the Christmas spirit and celebrations in our islands.” “I am delighted to com- mend this stamp issue to the general public, to stamp lovers, first day cover enthu- siasts and collectors every- where,” she added. The four new stamps and a first day cover feature scenes from two of the most popular spots for Christmas decoration viewing - the Bodden and Crighton homes. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 »2 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Open daily 10am -10pm West Shore Center, SMB Turkey! Turkey! Happy American Thanksgiving! Thursday, 23 November GET YOUR ORDERS IN EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT! CRIME BRIEFS Police: Gun found in vehicle search Police officers investi- gating a damage to property call early Thursday found a handgun and a loaded mag- azine in a vehicle that had been at the scene of the crime. Royal Cayman Islands Po- lice were called to a Walkers Road gas station around 2:30 a.m. after a disturbance in- volving property damage was reported. Some of the individuals involved in the incident left the gas station in a Honda Civic when police arrived. The car was stopped and searched by a police officer, who recovered a loaded mag- azine. The Honda’s driver ran off during the vehicle search and has not been found, po- lice said. The handgun was found during a forensic ex- amination of the Honda, which occurred later. Two passengers in the Honda, a 23-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman, were arrested on suspicion of an unlicensed firearm and damage to property. Man hurt in bottle- throwing attack A man found lying on the ground near the entrance of Cayman Prep school early Thursday suffered a serious head injury after bottles were thrown at him, police said. The assault was reported just before 2 a.m. on Smith Road in the vicinity of Trop- ical Plaza in George Town. Officers found the victim on the ground, bleeding from the head when they arrived. The man was still hospital- ized as of Thursday afternoon. Man arrested at BT beach Police officers arrested a George Town man Wednesday at Coe Wood Beach in Bodden Town on suspicion of drug possession. Police said searches of a vehicle by the police K-9 unit located what officers believed to be ganja in the vehicle. The 47-year-old man who owned the vehicle was arrested on suspicion of possessing ganja with intent to supply and other related offenses. Police officers have been investigating community complaints about noise and antisocial behavior on the public beach, particularly at night and at the weekends. The George Town man was arrested as part of one of those operations. Break-in at Brac Water Authority Burglars hit the Cayman Brac office of the Water Au- thority – Cayman sometime over the long weekend. The office was closed for part of Tuesday while the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service investigated the bur- glary. “Our offices were able to resume customer service transactions on Tuesday af- ternoon,” Authority Deputy Director Tom van Zanten said. The RCIPS said the bur- glary was reported around 8 a.m. Tuesday. “A quantity of cash was taken from the property,” the police reported. Funding, credibility key to football election Lee Ramoon, Renard Moxam and Alfredo Whittaker vie for CIFA presidency JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com More than two years after his arrest in Switzerland on bribery charges, former Cayman Islands Football Association president Jef- frey Webb still casts a long shadow over the sport in his homeland. As members of the as- sociation prepare to meet Saturday to appoint his long-term successor, the can- didates are still grappling with how to restore cred- ibility and funding to the sport in the wake of Webb’s transgressions. Government’s decision to pull its $130,000 annual grant has been among the most ob- vious consequences of the fallout from Webb’s arrest. That stance will con- tinue for at least the next two years, according to the 2018 and 2019 government budget, finalized Wednesday, which includes no money for the football association. Lee Ramoon, a former national team captain, was elected to complete Webb’s term after the long-time president pleaded guilty to involvement in racke- teering and bribery schemes at world football’s gov- erning body, FIFA. Mr. Ramoon insists signif- icant progress has been made in the 18 months he has been in charge. Contenders Alfredo Whittaker, a senior match referee, and Renard Moxam, a businessman and former professional player in the North American Soccer League in the 1970s, argue that change has not been as swift or as sweeping as it should have been. Mr. Ramoon was elected in a runoff against Mr. Whit- taker at a special election last May. Presidents normally serve four-year terms, but Mr. Ramoon was essentially fin- ishing the term for Webb and must face a new ballot at CI- FA’s annual general meeting at the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, Saturday. Webb had been elected uncontested in every CIFA election for the previous 20 years, according to previous Cayman Compass reports. This time Mr. Whittaker and Mr. Ramoon will reprise their closely contested 2016 battle, while Mr. Moxam, who was controversially blocked in an attempt to challenge former acting president Bruce Blake in 2015, has also thrown his hat into the ring. Mr. Moxam said that de- spite significant changes on the CIFA executive committee, he was still concerned that the influence of a small coterie of officials on the game remained. He said a completely new image was required to re- store confidence and credi- bility to the game. “We need to change our image, change our organi- zation,” he said. “It is only when we get a new cadre of people running the sport that the public and private sector will feel comfortable sup- porting the game.” Mr. Ramoon said he had brought much needed lead- ership to the sport. “We have moved on from that dark place where we were in terms of being transparent with the financial management practices. We are in a much better place than we were 16 months ago.” He said members would be updated Saturday on the progress of a forensic audit examining CIFA’s accounts since 2009, as well as the ac- counts from the most re- cent financial year. He said treasurer Armando Ebanks had led a reform of the fi- nancial management prac- tices and the association had met milestones set by FIFA which allowed it to access grant funding again from the governing body. He believes government will follow suit and resume funding in the near future. “We will definitely resolve that. I don’t think it is going to be long term – once we com- plete our forensic audit, we will sit down with government and talk about how we want to utilize the funds and come to an amicable solution.” Mr. Whittaker said he had seen little sign of progress since the last election and was confident of a different re- sult this time. “I think the difference this time is that the clubs and the football fraternity in Cayman see that the president hasn’t been able to achieve anything to move the game forward,” he said. “We have had a couple of youth national teams go away and do well, but there is no structure, no leadership, no development. The clubs are in limbo.” Both Mr. Whittaker and Mr. Moxam argued that the continued lack of government funding and the apparent diffi- culty in securing private sector sponsorship are symptomatic of a general lack of confidence in the current administration. If elected, Mr. Moxam said he would put together a team to formulate a national de- velopment plan for the sport in terms of administrative, fi- nancial and technical policy, and then implement it. He said he would also look to develop a fundraising com- mittee of honest and com- mitted people to bring money back to the game. “The lack of government money is another indicator of where the level of trust and confidence is right now,” he said. “You can have the most fantastic programs and ideas but if you don’t have money, you are just spinning your wheels.” Alfredo Whittaker is of no relation to James Whittaker, the writer of this story. UCCI starts search process for new president The University Col- lege of the Cayman Islands has started the process of seeking a new president. Cur- rent President Roy Bodden, who has headed the uni- versity since 2009, plans to retire in 2018. In a press release, UCCI said it will be seeking a pres- ident who can “increase ex- ternal focus, establishing deeper relationships and en- gagement with all external stakeholders and [generate] increased financial and people resources from ex- isting and new sources.” Exactly who those stake- holders might be is not spelled out in the release. The school indicated that it would add a position of vice president and pro- vost, aligning its administra- tive structure more closely with other universities. That person would focus more on internal issues at the campus. The university said offi- cials are still working to de- fine those roles before adver- tising for the position. Calls and emails requesting additional information were not returned before press time. WEST BAY ROAD CLOSURE A portion of West Bay Road between Lawrence Boulevard and the Galleria Roundabout will remain closed between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. this weekend while underpass beams are installed. Access to homes and businesses north of the un- derpass can be made from the Galleria Roundabout, while properties south of the underpass can be ac- cessed from the Lawrence Boulevard entrance. Twelfth arrest in anti-corruption probe A dozen people have now been arrested in an anti- corruption probe that has spanned nearly an entire year. Three of the arrests have taken place in the past nine days. The Anti-Corruption Commission announced that a 26-year-old female from George Town was the latest arrest. A press release from the agency said she was being held for questioning Thursday at the Prisoner Detention Centre in Fairbanks and is sus- pected of bribery of a public officer, fraud on the govern- ment and breach of trust. As with all of the other suspects, her name is not being released and officials are not discussing any of the details of the investigation. No formal charges have yet been laid against any of the suspects, the first of which were ar- rested in January. All but the current suspect, as of Thursday afternoon, are cur- rently out on bail. UCCI President Roy Bodden Government’s decision to pull its $130,000 annual grant been among the most obvious consequences of the fallout from Webb’s arrest.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2017 185424-Ad-50thAnn-FP-Compass-17N1 111/15/17 6:50:29 PMThe 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. FRIDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS With the appointment of former Finance Minister Marco Archer as chief executive officer of the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange, the future of the exchange is decidedly bullish. Before his four-year term as an elected George Town legislator, Mr. Archer was a practicing attorney for a local offshore law firm. Before that he worked for the Cayman government as a project manager and economic statistician. In addition to his law degrees, Mr. Archer holds a bachelor’s in economics and finance, and a master of business administration. All this is to say that Mr. Archer has in-depth knowledge of Cayman’s financial sector, including the laws and regulations that govern the industry here. As finance minister, he was instrumental in efforts to control spending and reduce public debt, under the terms of the U.K.’s Framework for Fiscal Responsibility. In 2016, Global Markets magazine honored Mr. Archer as the Caribbean’s finance minister of the year. It is clear that Mr. Archer actually brought knowl- edge, experience and substance to his post as a legis- lator – commodities that are too often in short supply in the Legislative Assembly. In his new position, his acumen and comfort level with “digits and decimals,” no doubt will serve him – and his countrymen, meaning us – well. It is also clear that Mr. Archer was the “one qualified Caymanian” who applied for the CEO job, according to Stock Exchange Council Chairman Anthony Travers. So why are some opposition members in the Legis- lative Assembly making so much – well, noise – about Mr. Archer’s appointment? Might it have something to do with Mr. Archer’s membership in the ruling Progressives party, or that one of the critics – George Town MLA Kenneth Bryan – ran against (and defeated) Mr. Archer in May’s election? If anything, these legislators, including North Side MLA Ezzard Miller and East End MLA Arden McLean (who spend much of their time in the House com- plaining about how this or that “qualified Caymanian” didn’t get some job or other in government), should be applauding the fact that this time, a truly qualified Caymanian did secure a high-profile position. Instead, they are attempting to nitpick the hiring process, alleging that government did not follow pre- cisely its convoluted employment protocol involving shortlists, subcommittees and ministerial notifications, among other hurdles. Given that the right man appeared to get the right job, even if officials missed Step 3(b) out of 8 … so what? Since there were no better qualified local applicants, would they have preferred that the Stock Exchange bring in a work permit holder? Mr. Travers, for the record, says the board did adhere to the law. And if there’s anyone who knows Cayman law and the Cayman Stock Exchange better than Mr. Travers, we have not met him or her yet. And, frankly, we doubt we ever will, because they don’t exist. In our opinion, the opposition’s allegations amount to little more than vindictive double-daring of officials to double-check their i-dotting and t-crossing. The substance of their complaint does not even come close to meriting a serious news story, much less a formal investigation. What made this a news story at all was that Deputy Governor Franz Manderson has requested an investi- gation into the matter by internal auditors. He should not have. Internal auditors have far more important work to do than to spend their time probing politicians’ “asterisk-level” gripes about a process that yielded an extraordinarily good result for the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange – and the Cayman Islands people. CEO Marco Archer: The right man for the right post Ruminations during a trip to New York Slight panic in the air- port out in Texas. Waiting to check a bag, pull out my billfold, no driver’s li- cense. Check pockets, brief- case. Credit cards, no li- cense. The brain flutters. Hotel? Taxi? Pickpocket? A teen terrorist from Izves- tistan perhaps, trying to persuade TSA he is 75 and from Anoka, Minnesota? How about dementia? Loss of license today, to- morrow can’t conjugate “lay” and “say,” next day my wife’s name is missing along with the three branches of government. OK. License found. In jacket pocket. I head for TSA, resuming my life as a Midwestern author, hus- band, father. Never mind that I checked that very pocket three times thor- oughly. I’m OK. OK? Life is precarious. So much depends on a small card with a grim pic- ture of me on it. Lose it and I become flotsam, a fugitive, stateless, dis- placed. Sobering. So I got on a plane to New York and when I disem- barked my faithful iPhone was dead and wouldn’t re- charge and suddenly it was olden times again when you look around for a pay- phone and newsboys shout the headlines on the street corner and you get on an elevator and an attractive woman asks you for a light. And when a meteorite is headed straight for Gotham, Clark Kent steps into a phone booth to change into his Superman outfit and de- flect the thing into Long Island Sound. I spent a whole day with no cellphone and it gave me the feeling of being in a for- eign country, out of touch, friendless, so I walked over to Grand Central Station and there, under the great starry ceiling, I found an Apple store and made an ap- pointment to see someone at their genius desk who could restore my connection to the world. I had an hour to kill and I did it in style, in the Oyster Bar, the restaurant that time has not changed. I sat down and the wait- ress came by, said hello, handed me a menu. She didn’t ask how I was doing today — she was a classic New York waitress, a big healthy woman, all busi- ness. Came back a few min- utes later, said, “Ready?” I ordered black coffee and a half-dozen Chincoteagues and the grilled halibut. She did not say, “Oh, that’s one of my favorites,” as millen- nial waiters in the Midwest do. She brought the coffee and I amused myself by writing a limerick: “There was an old waitress of Queens “Who cautioned me not to eat beans, “Lest I spill on my clothes “Or stick beans up my nose “And never find out what life means.” After she brought the food, she did not come back to say, “How’s everything tasting?” No need — it’s the Oyster Bar, the food is good. Nor did she come back later to ask, “You still working on that?” She was a minimalist. Waiting on tables is a ser- vice; it isn’t the beginning of a beautiful friendship. It dawned on me that, here in the Oyster Bar, I was in a time warp and that, if I decided to not get an iPhone, it would be 1961 outside and my hero A.J. Liebling would be alive and still writing his gor- geous stuff, and I’d walk up 44th Street and see Eudora Welty, as I once did years ago, standing in front of the Algonquin Hotel, looking for a taxi, and I’d be 19 again, walking around with a pack of Luckies in my pocket, writing sorrowful poems about an owl with a broken wing flying home through a moonless night. So I tipped the waitress 50 percent for the memories and went over to Apple. The old phone was dead for good and I bought a new one. The thought of going back to 1961 was unbear- able. I’d have to relive the 1963 assassination and stay in grad school to dodge the draft and hear Richard Nixon say that he had a se- cret plan to end the war in Vietnam. My precious daughters would disappear into the ether and my dear wife would be 4 years old. It’s good to be old. Every day is an adventure. The Apple guy was very nice. I didn’t understand much of what he said but he sold me the new phone and I ap- preciate this gizmo more than the average 19-year- old would because I am old enough to remember the wooden phone on the farm- house wall with the crank that you turned to get the operator who would connect you to whoever you wanted. This phone is a God-given miracle. With this and my driver’s license, I can go anywhere. Garrison Keillor is an author and radio personality. © 2017, Garrison Keillor, distributed by The Washington Post News Service with Bloomberg News. 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” GARRISON KEILLOR GARRISON KEILLORThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2017 185424-Ad-50thAnn-FP-Compass-17N2 211/15/17 6:51:16 PM6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS 50 years ago: Life saved by air-sea rescue In the Nov. 15, 1967 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, the fol- lowing story appeared on the front page: “Our voluntary local air- sea rescue service went into operation on Monday last as a result of which Armand Dilbert was rescued from the sea after a mishap on a fishing trip. “Dilbert left the Beach Club alone on a boat at about 1 p.m. and when he had not returned at 4 p.m., Mrs. Hatch informed Bob Soto who sent his Boston Whaler and two men aboard to start a search. Soto was then contacted by the Chief of Police who also asked Cayman Brac Airways DC-3 to join in the search. Soon the ‘Cayman Pilot’ went out and three miles from shore they found Dilbert’s boat. Returning to the Beach Club and finding that Armand had not swum ashore as an- ticipated, they decided to go out again. “Cayman Brac Airways went up a second time. This was about 6 p.m. when there was only about half an hour of daylight left. The ‘Cayman Pilot’ steered a northwest course and about one mile from shore, what appeared to be a coconut bobbing up and down was spotted in the water. This proved to be Dil- bert. Attlee Bodden jumped overboard and held Dilbert while a rope was thrown and they were pulled onto the boat. Dilbert was quite exhausted and was wrapped in a blanket and given hot sugar water which revived him a little. “Bob then signalled to Cayman Brac Airways with his searchlight and thus the Chief of Police was able to get back to the dock to be ready to convey Dilbert to hospital. Fortunately, he was discharged the next morning. “It is reported that the engine failed and Dilbert thought he could make it to the shore so he abandoned the boat and began to swim, but the distance was too much for him.” In the same edition, a story titled “The 1967-68 tourist season off to a flying start” also appeared on the front page. It read: “Our tourist season was certainly ‘off to a flying start’ with the arrival of the first group from Van- couver to stay at La Fon- taine Hotel, and the Airven- turers from Indiana who spent the weekend at the Coral Caymanian Hotel. Two calypso bands and a host of residents were at the air- port bright and early to give them a welcome. “Within 10 minutes of ar- rival at their hotel, many of the visitors were in the sea, despite the northeast wind which local residents found very cool. It was unfortunate that Monday and Tuesday were wet days, which was rather a dampener for the weekenders. “Cocktail parties and dances were enjoyed on Sat- urday night and the ‘Cayman Pilot’ took a full load for a trip on Sunday morning. “By courtesy of Pacific Western Airlines, a spe- cial flight was arranged on Monday afternoon for mem- bers of the public, the press, Tourist Board, Chamber of Commerce representatives, etc., to take a trip over the three islands in the 707. “Despite poor visibility, this was a wonderful expe- rience which was greatly en- joyed and much appreciated by all who had the privilege of going aboard this beau- tiful aircraft.” Six more gain PR after waiting 4+ years Board decisions overturned on appeal BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A woman who waited so long for a decision on her permanent residence ap- plication that her son be- came Caymanian during the delay period is one of six people recently granted resi- dency. She applied more than four years ago. The six applicants sought permission to remain in Cayman for the rest of their lives before the rewritten Im- migration Law took effect in October 2013. They all were denied under the former residency system that re- quired applicants to obtain 100 points, rather than the 110 needed for applicants in the current law. Although the Cayma- nian Status and Permanent Residency Board initially denied the six applica- tions, they were reviewed recently by the Immigra- tion Appeals Tribunal and granted residency. According to attorneys at HSM Chambers, who repre- sented the appellants, all six applications were approved with well more than the re- quired 100 points. In one case, a woman who applied before October 2013 was awarded 137 points, after her initial applica- tion was given just 89 points by the board. Large discrepancies were seen in the other applica- tions, according to HSM partner Nick Joseph. One applicant who received 62 points in the initial re- view by the board got 119 points when judged by the tribunal. Another who re- ceived 92 points when heard before the board received 152 on appeal. “We can only assume that errors have been made along the way and be grateful that an indepen- dent and effective appeals mechanism exists to cor- rect such errors and provide a solution to any injustice,” Mr. Joseph said in response to Cayman Compass ques- tions on the matter. Mr. Joseph gave the ex- ample of one of the six ap- plicants whose child received Caymanian status after their father was granted Cay- manian status, while the mother had still not even received word on her resi- dency application. The close Caymanian re- lationship between child and the mother would have re- sulted in the woman getting an extra 40 points on her res- idency application. The issue serves to il- lustrate the potential conse- quences of years-long delays in residency bids. Those delays continued until earlier this year when a series of lawsuits over per- manent residence applica- tions essentially forced gov- ernment’s hand in hearing more-recently filed applica- tions. Before that, many ap- plicants had waited two and a half years for word on their respective fates. “All of this emphasizes the need for lawful, transparent and rational systems which can be relied on to provide the right answer … the first time,” Mr. Joseph said. “It also perhaps emphasizes … the potential unintended con- sequences of delay.” The Cayman Islands gov- ernment still has more than 800 residency applications to process, but Premier Alden McLaughlin said recently that government officials and appointed board members are making good progress in handling the backlog. “I don’t think we’ll ever reach a point when there are zero applications in the queue,” Mr. McLaughlin said. ”The overriding issue was to deal with the long-standing applications that were there. I think the situation is well under control.” Mr. Joseph concurred with the premier’s re- marks this week. “Credit is due for a large amount of exceptional work being undertaken,” he said. Lobster Pot Dive Center celebrates 10 years Nick Buckley, third from left, and Giles Charlton-Jones, second from right, who along with Danny Kupkowski are owners of the Lobster Pot Dive Center, cut a cake to celebrate the center’s 10th anniversary this month. The dive shop on North Church Street is home to Wall to Wall Divers and Deep Blue Divers. “We can only assume that errors have been made along the way.” NICK JOSEPH, partner, HSM Chambers More than 800 permanent residency applications are waiting to be processed. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2017 8 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. Evadney Adina Williams nee Thomas affectionately known as “ET”, “RAS” and “Mommy” of West Bay, who passed away on Thursday, October 26, 2017. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Sunday, November 19, 2017 at 1:00p.m. at Savannah Seventh-day Adventist Church, Shamrock Rd. Viewing will be from 12:00-12:45p.m. Interment follows at New Pease Bay Cemetery. Please wear bright, vibrant colours. We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. William Ernest Dawson affectionately known as “Bill” of Newlands, Savannah, who passed away on Sunday, November 12, 2017. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Sunday, November 19, 2017 at 3:00p.m. at First Baptist Church, 920 Crewe Road, George Town. Viewing will be from 2:00-2:45p.m. Interment follows at Prospect Cemetery. We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. William Ernest Dawson affectionately known as “Bill” of Newlands, Savannah, who passed away on Sunday, November 12, 2017. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Sunday, November 19, 2017 at 3:00p.m. at First Baptist Church, 920 Crewe Road, George Town. Viewing will be from 2:00-2:45p.m. Interment follows at Prospect Cemetery. Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Lydia Caroline Warren of George Town, Grand Cayman who passed away on Wednesday, November 8, 2017. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Saturday, November 18, 2017 at 10:00a.m. at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Rd, Savannah. Interment follows at Spotts Cemetery. Please wear cheerful attire. In lieu of owers, please make donations to the Lydia Warren Educational Trust to be established. In loving Memory of Elkin Haraldo Webster July 9, 1930 – November 17, 2016 Forever in my heart, From your loving sister Erscelle You are missed, Each and every day. For you were someone special, Who meant more than words could say. Elkin Haraldo WebsterElkin Haraldo Webster The family of the Late Grace Lillian Jackson regrets to announce her passing on Sunday, 5 November , 2017. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A Funeral service will be held 10:00 a.m. Saturday, 18 November 2017 at John Gray Memorial Church, West Bay. Viewing will be from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday 17 November 2017 at Bodden Funeral Service 117 Walkers Rd. Interment will follow in West Bay Cemetery. Chamber holds anti-fraud seminar KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com United States Secret Ser- vice Agent Paul Adie passed out a stack of counterfeit U.S. bills to a roomful of bankers, businesspeople, and govern- ment employees Wednesday at the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center. “I want you to feel these bills, and feel how they’re dif- ferent than a real bill,” Mr. Adie said of the money, which his agency confiscated from fraudsters over the years. “Counterfeit bills are usu- ally smoother.” Mr. Adie was one of sev- eral speakers at the Cham- ber’s annual Fraud Preven- tion Seminar, which provides training to industry pro- fessionals on how to spot counterfeit currency, protect customer data, and guard against other types of fraud. Along with advising people on how to spot coun- terfeit U.S. currency, the Se- cret Service agent also provided a primer on email- related scams. Online fraudsters are also becoming more sophisticated, evolving from the “Nigerian prince” scam to more tar- geted forms of identity theft, Mr. Adie said. Current tactics include phishing attacks, where scammers will send out emails requesting personal information; “spear-phishing,” which is a more targeted ver- sion of phishing that entails a scammer imitating a busi- ness and sending emails to that institution’s customers; and “whaling,” an even more targeted scheme where scammers imitate a com- pany executive and send in- ternal emails to the compa- ny’s employees. Mr. Adie said he has seen businesses lose as little as $20,000 and as much as $46 million from such scams. To protect against be- coming a victim, people should have anti-virus soft- ware on the computers, reg- ularly update their operating systems, and pay close at- tention to the emails they re- ceive, he advised. Credit card fraud was another major topic at the seminar. Bruce Sigsworth, who works in fraud prevention at CIBC FirstCaribbean Interna- tional Bank, said that busi- nesses and customers alike should be using new “chip- and-PIN” credit and debit cards. While the old cards had their info contained in magnetic strips – which were easy to steal and duplicate – the chips generate a transac- tion code only eligible for a single transaction. Mr. Sigsworth said that those who have adopted the chip-and-PIN system have seen a marked drop in fraud. However, “If you take your chip and PIN to a business and they manually input the numbers instead of using the chip, that is a weak, weak, weak transaction,” he said. “It’s only secure if you use it properly.” Mr. Adie said that taking enhanced anti-fraud measures is becoming increasingly im- portant because cybercrimes are on the rise for multiple reasons, including the fact that they can be perpetrated from different jurisdictions, and that there is a low-risk, high-reward element to them. “You get a lot of money and it’s difficult to be prose- cuted, as opposed to robbing a liquor store and risking 20 years in prison to get $20,” he said. United States Secret Service agent Paul Adie said he’s seen businesses lose as little as $20,000 and as much as $46 million from such scams. Man threw 3.9 pounds of ganja over prison fence Existing suspended sentences activated CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man previously given a chance with two suspended sentences literally threw that chance away when he threw ganja over the fence at Her Majesty’s Prison in Northward. Sean Luke Dunbar, 24, had pleaded guilty in Sep- tember to possession of 3.9 pounds of ganja with intent to supply at the prison on Feb. 16 this year. On Tuesday, Magistrate Valdis Foldats reflected on the seriousness of Dun- bar’s offense. He took into account a previously sus- pended sentence for an ear- lier offense of the same kind before sentencing him to 40 months’ imprisonment. Dunbar was then remanded to the Grand Court, where he will be dealt with for breaching a suspended sen- tence handed down there for a firearm offense. The suspended sentences were lenient on the face of it, the magistrate agreed, but they were imposed because Dunbar had cooperated with authorities and had given evidence for the Crown in a firearm trial. For his own role in han- dling the firearm, Dunbar received a sentence of 18 months, suspended for two years. That was in De- cember 2016. It had been hoped that suspended sen- tences would help Dunbar turn the corner and adopt a crime-free lifestyle, the mag- istrate explained. It was therefore “shocking and disheartening” that this new offense was com- mitted less than five weeks after the Summary Court gave him his second sus- pended sentence, the magis- trate commented. The facts of the new of- fense were simple but grave, he continued. In the late af- ternoon of Feb. 16, Dunbar ran up to the prison fence and threw packages over it. He was apprehended al- most immediately. The drugs were recovered. His role was limited to delivery man, the magistrate said. Other people sourced the drug and made arrange- ments with a prisoner to re- ceive the drugs at a specific time and at a specific place. Dunbar became involved, he said, because he intended to use the money he would get in order to get medicine for his child. The magistrate pointed out that other people in fi- nancial difficulties were not driven to crime. Further, Dunbar had legal options to pay for the medicine. The magistrate said it was distressing to repeat what had been said in other cases involving drugs being carried to prison, where they are of much greater value than on the street. Drugs in prison are like currency, used to bully and extort. They can result in injuries to both inmates and staff and they undermine the rule of law, he said. The magistrate imposed a sentence of 40 months, de- scribing it as severe, “but rightly so.” The sentence in- cluded an activation of the suspended sentence for the previous possession of ganja, which was eight months. Dunbar was expected to appear in Grand Court on Friday, Nov. 17, before Jus- tice Charles Quin, who had imposed the suspended sen- tence for the firearm. U.S. Secret Service Agent Paul Adie speaks at a Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce anti-fraud seminar on Wednesday, giving attendees advice on how to spot counterfeit currency. - PHOTO: KEN SILVA9 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2017 Wage surveyors to begin visiting homes Surveyors collecting data on employment and wage details will begin visiting homes this week. The Economics and Sta- tistics Office began con- ducting the mandatory Oc- cupational Wage Survey 2017 among businesses and gov- ernment departments last month. From Thursday, Nov. 16, ESO survey workers will be administering the survey to households with employees, according to a press release from the ESO. The mandatory survey is scheduled to con- tinue until Dec. 29. “The Occupational Wage Survey for households seeks to collect data on employment and remuneration. Questions on employee qualifications, immigration status, skills, number of hours worked, and type of employment will also be asked,” the release stated. “The OWS is confidential in accordance with the Statistics Law (Revision 2016). House- holders will not be asked to write their names or their em- ployees’ names on the question- naires. ESO individual survey data are exempt from Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. Only aggregate data will be available to users of data in- cluding the Ministry of Human Resources, private sector com- panies and HR associations that may find the data sets useful for compensation review.” The Occupational Wage Survey, which began Oct. 18, is being conducted by the Min- istry of Human Resources and the Economics and Sta- tistics Office. The survey can also be completed by filling out paper forms or electronically by downloading the forms from www.eso.ky. For further information on the survey, visit www.eso.ky or contact the ESO at 516-3329 or 949-0940. Civil service considering a clampdown on ‘job hopping’ BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands gov- ernment is reviewing employ- ment rules for non-Cayma- nian workers that often do not strictly prevent those em- ployees from switching jobs in the midst of a contract. According to legislators, the issue is of particular con- cern in the Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service, where foreign officers are brought in on fixed-term contracts. In some instances, lawmakers said those officers can work long enough to make contacts in the local market and then take up employment else- where in the islands. Unlike work permits given to non-Caymanian employees in the private sector, govern- ment contracts often will not specify that the individual must work for a particular de- partment or agency. “If you’re recruited to do a particular job, that’s what you should do,” East End MLA Arden McLean said during a meeting of the Leg- islative Assembly’s Finance Committee this week. “This issue permeates the whole civil service. We see it more prominently, or visibly, in the police department. “We’re constantly … having problems with reten- tion of contracted police offi- cers, but it’s not only there.” There have been a number of high-profile departures from the RCIPS in recent years, most notably those of Caymanian superinten- dents Robert Scotland and Angelique Howell, as well as Marine Unit Inspector Leo Anglin. Those officers were all Caymanians and were not restricted in their em- ployment options. However, Mr. McLean noted issues in the past where foreign nationals have initially come to work in the police service, stayed long enough to get permanent res- idence, then leave the RCIPS to study law or some other field with more lucrative pay. Mr. McLean said those offi- cers often take advantage of the training the police service provides to up-skill them- selves before leaving the de- partment’s employ. Mr. McLean asked whether certain conditions should be put on non-Caymanian of- ficers’ employment, such as “you cannot leave the police force.” Chief Officer of the Port- folio of the Civil Service Gloria McField-Nixon said there had been discussions this week between govern- ment human resources man- agers and RCIPS brass re- garding the issue. “They have been looking at contract terms,” Ms. McField- Nixon said, particularly in- volving officers who “break” their current contracts to take up other local employment. The Cayman Islands Civil Service Association, which represents all local gov- ernment workers, noted Wednesday that it “supports the ability of all our mem- bers to advance their careers within the public service.” “If we wish to have a world-class public service, we need to recruit and retain and promote the best employees,” said the association’s presi- dent, John Bothwell. “Since Caymanians can and have shown themselves to be as good as anyone else in the world in their chosen fields, competition between perma- nent and contracted civil ser- vants for internal promotions should not be a problem.” If there is a difficulty, Mr. Bothwell said, it is in the area of advancing quali- fied employees to take roles being vacated by retiring workers or those moving on to other careers. “What is badly needed is an effective and transparent civil service succession plan- ning policy, including the ad- vancement of staff between agencies,” Mr. Bothwell said. “Succession planning would give permanent staff much greater confidence in their ca- reer progression and remove any doubt as to what skills … are needed to advance through the civil service.” Deputy Governor Franz Manderson acknowledged that succession planning is an area where civil service managers need greater focus. Mr. Man- derson said senior managers often do not get much time to focus on future planning amid the day-to-day job demands.Next >