High of 86 Low of 73 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 IN THE ‘LIZARD LOTTO,’ WE’RE PUTTING OUR MONEY ON THE LIZARDS LOCAL | PAGE 2 ACTRESS SHANNEN DOHERTY TO SPEAK AT CANCER GALA ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY MARCH 19, 2018 8 BUTTERFLY SHRIMP, REG FRIES AND BISCUIT $805$805 Celebrating St. Patrick with a jog Hundreds of runners and walkers turned out Friday for the annual 5K Irish Jog. The event, sponsored by Butterfield Bank (Cayman) and Dart Enterprises, raises funds for a local charity each year. This year’s beneficiary was Cayman’s Acts of Random Kindness. For more photos, see page 6. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Women open their purses and show their power MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com More than 500 women, along with a few men, packed into a ballroom at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, Friday af- ternoon for the annual Power of the Purse, a Scotiabank-sponsored fund- raiser that benefits the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre women’s shelter. “It’s a great cause and a great group of women,” said Emma Gladstone, with McCormick Global Ingredients. Before the luncheon, she was min- gling in the crowded hallway where ta- bles were lined with designer purses, each with a silent auction sheet. Initial bid prices on the purses ranged from $50 for a Mark Jacobs black diamond clutch to $1,638 for a black purse by Longchamp Paris Premier. Ms. Gladstone was carrying a purse by Diane Von Furstenberg. JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s property market is booming with record sales figures seen in 2017. There were almost $700 million in prop- erty sales last year, the highest figure ever re- corded, according to surveyors Charterland. The company analyzed every property transfer registered with the Land Registry last year to compile its market analysis report. Some of the more significant sales include Dart’s $32 million purchase of the Royal Palms development site, the $21 million acquisition of the Pageant Beach Hotel site by a develop- ment consortium led by Howard Hospitality Group and the $10 million sale of the Coconut Walk Estate on Boggy Sand Road. Dart’s purchase of The Ritz-Carlton, esti- mated at around $220 million in the report, is not included in the statistics, because it in- volved the share transfer of a land holding company rather than a land transfer. Beyond those major sales, Simon Watson, partner at Charterland said the overall up- ward trend was being driven principally by the Seven Mile Beach condo market. He said the strength of the U.S. economy was likely fueling increased interest in holiday homes in Grand Cayman’s main tourism district. Mr. Watson said he believed the property development market would continue to be a key driver of the Cayman Islands economy in coming years. PROPERTY SALES HIT RECORD LEVELS Premier seeks commission to deal with ‘fair employment’ BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com An independently appointed commis- sion will be created to field complaints made by Caymanian job-seekers who feel they have been unfairly discriminated against during the hiring process, Premier Alden McLaughlin said last week. Mr. McLaughlin said he believed the Fair Employment Opportunities Commission would help alleviate public concerns about the perception that qualified Caymanian job-seekers are being left out of opportuni- ties for career advancement. An emphatic point was placed on the issue a few weeks ago when a hiring dispute within the government Ministry of Education ap- peared to be headed for the Grand Court after a non-Caymanian human resources manager was hired over two Caymanians who scored higher during a job interview. The premier noted Thursday that “com- plaints and resentment” over alleged discrimi- natory hiring practices are growing in Cayman at present and that it was likely no amount of “tinkering” with the Immigration Law would be able to resolve the issue. “If we do nothing and allow the current beliefs of unfairness to fester and grow, we may well end up where the Bahamas was in the 1970s, with an unsettled business climate, great resentment amongst local people and businesses leaving our shores,” Mr. McLaughlin said. Mr. McLaughlin said the problem must be handled delicately, as both businesses and employees need to believe that such an em- ployment commission is not being politically directed. He suggested that the territorial gov- ernor – who is appointed by the U.K. – would therefore be made responsible for appointing a commissioner to lead the new office. He also noted that many in Cayman’s immigration business, including attorneys and recruiting firms, have noted over the years that there is no recourse under the current law for PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Author Jennifer Thompson speaks at the Power of the Purse fundraiser Friday. - PHOTO: MAGGIE JACKSON2 LOCAL NEWS November, was ratified Friday night by the Legislative As- sembly, where even some of the harshest critics of the status grant process had kind words for Mr. Morritt. “My relationship with Mr. Morritt has been on and off,” said East End MLA Arden McLean, who represents the district where the Mor- ritt’s Tortuga resort property is located. “But it is undeni- able that this man has con- tributed significantly to this country. He has been invalu- able to the employment situ- ation in East End.” Premier Alden McLaughlin said the developer, now 71, applied for a Caymanian status in early 2015. However, since he had never been con- sidered anything other than a visitor under the Immigra- tion Law despite all his time and investment here, the Cay- manian Status and Perma- nent Residency Board could not legally deal with the matter. The application was forwarded to Cabinet toward the end of 2015. “We were convinced that Mr. Morritt deserves the highest status we can award to non-nationals,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “I was unaware that Mr. Morritt wanted to be a Cay- manian,” Mr. McLean said. “He is definitely worthy of being called Caymanian. “He has developed the largest time-share in this country with 98 percent oc- cupancy year round. He has hired people into his insti- tution that would otherwise not be worthy of being hired.” The developer, who first came here in 1988, has spent “most of his time” in Cayman since then, Mr. McLaughlin said. In addition to purchasing the Tortuga Club, which later became the Morritt’s Tor- tuga resort, Mr. McLaughlin said Mr. Morritt gave gener- ously to local charities each year and his resort develop- ment continues to provide many local jobs. “Over 80 percent of the re- sort staff is Caymanian,” Mr. McLaughlin said. During the particularly rough period after 2004’s Hur- ricane Ivan, Mr. Morritt pro- vided free water to East End residents and gave food and supplies to two shelters in the district, the premier said. Awards and international acclaim for the Morritt’s property has also helped boost Cayman’s visibility in tourism, Mr. McLaughlin said. Mr. Morritt was one of four people to be granted Caymanian status by Cabinet in 2017, but the grant hap- pened late in the year and could not be ratified until the Legislative Assembly met last week. By law, Cayman can only grant four status awards per year to individuals con- sidered deserving and who generally cannot obtain it any other way. Caymanian status is a local immigration designation akin to citizen- ship which allows a person full citizenship rights in the British Overseas Territory. MONDAY MARCH 19, 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) TOMB RAIDER 3D (PG13) 12:35 2D VIP I 12:50 I 3:40 2D 6:35 2D VIP I 7:05 I 9:50 2D DEATH WISH (R) 1:15 I 4:00 I 7:15 I 9:55 BLACK PANTHER (PG13) 12:40 I 3:25 VIP I 3:55 I 7:00 9:25 VIP I 10:00 RED SPARROW (R) 3:50 I 9:45 PETER RABBIT (PG) 12:20 I 2:40 I 5:00 I 7:20 I 9:40 SAMSON (PG13) 1:00 I 7:10 Actress Shannen Doherty to speak at cancer gala Organizers of the annual Breast Cancer Foundation gala announced that Shannen Doherty, star of TV shows “Charmed” and “Beverley Hills, 90210,” will be the guest speaker at this year’ fundraiser. The gala, which in previous years has featured headliners like actress Cynthia Nixon, E! TV presenter Gi- uliana Rancic and her husband, the first winner of “The Apprentice” re- ality TV show, Bill Rancic, and co-an- chor of NBC’s “Today” show Hoda Kotb, will be held at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, on Saturday, Oct. 6. Ms. Doherty, 46, a breast cancer sur- vivor, prominently chronicled on so- cial media her two-year battle with the disease. She announced on In- stragram in April last year that she was in remission. “We are extremely honored to have Shannen Doherty as our guest speaker at this year’s gala,” said Ja- nette Fitzgerald, chief administrator at the Breast Cancer Foundation. “After her diagnosis in 2015, at the age of 44, Shannen instantly took to social media to share her journey, and by doing so expanded breast cancer awareness to a much younger audience.” Born in Memphis, Ms. Doherty’s family moved to Los Angeles when she was 7 years old. By the age of 10, she had made her professional televi- sion debut on “Father Murphy,” which led to her role on “Little House on the Prairie.” She went on to feature as Brenda Walsh in the popular “Bev- erly Hills, 90210,” and Prue Halliwell in “Charmed.” She is also author of 2010’s “Badass: A Hard-Earned Guide to Living Life with Style and (the Right) Attitude.” Ms. Doherty, 46, a breast cancer survivor, prominently chronicled on social media her two-year battle with the disease. Bail hearing for suspect with health concerns SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Iain Nigel MacKellar, who is awaiting a hearing to de- termine whether he will be extradited to the United States, was back in court on Friday for a conference on the status of his confinement. Mr. MacKellar, who is accused of fraud involving a veterinary product for fleas, has been in custody since December. His defense counsel, James Austin-Smith, asserted Friday that Mr. MacKellar has “severe and immediate” health concerns that cannot be addressed at Northward Prison. Crown counsel Toyin Salako told Magistrate An- gelyn Hernandez Friday that she sees no reason to change the conditions set out by the court and that she was confi- dent that the medical staff at Northward can take care of the defendant’s medical needs “with absolutely no difficulty.” “Our position as to bail re- mains exactly the same as it’s been since the outset when Mr. MacKellar was arrested,” said Ms. Salako. Magistrate Hernandez said that she needed more information before she was able to make a ruling. The magistrate told the defense counsel that she would like an alternative destination for Mr. MacKellar – such as a hospital or hospice care – that was not either the prison or his residence, and she told the Crown that she would like to know more about the prison’s ability to care for Mr. MacKellar. The two sides will meet again in court on March 23 to discuss potential resolutions. The date of Mr. MacK- ellar’s extradition hearing was not mentioned in court on Thursday. Developer David Morritt receives Caymanian status JURY NOTICE BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com After staying here for some 30 years as a visitor, Morritt’s Properties East End developer David Morritt has been granted Caymanian status by the Cayman Is- lands Cabinet. The status grant, which was actually approved back in All Grand Court jurors in the January 2018 session are advised that their report date has been changed. They are now to report for jury duty on Monday, March 26, at 9:45 a.m. Call the Jury Information line at 244-3899 for the most up-to-date information, or email jury@judicial.ky. “We were convinced that Mr. Morritt deserves the highest status we can award to non-nationals.” PREMIER ALDEN MCLAUGHLIN David Morritt at the opening of The Londoner, a new addition to his Morritt’s Tortuga Club and Resort, in 2014. Mr. Morritt was granted Caymanian status by Cabinet on Friday. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Actress and breast cancer survivor Shannen Doherty will be keynote speaker at the Breast Cancer Foundation gala in October.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MARCH 19, 2018 Lawmakers reject motion to make fire, immigration chiefs Caymanian-only KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com After nearly four hours of debate on Thursday af- ternoon, the Legislative As- sembly voted against a pri- vate members’ motion made by opposition legislator Ken- neth Bryan to make the po- sitions of chief fire officer and chief immigration officer Caymanian-only roles. Mr. Bryan admitted that there may be “controversy” about whether government has the legal authority to designate civil service posi- tions for Caymanians only, but said his motion is crucial for “protecting our culture.” He said there may be non- Caymanians who are more qualified for certain posi- tions, but that those people might not fit in with the local community. “They came off conveyer belts. They don’t care about anything else – it’s all about the corporate world or civil service world,” he said. “Their cultures, their behaviors, their norms are coming out in their decisions and affecting who we are as Caymanians.” In response, Acting Deputy Governor Gloria McField- Nixon pointed out that the Immigration Department and the Fire Service are almost entirely occupied by Cayma- nians, with 99.4-percent and 98.5-percent Caymanian par- ticipation rates, respectively. The only time a chief im- migration officer was non- Caymanian was during a brief succession period when former Chief Immigration Of- ficer Franz Manderson was preparing to fill the post, she said, asking why govern- ment should legislate for a problem that does not exist. Ms. McField-Nixon added that the chief fire officer has traditionally been a Cayma- nian, but United Kingdom na- tional David Hails had to be hired in 2015 because there were no qualified Caymanians to fill the position. The min- istry responsible for the Fire Service conducted three re- cruitment exercises, but Cay- manian applicants either did not have the proper qualifica- tions or scored too low in the interview and testing segments of the hiring process, she said. The acting deputy gov- ernor attributed this to the fact that three Caymanian chief fire officers retired all in a relatively short time span, leaving no qualified replace- ments in their wake. Ms. McField-Nixon is cur- rently the acting deputy gov- ernor while Mr. Manderson is acting governor in the interim period before incoming gov- ernor Anwar Choudhury ar- rives in Cayman on March 25. Premier Alden McLaughlin echoed Ms. McField-Nixon’s comments, saying govern- ment had no choice but to hire a non-Caymanian to be the chief fire officer. “I was so upset that I in- sisted in seeing the scores of those who took the tests,” he said. “Faced with the scores I saw, there was no way I could even begin to make the case that there was a choice be- sides the one decided on – to go with a foreign applicant.” While Mr. Bryan’s motion is well-intentioned, it would have the effect of “dumbing down” the qualifications for the po- sitions in question, said Mr. McLaughlin, who earlier in the day had announced the cre- ation of a commission to field complaints from Caymanian job-seekers who feel they have been discriminated against during the hiring process. Speaking during her por- tion of the debate, Home Af- fairs Minister Tara Rivers said that members of the Legisla- tive Assembly do not have the power to hire or fire civil ser- vants, but that they are able to allocate more money to train Caymanians who will be qualified to take high-level positions. She said her min- istry has allocated $321,000 for the training of fire officers this year, which is a 34 per- cent increase over last year’s training budget. Opposition Leader Ez- zard Miller also spoke during the debate. He said his issue with the motion is that des- ignating certain positions for Caymanians implies that other positions should be held by non-Caymanians. Instead, government should have a default policy of designating all positions for Caymanians unless it can be definitively proved that there are no qual- ified people for the job. Closing up the debate, Mr. Bryan took issue with govern- ment’s contention that it does not have the power to des- ignate specific civil service posts for Caymanians only. Legislators can pass laws or even amend the constitution to do this, he contended. Nevertheless, the motion was opposed by all minis- ters and government back- benchers that were present. Four opposition members – Mr. Bryan, Alva Suckoo, An- thony Eden and Chris Saun- ders – voted in its favor, Mr. Miller abstained, and there were two absentees. Kenneth Bryan Civil service makeup changes little over 5 years BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands gov- ernment service is slightly better paid, a bit more Cay- manian and has a few more female workers than it did five years before 2016. Other than that, the public service that employs nearly 6,000 of Cayman’s 62,000 residents has remained about the same personnel- wise since 2012, according to figures released Friday by the government. A staff overview con- tained in the 2016 annual report for the Portfolio of the Civil Service shows a total of 5,961 people were employed in both the central government service and in outside authorities and gov- ernment-owned companies as of June 2016. In June 2012, that same figure was 5,901 public sector employees. The only slight change in staffing numbers was that about 100 more people worked in statutory authori- ties and government compa- nies during 2016, when com- pared with 2012. Exactly 39 fewer people worked in the central government service during 2016 than in 2012. The percentage of Cay- manian workers employed in the public service also rose, but only slightly. In June 2012, a total of 4,360 Caymanians were em- ployed in the public sector [73.9 percent of the total gov- ernment workforce]. In June 2016, there were 4,495 Cay- manians employed [75.4 per- cent of the total]. The average age of civil service workers stayed nearly the same over the five year period, between ages 42 and 43. Females increased their numbers within the govern- ment service, which in 2012 was made up of 52 per- cent women employees. In 2016, that number increased to 54 percent. Males still dominated the higher pay brackets, how- ever, with all of the highest- paid positions at the ‘A’ and ‘B’ pay grades being held by men. In the senior manager/ department head pay grades [‘C’-‘G’], men made up 53 percent of those employed. Overall, average wages rose by about 4 percent be- tween 2012 and 2016, going from $43,932 per year to $45,729 per year.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. 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” One lesson about wars: Don’t declare them if you do not intend to win them. The Cayman Islands now finds itself in the embar- rassing, but predictable, position of declaring war on the infestation of green iguanas but never providing the weapons and financial resources needed to win that war. Instead, we entered the battle with gimmicks, silly schemes and fingers-crossed forecasts about our chances of success. Last week, reality began to set in. The Department of Environment’s Fred Burton told the National Conservation Council that just under 30,000 iguanas were culled during a seven-month program that paid bounty hunters $3 per head. That is less than 5 percent of what he estimates would be needed to bring about a meaningful reduction in the green iguana population. In the unattractive spirit of “we told you so,” we remind government and the National Conser- vation Council that when this editorial board first heard of its breathtakingly absurd “war plan” – in effect “deputizing” iguana hunters with air rifles or garrotes and paying them a bounty on the corpses they produced – we dubbed the plan, not totally facetiously, a “Lizard Lotto.” The good news, if there is any, is that this amateur army, while eliminating only 30,000 iguanas, has not (to the best of our knowledge) eradicated any homo sapiens. Last June, Mr. Burton foresaw the easily foresee- able. He said this: “[The culling scheme] was an idea to see if it would catch on, and it clearly hasn’t caught on. We may have underestimated how reluctant the average person would be to wrestle with an iguana and deal a death blow to it.” Nevertheless, faced with imminent failure, the Department of Environment wasted more time (while the iguanas were merrily multiplying) by tinkering with, rather than abandoning, its approach. The department announced that participants in the cull going forward would receive a ticket for every iguana they kill. The tickets would then be placed in, we presume, a big box, raffle style, and the “winner” would get a $1,000 prize. Anyone want to guess how that turned out? What is surprising is the scope and scale of the effort Mr. Burton said would be needed to eradicate the pests. He estimated that to start reducing the number of green iguanas on island, cullers would have to capture and destroy 600,000 to one million animals – a feat that would require multiple culling businesses employing dozens of iguana hunters over several years. The cost of such a program would far surpass the $1.1 million government has allocated for iguana culling in 2018. Mr. Burton told conservationists he is not con- vinced that it makes sense to continue an iguana culling program that cannot hope to keep pace with the growth in population. Of course, he is correct. Why waste another day, or another dollar, on a plan that has virtually no chance of succeeding. Put simply, but obviously, the government really has only two choices here: Fund it or forget it. In order to make that Hobson’s Choice intelligently, we would expect government to develop a “business case” that would examine each alternative. At the least, it would include realistic costs of an eradication program, as well as an analysis of the consequences of ignoring the problem and doing absolutely nothing. In the ‘Lizard Lotto,’ we’re putting our money on the lizards MONDAY MARCH 19, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Freedom of speech includes the right to remain silent WASHINGTON – Govern- ments routinely behave badly, but sometimes their mean- spiritedness comes to the Su- preme Court’s attention. On Tuesday, it will hear oral ar- guments concerning the con- stitutionality of measures that California’s government has taken to compel pro- life entities to speak against their own mission. Crisis pregnancy centers are nonprofit facilities usu- ally owned and operated by people with religious objec- tions to abortion. Some cen- ters are licensed medical fa- cilities providing pregnancy testing, ultrasound examina- tions, medical referrals, pre- natal vitamins, etc. Other cen- ters are unlicensed because they provide only nonmedical services (self-administered pregnancy testing kits, par- enting preparation training, baby clothes, diapers, etc.). A 2015 California law re- quires licensed pregnancy crisis centers to tell clients (in pamphlets, in waiting- room signs) this: “California has public programs that pro- vide immediate free or low- cost access to comprehen- sive family planning services (including all FDA-approved methods of contraception), prenatal care and abortion for eligible women.” Unlicensed centers are required to no- tify clients that the center “is not licensed as a medical fa- cility by the state of California and has no licensed medical provider who provides or di- rectly supervises the provi- sion of services.” So, government compels licensed centers to provide free advertisements for gov- ernment-provided abortions. And government compels un- licensed centers to say that they do not have medical pro- viders that the government itself says, by not requiring them to be licensed, are not necessary for the services they provide. The government’s ob- vious nasty purpose is to make the unlicensed centers’ clients unnecessarily uneasy. California tailored the law to target only crisis centers: It exempts from the com- pelled speech requirements all women’s health services providers that dispense abor- tifacients. The crisis centers are incorporated as religious organizations and their mis- sion is dictated by the con- tent of their beliefs. The pro-choice government is tar- geting the centers to exercise one-sided influence on some women’s choices. The Cato Institute’s Ilya Shapiro, au- thor of an amicus brief sup- porting the crisis centers, says it is telling that Cali- fornia has no comparable law requiring abortion pro- viders to post advertisements for adoption agencies or other alternatives to abortion. Neither the 2015 law’s leg- islative history nor the state’s brief in defense of the law provides any evidence for the state’s charge that the centers “confuse,” “misinform” or oth- erwise harm women. And the law clearly has nothing to do with ensuring informed con- sent by clients of the preg- nancy crisis centers. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, whose reasoning is frequently novel and whose rulings are frequently reversed, upheld California’s law on the ground that gov- ernment often can regulate the practice-related speech of professionals it licenses. The Supreme Court has never em- braced this carve-out from the First Amendment, which would give government an open-ended power to require whomever the government deems a “professional” to communicate whatever mes- sage the government favors. Pro-choice defenders of California’s patently con- tent-based and discrimina- tory law should consider the following. Suppose a pro-life state government were to re- quire all publicly and pri- vately funded abortion pro- viders to advertise on their premises the locations and services of crisis pregnancy centers. Or even to post the following accurate informa- tion on their premises, web- sites and advertisements: “Eighteen days after con- ception, the unborn ba- by’s brain begins to form. At about three weeks, the heart begins to beat, circu- lating the baby’s blood. At six weeks, brain waves are de- tectable and at seven weeks, the baby is kicking. By week nine, the baby can suck his or her thumb and move his or her head. From weeks ten through 13, bones harden and teeth, fingerprints and fingernails begin to form. At 26 weeks, the spinal cord and pain receptors are in place for pain transmission to the brain.” A pro-life government’s point in compelling the placement of this factual no- tice would be not just to in- form women contemplating having an abortion but to incline them against doing so. The abortion providers would be compelled to dis- seminate a message contrary to their beliefs about the mo- rality of abortion. This would be (as Shapiro says of Cali- fornia’s compelled-speech law targeting the crisis cen- ters) government putting “its thumb on the scale in a so- cial debate, by conscripting individuals to help spread a particular message.” As the Supreme Court has held, freedom of speech means freedom to choose what to say – and what not to say. The pregnancy crisis centers have a right that Cali- fornia’s bullying government also has and that it would do well to exercise more often: the right to remain silent. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2018, Washington Post Writers Group. GEORGE F. WILL GEORGE As the Supreme Court has held, freedom of speech means freedom to choose what to say – and what not to say. 5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MARCH 19, 2018 Man commits rape while on bail for indecent assault case CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man raped a woman after breaking into her apartment last year while on bail and awaiting sentencing for an earlier inde- cent assault and burglary, a court heard last week. Okeno George Solomon pleaded guilty to committing rape and ag- gravated burglary in the early hours of Sept. 13, 2017. Mr. Solomon, 24, had earlier gone to trial in Summary Court for in- decent assault and burglary, which had occurred in December 2015, when he was on a suspended sen- tence for burglary. In August 2017, Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez found him guilty of burglary and indecent assault. Mr. Solomon was bailed to return for sentencing on a future date. At a Grand Court hearing last week, Crown counsel Kenneth Fer- guson pointed to the similarities in the two cases. In 2015, Mr. Solomon entered a residence at night. The fe- male complainant was asleep in bed. She awoke when she felt someone touching her. She saw a figure and that person put a hand over her mouth. She bit him and he ran off. She realized who it was – Mr. Solomon had been a friend of one of her relatives. She had known him about three years. She told her mother, who called police. Mr. Sol- omon was arrested and stood trial. Mr. Ferguson then recounted de- tails from the September 2017 inci- dent. He said the woman was alone in her apartment around 1 a.m. She was in her nightclothes, with a blanket covering her. She was working on her laptop, on her couch in the living room, with the TV on. The couch was near a sliding glass door leading to the patio. When the woman looked up to- ward the patio, she saw a man with a covering over his head, wearing gloves and holding a knife. The man lunged at her and told her not to make noise or he would use the knife. She struggled with him and received a graze on her arm. He ordered her to turn over on her stomach and he bent her arms behind her. He tried to gag her with electrical tape, but then wrapped it around her face instead. He bound her ankles and wrists. He then rum- maged through the apartment. When the woman started to cough and have an asthma attack, the intruder removed the tape from her mouth and told her that if she screamed he would kill her. She begged him to take whatever he wanted but not to harm her. He used his knife to cut off her underwear, the court heard, and raped her twice, using a condom both times. Mr. Ferguson told Justice Marlene Carter, “It was the first condom that the offender left at the scene which resulted in the only and vital piece of evidence which connected him with this heinous and vile act.” DNA from the condom was tested and Mr. Solo- mon’s profile was found. After the second rape, the in- truder continued ransacking the apartment. Items he took included phones and he demanded pass- words. He allowed the woman to keep her personal phone, but took her work phones. He took her car keys and loaded the items he had taken into the car. When he left, the woman locked herself in the bathroom and called police. Officers arrived and took her to the Cayman Islands Hospital. Mr. Ferguson said CCTV footage enabled police to track the vehicle into the George Town area, where a man resembling Mr. Solomon was seen parking the vehicle near the old government administration building and leaving it there. From the night of the assault, the victim’s life had changed, Mr. Fer- guson said. She was no longer the confident, self-assured, high-func- tioning person she had been, he summarized from the victim impact report. Now she was self-conscious, nervous, unable to work at her pre- vious high level. She felt ashamed and vulnerable. She was reluctant to date. She was taking medication for panic and it was clear she suffered mental injury, he told the court. The prosecutor then provided some background on the defendant, saying Mr. Solomon blamed his ac- tions on consuming cocaine. He had told police he was on a burglary spree when he ended up at the vic- tim’s apartment. He accepted most of what she had said, but he did not remember most of the night. He said he did not use force, but told the writer of his social inquiry report, “The victim has no reason to lie about anything.” Mr. Ferguson concluded by noting that the report said Mr. Solo- mon’s risk of re-offending was “very high.” He suggested the appropriate sentence was 15 years or more. Defense attorney Neil Kumar spoke in mitigation pertaining to the Summary Court matters and urged the court to consider the to- tality of sentences to be imposed. Attorney Prathna Bodden spoke about the rape/aggravated bur- glary. She pointed out that Mr. Sol- omon’s pleas had saved the victim “the upset” of coming to court, calling that factor “very signifi- cant” because the woman did not have to come back and relive those “awful” two hours. Mr. Solomon had been failed by the system, she asserted. A report in 2012 indicated he had mental health issues. Ms. Bodden accepted that a sexual harm prevention order could be properly granted in this case. Justice Carter indicated there was a lot to consider because she was dealing with three sets of sen- tences – the suspended sentence, the Summary Court sentence, and the sentence for rape. She adjourned sentencing until Friday, April 6, and continued the defendant’s remand in custody. Justice Marlene Carter adjourned sentencing until Friday, April 6, and continued the defendant’s remand in custody. Trespasser in court for trespassing again ‘I have to protect the public,’ magistrate says CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man sentenced in Jan- uary to eight and a half months in prison was back in court again on Friday for the same offense – crim- inal trespass. Thadeus (Thad) Kaemeron Bodden, 41, pleaded guilty to entering a George Town premises on Wednesday, March 14, without lawful business thereon. This time he was sentenced to a prison term of two months. Magistrate Valdis Fol- dats noted that he had pre- viously sentenced the de- fendant to eight and a half months for similar trespass charges, plus a theft from a parked car. “The message isn’t getting through,” he told Mr. Bodden. “You can’t enter someone else’s property without their permission.” He noted that the max- imum sentence prescribed by law for criminal trespass is one-year imprisonment. He said he could have given a sentence of community ser- vice if this were a first of- fense, but Mr. Bodden’s crim- inal record of 60 previous convictions brought it over the custody threshold. Mr. Bodden asked why he could not get community ser- vice, since he had never had that type of sentence before. The magistrate replied, “I have to protect the public.” Mr. Bodden explained that he had been released from prison in January after his Jan. 9 sentence because of credit for time he had spent in custody before he was sentenced. He also told the court that the man who had been murdered last week [Doug- more Wright] was his friend and he was upset. “I’m hurting inside. I’m going through a rough time. It’s very stressful for me,” he told the court. Defense attorney John Furniss explained that Mr. Bodden had been drinking heavily and then, while riding his bicycle home, he had stomach pains. He went to the premises and the porch door was open. He went in and sat in a deck chair and fell asleep on the porch. “There was no interfer- ence with the house itself,” Mr. Furniss emphasized. “He could have gone in, but he did not.… He accepts he did not have permission to remain on the property.” A later check of the premises showed that “all appeared to be in order.” The defendant added, “I did not go there to do any- thing criminal.” The magistrate agreed that he was not charged with theft or burglary, but he was “a serial trespasser” who had “nothing but disrespect for other people’s property.” Crown counsel Gavin Dixon said Mr. Bodden was found asleep on the porch by the property manager at 1 p.m. Police were called and he was arrested. Mr. Furniss advised that the defendant had been working part time, but would be doing construction work full time for his father’s com- pany in the near future. The magistrate said this trespass was less serious than Mr. Bodden’s previous offenses and three months was the appropriate sen- tence. With one-third credit for the early guilty plea, the time in custody was reduced to two months.6 LOCAL NEWS The 26th Annual 5k Irish Jog took place Friday, with green-clad, shamrock-toting runners and walkers flocking to the Britannia area to participate in the yearly event. Hosts Butterfield Bank (Cayman) Limited and Dart Enterprises Ltd. donated the proceeds of this year’s jog to Acts of Random Kindness (ARK). Check out these photos and others by visiting caymancompass.com/photogalleries or on facebook.com/caycompass (and don’t forget to tag yourself and your friends!) MONDAY MARCH 19, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS While some participated in Friday’s 5k Irish Jog as a fun way to kick off their St. Patrick’s Day festivities, others took the event more seriously with an eye to win the race. If it weren’t hot enough on Friday, some participants in the 5k Irish Jog decided to don beards as part of their costumes. A youngster carries a scooter during Friday’s 5k Irish Jog. Joggers wore everything from traditional runner’s gear to elaborate St. Patrick’s Day-themed costumes. People of all ages participated in Friday’s 5k Irish Jog. – PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY Beni Silva Anderson, Priscila Silva, Lynn Anderson and Jorrie AndersonAngela Miranda, Maria Leonce and Marco Miranda get into the green spirit. Wendy Wiltshire, Jose Contreras, Maria Leonce, Belinda Vincent (center), Maria Blandford and Yansi Contreras get ready to take on the 5k course. Lauretta Bennett, Jean Couchman and Dave Bennett sport some unconventional headgear for the jog.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MARCH 19, 2018 From March 30th to April 2nd EDITIONDEADLINE Please be advised there will be NO NEWSPAPER on Good Friday March 30th and Easter Monday April 2nd Celebrate the Long WEEKEND Thursday Thursday March 29th Closed to the Public at noon March 29thMarch 23rd Monday April 2ndEaster Monday TuesdayApril 3rdTuesday Friday No Publication March 27th Wednesday April 4th Wednesday March 28th Thursday April 5th Wednesday March 28th FridayApril 6th............ ............ ............ ............ ........... ...... TuesdayApril 3rd Friday March 30thGood FridayNo Publication ...... PHONE: 949.5111 | EMAIL: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Property sales hit record levels Premier seeks commission to deal with ‘fair employment’ “As long as the U.S. economy remains strong, I see no reason for this to change.” He said one factor that could stem growth was the lack of inventory and developable space on Seven Mile Beach to match the demand from investors. That does not appear to be an issue yet, however. Char- terland’s report also indicates that projects approved by the Central Planning Authority in 2017 had a record high value of $727 million. A planned $200 million Hilton resort at the site of the old Pageant Beach Hotel, the West Bay Road underpass, NCB’s boutique hotel project in George Town and the Per- iwinkle residential develop- ment at Grand Harbour were some of the high value proj- ects approved for construc- tion last year. Charterland has been pro- ducing market analysis re- ports annually since 2008. Mr. Watson said the aim was to cut through the marketing and sales talk and provide a data-based guide to the state of the property market. The report includes a sector by sector analysis of residential and commercial property transfers. He said the mid-range market was comparatively stable, with the number and value of sales increasing marginally. Some of the key fig- ures revealed in the 2017 report include: ■■ There were 1,702 prop- erty transfers, a 5 per- cent increase on the previous year. ■■ The total value of those transfers was $679 million, the highest on record, and a 9 percent increase on 2016. ■■ The average value of property sold in Cayman in 2017 was $399,000 – the highest on record. ■■ There were 131 sales of beachfront condos on Seven Mile Beach, a 21 percent increase on 2016. a Caymanian job applicant who feels he or she has been rejected for a post unfairly. In contrast, Mr. McLaughlin said local em- ployers and non-Caymanian work permit holders can go to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal if they feel a permit has been wrongly denied. Any worker can also go to the La- bour Appeals Tribunal with a complaint against their em- ployer, he said. “But if you are a Cayma- nian job-seeker and believe that you were incorrectly treated when applying for a job or bypassed for promo- tion, you have nowhere to go,” the premier said, adding that writing a complaint letter to the relevant immigration board can result in a non- Caymanian not getting the job, but it rarely leads to a job for a Caymanian applicant. “There is no current law to protect Caymanians from dis- crimination by employers and no process by which Cayma- nians can officially complain or seek redress against instances of discrimination,” he said. The specifics of how the Fair Employment Opportuni- ties Commission would func- tion are still being drawn up, but Mr. McLaughlin said it’s meant to serve as a “tool” to supplement current hiring measures. It was suggested that administrative fines could be levied against busi- nesses which have unfair hiring practices. The commission chair- person would likely have to be an experienced lawyer or retired judge, backed by staff with investigative skills, the premier said. Mr. McLaughlin said the commission would not rep- resent “some form of affir- mative action.” Another benefit to such a government body would be the collection of data on in- stances of hiring discrimi- nation, Mr. McLaughlin said. Cayman residents often hear of complaints in various hiring processes within both the public and private sector, but no official records are kept of such disputes. The collection of this type of data could inform the government and the public as to what job sec- tors are being impacted by hiring discrimination, if any. The commission could also educate Caymanians as to their employment rights, the premier said. He pledged to con- sult widely with the busi- ness community before the creation of a fair employ- ment commission with an eye toward making sure businesses can receive the workers they need. “If a business is operating as the law requires and is treating Caymanian job appli- cants fairly, then they will have nothing to fear regarding the implementation of such a com- mission,” Mr. McLaughlin said. Premier Alden McLaughlin CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Public standards board awaits findings in prison probe BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands gov- ernment has been investi- gating a complaint of gender bias within the local prison service for more than a year. The Standards in Public Life Commission requested an internal investigation following Cayman Com- pass reports in November 2016 about a family friend of former Prisons Director Neil Lavis who was hired as a prisons manager and paid a slightly higher salary than her four male counterparts. Commission members in- dicated that they were con- cerned about some of the is- sues raised in the newspaper report, which was based on the findings of govern- ment’s Gender Equality Tri- bunal, the body tasked with receiving gender discrimina- tion complaints. “Such concerns included the apparent lack of proper applicability of best practice surrounding conflicts of in- terest by public officials,” the public standards commission noted in its most recent an- nual report, which was made public last week. The commission asked, in February 2017, that the deputy governor’s office con- firm an internal review into the matter was under way. Commission secretary Deborah Bodden said Friday that the commission was in- formed an internal audit was being done but that it was “not yet ready.” “No further update has been provided to the commis- sion,” the report noted. The four-member gender tribunal ruled on Nov. 3, 2016 that four male prison cus- todial managers were paid about 2 percent less in an- nual salary than the female prison supervisor and were not given a motor vehicle up- keep allowance as she was. The tribunal ruling also states that the female super- visor, Nina White, was a family friend of Cayman Islands Prisons Director Neil Lavis and that she had been a member of Mr. Lavis’s staff in the U.K. be- tween 2000 and 2004. According to the tribunal records, Mr. Lavis informed the prison interview panel of his relationship with the potential prison hire and that the other members “did not see this as a conflict of interest which would prevent him from sitting on a panel to interview her.” “[Ministry of Home Affairs Deputy Chief Officer Kathryn] Dinspel-Powell also con- firmed that [Mr. Lavis] had informed the ministry of his friendship with Ms. White prior to the interview,” the tribunal documents stated. “She stated that the ministry wasn’t concerned with a ma- terial conflict because it was a panel of four persons and given the experience of the persons on the panel, any possible conflicts would be balanced out because they would know who would be a good fit for the positions.” The tribunal was incredu- lous about these claims: “The tribunal found it difficult to understand why, if these var- ious disclosures of the direc- tor’s prior relationship with Ms. White had been made, this had not been noted in the [job] interview notes or else- where …. In fact, it appears that the relationship was not disclosed in these proceed- ings until a letter from the Attorney General’s Chambers dated Aug. 4, 2016 [responded] to a query by the counsel for the complainants [the four male prison managers].”The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 MONDAY MARCH 19, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS “I actually bought that at this event two years ago,” she said. “It’s been my go-to bag for the last two years so it was a great investment.” Ania Milanowska is exec- utive director of the Cayman Islands Crisis Center, which has been in operation for 15 years. She said the Power of the Purse event, now in its fourth year, has made a big difference for her organization. “Every year we have to raise $350,000,” Ms. Mi- lanowska said. “This is a huge amount of money in reaching that goal.” The event is a chance to not only bring attention to domestic violence, but to such issues as equality in the workplace. Scotiabank’s managing di- rector Dwight Burrows told the gathering how an internal program in recent years had increased the company’s ratio of women in executive roles from 7 percent to 50 percent. “And,” he joked, “it goes without saying that they make 100 percent of the decisions.” The event’s keynote speaker, Jennifer Thompson, shared her story of sur- viving a rape and, years later, coming to terms with having helped send an innocent man to prison for the crime. “Whatever we do, what- ever we say, has great im- pact,” she told the crowd. In 1984, when Ms. Thompson was a 22-year- old college student, she woke up to find a strange man in her apartment. He grabbed her and put a knife to her throat. She offered him her car and money. “He said, ‘I don’t want your money,’” she recalled. “That’s when I knew what was going to happen.” She shared the story of how, after being raped, she escaped her apartment and was able to find help. During her ordeal, she said, she had concentrated on cata- loging details about her at- tacker. When she was pre- sented with both a photo and a live lineup, each time she confidently identified Ronald Cotton. He was convicted largely on her testimony and spent 11 years in prison before a DNA test proved he had not committed the crime. Ms. Thompson recalled getting that news one night in a phone call. “I don’t remember what happened next,” she said. “I’m told that I fell to the floor and I screamed and I cried. “I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt,” she added. “I felt fear. Ronald Cotton would hate me. He was going to be released from prison and he would want revenge.” She asked officials to set up a meeting between her and Mr. Cotton. She asked him for forgiveness. “He took my hand and said, ‘I forgave you years ago,’” she said. Ms. Thompson wrote about their ensuing friend- ship in her book, “Picking Cotton.” She became an ad- vocate for criminal justice re- form and correcting wrongful convictions, founding the non- profit group Healing Justice. “There is beauty where we are broken,” she told the crowd. “At the end of the day, we’re all here to walk each other home.” Jennifer O’Leary, Scotia- bank’s marketing and com- munications manager, told those attending the event that it had raised $100,000 in its first three years. This year’s crowd was the largest yet. Ms. Milanowska said the money raised would help the center get closer to its goal of building a $1.2 mil- lion facility to replace its ex- isting shelter. Attendee Eileen Keens, with Yello Media Group, said the event could be a model for others. “It’s time for us to get to- gether and do more events like this,” Ms. Keens said. “There’s so much about the power that women have. I think we’re standing for all women by being part of these events. Besides the silent auction for purses, she noted there were people selling raffle tickets for prizes. Direct do- nations were also accepted. “There’s so many ways to help, so many ways to sup- port,” she said, “and, at the same time, have fun.” Women open their purses and show their power Claire Loebell, executive director of Transaction Advisory Services, EY, speaks at the Power of the Purse. Kate Allenger, Scotiabank Human Resources Manager Lovenia Ebanks and Pinnacle Media Publisher Vicki Legge Jennifer O’Leary, Scotiabank marketing manager, Caribbean North; Denise Gower, chairwoman of the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre; guest speaker Jennifer Thompson, author of ‘Picking Cotton’; and Dwight Burrows, Scotiabank managing director Angie Baraud, Shona Dors and Gillian McMahon Petra Berksoy and Eileen Keens St. Ignatius Spring Fling explodes with fun JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com St. Ignatius Catholic School’s annual Spring Fling featured a kaleidoscope of color on Friday, with fun hair colors and painted faces, along with plenty of food, prizes, games and live entertainment. A larger-than-ever crowd of more than 800 people at- tended the Spring Fling, which is organized each year by the St. Ignatius Home School Association. The adults supervised kids as they skipped from stall to stall, chatting with class- mates, purchasing raffle tickets, visiting with fire and police services, taking pony rides, sampling a wide va- riety of sweets, cakes and candies and enjoying games. Flipping burgers as fast as he could for attendees in long lines, Home School Associa- tion chairman Martin Cooke said students got to enjoy a multitude of fun activities and games throughout the day. “It’s busy … the spring fair has been growing each year, which is fantastic … the proceeds will go to different school projects,” he said. “We have such good vol- unteers each year,” he added. “There is a lot going on, and so [many] tickets to get, it’s just like a big carnival fair,” said student Micah Hypolite. Mr. Cooke said the spring fling raised $30,000 last year and this year the school was hoping to exceed that amount. A large portion of the money raised came from the sale of raffle tickets, orga- nized by Jeremy Rice. Many items were donated by the community and parents. The balloon twister stall captures plenty of attention. Attendees find lots of bargains during the jumble sale. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MARCH 19, 2018 Obama to visit Singapore, NZ, Australia, Japan Former President Barack Obama is embarking on a weeklong tour of Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and Japan. Obama’s office says he’ll be in Singapore on Monday for an Obama Foundation discussion with young adults representing Southeast Asian nations. Russia votes but outcome is clear: Six more years of Putin Lawmakers say UK should consider postponing Brexit LONDON (AP) – Britain should consider postponing Brexit be- cause there may not be enough time to strike a deal with the European Union before the U.K. leaves the bloc a year from now, a key committee of British lawmakers said Sunday. The House of Commons Ex- iting the EU Committee said if major aspects of the future re- lationship with the EU remain unsettled by October, Britain should seek a “limited exten- sion” of its EU membership. Britain and the EU want a deal on future relations set- tled by the fall so national parliaments can approve it before Britain officially leaves the 28-nation bloc on March 29, 2019. In a report published Sunday, the lawmakers said a proposed transition period of about two years should be able to be extended if needed. The two sides have agreed in principle that Britain will continue to remain part of the bloc’s structures and rules until the end of 2020. Seven pro-Brexit members of the 21-member, all-party committee refused to back the report, preparing an al- ternative version that took a more uncompromising tone toward the EU. The majority-backed re- port said it is worrying that there has been “little prog- ress” in solving the key issue of how to maintain an open border between Northern Ire- land and the Republic of Ire- land after Brexit. Britain and the EU agree there must be no customs posts or other infrastructure along the all-but-invisible border, but the committee said Britain has yet to put forward credible proposals for how this could work. “We know of no interna- tional border, other than the internal borders of the EU, that operates without checks and physical infrastructure,” said the committee’s chairman, Labour lawmaker Hilary Benn. The pro-Brexit dissenters’ alternative document accused the EU of taking an unhelpful approach to the border issue. They suggested that new technology and “streamlined” customs arrangements can deliver a frictionless border. Rather than having Britain seek to extend its EU membership, the minority group said the U.K should walk away without a deal if talks bog down. MOSCOW (AP) – Russia’s presidential election was tainted Sunday by unprece- dented pressure on voters to turn out and incidents of sus- pected ballot box stuffing – a barely democratic exercise that will grant Vladimir Putin another six years of power. His opponents have called the election a farce, but his millions of fans hail the 65-year-old former KGB of- ficer for restoring Russian greatness and defending their proud nation from a hostile outside world. Putin is facing seven chal- lengers on the ballot but the outcome of the vote is pre-or- dained, given his high pop- ularity ratings. The major goal for Russian authorities is producing a big turnout that will hand Putin the le- gitimacy he craves and pro- vide a convincing mandate for his fourth term. Sunday’s election is expected to fur- ther embolden the Russian president both at home and in world affairs. Casting his ballot in Moscow, Putin seemed con- fident of victory, saying he would consider any per- centage of votes a success. “The program that I pro- pose for the country is the right one,” he said. Given the lack of competi- tion, authorities are struggling against voter apathy – and have put many of Russia’s 111 million voters under intense pressure to cast ballots. Yevgeny, a 43-year-old mechanic voting in cen- tral Moscow, said he briefly wondered whether it was worth voting. “But the answer was easy … if I want to keep working, I vote,” he said. He said his bosses haven’t asked for proof of voting but he fears they will. He spoke on condi- tion that his last name not be used out of concern that his employer – the Moscow city government – would find out. Across the country in the city of Yekaterinburg, a doctor also said she was being coerced to vote. When she had not voted by midday, “The chief of my unit called me and said I was the only one who hadn’t voted,” said the doctor, Yekat- erina, who spoke on condition her last name not be used be- cause she fears repercussions. Yevgeny Roizman, the mayor of Yekaterinburg, told The Associated Press that local officials and state em- ployees have all received or- ders “from higher up” to make sure the presidential vote turnout is over 60 percent. In Moscow, first-time voters were being given free tickets for pop concerts, and health authorities were of- fering free cancer screenings at selected polling stations. Voters appeared to be turning in out in larger num- bers Sunday than in Rus- sia’s last presidential election in 2012, when Putin faced a serious opposition move- ment and electoral violations like multiple voting, ballot stuffing and coercion marred the voting. Voting fraud was widespread in Russia’s 2011 parliamentary vote, trig- gering massive protests in Moscow against Putin’s rule. Voters cast ballots from the Pacific coast to Siberia and Moscow. Voting will con- clude at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT; 2 p.m. EDT) in Kaliningrad, the Baltic exclave that is Rus- sia’s westernmost region, and initial results are expected soon afterward. Election authorities said turnout nationwide Sunday was 34.7 percent at noon Moscow time. But online groups set up to record voting viola- tions reported hundreds of problems Sunday that cast a shadow over the official turnout figures. Observers including op- position leader Alexei Naval- ny’s representatives, the Golos monitoring group and ordi- nary Russians posted images online of apparent voting vio- lations. Some examples: ballot boxes being stuffed with extra ballots in multiple regions; an election official assaulting an observer; CCTV cameras ob- scured by flags or nets from watching ballot boxes; dis- crepancies in ballot num- bers; last-minute voter regis- tration changes likely to boost turnout and a huge pro-Putin board inside a polling station. Some 145,000 observers were monitoring the voting in the world’s largest country, including 1,500 foreigners and representatives from Na- valny’s movement. Navalny himself is barred from run- ning due to a conviction he calls politically motivated. Russian authorities had appealed to patriotic feel- ings by holding Sunday’s election on the anniversary of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Penin- sula – so tensions in Ukraine clouded the presidential vote. Ukraine security forces blocked the Russian Em- bassy in Kiev and consulates elsewhere after the Ukrai- nian government refused to let ordinary Russians vote, drawing angry protests from Russian officials. Ukraine said the move was to protest voting Sunday in Crimea, whose annexa- tion is still not internation- ally recognized. Ukrainian leaders are also angry over Russian support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, where fighting that has killed at least 10,000 people since 2014 continues. Polls show that most Rus- sians view the takeover of the Black Sea peninsula as a major achievement despite sub- sequent Western sanctions. Putin also revved up his pop- ularity by taking on Islamic State extremists in Syria. “Who am I voting for? Who else?” asked Putin sup- porter Andrei Borisov, 70, a retired engineer in Moscow. “The others, it’s a circus.” He expressed hope that Putin will continue to stand up to the United States and the West and will work on improving living stan- dards at home. The eight presidential candidates were barred from campaigning Sunday, but much-loved entertainers ap- pealed to voters in a televised message to fulfill their civic duty. Voters also faced bill- boards celebrating Russian greatness – a big theme of Putin’s leadership. Putin traveled across Russia pledging to raise wages, pour more funds into the country’s crumbling healthcare and education and modernize dilapidated infrastructure. Presidential challenger Ksenia Sobchak, a 36-year- old TV host, urged Putin’s critics to “come together” and vote instead of boycotting, as opposition leader Navalny has recommended. The higher the support for Putin in Sunday’s vote, “the tougher the system” Rus- sians will face in his new term, Sobchak told reporters after voting. Critics think Sobchak has the tacit support of the Kremlin so that the elec- tion appears more demo- cratic, which she denies. She is the only candidate who has openly criticized Putin in the campaign. As U.S. authorities in- vestigate alleged Russian interference in President Donald Trump’s 2016 elec- tion, Moscow has warned of possible U.S. meddling in the Russian vote. And sure enough, the Cen- tral Election Commission claimed Sunday it had been the target of a hacking at- tempt early in the voting day. The commission said author- ities deterred the denial of service attack but gave few details of how serious it was. Putin is facing seven challengers on the ballot but the outcome of the vote is pre-ordained, given his high popularity ratings. In a report published Sunday, the lawmakers said a proposed transition period of about two years should be able to be extended if needed. Russian President and candidate Vladimir Putin prepares to cast his ballot during Russia’s presidential election in Moscow, Russia, Sunday. – PHOTO: AP British Prime Minister Theresa MayNext >