ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2018 High of 85 Low of 74 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 POT-HOLE PATROLS, ‘POTTY PATROLS,’ AND NOW ‘POT PATROLS’ LOCAL | PAGE 6 TEEN’S ARTWORK FEATURES AT NATIONAL GALLERY SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY WHITE VERSIONS BELOW ™ ® OPERATION TEMPURA: Ex-Gov suspended cops against advice BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The two-year, $10 million-plus Cayman Is- lands corruption probe known as “Operation Tempura” first came to the attention of most local residents on March 27, 2008 – when three senior police officers, including the po- lice commissioner, were suspended in connec- tion with the investigation. However, just one month earlier, Stuart Jack, the then-governor who ordered the po- lice suspensions, was advised by Attorney General Samuel Bulgin that it would be “un- wise to take any action, disciplinary or other- wise, against any of the individuals” involved in the Tempura probe. The reason for Mr. Bulgin’s advice was that Chief Justice Anthony Smellie on Feb. 27, 2008, ruled against the issuance of search warrants requested against then-Police Commissioner Stuart Kernohan, Deputy Commissioner Ru- dolph Dixon and Chief Superintendent John Jones. The chief justice’s ruling – essentially that there was no evidence either Mr. Jones or Mr. Kernohan had committed any offenses – drew into question the reasons for the Tem- pura investigation. A month later, it was announced that Messrs. Kernohan, Jones and Dixon had been placed indefinitely on required leave – suspen- sion with pay. Then-Governor Jack explained his reasons for suspending the men at a press conference on March 27, 2008: “The decision to put these officers on re- quired leave was made to protect the in- tegrity of enquiries to be made,” Mr. Jack said, adding that the decision would also CAYMAN LEADS KEY UK LOBBY GROUP BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com With Brexit looming and more interna- tional focus than ever on the offshore finan- cial services sector, Cayman Islands represen- tatives have taken over leadership positions in the British Overseas Territories Association at a key time. Cayman’s London Office Director Eric Bush was elected as chairman of the territories as- sociation last week, the first time a Cayma- nian London office director has served in that role in more than a decade. Mr. Bush’s election means Premier Alden McLaughlin becomes president of the territo- ries association’s influential political council, which meets before and during the Joint Min- isterial Council discussions with the U.K. gov- ernment, held toward the end of the year. It also means Cayman will host the pre- Joint Ministerial Council meetings – which are typically held in late summer between the overseas territories leaders. “The political council [is] the highest deci- sion-making body which sets the policies of the association and approves all decisions, ac- tivities and agendas,” a statement from the London Office released last week read. Cayman and the British Virgin Islands will co-chair the association’s financial services subcommittee, which focuses solely on devel- opments in the financial services sector. On Thursday, Mr. McLaughlin said the Cayman Islands remains the world’s “jurisdic- tion of choice” for hedge funds business during the annual Fidelity Cayman Economic Outlook conference at the Kimpton Seafire resort, de- spite challenges it has faced in recent years. “Our main challenge going forward is to ‘ALL HANDS ON DECK’ AT AIRPORT Martin Flaemrich was worried about his family’s Saturday flight from Toronto to Grand Cayman’s Owen Roberts International Airport. “I read the Compass online last week and saw your article with the picture of the pas- senger lines outside,” he said after arriving Saturday with his wife and three-month-old son. “So, I brought my hat, [his son’s] sun hat, some umbrellas. We were ready.” As it turned out, the first-time visitors did not spent any time waiting outside and less than half an hour waiting inside the new air- port terminal. “It was pretty easy,” Mr. Flaemrich said. “It looked like it was all hands on deck. Everyone was very friendly, very efficient.” Grand Cayman’s airport opened its new ar- rivals hall on Wednesday, Jan. 24, as part of CHILD HIT WITH TASER PROBES DURING POLICE DEMO An elementary school student was struck by probes from a police Taser weapon Friday morning during a career fair at the Edna Moyle Primary School in East End. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service said the incident occurred during a demon- stration of police equipment at the fair. The hand-held electric stun gun-type weapons can deliver a 50,000-volt shock to their intended targets when charged. The po- lice weapon used at the school on Friday was not armed. According to a police report on the in- cident: “There was no electrical discharge PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Career day at John Gray Tactical flight officer Darren McLean of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service helps Jeffrey Hernandez, 14, try on a flight helmet during a career day event at John Gray High School on Friday. The police helicopter was part of what officials said was the school’s largest career day event ever, with 56 different companies and agencies providing information on a host of different jobs and educational programs. – PHOTO: MARK MUCKENFUSS PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 1 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL MONDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - MONDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE (PG13) 12:30 VIP I 1:20 I 3:50 I 6:40 VIP 7:00 I 10:05 12 STRONG (R) 12:30 I 3:45 I 6:55 I 9:55 THE COMMUTER (PG13) 12:50 I 3:50 I 7:15 I 9:50 THE POST (PG13) 1:00 I 4:05 I 7:05 I 9:45 DEN OF THIEVES (R) 12:45 I 3:35 VIP I 9:45 VIP JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE (PG13) 4:25 I 7:10 I 9:40 Senior police officer’s cars set alight Arson investigation under way Police and the Cayman Is- lands Fire Service are inves- tigating an early morning fire Sunday outside a home in Ryan’s Retreat in George Town that engulfed three cars belonging to a senior police officer. Police said they were treating the case as arson. “This is a troubling and po- tentially very serious incident that is under investigation by CID,” police said in a statement Sunday afternoon. Emergency services were dispatched by 911 Commu- nication Centre shortly after 1 a.m. to the address, where the three vehicles were found to be on fire. No injuries were reported. The fire was extinguished by firefighters. Police said no motive had been established. The RCIPS is appealing to anyone who witnessed this incident or have any informa- tion about it to contact George Town Police Station at 949- 4222 or the police’s confiden- tial tip line at 949-7777. Second man arrested in GT homicide Royal Cayman Islands Police officers arrested a second person last week in connection with the January murder of Omar Bailey in George Town. A 23-year-old George Town man was arrested Wednesday, according to an RCIPS statement. By press time Sunday, he had been released on po- lice bail pending further investigation. On Jan. 22, police ar- rested a 27-year-old man in connection with the same killing and released him on police bail as there was “insufficient evidence to file charges,” police said at the time. Mr. Bailey, a 28-year- old father of two, who was also known as Al- anzo Navarro Bailey, was shot multiple times in a car park outside a barber shop at the Walton Centre on Eastern Avenue around 9:20 p.m. on Sat- urday, Jan. 20. Mr. Bailey’s killing is Cayman’s first ho- micide in 2018. TWO ARRESTED IN ASSAULT AT SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT A melee that Royal Cayman Islands Police said stemmed from a domestic dispute ended in two ar- rests Friday afternoon at the Countryside Shopping Vil- lage in Savannah. Police said they were called to the busy shop- ping center around 4:30 p.m. where a man and woman had “used objects to assault each other,” according to a police statement. The male involved was struck on the head with a hammer, according to wit- nesses, suffering serious in- juries. The woman involved did not report any injuries. “The man was taken to the Cayman Islands Hos- pital where he received sev- eral stitches and was later discharged,” a police state- ment noted. Both parties were arrested on suspicion of assault Friday. Bodden Town man attacked by dogs, kills one A Bodden Town man who was set upon by two loose dogs last week received in- juries to his arms and legs before killing one of the an- imals, the Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service reports. The attack happened around 4 p.m. Wednesday on Crysdel Road in Bodden Town. Police said the man was walking in the street and was on his way home when the incident occurred. A police statement on the attack read: “During the in- cident, the man struck one of the dogs with a pocket knife. He was taken to the Cayman Islands Hospital where he was treated and subsequently released. The dog that was struck with the knife died.” Police said the two dogs had escaped from a nearby yard. Sentence adjourned in driving death Driver says she blacked out CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Anastasia Watson ap- peared in Grand Court on Thursday for sentencing on a charge of causing death by careless driving. The de- ceased was her friend Kim- berly Bush, who was a pas- senger in the BMW that Ms. Watson was driving in the early hours of April 15, 2015. Ms. Watson was 22 at the time. Ms. Bush, also known as Kimberly McLaughlin, was 23. Defense attorney Amelia Fosuhene told the court that her client could not re- member the incident and believed she had “blacked out” before her car collided with a pillar and wall. The attorney advised that Ms. Watson had said that was how she had reacted in the past when she had been through traumatic situations. Ms. Fosuhene said Ms. Watson had acknowledged driving slightly faster than the 50 mph limit, but not at the speed the expert had cal- culated. She suggested that the additional speed may have been the result of the blackout, increasing the pressure of her foot on the accelerator. Justice Philip St. John- Stevens referred to Crown counsel Scott Wainwright’s summary of the accident. Mr. Wainwright had told the court that an accident recon- structionist calculated Ms. Watson’s speed as 80.24 mph; the highest (critical curve) speed at which the slight bend in the road could be ne- gotiated was 69.56 mph. The judge said he was troubled by the broad asser- tion that the defendant had blacked out and had not been going that fast before the ac- cident. “As a plank of mitiga- tion, it troubles me because without evidence I question whether I can accept that as- sertion,” he said. Ms. Fosuhene pointed out that her client had told po- lice at the scene that she must have blacked out. “I asked why she said that. She said that is what used to happen when she was young. That is the only explanation she can offer.” The judge asked if there was any medical evidence. Ms. Fosuhene said the doctor cannot say if someone blacked out and she was not in a position to call any evi- dence on the point. Ms. Fosuhene referred to reports that Ms. Watson had been arrested on suspicion of causing death by drunk driving. Ms. Watson did have one drink early in the eve- ning, she said, but when breathalyzed, the result was under the legal limit. Justice St. John Stevens asked about photographs or sketches of the accident scene and whether any skid marks could be seen. Mr. Wain- wright confirmed that they were available and would be delivered to the judge. Sentencing was ad- journed, but will take place before the judge leaves Cayman on Feb. 23. SAME-SEX MARRIAGE A KEY ISSUE IN COSTA RICA ELECTIONS SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) – Costa Ricans voted Sunday in a presidential race shaken by an international court ruling saying the country should let same-sex cou- ples get married. Evangelical candidate Fabricio Alvarado recently vaulted into first place in the polls after he took a strong stance against gay marriage, which about two-thirds of Costa Ricans also oppose. His closest rivals are agri- businessman Antonio Alvarez of the opposition National Liberation Party and Carlos Alvarado of the governing Citizens’ Action Party. But the outlook was cloudy because none of 13 candidates were polling at more than 17 percent and surveys indicated that more than a third of likely voters were undecided. If no candidate reaches 40 percent, the top two finishers advance to an April 1 runoff. The January decision by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has come to play a central role in the campaign. The court also ordered the country to grant same- sex couples rights such the ability to inherit estates and adopt children. Political analyst Francisco Barahona told The Associated Press that it came as an “ex- ternal shock” for Costa Rica, a majority Roman Catholic nation with an increasing evangelical population. Fabricio Alvarado, a 43-year-old journalist, preacher and Christian singer, called the ruling a “sovereign violation” and saw his support balloon in the polls as socially conser- vative voters gravitated to that message. Presidential candidate Fabricio Alvarado speaks during a live, televised debate ahead of the presidential election, in San Jose, Costa Rica, Thursday. – PHOTO: AP Omar BaileyThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2018 The 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. MONDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Several months ago, we commended the National Roads Authority’s “pothole patrol” enlisting com- munity help in flagging dangerous or deteriorating roadway conditions. Next came the Cayman Islands Airports Authority’s “potty patrol” (or as one arriving passenger called it, “the pee pee patrol”) which is assisting travelers stuck in long lines at the recently opened Owen Roberts International Airport arrival hall who have urgent “nose-powdering” needs. Now we have Police Commissioner David Byrne’s announcement at a community meeting last week of the formation of a different squad: Namely, a “pot patrol.” At a community meeting in West Bay, Minister Tara Rivers attested to witnessing the “really, really offen- sive smell of marijuana use” on public beaches, including at Seven Mile Beach. Mr. Byrne said the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service is purchasing drug-detecting dogs, which will be used by officers patrolling our streets and public beaches to sniff out the drug-users. He said he expects to deploy the dogs in a month or two. Certainly, ganja use is widespread in Cayman. Some people may dismiss the use of ganja as a minor transgres- sion or a personal choice. Of course, it is neither. Violating the law is never a “personal choice” (except perhaps in rare cases of civil disobedience in which the lawbreakers acknowledge and accede to the consequences of their actions. Breaking our drug laws does not qualify). Nevertheless, Cayman society might agree that smoking ganja (either in private or in public) consti- tutes, at most, a “minor offense.” We would posit that a far greater threat to Cayman’s commonweal derives not from the crime of smoking ganja but from the police’s reluctance or outright resistance to enforcing many of our laws – including our drug laws. (Our marauding motor- bikers is a definitional example.) Further, our lawmakers, meaning our elected members, should never pass criminal laws that they do not expect our police to enforce. Winking at one law, but not another, or, even worse, selectively enforcing a law against one citizen but not another, directly leads to a disrespect for all laws – and for our police. Legislators love making laws, generating reams of them every time they convene – “solving” problems with a flurry of votes and keystrokes. Perhaps a more produc- tive use their powers would be to clean up the territory’s “books” – subtracting rather than adding new chapters. To transition from the theoretical to the practical, it is this simple: Either enforce our drug laws, consistently and universally, or get rid of them. Cayman needs to ask itself some hard questions: What kind of a society do we want to live in? Does ganja smoking on our beaches and in public areas enhance, or diminish, our reputation as a socially conservative and inviting family friendly destination? On the other hand, we cannot help but wonder why Cayman needs special patrols of police dogs to identify ganja smokers on the beach. Surely police should have been doing this routinely all along. Police, just like Minister Rivers, have eyes to see and noses to smell. One thing we know with certainty – and we hope Police Commissioner Byrne fully appreciates: Patrolling our beaches (and other environments) with a cadre of specially trained drug-sniffing canines is a “forever” com- mitment that will require the cooperation and coordina- tion of our prosecutors, judges and prison officials. If those commitments have been secured, we will support Commissioner Byrne and the RCIPS in every way we can. If, on the other hand, Commissioner Byrne was merely making not-well-thought-out remarks at a public meeting, we suggest that he needs to rethink this. Six months from now, we do not want to be asking the question, “Who let the dogs out?” Pothole patrols, ‘potty patrols’ and now ‘pot patrols’ Changing workplace boosts growth but causes pain New technologies and the changing workplace have great potential to su- percharge growth but only if governments do not hand- cuff businesses. The mechanization of ag- riculture and moving as- sembly line created many more good jobs than they de- stroyed. However, disruptive innovations often instigate great social upheavals, and how society fares depends on sound government policy. Nowadays, inexpensive computers and the internet permit businesses to manage widely dispersed suppliers and contingent work forces. These tactics use capital and labor much more effi- ciently, permit businesses to contain costs and service more customers in the face of skill shortages, and boost growth and incomes. The Labor Department does not regularly survey the number of contract and on-call employees, but aca- demic studies indicate those accounted for nearly all the 9 million jobs added from 2005 to 2015. The only major occupa- tional groups largely un- affected were engineers and managers – they con- trol proprietary know-how and manage the process. The latter are like univer- sity presidents – they prefer fewer full-time professors but more bureaucrats to ex- press their power. The high cost of perma- nent employees – including escalating health insurance premiums, other fringe ben- efits and government man- dated overtime pay, af- firmative action and the like – further compel em- ployers to outsource every- thing from cleaning to ac- counting services. Upscale neighborhoods like mine in Alexandria are populated with scores of self-employed business con- sultants, lawyers and the like. I have collaborated with several and obtained some good paying gigs. Most are happy, because they possess specialized ex- pertise and are well com- pensated. With multiple cli- ents, they do not suffer the fickle employer who can fire at whim. The hard reality is many other workers who Uber or landscape are in commodity occupations and live at the edge – often without decent incomes, affordable health insurance and the financial wherewithal to provide their children with appropriate vo- cational training or college options. The latter is particu- larly menacing to future na- tional prosperity. Concrete examples abound of hospital janitors and medical transcribers who have been financially marginalized by outsourcing. And a contract female limou- sine driver subject to gender stereotyping or sexual ha- rassment is much less likely to complain than a full- time employee. Unlike Europe, fringe ben- efits and worker protections are mostly paid for – or man- dated by the government – through individual em- ployers in the United States. Politicians trolling for votes, much as they do with enti- tlements, often impose pro- hibitive costs that compel employers to look beyond contingent workers and ac- celerate automation. Instead of rethinking mandates to make those less onerous, state and local gov- ernments are now compel- ling businesses to treat con- tingent workers like full time employees. For example, New York now requires businesses to contribute to sick and paid family leave, health insurance and sim- ilar benefits for employees working 20 hours a week or as private contractors. Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown is pushing for similar national level legislation. All these raise the cost of contingent workers and as experience in California with the $15 minimum wage indicates, those force busi- nesses to replace people with machines. So much so that San Francisco Su- pervisor Jane Kim is cam- paigning for a tax on robots and software. No doubt progressives will seize that idea for a na- tional campaign – another great way to give the fu- ture to China. Until recently, the striking characteristic of ro- botics and artificial intel- ligence were their focused impact on mid-skilled jobs. Good secretaries, book- keepers and insurance ad- justers are paid well enough to warrant the investment in expensive machines and software. In turn, they be- come more productive or re- tool for other occupations re- quiring similar aptitudes. As local governments push up the cost of em- ploying counter clerks and supermarket checkers, those workers have fewer alter- native employment options. Many will likely end up on Social Security disability or simply very poor. In France, this sort of thing has absolutely os- sified labor markets and stunted growth. The liberal paradise has much higher unemployment and many more temporary workers than Germany. Re- cently elected President Ma- cron has defied opposition politicians and unions to roll back the most punitive workplace regulations and somewhat improved busi- ness conditions. If the Democrats in Con- gress want to make America more like France and a leader who looks more like Mr. Ma- cron than Mr. Trump, then they would do well to spend their next government-paid vacation – aka fact finding trip – in Paris and learn something about free market labor reforms. Peter Morici is an economist and business professor at the University of Maryland, and a national columnist. © 2018, The Washington Times. PETER MORICI 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”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2018 VENDOR REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! CALLING ALL ARTS, CRAFT, FOOD AND SPECIALTY ITEMS VENDORS! For more information call (345) 949-5477 email cncf@artscayman.org or visit the CNCF Office EVENT DATE: 25TH FEB EVENT TIME: 4PM - MIDNIGHT CAYMAN ISLANDS NATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS REGISTRATION DEADLINE: FEB 16 VENDOR REGISTRATION NOW OPEN CALLING ALL CRAFT, ART, FOOD AND SPECIALTY VENDORS! For more information call (345) 949-5477 or email cncf@artscayman.org EVENT DATE: 25TH FEB EVENT TIME: 4PM - MIDNIGHT CAYMAN ISLANDS NATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS REGISTRATION DEADLINE: FEB 16 VENDOR REGISTRATION NOW OPEN CALLING ALL CRAFT, ART, FOOD AND SPECIALTY VENDORS! For more information call (345) 949-5477 or email cncf@artscayman.org EVENT DATE: 25TH FEB EVENT TIME: 4PM - MIDNIGHT CAYMAN ISLANDS NATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS REGISTRATION DEADLINE: FEB 16 VENDOR REGISTRATION NOW OPEN CALLING ALL CRAFT, ART, FOOD AND SPECIALTY VENDORS! For more information call (345) 949-5477 or email cncf@artscayman.org EVENT DATE: 25TH FEB EVENT TIME: 4PM - MIDNIGHT CAYMAN ISLANDS NATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS REGISTRATION DEADLINE: FEB 16 VENDOR REGISTRATION NOW OPEN CALLING ALL CRAFT, ART, FOOD AND SPECIALTY VENDORS! For more information call (345) 949-5477 or email cncf@artscayman.org EVENT DATE/TIME 3 MARCH - 4PM to MIDNIGHT CAYMAN ISLANDS NATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS REGISTRATION DEADLINE: FEB 16 For more information call (345) 949-5477 /caymanculture /caymanculture /caymanculture Concerned Citizens Group continues beach access fight Government sets up commission to address access issue JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A long-established grass- roots campaign is continuing efforts to register more than 200 beach access paths – pro- tecting them from develop- ment and preserving them for public use. As far back as 2001, the Concerned Citizens Group filed 500 affidavits from mem- bers of the public in support of its efforts to register the access paths under the Pre- scription Law – which allows for long-established “rights of way” over private land to be used in perpetuity. The group says it has been in constant dialogue with successive gov- ernments since then. It took until last year, when a series of disputes put the issue back in the spot- light, for the group to re- ceive a response. In a letter to the group, Registrar of Lands Sophia Williams indicated that the law did not enable her to reg- ister the accesses unless or- dered to do by a court, fol- lowing a dispute. She acknowledged that such access paths did ac- quire status under the Pre- scription Law after 20 years of use, but indicated that this could not be officially re- corded on the lands’ register without a court order con- firming the “existence, nature and extent” of the easement. Until last year, individuals had to apply to the court per- sonally in cases where they believed a landowner was blocking their rightful access to the beach. A change to the Prescription Law, introduced last year, means that gov- ernment can now bring such claims to the court on behalf of the people. An updated survey took place in late 2016 to deter- mine which accesses existed on the islands, but its find- ings have not been published and government has not used its powers to seek court or- ders in relation to any beach access paths, at this point. Speaking on behalf of the Concerned Citizens’ Group, Annie Multon confirmed that the campaigners filed an appeal to the Registrar of Lands. The group is currently fighting a decision to deny it legal aid for that challenge. Ms. Multon said the group had become frustrated with a lack of progress from gov- ernment since the Prescrip- tion Law was amended. The survey was initially sched- uled to be completed in March 2017, according to Ms. Williams’s letter, but no re- port has been published. “This is an issue that has been going on for almost 30 years. Why has it taken gov- ernment so long to do any- thing?” asked Ms. Multon. “Government has the power to do this, without us going to court. Why don’t they just go ahead and register the accesses? We have done every- thing we can and now we are watching and waiting to see when they will get it done.” Following questions from the Compass, government is- sued a press release last week confirming that it had established a Public Lands Commission with a remit to deal with the issue. Minister for Lands Ju- liana O’Connor-Connolly said in the release, “While the commission is in its de- veloping stage and there are still regulatory and policy matters to be finalised, it is tasked with protecting the right of access to and use of public land by members of the public, including enforce- ment of public rights of way over private land.” Director of Lands and Survey Rupert Vasquez, who heads up the new com- mission, acknowledged widespread concern over beach access. He said, “The Commis- sion is aware of the various media reports, concerns and interests that have been gen- erated in respect to public beach accesses across our is- lands, and I confirm that this is also a matter of high pri- ority for the commission. The [Public Lands Commission] is the designated government authority which can apply to the Grand Court for the set- tlement of public right of way access disputes arising under the Prescription Law, and it can deal with unregistered public accesses to the beach.” Ms. Multon and her col- leagues Ezmie Smith and Alice Mae Coe were among the first Cayman Islands res- idents to begin an organized campaign to preserve beach access, amid concerns that beachside development was impacting long-held rights of access to the seaside. The group’s advocacy prompted government to commission the Grant Vin- cent report in 2003, which catalogued many but not all of the beach accesses around Grand Cayman, and proposed potential solutions. The issues and proposed solutions at that time were largely the same as today. Separate government officials made conflicting arguments about whether the paths could be registered under the Roads Law or through court action under the Pre- scription Law. Ultimately, no action was taken and the issue festered until 2016, when a series of complaints about landowners blocking paths, erecting fences and even building over established access routes, brought it to the attention of legislators once again. A pair of bills, the Pre- scription (Amendment) Bill, which allows government to specifically apply to the Grand Court to settle dis- putes over beach access, and the Public Lands Bill, which creates a new unit to enforce those access rights, were passed by the Legislative As- sembly in March 2017. At the time, then-Min- ister responsible for Lands Kurt Tibbetts said Lands and Survey staff were setting up a database of all beach ac- cess paths to ensure regis- tered paths were maintained, and that government could begin court action to clear and register blocked paths that could be proven as pre- scriptive rights of way. His successor, Ms. O’Connor-Connolly, said that work was continuing. “I trust that the 2017 Beach Access Report, which will shortly be released to the Commission and the gen- eral public, will be a key ref- erence tool to assist it in taking action for situations such as protecting the right of access to and use of public land,” she said.6 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Teen’s artwork features at National Gallery MILO DACK mdack@pinnaclemedialtd.com The artwork of Brandon Saunders, an 18-year-old stu- dent at St. Ignatius Catholic School, has been added to the permanent collection at the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands. Mr. Saunders’s digital image “Osiris,” was initially featured in the gallery’s Upon the Seas exhibit last year, and became the breakout piece of that exhibit. “Osiris,” the name of which was inspired by a childhood video game he played called Dark Souls, features a photo- graphic composite of a wom- an’s face and a conch shell, on a black background. He said his inspiration for the work emerged from his love of nature and the island and of the complexity of the human structure, weaving the two together in a piece of art deemed impressive enough to join the gallery’s permanent exhibition. “Osiris” joins four other new additions to the perma- nent collection by members of the local Native Sons arts collective – Wray Banker, Al Ebanks, Horacio Esteban and Aston Ebanks. Mr. Saunders began his budding career in art and graphic design back in Year 9, when he was around 13 years old. His love of technology and graphic design led to him finding a great interest in the Adobe Photoshop soft- ware package and all that it had to offer. He reflected on his short history as an artist, stating that he had actually under- performed in art as a subject when he first began it in Year 8 at school, but through con- tinuous effort and determina- tion, he was able to improve. Mr. Saunders is perhaps best known locally for his piece titled “Night Watcher,” inspired by the 1982 Ridley Scott film, “Blade Runner.” He and his dad’s love for sci- fi movies prompted him to create the piece of art, which he said was an homage to his father, Chris Saun- ders, who is the MLA for Bodden Town West. In 2016, he entered “Night Watcher,” alongside others in his portfolio, in the Adobe 25 Under 25 competition – in which 25 graphic images cre- ated by artists under the age of 25 using Adobe Photoshop were chosen as winners. He was placed among the top 25. “Practice every day, be confident, and don’t give up.” Mr. Saunders advises other young ambitious artists. “The greatest artist ever alive today probably isn’t known,” he says, reflective of the fact that there are many countries out there that aren’t known in the main- stream art industry. “There are probably a lot of young people in Cayman like me, who are very talented but just haven’t managed to get their name out.” Mr. Saunders says he may pursue an art and design ca- reer after school and that he has been making connections with others in the industry through the competitions he has entered over time. Restaurant donates to Humane Society Since launching a line of retail merchandise at their Casa 43 Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar, owners Max Hillier and Lloyd Brown have donated more $2,000 in proceeds from the items’ sale to the Cayman Islands Humane Society. Mr. Hillier dropped off $833 to the Humane Society on Thursday, Feb. 1, the latest of three donations from the sale of the restau- rant’s hats, caps, T-shirts, glassware and collectors’ tequila bottles. He and Mr. Brown began the venture about a year and a half ago, and because they are both dog- lovers, they chose the Hu- mane Society as the recip- ient of funds raised. Among the range of merchandise that has helped raise funds for the Humane Society are T-shirts designed by Mr. Hillier, which features a unique “sugar skull,” which he said represents the owners’ commitment to the dogs of the island. Gone to the dogs Polished Nail Salon has raised $750 for Canine Friends Cayman. “Pedicures for Paws” was a January promotion the salon in Galleria Plaza hosted to raise money for care of the dogs. Polished clients were given a 20 percent discount on pedicures when they do- nated $10 cash to Canine Friends Cayman. “We can’t thank Cindy, her staff and cli- ents enough for gener- ously donating to the January Paws for Pedi- cure promotion which raised $750 for our pro- gram,” said Casey Keller of Canine Friends Cayman. Cindy Oostvogels, owner of Polished Nail Salon, said she was happy to support such a worthy cause. “I’m an animal lover as well, so it was easy for me to decide to assist Casey and rescues like Prudence,” said Ms. Oostvogels. Canine Friends Cayman is a volunteer organiza- tion that raises funds for its spay and neuter pro- gram. It concentrates on rescuing puppies and dogs from the Department of Agriculture and also orga- nizes the transfer of dogs to the United States to be adopted there. PROUD OF THEM Isabella Powery honored for sporting achievements Isabella Powery, 14, has been recognized by the Proud of Them initiative for her impressive collection of sporting accomplishments in martial arts, track and rugby over the last several years. In 2014, she was awarded the Junior Victrix Ludorum Athletics award at St. Ignatius Catholic School, and broke the school record for the 600 me- ters with a time of 2:10.07. In 2015, Isabella repre- sented Cayman at the Purple Dragon World Champion- ship in Trinidad where she achieved two gold medals and was inducted into the third Caribbean Martial Arts Hall of Fame. In 2016, she achieved the rank of black belt in the Purple Dragon karate system. She also received awards from St. Ignatius for highest attainment in physical educa- tion, inter-schools tag rugby champions and PSA Ath- letics Year 8 girls’ champion. In the same year, in a private schools meet, she won silver medals in the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, 4x100 me- ters, 4x400 meters. At the St. Ignatius track meet, also in 2016, Isabella won gold in the 100 me- ters, 200 meters and the 300 meters – achieving a new school record of 47.03, the latter being her second track record. Isabella was also awarded her school’s victrix ludorum jointly, her second such award. In August 2017, the West Bay resident repre- sented the Cayman Islands in the U.S. Capitol Classics in Washington, D.C., which is a major international ka- rate tournament. Isabella won first place in self-defense, creative weapons, creative katas and point sparring. She also placed third in synchro- nized weapons. The Proud of Them initiative recognizes the positive achievements of young people between the ages of 10 and 25. Through a public nomination process, individuals are honored in various categories. Each person selected is featured for six months on billboards across the Cayman Islands and receives a certificate and $500. Max Hillier of Casa 43, center, presents a check to the Humane Society’s Letty Blanco and Jason Jairam. Cindy Oostvogels, right, cuddles a rescue puppy called Prudence after donating $750 to Casey Keller of Canine Friends Cayman. Isabella Powery In August 2017, the West Bay resident represented the Cayman Islands in the U.S. Capitol Classics in Washington, D.C., which is a major international karate tournament. Brandon Saunders’s ‘Osiris’ is among five new works of art featured in the National Gallery’s permanent art collection.7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2018 Please be advised that Cayman Compass will not be published on Wednesday, February 14th, 2018 For more information call 949-5111 or email sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com EDITION DEADLINE Wednesday, February 14th No Publication Thursday, February 15th Friday, February 9th Friday, February 16th Monday, February 12th Life sentence for rape is 35 years Jeffrey Barnes must serve 21 years before he can apply for conditional release CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Jeffrey Alexander Barnes, sentenced in 2013 to life im- prisonment after a third con- viction for rape, appeared in Grand Court on Friday to receive a term of a spe- cific number of years. Jus- tice Charles Quin reviewed the facts of the case, de- scribed by the Crown as “ter- rifying,” and he determined that the specific sentence should be 35 years. Mr. Barnes, now 38, may apply for release on license after serving 21 years. Release is not granted automatically. The re-sentencing was made necessary by Cay- man’s Conditional Release Law, passed in 2014. Since the law came into force in 2016, judges have been dealing with individuals pre- viously sentenced to life im- prisonment after convic- tion for murder. Mr. Barnes was the first person to be re-sentenced under this law for a crime other than murder. The Con- ditional Release Law states that if the life sentence has been imposed for non- murder convictions, the judge must specify the period of in- carceration the prisoner shall serve before being eligible to be considered for conditional release on license. In general, prisoners sen- tenced to more than one year are eligible to be considered for conditional release after serving 60 percent of their sentence. Justice Quin ap- plied this 60 percent min- imum, with the result of 21 years as the eligible mark, but emphasized that Mr. Barnes could be released only if he no longer repre- sented a danger to the public. He said Mr. Barnes should be prepared to serve beyond this tariff because he could not be released until the Con- ditional Release Board con- sidered it safe. Justice Quin referred to the factors the Board is re- quired to consider: whether imprisonment is no longer necessary for the protec- tion of the public; the risk of the prisoner re-offending; whether rehabilitation can be safely carried out in the community; whether he is ca- pable of complying with the conditions of a license. The judge said he hoped the victim and her family would understand these facts. He noted earlier that he had considered Mr. Barnes’s social inquiry report; he thought the psychological evaluation would be best used by the Conditional Re- lease Board. It reported Mr. Barnes as saying he felt plea- sure “taking” sex by force. The board was also obliged to look at previous convictions. For Mr. Barnes, these numbered 29, with 13 of them for violence or of- fensive weapon. In 2001, he was sentenced to 10 years for rape. In 2010, he received 18 months for indecent as- sault. He was sentenced in May 2013 to 15 years after pleading guilty to abduction, attempted rape and rape. The offenses for which Justice Quin sentenced Mr. Barnes occurred days be- fore the offenses he pleaded guilty to, but he had de- nied them, saying the police planted evidence against him. A jury found him guilty. Around 3 a.m. on Oct. 20, 2011, he had entered the vic- tim’s residence as a tres- passer with intent to rape her and carrying a knife. The victim was asleep, but woke up feeling she could not breathe properly and found a man on top of her. He had one hand on her throat and a knife against her windpipe. He raped her twice. Around 6 a.m. she said she had to go to work. He told her to act normal and not tell anyone, saying he would be waiting for her. He said he had a gun and it made no sense for her to report the in- cident “because Cayman po- lice don’t solve crimes.” By that time, she was able to see a tattoo on his chest and a distinctive mark on his leg. She also noted his gen- eral appearance. She went to work and told her employ- er’s husband what had hap- pened. She never went back to the apartment; she stayed at her employer’s home that night and flew to Jamaica the next morning. She re- mained in contact with her boss and eventually reported the matter. Police went to the apartment and recovered items for testing and found DNA evidence which matched Mr. Barnes’s DNA. The woman gave evidence at his trial, ashamed to say out loud what he had done to her. “I came to the Cayman Is- lands to make my life better, and in coming here my life has been ruined,” she said. Mr. Barnes’s 35-year sen- tence is to run from Sept. 23, 2013, when the life sen- tence was imposed. Jeffrey Barnes US court gives Webb more time to pay BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A U.S. federal court has given FIFA racketeering de- fendant Jeffrey Webb six more months to pay what he owes to the government fol- lowing his guilty plea in con- nection with the probe. The court order extending the time for payment of the first tranche of Mr. Webb’s required asset forfeiture was agreed last week and has given the Cayman Islands resident until July 23 to pay. According to his attorneys, Mr. Webb needs more time in order to sell four properties in Georgia, USA, to help pay off the court’s forfeiture order made as a result of his plea. The majority of the US$1.7 million due for the first pay- ment was paid last year, with court records indicating that US$1.43 million had been de- posited into the U.S. govern- ment’s Seized Asset Deposit Fund as of June 30, 2017 on Mr. Webb’s behalf. Another US$270,000 was due on Jan. 23, but the court has agreed to extend that deadline. As part of his November 2015 guilty plea in the FIFA investigation, Mr. Webb agreed to forfeit a total of US$6.7 million in cash assets and property, which included a 9,851-square-foot home in Loganville, Georgia. His sen- tencing date is currently set for March 7. Jeffrey Webb NINE YEARS FOR SECOND FIREARM OFFENSE CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man who pleaded guilty to possession of an unlicensed firearm received a sentence of nine years instead of the mandatory seven years because it was his second similar offense. Kylan Junior Hunter, 33, was sentenced last week by Justice Charles Quin after admitting possession of a handgun loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition on the night of April 23, 2016. Justice Quin, who sum- marized the offending, said two police officers were on patrol along West Bay Road near the parking lot of Calico Jack’s when they saw Mr. Hunter and a group of people. The of- ficers saw him remove an object from his waistband and hand it to a woman, who walked away. One officer pursued the woman and the other fol- lowed Mr. Hunter. The of- ficer pursuing the woman recovered the pistol from her. Both officers said that was the object they saw Mr. Hunter hand her. The woman, later iden- tified as Juliette Latham, said to the police officer, “You saw when Kylan put this on me, right? Am I going to jail?” Then she called out to Mr. Hunter, “You, Kylan, you have to take this – I’m not going to prison for you guys.” Justice Quin said Mr. Hunter’s offense was ag- gravated by the fact that he had a loaded gun in a public place at night. He noted that Mr. Hunter denied ownership of the gun even after his DNA was found on it and he initially pleaded not guilty. Mr. Hunter had 21 pre- vious convictions, including one for possession of an unlicensed firearm. A jury had found him guilty in 2007 of that offense, which had occurred in 2006. Justice Quin said Mr. Hunter’s previous convic- tions had shown complete disregard for authority. The appropriate sen- tence would have been 12 years, but the judge was prepared to give him a 25 percent discount, bringing it down to nine years. Ms. Latham, 29, pleaded guilty on a previous occa- sion and received a sen- tence of 10 months, sus- pended, after spending some time in custody.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 MONDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS “facilitate” inquiries being made by U.K. police officers into the matter. Recently, unredacted doc- uments revealed the legal ad- vice given by Mr. Bulgin fol- lowing the chief justice’s decision on the search war- rants. They also show that senior government officials considered requesting that another judge be assigned to hear a reapplication for those search warrants during a pri- vate meeting at the gover- nor’s residence. The senior officers under investigation at the time had all been involved in an ear- lier police probe that led to an entry – done without a warrant – into the offices of former Cayman Net News publisher Desmond Seales. The office entry, on Sept. 3, 2007, was organized by Mr. Kernohan and Mr. Jones and carried out by former Net News journalist John Evans. U.K. Metropolitan Police investigator Martin Bridger, who was initially dispatched to take over the Net News in- vestigation from the RCIPS, began to have “concerns” about the entry into the newspaper publisher’s office in October 2007, according to unredacted records. That entry, how it was done and who authorized it, formed the basis of what became known as Operation Tempura. Former Governor Jack au- thorized a “full investiga- tion” of the newspaper office entry on Jan. 25, 2008, ac- cording to a 185-page review of the investigation done in 2011 by U.K.-based Queen’s Counsel Ben Aina. As part of the investi- gation, Mr. Bridger sought search warrants against the three senior police com- manders who, at the time, were still on the job. During the initial application, Chief Justice Smellie said there was no “prima facie” [Latin phrase meaning “based on first im- pression”] case against any of the men for either abuse of public office offenses or dis- obedience of lawful duty as had been alleged. Following that decision, on March 3, 2008, Mr. Bridger, Governor Jack and then-Chief Secretary George McCarthy met at the governor’s pri- vate residence, according to the unredacted copies of Mr. Aina’s report. “It was agreed [at the meeting] that the governor would write to the attorney general with a view to al- lowing the attorney general to consider the appointment of another judge to hear a further application for a war- rant or whether there were circumstances that the chief justice could reconsider/re- hear a further application,” the report states. The lawyer representing Mr. Bridger and the Opera- tion Tempura investigation team, Andre Mon Desir, said on March 10, 2008, that he would make a reapplication for a search warrant against the three officers to the chief justice. The second application for the warrants fared scarcely better. Chief Justice Smellie denied the second request for search warrants against Mr. Kernohan and Mr. Jones, but granted the warrant against Mr. Dixon. This ruling was made on March 22, 2008, but the grounds for refusing two of the warrants were not given until April 4, 2008. The three police com- manders were suspended on March 27, 2008. In the aftermath of Op- eration Tempura, Mr. Ker- nohan sued and won a sub- stantial judgment, the full amount of which has never been revealed. Mr. Dixon re- mained on required leave with the RCIPS for more than three years after his suspen- sion until settling his matter, again for an unknown sum. Mr. Jones returned to work at the RCIPS in 2009 and remained there for a fur- ther three years before his contract ended. of the Taser during this accident. The child was not ‘Tazed.’ “The probes on a Taser were accidentally released, breaking the skin on a child at the demonstration.” The child, whose age was not given, was treated at the school and did not require further medical treatment. The incident has been referred to the Po- lice Professional Stan- dards Unit for an internal investigation. “The RCIPS apologizes for any alarm the acci- dent caused to children and others participating in the event,” the police report noted. The police service introduced the Taser weapons in January 2013. The electric discharges issued by Tasers are powerful, but they are typically used in close quarters as a “less-than- lethal” option for sub- duing a suspect. The weapons can cause serious damage if a sub- ject is struck by one of the weapon’s electric charge capsules in the eye or anywhere about the head. The police service pur- chased 36 of the weapons from U.S.-based Taser International after re- ceiving close to $5 mil- lion in additional funding from the Cayman Is- lands government. The weapons, including mounted video cameras for each Taser weapon, cost about US$71,000. Police forces in the U.S. and Britain use Taser weapons typically in close-range encoun- ters with criminal sus- pects where the use of a firearm would be consid- ered excessive. They are also often used to subdue violent or mentally ill individuals who might do harm to themselves and others. – By Brent Fuller $55 million revamp of the fa- cility. Three days later, Sat- urday, Jan. 27, arriving pas- sengers were forced to wait outdoors in two-hour long lines at the new facility. Tourism professionals and airport staff alike were warned of another busy ar- rival schedule this Saturday, with more than a dozen planes scheduled to ar- rive between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Several more were scheduled to arrive later in the afternoon as well. “Thanks to a robust season to date, we anticipate another busy arrival and de- parture weekend particu- larly on Saturday,” Cayman Islands Tourism Association President Theresa Leacock- Broderick wrote in a letter to CITA members Friday. “Please encourage all your staff and colleagues to be sensi- tive to any delays or incon- veniences our visitors may have experienced upon ar- rival or perhaps may experi- ence on departure.” According to travelers who arrived at Owen Rob- erts Saturday afternoon, there were some delays. However, there were none to the level of what was de- scribed on Jan. 27. “We got off the plane and we walked through the zig zags and then, because the area was kind of full, we were asked to wait outside,” said Karen Grant of Connect- icut who arrived on a JetBlue flight. “But they had a nice band playing, so that makes the time go by.” Ms. Grant said she took a bit longer going through cus- toms and immigration once inside the terminal. “We had to go through every zig and zag that was in there,” she said. “It took about 45 minutes. It was definitely not the longest wait I’ve ever had at an airport.” By late afternoon, there were half a dozen planes lined up along the tarmac. Dozens of airport staff members were seen in and outside the arrivals area, di- recting traffic, telling people where to pick up rental cars or taxis. There was some confusion from passengers about where they could find the rental car offices, and the line for the taxicabs at one stage in the early afternoon took about 30 minutes to get through. There were so many people arriving at one point that the taxi stand ran out of available vehicles. “It wasn’t five minutes through the airport,” said Jimmy Wilholt of Tennessee, who was waiting in the taxi line Saturday. “Looks like it’s going to 20 minutes here.” Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell said Sunday that his reports back from the air- port indicated all went much better than it had on Jan. 27. Mr. Kirkconnell asked the visiting public to pardon Cayman’s progress over the next year. “We are moving as fast as we can to complete the air- port, so there are going to be issues from now until when we complete it in December,” the deputy premier said. “There’s nothing we can do with the bricks and mortar [referring to the airport construction phase]. We’re moving as fast as we can. But with the human capital, you learn from experience and you adjust what you do.” Mr. Kirkconnell said Owen Roberts received in the neighborhood of two dozen flights with 3,000 passen- gers aboard Saturday, sim- ilar to what was seen on Jan. 27. Cayman may also be ben- efitting from the misfortune of islands in the eastern Ca- ribbean, many of which suf- fered serious damage during Hurricanes Irma and Maria, sending more vacationers to the western side of the region. Despite the crowds and ongoing construction work, longtime visitors to Cayman like Myron and Barbara Holtz viewed the airport im- provement as positive when they arrived on Saturday. “Wow! What a change,” Mr. Holtz exclaimed as he walked through the arrivals hall Saturday afternoon. “Im- migration was a breeze.” Mrs. Holtz had one com- plaint: “The waving gallery seems to have disappeared.” – By Brent Fuller protect the businesses that we now have, and to prepare ourselves to take advantage of emerging trends,” he said. “For many years the Cayman Islands has had to contend with the Holly- wood image of a jurisdic- tion of numbered bank ac- counts and bank secrecy. “As we pass each test, the game is changed – and we so we fight on.” Mr. McLaughlin said Cayman avoided being blacklisted by the Euro- pean Union’s finance minis- ters late last year, after a re- view of 60 countries aimed at determining which ones were considered “non-co- operative” in their financial reporting and taxation re- gimes. The premier has said Cayman, and other territo- ries, will continue to need the U.K.’s support in making their case to the EU, which places more importance on the end-of-year Joint Minis- terial Council meetings. “[The EU officials] were all very complimentary,” the premier told the Fidelity conference on Thursday. “But they still had a hard time understanding how it is that we have no form of direct taxation, yet are able to operate a modern economy and government. For some this seemed to indicate that something must be wrong. “Whatever one may think of [U.S.] President [Donald] Trump’s early morning tweets, there is one thing I believe he has gotten ab- solutely right: excessive levels of taxation stifle eco- nomic growth. And despite the contrary views that prevail in the EU and left- leaning organizations such as the Tax Justice Network, no country will ever tax its way to prosperity,” the premier said. OPERATION TEMPURA: Ex-Governor suspended cops against advice CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The chief justice’s ruling – essentially that there was no evidence either Chief Superintendent John Jones or Police Commissioner Stuart Kernohan had committed any offenses – drew into question the reasons for the Tempura investigation. Child hit with Taser probes during police demo CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Cayman leads key UK lobby group ‘All hands on deck’ at airport CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Dozens of visitors wait at the taxi stand outside Owen Roberts International Airport Saturday. – PHOTO: BRENT FULLER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “The probes on a Taser were accidentally released, breaking the skin on a child at the demonstration.” RCIPS STATEMENTThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2018 Amtrak crash leaves at least 2 dead, 50 hurt A crash between an Amtrak passenger train and a CSX freight train in South Carolina has left at least two people dead and about 70 people injured. Amtrak says the lead engine and a few passenger cars derailed on Amtrak 91, which was operating from New York to Miami. UK’s May under pressure as Conservatives at war over Brexit LONDON (AP) – British Prime Minister Theresa May was under mounting pressure Sunday to take sides in the Conservative Party’s civil war over Brexit, as a new round of talks between Britain and the European Union is set to begin. Since becoming prime minister in 2016, May has walked a fine line between two feuding factions in her party: those who want a clean break, even if it means trade barriers with Europe, and those who want to keep Britain’s economy closely aligned to the 28-nation EU. EU negotiator Michel Bar- nier is due to meet British Brexit Secretary David Davis in London on Monday ahead of a new round of talks this week. The two sides have just months to negotiate fu- ture relations before Britain leaves in March 2019. First, Britain must de- cide what it wants. Tensions within May’s government are spiking ahead of meet- ings of senior ministers this week to hammer out a nego- tiating position. Sunday’s newspapers teemed with allegations of plots against May by “hard Brexit” rivals including For- eign Secretary Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg, head of the pro-Brexit Euro- pean Reform Group in the British Parliament. The Sunday Times claimed pro-Brexit lawmakers are pre- pared to topple May if she tries to compromise and keep Britain in the EU’s tariff-free customs union. They accuse Treasury chief Philip Hammond, who favors a “soft Brexit,” of trying to block Britain’s EU exit. Brexit-backing Conserva- tive legislator Bernard Jenkin urged May to rein in Ham- mond, writing in the Sunday Telegraph that a majority of British people “want a clean Brexit and an end to the present uncertainty.” Euroskeptic politicians have also turned on civil ser- vants for allegedly promoting a gloomy picture of the eco- nomic impact upon Britain for leaving the bloc. After last week’s leak of government documents fore- casting that Brexit will hurt the economy, Rees-Mogg ac- cused civil servants of “fid- dling the figures.” May’s grip on power was weakened when she called an early election last year in hopes of increasing her ma- jority and strengthening her hand in Brexit talks. Instead, voters left her atop a minority government that relies on sup- port from a small Northern Ireland party to stay in power. May insisted last week that she is “not a quitter” and intends to lead Britain through Brexit. May’s allies defended her leadership on Sunday, but did not make clear what sort of final relationship with the EU the government wants. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said Britain was open to “either a customs arrange- ment or a customs partner- ship” as part of a deal to de- liver “frictionless” trade. And she insisted the Cab- inet committee that will de- cide on the government’s Brexit stance is more united than many think. “I think that we will ar- rive at something which suits us all,” Rudd told the BBC. “There will be choices to be made within that but we all want the same thing, which is to arrive at a deal which works for the U.K.” British Prime Minister Theresa May GERMAN COALITION TALKS ENTER FINAL ROUND LONDON (AP) – Thousands of people have marched through London demanding more government money for Britain’s overburdened Na- tional Health Service. Trade unions and the main opposition Labour Party backed the “NHS in crisis: Fix it now” protest. Marchers with placards proclaiming “Save our NHS” and “More staff, more beds, more funds” made their way through central London on Saturday toward Conserva- tive Prime Minister Theresa May’s Downing St. office. Britain’s state-funded health service has been under mounting pres- sure, with demand from a growing, aging popula- tion rising faster than in- vestment. Winter illnesses and an exodus of stress- hit medical staff have led to thousands of canceled operations and long waits for ambulances and emer- gency treatment. The British govern- ment says it is putting more money into health- care and training more doc- tors and nurses. Fidel Castro’s son mourned in Cuba after suicide HAVANA (AP) – Fidel Cas- tro’s oldest son was mourned in Cuba on Friday after the unusually public announce- ment of his suicide following a long depression. Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart was known as Fidelito, or Little Fidel, for his resem- blance to his father. A nu- clear physicist by training, Castro Diaz-Balart, 68, was the offspring of a family that combined the aristo- cratic class that ruled pre- revolutionary Cuba with the man who expelled them after taking power. Fidel Castro married young aristocrat Mirta Diaz- Balart after they met at the University of Havana in 1948. She came from a family closely tied to strongman Ful- gencio Batista and her father served in Batista’s cabinet. Fidelito was born a year after his parents married. The boy saw relatively little of his father, who was impris- oned for his role in the armed struggle to oust Batista, fleeing to Mexico in 1955 after his release. Mirta Diaz- Balart divorced Castro and received custody of their son. Castro persuaded her to send the boy to Mexico, then briefly refused to return him to his mother, although she was eventually able to take him back to Cuba. Mirta Diaz-Balart and her second husband fled Cuba for Spain in the 1960s, and Fidelito was sent to study physics in the Soviet Union. He became an advocate for the civilian use of nuclear power and his mother later visited him several times in Cuba, where he had returned. He had five half brothers from Castro’s second marriage, and a half sister from another one of his father’s relationships. Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart was named head of Cuba’s nuclear program, but fired by his father in the 1990s. The fall of the Soviet Union later paralyzed Cuba’s civil nuclear program, including plans to build a reactor. Fidelito publicly reap- peared at the end of the 1990s and was named a sci- entific adviser to the Council of State and vice president of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, frequently repre- senting the country in scien- tific conferences overseas but never assuming a position of political power in Cuba. His father died in No- vember 2016 at age 90. Fidelito married twice and had three children with his first wife, the Russian Na- tasha Smirnova. Other members of the Diaz-Balart family moved to the United States and Mirta’s nephews, Mario and Lincoln Diaz-Balart, both became Florida Republican con- gressmen strongly opposed to the Castro regime. Their brother Jose is a journalist for the Telemundo network. Cuban media said Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart had been in a “deeply depressed state” for several months and “required an initial hos- pitalization then outpa- tient follow-up.” No further details were provided about the circum- stances of his death or fu- neral arrangements. BERLIN (AP) – Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conserva- tives and the center-left So- cial Democrats embarked Sunday on what they hope is their last round of talks on forming a new German government, although the negotiations could take up to two more days. Party leaders cautioned, however, that major issues remain unresolved. The effort to put to- gether a governing coali- tion is already post-World War II Germany’s longest and will not finish with these talks. A deal will re- quire approval in a ballot of the Social Democrats’ members, many of whom are skeptical about re- newing the alliance that has governed Germany since 2013 after a di- sastrous election result in September. Merkel’s Christian Dem- ocratic Union, its Bavaria- only sister, the Christian Social Union, and the Social Democrats set Sunday as a deadline to wrap up nego- tiations, though they have budgeted two extra days as a precaution. “The three parties have agreed and come closer on many points in recent days, but there are still is- sues to discuss – particu- larly on questions of social policy,” Social Democrat leader Martin Schulz told reporters as he arrived at the talks. Those include labor and health policy ques- tions that are a priority for his party. “I am still interested in making quick progress, but we want to give Ger- many a stable government, and a stable government involves a durable coali- tion deal that is agreeable to all,” he said. “So, in the end, we must take the time that we need to create such a stable foundation.” Merkel said she could not predict how long the talks will last. “There are still impor- tant points that have to be cleared up, so I am going in with goodwill but of course with a certain expectation that we face difficult nego- tiations at today’s meeting,” she added. “We know what task we have and are trying to do justice to it.” Merkel’s attempt to put together a government with two smaller parties col- lapsed in November. Schulz, who had previously ruled out renewing the “grand coalition” of Germany’s biggest parties, then re- versed course but still faces resistance from parts of his party. Failure to reach an agreement, or a deal’s re- jection by Social Democrat members, would leave a minority government under Merkel or a new election as Germany’s the only viable governing options. THOUSANDS MARCH TO DEMAND MORE FUNDS FOR UK HEALTH SERVICE Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart, son of then Cuban leader Fidel Castro, seen here in 2012, has killed himself, according to Cuban state media. – PHOTO: AP Tensions within May’s government are spiking ahead of meetings of senior ministers this week to hammer out a negotiating position.Next >