ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 20, 2017 High of 86 Low of 76 Seas: Moderate to rough with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over open water. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 TIME FOR REFLECTION: HOW DOES OUR CIVIL SERVICE SEE ITSELF? LOCAL NEWS | PAGE 5 ADVENTIST CHAMBER ORCHESTRA HOLDS CHRISTMAS CONCERT No dancing or music allowed in Cayman on New Year’s Eve 40-year-old law limits New Year’s Eve entertainment KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com This New Year’s Eve falls on a Sunday, trig- gering 40-year-old legislation that prohibits dancing and music on that day of the week. As a result, dozens of restaurants and bars are nixing their usual New Year’s Eve parties, forgoing what’s usually one of their most prof- itable business days in the process. According to the Music and Dancing (Con- trol) Law, premises that sell food or refresh- ments are not allowed to permit dancing or the playing of music during Good Fridays, Christmas, and Sundays. Cinemas, town halls and hotels that are not open to the general public are exempt from the prohibition. “I’m afraid, by law, music and dancing are prohibited on Sunday,” Premier Alden McLaughlin confirmed when contacted by the Compass. “Neither the Liquor Licensing Board nor Cabinet have any discretion in the matter.” Liquor Licensing Board Chairman Noel Williams said that on Jan. 1 at 12:01 a.m., music and dancing will again be permitted. To make up for the New Year’s Eve ban, the li- quor board will likely extend the hours estab- lishments can stay open until “3 or 4 a.m.,” he said. Mr. Williams said the Liquor Licensing Board will soon make an announcement on the issue. But extending the party hours into early Monday morning will not make up for the businesses that cater to the “mature” crowd that likes to go home after the ball drops, said Markus Mueri, who owns Deckers Bar, KARoo Cayman and Abacus at Camana Bay. “The board [may grant] a blanket exten- sion for everybody until 4 a.m., but by that APPLEBY SUES BBC AND GUARDIAN OVER PARADISE PAPERS MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Appleby is taking legal action against two U.K.-based media organizations, the BBC and The Guardian, over their reporting of offshore transactions by the law firm’s clients based on what Appleby calls confidential information taken in a “criminal act.” Appleby is suing for breach of confidence and seeks a permanent injunction against fur- ther use of the information, as well as the dis- closure and return of the documents. Both the BBC and The Guardian said they would vigorously defend the revelations as being in the “highest public interest.” The BBC claimed the leak of financial doc- uments, branded the “Paradise Papers,” had revealed “how the powerful and ultra-wealthy secretly invest cash in offshore tax havens.” A spokesperson for the BBC said the orga- nization’s “serious and responsible journalism is resulting in revelations which are clearly of the highest public interest,” and has re- vealed matters which would otherwise have remained secret. As a result, authorities were taking action. The Guardian said the legal action was an attempt to “undermine responsible public-in- terest journalism.” Media organizations are typically allowed to disclose confidential documents, provided their content is deemed to be in the public interest. Data protection legislation in most Police hail new powers to control sex offenders JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Police will be able to keep a closer watch on convicted sex offenders through new court or- ders restricting their movements and behavior after release, ac- cording to senior officers. While Cayman has yet to im- plement legislation for a public sexual offenders register, offi- cers believe new Sexual Harm Prevention Orders will help them monitor serious offenders that pose a potential threat to the community. The first such order was im- posed Friday on Ronnie Rodney Ebanks, who was also jailed for six years for a serious sexual assault. Detectives in charge of in- vestigating sex crimes say they will seek similar orders in future cases, including the upcoming sentencing of Errington Webster, the erstwhile political candi- date who groomed and sexually abused a teenage girl. The orders, which must be approved by a judge, can be tai- lored to an offender’s particular pattern of behavior. Someone caught filming child Show- jumping ‘reindeer’ Kayla Godwin, riding Harry, bounds over a show jump at the Cayman Riding School’s annual Christmas Horse Show, which was held over the weekend. Harry was among the horses that were bearing a distinct resemblance to reindeer – all part of the show’s fancy dress class. More than 50 riders took part in the horse show, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. For more on this story, see page 15. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 »2 REGIONAL NEWS WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 20, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS • Daily Matinees Every Day • $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 • Additional charges will apply per 3D/VIP ticket requested SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - WEDNESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI 3D (PG13) 1:00 2D I 1:30 2D VIP I 2:35 I 4:20 2D 5:50 I 6:15 2D VIP I 7:40 2D I 9:05 9:30 2D VIP THE STAR (PG) 2:50 I 10:00 COCO 3D (PG) 12:20 2D I 5:00 I 7:30 2D WONDER (PG) 1:10 JUSTICE LEAGUE (PG13) 12:50 I 4:05 I 7:00 I 9:50 DARKEST HOUR (PG13) 3:40 I 6:40 DADDY’S HOME 2 (PG13) 9:40 Come visit us before December 31st and receive 15% off all IV treatments and booster shots! Please call 743 5600 or email cayman@revivme.com to book today! BOOK YOUR WELLNESS TREATMENT NOW & SAVE 15%BOOK YOUR WELLNESS TREATMENT NOW & SAVE 15%BOOK YOUR WELLNESS TREATMENT NOW & SAVE 15% GIVE THE GIFT OF WELLNESS Lottery scam suspect wants evidence suppressed BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – The last suspect set for trial in a large-scale Jamaican lottery scam being prosecuted in the U.S. is seeking to have evi- dence suppressed. Melinda Bulgin, of Provi- dence, Rhode Island, main- tains her rights were violated when authorities questioned her in Jamaica in May 2015 and in Rhode Island in July of that year. “All statements, admis- sions, confessions, letters, re- cordings and other evidence directly pertaining to the il- legal interrogations must be suppressed,” defense at- torney Kevin Chapman said in court documents. Prosecutors have not yet responded to the defense mo- tion. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Jan. 22. That was the day Bulgin’s trial was to begin, but both the defense and prosecution have asked that it be delayed. The government, which calls Bulgin “not a minor player” in the alleged scam, anticipates a 10-day trial with about 50 witnesses, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Clare Hochhalter. Prosecutors believe the case to be the first large-scale Jamaican lottery scam prose- cuted in the U.S. The suspects are accused of calling victims about bogus lottery winnings, persuading them to send ad- vance fees to receive the pur- ported winnings, then keeping the money without paying out anything to the victims. The scheme began to un- ravel when a woman in North Dakota lost her life savings of more than $300,000 in 2011. At least 90 Americans lost a total of more than $5.7 mil- lion, authorities say. A federal investiga- tion resulted in charges against 27 people, including a block of 12 suspects who earlier pleaded guilty or were convicted. Of the current block of 15 suspects still being pros- ecuted, two remain fugitives in Jamaica. Twelve others have either pleaded guilty or reached plea deals with prosecutors, including five this month. Bulgin is the only one arrested who is still fighting dozens of conspiracy, fraud and money laun- dering charges. Argentina leader defends pension reform amid protests, strikes BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) – Argentina’s president de- fended a pension reform bill approved by Congress Tuesday that has prompted violent protests and a general strike, saying it seeks only to benefit retirees. The measure passed in the lower house by a 127- 117 vote after more than 12 hours of debate, much of which came as demonstra- tors clashed with police out- side the chamber. The legislation, which had already cleared the Senate, would change the formula by which pension benefits are calculated, basing them largely on inflation instead of wage growth and tax contri- butions. It’s a key part of the economic changes pushed by President Mauricio Mac- ri’s government to reduce Ar- gentina’s high deficit and at- tract investments. “We’ve created a formula that defends [retirees] from inflation and guarantees that they will be better,” Macri said at a press conference at the presidential palace. “Our priority is to take care of the retirees.” But opposition law- makers, union leaders and other critics complain the bill will cut pension and re- tirement payments as well as aid for some poor families because consumer prices are expected to be lower. “We’re sad. This law is bad,” said opposition law- maker Agustin Rossi. “We tried to impede it from passing, but we couldn’t get the numbers. This harms retirees.” Argentina’s largest union called a 24-hour general strike that has grounded hundreds of flights. About 150 people were also in- jured and about 60 were ar- rested in clashes between police and demonstrators Monday outside the Congress building. Some retirees who were protesting the measure were caught up in the middle of the violence when some demonstrators hurled rocks and gasoline bombs, and riot police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. Macri said told reporters that the violence had “clearly been orchestrated” and would be investigated. In peaceful protests, dem- onstrators banged on pots in several neighborhoods of the Argentine capital late into the night. The protests hold deep symbolism for Argentines, who have haunting memories of the Argentina’s 2001-2002 economic collapse, when pot-banging marches forced presidents from office and made the country practically ungovernable. The suspects are accused of calling victims about bogus lottery winnings, persuading them to send advance fees to receive the purported winnings, then keeping the money without paying out anything to the victims. A police officer helps a demonstrator remove herself from clashes during a general strike against a pension reform measure outside Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday. – PHOTO: AP HONDURAS PRESIDENT CALLS FOR PEACE FOLLOWING RE-ELECTION TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) – Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez is calling on the country’s leaders to forge an accord to bring peace to the di- vided country following his disputed re-election. Hernandez says the people have expressed their will at the ballot box, but it is not time for celebrations. Hernandez spoke in a televised address Tuesday, two days after the coun- try’s electoral court de- clared him the winner of the Nov. 26 election. Electoral officials have denied challenger Salvador Nasralla’s petition to annul the vote because of irregu- larities. He’s in Washington making his case to U.S. of- ficials and the Organization of American States. The OAS has said it is not certain about the elec- tion result and recom- mends new elections. Honduras Vice President Ricardo Alvarez made clear on Monday there would be no do-over. MASSIVE ‘CAR WASH’ CORRUPTION PROBE IN BRAZIL FACES SETBACKS SAO PAULO (AP) – A sprawling probe into kick- backs in Brazil has suffered a large defeat after the coun- try’s top court decided to halt investigations against several lawmakers. A high court panel voted 2-1 Monday to stop “Oper- ation Car Wash” investiga- tions against four members of Congress. Federal law- makers can be tried only by the top court, so the deci- sion effectively shields them from investigation while they remain in office. Also Monday, Supreme Court Jus- tice Gilmar Mendes ordered house arrest instead of jail for Adriana Anselmo, wife of former Rio de Janeiro Gov. Sergio Cabral. Cabral has been convicted of corruption and is in prison, while his wife has been in jail accused of several crimes. Mendes has often sided with politicians in legal trouble and previously stopped an investigation of the Parana state governor.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 20, 2017 www.rbcroyalbank.com/caribbean ® / ™ Trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. IMPORTANT NOTICE RBC Royal Bank (Cayman) Limited wishes to advise its clients that due to a recent change in the United States Federal Reserve interest rate, the CI$ and US$ prime interest rate will increase from 4.25% p.a. to 4.5% p.a. effective January 29, 2018. 3 years for parking lot robbery Two women were attacked at night CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Terrence Tex Bryan was sentenced to three years im- prisonment on Friday after pleading guilty to a robbery that occurred in the Elmslie Memorial Church parking lot in downtown George Town in the early hours of Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017. Justice Marva McDonald- Bishop handed down the sen- tence after summarizing the facts from the Crown and mitigation from defense at- torney Lee Halliday-Davis, which she heard on a pre- vious occasion. Two women were speaking with each other in the parking lot around 1 a.m. when the defendant and another man jumped from behind parked cars and grabbed the women. Mr. Bryan ripped a 14-karat gold chain and a bead chain from the neck of one of the women. When the other man hit the other woman, Mr. Bryan told him, “Don’t thump her.” One of the women was able to run for help and when she came back, the two men were searching the car but ran off on her approach. The judge was shown a photo of the injuries sus- tained by the woman from whom the necklaces were stolen. They consisted of abrasions to her neck and shoulder. The judge com- mented on the psycholog- ical harm that would also have been caused. Mr. Bryan had not agreed entirely with the agreed basis of plea. He said he had joined the enterprise after the other man had initiated it. The judge indicated this made little difference be- cause he was still acting in a joint enterprise. She read in detail from the social inquiry report that had been prepared about the defendant. She said it painted a picture of a 30-year-old man with a troubled child- hood and volatile family re- lationships. With 62 pre- vious convictions since 2005, he had spent a substantial portion of his adulthood in prison. He was intelligent, but made poor choices be- cause of drug abuse. He had written a letter to the complainant ex- pressing remorse and the hope he could be forgiven, This was his first robbery, the judge noted. His convic- tions were largely for theft and burglary. Aggravating features of this offense included the time of night; the location, in the church car park; the fact that there were two attackers; the fact that two victims were subjected to the attack, al- though only one was robbed; and his previous convictions. The mitigating factors emphasized by Ms. Halliday- Davis included Mr. Bryan’s early admissions to police and the fact that no weapon was used. The force used was not more than was needed to remove the necklaces. He had written an apology and was remorseful. Justice McDonald-Bishop said his remorse had not extended to returning the stolen items or offering com- pensation. She found that the aggravating features far out- weighed the mitigation. The sentence after trial would have been four years, six months, she said. With one-third credit for the guilty plea, the sentence was three years. Time in custody is to be deducted. The second man involved in the robbery has apparently never been identified. A man who died after going snorkeling off East End on Thursday, Dec. 14, has been identified as James Howard Huber, 59, of Lake Forest, California. Mr. Huber and an- other man had been snor- keling in the early after- noon, according to police. He then “encountered dif- ficulties” while on a Wave Runner. The man he was with brought him to shore, where he was given CPR by emer- gency responders. Mr. Huber was report- edly unresponsive in the am- bulance that took him to the Cayman Islands Hos- pital, where he was later pronounced dead. He is the eighth person to die in water-related ac- tivities this year in the Cayman Islands. Police name deceased tourist Illegal drug allegedly brought from Cayman Brac to Grand Cayman CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man traveling from Cayman Brac was arrested at Owen Roberts International Airport on Dec. 5 for pos- session of cocaine with in- tent to supply. Jolyon Arick Frederick, 30, was charged in connection with 0.8 kilograms of cocaine, a little over 1 pound, 12 ounces. He first appeared in Sum- mary Court on Dec. 11, when the Crown did not have the papers in the case to give to defense attorney Clyde Allen. The matter was ad- journed until Monday, Dec. 18, when Mr. Allen advised Magistrate Valdis Foldats that he did have the papers, but needed to get a set to his client. He therefore was not making a bail application at this time. The matter was set for mention again on Thursday, Jan. 11. The defendant, a resi- dent of Bodden Town, is also charged with failing to pro- vide a specimen of urine for laboratory testing. No pleas have been entered. The judge was shown a photo of the injuries sustained by the woman from whom the necklaces were stolen. They consisted of abrasions to her neck and shoulder. The judge commented on the psychological harm that would also have been caused. Cocaine case adjournedThe 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” WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 20, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS In recent years, the idea of “engagement” has become a sort of philosopher’s stone of managerial alchemy – a one-size-fits-all metric for everything from boosting customer loyalty to teaching early literacy to fostering a productive workplace. In that light, it’s not surprising that the Cayman Islands Government decided to “gauge the engage- ment” of civil service employees this October, or that according to the survey, the civil servants appear, in the main, to be satisfied with their jobs and their performance. The press release accompanying the survey results touted an “overall engagement level” of 67 percent within the civil service. Frankly, despite prevailing trends, we remain unsure exactly what “engagement” means, how it relates to “performance” and whether it’s a mea- surement worth measuring (or even measurable). Adding another grain of salt, 39 percent of civil servants’ “engagement” was low enough that they didn’t even bother to respond to their employer’s survey. With those caveats, here a few top-level bullet points: • 80 percent said they are sufficiently challenged at work • 70 percent said they are proud when they tell others they are part of the organization • 56 percent said they would recommend their orga- nization as a great place to work. Our intention is not to find fault with civil service leaders for conducting this sort of study. Such surveys may be desirable or even necessary as part of a greater action plan for effecting fundamental change in a large organization. However, “self-diagnosis” is never the most desir- able methodology for behavioral analysis. Nearly all of us see ourselves in a far more favorable light than the rest of the world sees us. In our own minds, we’re better looking, more intelligent and even better drivers than we actually are. Put another way, we’re our own biggest fans. A more objective approach, certainly for an institu- tion such as the civil service (or the Compass), would be to query outside sources – customers, clients, those actually exposed to service providers and the quality of service they provide. For the Cayman Islands, of even greater importance than the perceived “quality” of the civil service is the “quantity” of the civil service. As we have written before, the fundamental reality is that Cayman’s public service (about 6,000 total employees) is far too large for the current population (about 60,000 people). In order to fulfill existing salary, healthcare and pension commitments to government employees, our country faces a menu of options, including reducing the size of the civil service, increasing the size of pop- ulation (and therefore the local tax base), or raising additional revenue through higher taxes and/or fees. Our primary focus as a country should be on sim- plifying or streamlining our government and finding opportunities to transition civil servants into the private sector. Returning to the survey, only 41 percent of civil servants said change is managed well in their orga- nization, and 44 percent said they believed “senior managers” will take action on the survey results. That is troubling because, in order for our civil service as a whole to be a viable and affordable entity, the defining feature of its future must be change. Time for reflection: How does our civil service see itself? Whirlpool has Washington stuck in a spin cycle WASHINGTON – A house- hold appliance will be the next stepping-stone on America’s path to restored greatness. The government is poised to punish many Americans, in the name of protecting a few of them, be- cause, in the government’s opinion, too many of them are choosing to buy foreign- made washing machines for no better reason than that the buyers think they are better. If you are won- dering why the government is squandering its dwindling prestige by having opinions about such things, you have not been paying attention to Whirlpool’s demonstra- tion that it is more adept at manipulating Wash- ington than it is at making washing machines. In 2006, when Whirl- pool was paying $1.7 billion to buy its largest compet- itor, Maytag, federal regula- tors fretted that this would give the company too much market power. Whirlpool said: Fear not, competition from foreign manufacturers such as South Korea’s Sam- sung and LG will keep us sharp and benefit American consumers. Now, however, Whirlpool, which is weary of competition, has persuaded the U.S. International Trade Commission to rule that Samsung and LG should be reproached for what, 11 years ago, Whirlpool said it wel- comed: competition. The U.S. market for washing machines has grown 35 percent in just five years. Whirlpool’s share of this market, although not the 70 percent it was in 2006, is still more than Samsung’s and LG’s combined 35 per- cent. Whirlpool is profitable. It would, however, like to be more so, and it will be if the president accedes to the com- mission’s unanimous recom- mendation and imposes a “tariff-rate quota.” This is a tax, paid by American consumers, on im- ports that exceed a certain quantity that in the govern- ment’s opinion (formed with the assistance of domestic manufacturers), is excessive. If you are wondering why the government has opinions about such things, you have not been paying attention to modern government’s vast diligence on our behalf. The tariff/tax, which is designed to limit the choices of, and increase the prices paid by, American con- sumers would be 50 percent on all imported machines, after the first 1.2 mil- lion. U.S. customers caused the importation of about 3 million Samsung and LG washers in 2016. Back in the day, Henry Ford said people could have the Model T in any color they wanted, as long as they wanted black. General Mo- tors’ ascent was helped by offering color choices. Until recently, purchasers of washing machines had to want white ones. And ones that loaded in the top, and signaled the end of a cycle with buzzers. Then came imports in various colors, that loaded in the front, had chimes instead of buzzers, and other features. Competition increased, and so did Whirlpool’s re- liance on the government, which in 2012 imposed du- ties on washing machines imported from South Korea and Mexico. Samsung and LG responded rationally, by what protectionists stigmatize as “country hopping,” moving some production to China, then Vietnam and Thailand. And now to the United States. Samsung and LG have an- nounced plans to become domestic manufacturers. Samsung will open a man- ufacturing plant, with ap- proximately 1,000 employees, in Newberry, South Caro- lina. LG’s plant will be near Clarksville, Tennessee. Before Whirlpool became dependent on government, it depended on Sears, which in the 1920s threw a finan- cial lifeline to a struggling appliance manufacturer, Upton Machine Co., that be- came Whirlpool. According to The Wall Street Journal, as recently as 2002, when Sears sold 40 percent of the major appliances bought in America, sales through Sears generated about a fifth of Whirlpool’s revenues. In Oc- tober, Sears announced that it would stop selling Whirl- pool brand products be- cause Whirlpool is powerful enough to make pricing de- mands that “would have prohibited us from” selling those products “at a rea- sonable price.” Sears is not what it was just 15 years ago, and is a shadow of what it was in the 1960s when its sales were al- most 1 percent of U.S. GDP. Sears has been prostrated not by perfidious foreigners but by America’s efficient “big box” retailers and by Amazon. The real villains, however, are American consumers, with their persnickety search for high quality and low prices. The president has until February to exercise his vast discretion regarding things like washing machine im- ports. If you are wondering how presidents came to have such discretion to impose taxation on American con- sumers, you have not been paying attention to Congress’ creation, by improperly del- egated powers, of the impe- rial presidency. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2017, Washington Post Writers Group GEORGE F. WILL GEORGE The real villains, however, are American consumers, with their persnickety search for high quality and low prices.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 20, 2017 Holiday office hours BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town.Tel. 949-8699 12 Kirkconnell Street, Stake Bay, Cayman BracTel. 948-1760 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd. insurance, health, pensions, life Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! The management and staff at BritCay extend sincere season’s best wishes to you, your family and your friends. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS Early closing: 22nd December - noon 29th December - noon cgigrp Adventist Chamber Orchestra holds Christmas concert The Bodden Town Church held a full-scale orches- tral Christmas classics con- cert featuring Trinidadian violinist Harold Beckles and local rising stars, sax- ophonist Junior Hines and flautist Janelle Tibbetts. The 20-member Seventh- day Adventist Chamber Or- chestra, under the direc- tion of founder Bentley Vaughan, presented its an- nual Christmas concert on Sunday, Dec. 17. “This has been more than a musical feast,” said the church’s pastor, Ivor Harry. “This has been stupendous” and, in its celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, a “fit- ting way to enter the holiday weekend,” he said. In his many years served in many countries, he said in a press release, he had seen many outstanding per- formances, but this night’s performance made him especially “proud to be an Adventist.” Visiting international vi- olinist Mr. Beckles, who has opened for interna- tional stars such as Win- tley Phipps, Helen Baylor and William McDowell, said that in his many visits to Cayman, he had seen the or- chestra grow and blossom, and predicted a bright fu- ture not only on the local but also on the international scene if members continued on their current track. “Arriving, I didn’t know what to expect, but this has been an absolute joy,” he said at the end of the concert. In his introductory re- marks, Director Bentley Vaughan explained that the orchestra’s repertoire for the evening represented a mixing of genres, with classic Christmas songs in- terpreted in the frame of classical music. Among the evening’s rep- ertoire of classical music were Johannes Brahms’s “Lullaby,” which was tied in with “Away in a Manger”; Erik Satie’s “Gym- nopédie No. 1,” lending it- self to “What Child is this?”; Claude Debussy’s “Claire de Lune,” for “Silent Night”; Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Midnight Sonata,” for “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”; and “It Came Upon a Mid- night Clear,” interpreted in the frame of “Liebesträume” by Franz Liszt, among other compositions. Mr. Beckles and Mr. Hines, on violin and saxo- phone, respectively, and Ms. Tibbetts on the flute, per- formed Christmas clas- sics such as “Do You Hear What I Hear?” Mr. Beckles, a self-taught musician whose playing style is described as a mix- ture of jazz soul and clas- sical music, was invited to play first violin with the Trinidad and Tobago Youth Orchestra when fresh out of high school. Also performing during the evening, the Bodden Town Bell Choir rendered “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.” Between each mu- sical performance, nar- rator Katya Hines reflected on the biblical story of the birth of Jesus. The evening’s perfor- mances by the orchestra ended with “O Come All Ye Faithful,” to the melody of “Cantique de Jean Ra- cine,” and “Joy to the World,” to the Hallelujah Chorus from Georg Friedrich Hän- del’s “Messiah.” The Bodden Town Church’s offering collected for the evening went to the church’s Community Services Department to fund initia- tives such as its soup kitchen. POLICE WARN OF BOGUS EMAIL Officials are warning Cayman residents about a potentially harmful email masquerading as com- munication from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. The email claims to con- tain information about com- plaints against the recipi- ent’s email account. It tells the user to click on links in the email to be connected to the actual complaints. The email reads in part: “We received various com- plaint [sic] from Flow Cayman email provider, You [sic] advised to check the at- tachement [sic] for the report against you.” The email appears to con- tain malware that may be harmful to computers or other devices. Police officials are ad- vising people not to click on any of the email’s links. Founder and director Bentley Vaughan directs the members of the Seventh-day Adventist Chamber Orchestra. Trinidadian violinist Harold Beckles plays ‘O Holy Night.’The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 20, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS 186266-Ad-QrtPage-3colx8-FTD.indd 112/14/17 2:28 PM So that our staff can enjoy this special time of year with their families and friends, please note that Vampt Motors will close at 1:30 pm on Friday, Dec. 22nd and reopen on Wednesday morning, Dec. 27th. We will also be closed on Saturday, Dec. 30th for New Year’s Eve and Jan. 1st. from all of us at Vampt Motors. 949-2245 | VAMPTMO T ORS.COM motoring this holiday season. time we have only young- sters out and about,” he said. “Let us old-timers celebrate in style in the lead-up to midnight with a good dance and a smile, watch the fire- works, have a glass of bub- bles, and be tucked into bed by 1 a.m.” Royal Palms general man- ager Don Loyd said his es- tablishment usually has a VIP area, a general admission area around the beach bar and a private party by the pool – with all three spots featuring DJs and dancing. Mr. Loyd will have to forego the entertainment this year, and he said he expects Royal Palms to only take in about a third of the revenue that it would on a typical New Year’s Eve as a result. Resident Tenisha Bodden said that she and her friends usually go to Royal Palms or a similar place for New Year’s Eve, but are considering renting a condo on the beach this year, instead. Without live music and dancing, it makes little sense to pay for an admission ticket to a bar, she said. Cayman Cabana owner Luigi Moxam said that he had hoped for the best but prepared for the worst in terms of the Sunday dance and music ban. Accordingly, he did not hire out any live entertainment, and plans on closing his restaurant shortly after midnight to let his staff enjoy the rest of the holiday. “It’s unfortunate that they’re playing politics be- cause it affects business. If everyone is to be honest, they would all agree that there has to be some common sense denominator to make things work,” he said. “Who wants to come to Cayman when you can’t dance until midnight?” Not all businesses may be aware of the policy, which government has yet to pub- licly articulate. When this re- porter contacted Luciano De Riso, head of operations at The Wharf, his restaurant had “DJ Ralph” advertised on its website to play music from 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. But after notifying Mr. De Riso of government’s policy, he said DJ Ralph and accompanying fireworks would have to wait until after midnight. “In cases like this, we’ll have to go ahead and play background music until after midnight,” he said, adding, “It’s another disappointing thing that I’m finding out about the law from the Compass.” Mr. De Riso said the as- pect of the ban he dislikes most is that it does not apply to hotels. The law states that exempted premises in- clude “areas in hotels which are not open to the general public and with respect to which no charge is made for admission.” Mr. De Riso added that the ban also hurts local en- tertainers, who would oth- erwise be able to use the event to earn extra cash and name recognition. For establishments that may still be unaware of the ban – or those that may choose to ignore it – the Com- pass enquired with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice as to whether it intends to enforce the prohibition on music and dancing. “It is not up to us to com- ment on the decision itself,” responded police informa- tion officer Jacqueline Car- penter, adding, “Our duties are to enforce what the laws are and ensure that we have in place the appropriate re- sources and plans to ensure public safety.” The RCIPS has enforced the ban in the past, according to Compass archives. When New Year’s Eve was on a Saturday in 2005, po- lice reportedly showed up at The Wharf around 11:45 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 30, to make sure that the premises were vacated before Sunday struck. Former Wharf owner Clemens Guettler said at the time that his business was down more than 50 percent from a typ- ical New Year’s Eve. The last time New Year’s Eve fell on a Sunday was 2006. That year, government announced in October that music and dancing would not be allowed until 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1. A Compass article noted that government an- nounced its decision in Oc- tober “to give the business community ample time to make their holiday plans.” “The Cabinet has re- cently considered the matter and has decided on what it believes is a sensible ap- proach, which honors reli- gious and cultural norms while balancing the impor- tance of New Year’s Eve ac- tivities for those residents and visitors who wish to celebrate at licensed estab- lishments,” then-Cabinet Minister Charles Clifford said at the time. When New Year’s Eve was again set for a Sat- urday, several years later in 2011, lawmakers scrambled weeks before to amend the law to allow for businesses to stay open into Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012. A proposed amendment to the Music and Dancing (Con- trol) Law would have allowed the liquor board to “grant permission for dancing and the playing of music, on or in [liquor] licensed premises outside of permitted hours on any given day.” Government ended up partially liberalizing the Music and Dancing (Con- trol) Law, but only to give the liquor board the power to allow music and dancing “when New Year’s Eve falls on a Saturday” – not a Sunday. The Liquor Licensing Board exercised its new au- thority that year, permit- ting restaurants and hotels to play music until 2 a.m. on the Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012, and for nightclubs to have music and dancing until 3 a.m. on that day. New Year’s Eve also fell on a Saturday last year, and the liquor board essentially treated that day as a Friday night, extending operating hours for bars and restau- rants to 2 a.m., and to 4 a.m. for nightclubs. The next time New Year’s Eve will fall on a Sunday is in 2023. No dancing or music allowed in Cayman on New Year’s Eve CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “I’m afraid, by la w, music and dancing are prohibited on Sunday. Neither the Liquor Licensing Board nor Cabinet have any discretion in the matter.” PREMIER ALDEN MCLAUGHLIN Premier Alden McLaughlinRestaurateur Markus MueriThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 20, 2017 GEORGE T OWN • CAMANA BAY • KIMPT ON SEAFIRE • AIRPORT ISLANDCOMPANIESLTD.COM AVAILABLE IN: 4.20 TW / 3.00 TW / 2.00 TW / 1.50 TW / 1.20 TW / 1.00 TW DIAMOND STUDS countries, including the in- coming Data Protection Law in Cayman, contains such ex- emptions for the media. Appleby, in turn, argues that the documents were stolen in a data breach and that there was no public in- terest in the stories pub- lished about it and its cli- ents, according to reports in the BBC and The Guardian citing legal documents Ap- pleby sent to the organiza- tions. About half of the 13.4 million leaked “Paradise Pa- pers” documents belonged to the offshore law firm. The documents were first obtained by the German newspaper, Süddeutsche Zei- tung, which shared them with the U.S.-based Interna- tional Consortium of Inves- tigative Journalists (ICIJ). The ICIJ then coordinated the Paradise Papers project with 380 journalists from 96 media organizations in 67 countries. The consortium also in- cluded the New York Times, Le Monde, the ABC in Aus- tralia and CBC News in Canada. However, Appleby has only taken legal ac- tion in the U.K. A spokesperson for The Guardian told his own news- paper that the claim does not challenge the truth of the sto- ries that were published. “In- stead it is an attempt to un- dermine our responsible public interest journalism and to force us to disclose documents that we regard as journalistic material.” The Guardian spokes- person added that the claim could have serious con- sequences for investiga- tive journalism in the U.K. “Ninety-six of the world’s most respected media organi- zations concluded there was significant public interest in undertaking the Paradise Pa- pers project and hundreds of articles have been published in recent weeks as a result of the work undertaken by part- ners. We will be defending ourselves vigorously against this claim as we believe our reporting was responsible and a matter of legitimate public interest.” In a statement, Appleby said it was “obliged to take legal action.” “Our overwhelming re- sponsibility is to our cli- ents and our own colleagues who have had their private and confidential information taken in what was a crim- inal act. We need to know firstly which of their – and our – documents were taken,” Appleby said. “We would want to ex- plain in detail to our clients and our colleagues the ex- tent to which their confiden- tiality has been attacked. De- spite repeated requests, the journalists have failed to pro- vide to us copies of the stolen documents they claim to have seen. For this reason, Appleby is obliged to take legal action in order to ascertain what in- formation has been stolen.” Gerard Ryle, the director of the ICIJ, said the lawsuit is a potentially dangerous moment for free expres- sion in Britain. “By sharing the data with journalists across the world, we are able to bring a new kind of scrutiny to power. “The BBC and The Guardian have been part of recent collaborations into fi- nancial secrecy that have changed laws from the United States to New Zealand to Eu- rope, sending a strong mes- sage to the corporate world that some of the behavior we revealed is no longer accept- able,” Mr. Ryle said. Wolfgang Krach, the editor- in-chief of Süddeutsche Zei- tung, which received the data first, said his newspaper would not allow The Guardian, or any other partner, to make the leaked documents available to third parties. “At the same time, Südde- utsche Zeitung is extremely worried about the attempt to force a journalistic enterprise to hand over highly sensi- tive data that could endanger the life and well-being of sources,” Mr. Krach said. “Journalists must be al- lowed to protect their sources by all means, especially when they clearly report in [the] public interest. Therefore, we appeal to the court and the public to support The Guard- ian’s legitimate wish to keep the material protected.” abuse, for example, could be banned from owning a cell- phone; someone caught ac- cessing child pornography could be banned from using the internet. The orders would typically be imposed at a sen- tencing hearing and come into effect on release from prison, but can be imposed on an in- terim basis before trial. Inspector Kevin Ashworth, of the Multi-Agency Child Safeguarding Hub, said, “It is bespoke to the offender. You look at what they have done and make it relevant to the behavior patterns.” In Mr. Ebanks’s case, this was his third conviction for a serious sexual assault and all three cases involved him breaking into the vic- tim’s property at night while she was asleep. Now, if he is caught loi- tering outside a condo, re- sort or residential premises, once he is released, he can be brought back before the courts. “If he is in the wrong place at the wrong time, he can now be arrested,” said Detective Superintendent Peter Lansdown. “Previously, all we could do would be to warn him and ask him to leave. We would effectively have to wait for another offense to be com- mitted before we could act.” Breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order can be pros- ecuted as an offense in its own right and carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison. Though there are no cur- rent plans to enlist public sup- port in monitoring those con- ditions through a published sex offenders register, Mr. Lansdown said the names of those on Sexual Harm Preven- tion Orders would be publicly available because they would typically be part of sentencing orders issued in open court. “There is open source public dissemination of these orders,” he said, “but there is no legislation to have a pub- lished list of sex offenders. “There are pros and cons to that approach [imple- menting a sex offender reg- ister]. In the U.K. they haven’t gone down that route because of possible vigilantism.” He said the names of those on Sexual Harm Prevention Orders would be dissemi- nated to all police officers. In the future, dedicated officers may be required to manage and monitor of- fenders on such orders. Inspector Ashworth said the granting of the first such order was a “positive step” for the community and law enforcement. He said Mr. Ebanks had re-offended right after coming out of prison on two previous occasions and the restrictions of the order would make it more difficult for him to do so this time. “He has never been re- habilitated properly. Recidi- vism is in his bones,” he said. “This is a protective measure that gives the police and the courts power to bring him back before the courts.” He said such orders, tied to specific conditions, were valuable because they allow police to act before another crime is committed. “The main thing they are is a pre- ventative measure.” He said the orders were part of a collaborative ap- proach between police, prose- cutors, social services and the Department of Community Rehabilitation, among others. Police hail new powers to control sex offenders CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Appleby sues BBC and Guardian over Paradise Papers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Appleby is suing for breach of confidence and seeks a permanent injunction against further use of the information, as well as the disclosure and return of the documents. SAUDIS INTERCEPT YEMEN REBEL MISSILE TARGETING ROYAL PALACE RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) – The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Shiite rebels said it intercepted a mis- sile fired over southern Ri- yadh on Tuesday, which the rebels said was targeting a “top leadership” meeting at the royal palace in the king- dom’s capital, Riyadh. It was the second time in as many months that a rebel projectile had reached as far inside the kingdom as Riyadh. The Yemeni rebels, known as the Houthis, said they launched a ballistic missile to target Yamama Palace in Riyadh, where King Salman chairs weekly government meetings and receives dig- nitaries and heads of state from around the world. The coalition statement, carried by Saudi state TV, said the missile was fired by the rebels, known as Houthis. State TV said no damage was caused by the intercepted missile. The co- alition later said the mis- sile launch proved the “con- tinued involvement” of Iran in supporting the Houthis.” It also repeated its claim that the rebels use “relief work outlets” to smuggle such missiles inside Yemen to target the kingdom. Residents of Riyadh posted videos on social media showing a small cloud of smoke in the sky after hearing a loud explosion. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam tweeted that a ballistic “Volcano H-2” missile was used in the attack. The rebels’ military media said the missile targeted “an ex- panded meeting of the Saudi top leadership at Yamama palace in Riyadh.” In a televised address, rebel leader Abdul-Malik al- Houthi said the range of mis- siles in the Houthi arsenal was being extended. “Our long hand will reach other places, God willing,” he said. “As long as you con- tinue to target Sanaa we will strike Riyadh and Abu Dhabi,” he said, referring to the seat of government of the United Arab Emirates, a key member of the coali- tion. Earlier this month, the Houthis claimed they fired a missile at an under-con- struction nuclear plant in the Emirates. The UAE de- nied the claim. Such orders, tied to specific conditions, were valuable because they allow police to act before another crime is committed.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 20, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS 9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 20, 2017 Visit the Cayman Islands’ #1 land-based attraction. Meet the turtles, enjoy the wildlife, snorkel in our lagoon and splash down on our water slide. It’s a full day of fun and adventure. Opening hours: Mon – Sat 8:00am – 4:30pm | Sun 8:00am – 5pm 786 Northwest Point Road, West Bay, Grand Cayman | info@turtle.ky | www.turtle.ky | +1 345.949.2894 We at The Cayman Turtle Centre would like to wish everyone in Cayman a safe and happy holiday season. We thank you for your patronage and continued loyalty, in our ongoing e orts to conserve the worldwide Green Sea Turtle population. As a reminder the park will be open at regular park hours with the exception our Christmas Day closure. Here’s to a healthy and happy new year with many good things to come. ANNUAL PASS We at The Cayman Turtle Centre would like to Adults $50 Children $30 Chairman’s Message 2017 Dear Valued Clients, As the curtains come down on 2017 and the promise of a new year creates excitement, we, at BAF, are thankful that you chose us to be a part of the plan for you and your family’s health and wellbeing. It has been a privilege to serve you this year and we look forward to many more years in our role as your Health Insurance provider. As the Chairman of BAF Insurance Cayman, I have had the pleasure of meeting many of you and have enjoyed our discussions that included both compliments and suggestions for our dedicated team of professionals. As we continue to grow, we will endeavour to listen to you and always do our best to exceed your expectations. As a valued part of our Company, your satisfaction is vital to our success. In this festive season, we wish for you and your family a peaceful and joyous time with loved ones as together you celebrate Christmas and welcome the New Year. On behalf of the board of directors, the management and staff of BAF Insurance, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2018! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May God bless you all. 345-949-5089 www.mybafsolutions.com Dorcy Drive, Industrial Park PO Box 10389, Grand Cayman, KY1-1004 BAF Global Group I The Bahamas I Cayman I Turks & Caicos Mr. Lemuel Hurlston Chairman of the Board Train speeding 50 mph over limit before deadly derailment DUPONT, Wash. (AP) – Federal officials confirmed an Amtrak train was hurtling 50 mph over the speed limit when it careened off an overpass south of Seattle, spilling cars onto the highway below and killing at least three people. About two hours after the accident, a U.S. official who was briefed on the investiga- tion said he was told at least six people were killed. The of- ficial said he had no new in- formation to explain the dis- crepancy in the numbers. Bella Dinh-Zarr, a Na- tional Transportation Safety Board member, said at a Monday night news confer- ence that information from the event data recorder in the rear locomotive showed the train was traveling at 80 mph in a 30 mph zone when it de- railed at 7:34 a.m. Mangled train cars ended up on top of each other – and one hung precariously over the freeway. When the clanging of metal and screeching stopped at first it was quiet. Then came the screams. After the crash, the in- jured called out as rescuers – including people who had been in cars on their morning freeway commute – rushed to help. One of the train passengers was Emma Shafer, who found herself at a 45-degree angle staring at the seats in front of her that had dislodged and swung around. “It felt oddly silent after the actual crashing,” Shafer said. “Then there was people screaming because their leg was messed up … I don’t know if I actually heard the sirens, but they were there. A guy was like, ‘Hey, I’m Robert. We’ll get you out of here.’” Dinh-Zarr said it’s not yet known what caused the train to derail and that “it’s too early to tell” why it was going so fast. Positive train control – the technology that can slow or stop a speeding train – was not in use on this stretch of track, according to Amtrak President Richard Anderson. In 2015, an Amtrak train in Philadelphia was trav- eling at twice the 50 mph speed limit as it entered a sharp curve and derailed. Eight people were killed and more than 200 were in- jured when the locomotive and four of the train’s seven passenger cars jumped the tracks. Several cars over- turned and ripped apart. Kimberly Reason with Sound Transit, the Seattle- area transit agency that owns the tracks, said speed signs are posted 2 miles before the speed zone changes and just before the speed zone ap- proaching the curve. The train was not full. Authorities said there were 80 passengers and five on- duty crew members on board when it derailed and pulled 13 cars off the tracks. Author- ities said there were three confirmed deaths. More than 70 people were taken for medical care – including 10 with serious injuries. In a radio transmission immediately after the acci- dent, the conductor can be heard saying the train was coming around a corner and was crossing a bridge that passed over Interstate 5 when it derailed. Dispatch audio also indi- cated that the engineer sur- vived with bleeding from the head and both eyes swollen shut. “I’m still figuring that out. We’ve got cars everywhere and down onto the highway,” he tells the dispatcher, who asks if everyone is OK. The train was making the inaugural run on the new route as part of a $180.7 mil- lion project designed to speed up service by removing pas- senger trains from a route along Puget Sound that is bogged down by curves, single-track tunnels and freight traffic. Cars from an Amtrak train lay spilled onto Interstate 5 Monday in DuPont, Washington. – PHOTO: APNext >