ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY MAY 14, 2018 High of 88 Low of 74 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 IS OFREG BECOMING A TROUBLED - AND TROUBLING – REGULATOR? LOCAL | PAGE 2 TURTLE CENTRE AUDIT UNCOVERS ‘MISSING’ CASH, EMPLOYEE FIRED HOME AFFAIRS: ‘WORKING FAST’ TO FIX FIRE SERVICE BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Some of the “significant uncertainty” re- ferred to in a recent consultant study of the Cayman Islands Fire Service was on display during the Legislative Assembly’s Public Ac- counts Committee hearings over the past two weeks, as committee members reviewed the findings from the $80,000 report. The report done by PricewaterhouseCoo- pers noted that five of the six senior fire of- ficers directly reporting to Chief Fire Of- ficer David Hails were “acting” in those roles as of February. Meanwhile, the consulting firm noted job vacancies among the lower fire service ranks had grown as younger officers were promoted. A number of those officers told consultants during interviews that they were disappointed over low pay and lack of advancement. During a May 3 appearance before the ac- counts committee, Chief Hails noted the Min- istry of Home Affairs had commissioned the consultant’s report, not the fire service. IMMIGRATION MISSES FOI LAW TIME LINES BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A local law firm said this week that it has been unable, for the past few years, to retrieve public documents relating to how Cayman Is- lands Immigration Department boards and staff members process various applications for work permits, permanent residence and Caymanian status. The firm, HSM Chambers, filed an open re- cords request via the Freedom of Information Law on Oct. 31, 2017 seeking the information. By Friday, May 11, 2018, that request was still pending via an appeal hearing before the Ombudsman’s office. “The documents are still outstanding,” said Ministry of Immigration Chief Officer Wesley Howell. “I understand they are being com- piled from across all of the Department of Immigration.” “We believe that, as a matter of Cayman Is- lands law, and as a matter of natural justice, New HQ for Aviation Authority SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands has finally found a home. The regulatory authority recently executed a 99-year lease on a property within eyesight of the runway at Owen Roberts International Airport, and it will build a purpose-built headquarters expected to open in the third quarter of 2019. CAACI will pay approximately $2.4 million out of its own cash reserves to fund the new project, and the process began with a ground- breaking ceremony on Friday afternoon. The existing building on site, the former headquarters of Cayman Airways, has not been in use since it was damaged in 2004’s Hurricane Ivan, and it will have to be demol- ished before the new CAACI headquarters can be built. Richard Smith, director-general of the aviation authority, took a few ceremonial swings of a sledgehammer Friday and said the new building will be the start of a new era. “When we moved into our current offices in a commercial complex in Grand Harbour in February of 2005, it was intended to be a tem- porary move until a permanent solution could Premier Alden McLaughlin, fourth from left, and Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, far right, join airport and civil aviation authority officials in Friday’s groundbreaking event. – PHOTOS: ALVARO SEREY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Richard Smith, director-general of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands, gets ready to take a whack with a sledgehammer at the old building.2 LOCAL&REGIONAL MONDAY MAY 14, 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) LADY BIRD (R) 2:00 I 4:35 I 7:20 I 9:40 I FEEL PRETTY (PG13) 4:55 I 9:55 AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (PG13) 12:15 VIP I 12:20 3D I 3:30 VIP I 3:35 6:45 VIP I 6:50 I 9:20 3D I 9:55 VIP I CAN ONLY IMAGINE (PG) 3:50 I 10:00 OVERBOARD (PG13) 1:00 I 6:45 A QUIET PLACE (PG13) 12:25 I 2:40 I 7:30 RAMPAGE (PG13) 1:30 I 4:15 I 7:10 I 9:50 Turtle Centre audit uncovers ‘missing’ cash, employee fired BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Another Cayman Is- lands public agency has been rocked by fraud alle- gations as a Cayman Turtle Centre employee is fired over “a significant amount” of missing cash. Turtle Centre Man- aging Director Tim Adam announced the firing late Thursday, stating cash “from several revenue sources has gone missing.” He did not identify the employee who was terminated nor state how much money was missing. The matter is under inves- tigation by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service’s Fi- nancial Crime Unit, police of- ficials confirmed Friday. Evidence concerning the missing cash was uncovered during an audit of the gov- ernment-owned tourist at- traction’s 18-month budget for 2016/17, Mr. Adam said. The matter was immedi- ately reported to police, the Turtle Centre’s board of di- rectors and its attorneys, Mr. Adam said. The Cayman Is- lands Auditor General’s Office further reported the missing cash to the Anti-Corruption Commission. The employee involved was suspended im- mediately, Mr. Adam said. The audit office said a private firm was brought in to perform a forensic audit involving several years of the center’s financial re- cords. That report has now been completed and turned over to police. “The evidence from that report has led to the termi- nation of employment of the staff member who had been suspended,” Mr. Adam said. The RCIPS investigation is continuing and no criminal charges had been filed as of Friday, officials said. The announcement last week was just the latest in a string of fraud, corrup- tion and mismanagement-re- lated allegations that have hit Cayman Islands government departments and public au- thorities in recent months. The Cayman Islands Port Authority, also during an audit of the its 2016/17 finan- cial period, found a number of potential fraud risks and hiring anomalies that were made public last week. Auditors found evidence of overtime overpayments at the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority, leading the public hospital system to suspend about a dozen secu- rity officers. That matter was also reported to the Anti-Cor- ruption Commission. Department of Environ- mental Health Director Roy- dell Carter remains “on leave” with multiple audits being conducted on over- time and other spending at his department. An anti-corruption in- vestigation into the Cayman Islands Immigration De- partment landed six immi- gration employees before the court earlier this year, charged in connection with a scheme to accept payment in exchange for providing as- sistance to individuals on the department’s English language tests. National Roads Au- thority Managing Director Paul Parchment was sus- pended following allega- tions of “misuse of resources” by a senior employee at the authority. Dog shot during house search Loaded gun, two spears found at the premises A police officer shot a pit bull dog that later had to be put down after the animal ran toward the of- ficer while he and col- leagues from the police and customs searched a home in which a loaded gun was found. Police said the Joint Task Force, supported by officers of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Tactical Firearms Unit, executed a search warrant at an address in the Bodden Road area of George Town on Friday. During the search, they re- covered a loaded handgun and two spears. A man and woman at the location were taken into custody. The woman was bailed, and the man, age 54 of George Town, re- mained in custody Friday on suspicion of possession of an unlicensed firearm. While executing the search warrant, the pit bull “aggressively ran to- wards one of the officers as if to attack. As it ap- proached, the officer shot the dog once, wounding it,” police said in a statement. A veterinary doctor was immediately contacted to attend the location and the dog was taken by the vet for medical treatment, but later had to be put down. Police said the matter has been referred to the of- fice of the Ombudsman. Teenager arrested for stabbing Police arrested a 16-year- old teenager on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm after another male teenager was stabbed Thursday in West Bay. The victim received cuts to his arm and head and was transported to the Cayman Islands Hospital for treat- ment, police said. He was later released. Police were called to an address off Mount Pleasant Road shortly before 6 p.m. “Three teenaged males were at the location when they were approached by an- other male of similar age, who was known to them,” ac- cording to a Royal Cayman Islands Police Service press release. “An argument ensued and one of the three teenagers was wounded with an instrument by the fourth male who had approached. The culprit then fled the scene.” Officers found the suspect, of West Bay, at another loca- tion off Mount Pleasant Road. Police are investigating a report of a ‘substantial’ sum of money that has gone missing from the Cayman Turtle Centre. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY VISITOR DIES IN SNORKELING INCIDENT A 64-year-old female visitor from the United States died Thursday after getting in difficulty while snorkeling off George Town. The woman’s death is the sixth water-related fa- tality reported this year. Police said officers re- sponded to a report of a person in distress in the water off South Church Street shortly after 11:30 a.m. The woman, who had been on a snorkel tour, was brought ashore by the tour leader after she got into difficulty. He and emer- gency personnel adminis- tered CPR on shore. The woman was trans- ported to the Cayman Is- lands Hospital by emergency services and subsequently pronounced dead. A man and woman at the location were taken into custody. Kennedy Center festival shines spotlight on Cuban culture WASHINGTON (AP) – Re- newed tensions between the U.S. and Cuba aren’t stop- ping the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts from shining a spotlight on the island’s rich cultural heritage during what’s being billed as the largest Cuban arts festival ever held in the United States. “Artes de Cuba: From the Island to the World,” which began this past week and runs through May 20, show- cases the work of more than 400 Cuban and Cuban-Amer- ican artists across more than 50 events. The program in- cludes the salsa band Los Van Van and other musicians, visual artists, movies, the- ater companies and ballerina Alicia Alonso and the Ballet Nacional de Cuba. “Cuba is a cultural pow- erhouse, and to present such a diverse slate of Cuban and Cuban-American artists all in a two-week span is un- precedented,” said Deborah F. Rutter, president of the Kennedy Center. The festival has come under fire from Cuban-Amer- ican lawmakers, including Republicans Carlos Curbelo, Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, as well as Democratic Party rep- resentative Albio Sires of New Jersey. They wrote to Secre- tary of State Mike Pompeo in April urging him to consider the advisability of allowing “so many pro-Castro regime Cuban nationals” to enter the United States. Last year, the United States withdrew more than half of its diplomats from Cuba and halted visa pro- cessing, citing mysterious “health attacks” in Havana that have harmed at least 24 Americans. Full diplomatic ties between the U.S. and the communist nation had been restored in 2015, under the Obama administration. Cuban designer Celia Ledón poses with her fashion creation at the Kennedy Center in Washington. - PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MAY 14, 2018 Today, 14th May, 2018, we commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the conferral of the Cayman Islands’ Coat of Arms by her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. When examining the history of the Cayman Islands, and the storyline that bridges the gap between our earliest settlement and our rapid ascension to becoming a world-class leader in nancial services and tourism, the grant of the Coat of Arms represents the seminal moment that started the chain of events that placed the Cayman Islands on the path to modernity. The Coat of Arms is the Cayman Islands’ rst internationally recognised symbol of identity. Its rich imagery tells the story of who we are, our history, our culture, our earliest industries, our constitutional relationship and our faith. Up until 1958, life in the Cayman Islands was summarised by the iconic phrase, “the islands time forgot”. Caymanians eked out a hard scrabble existence based on subsistence farming, shing, turtling and seamanship. While our existence was marked by self-reliance, ingenuity and relative independence, we were constitutionally a dependency of Jamaica which was at the time a British Colony. Therefore the grant of the Coat of Arms started the process of formally distinguishing the Cayman Islands from Jamaica. Many key milestones followed the grant of the Coat of Arms. These include: the Sex Disqualication (Removal) Law in 1958 that gave women the right to vote and stand for public oce; the First Constitution on 4th July 1959; passage of the Companies Law in 1960 and the Bank and Trust Companies Law in 1966 which paved the way for the Financial Services industry; the choice to remain part of the United Kingdom following Jamaica‘s decision to become independent in 1962; the purchase by the Government of 51% of Cayman Brac Airways in 1968, which later became Cayman Airways; and the introduction of Cayman’s own currency in 1971. The process behind the creation of our Coat of Arms is an incredible story of vision, intentional action, creativity and political will. While those who contributed to its creation may not have known that they would be blazing the trail for a modern Cayman Islands, history acknowledges the fact that they have set out symbols to remind us who have come after them, from whence we come. Until now, it has been a story that, for the most part, has remained unknown. Therefore, in recognition of the 60th Anniversary of our Coat of Arms, Government has agreed to launch Celebrate Cayman, a national initiative to tell the story over the next two years of both our Coat of Arms and our rst Constitution. This is an important platform for public engagement, education and national pride as we honour our past and embrace our future. I am especially pleased to conrm that this initiative enjoys cross-bench, support as MLAs from across the political spectrum have recognised the historical signicance as well as the urgent need to retell this story of our incredible journey to modernity. Throughout the next two years, there will be a series of events, activities and opportunities on all three Islands and in the United Kingdom as we retrace the steps of our Coat of Arms and Constitution. Celebrate Cayman will be an opportunity to showcase our heritage and highlight the unique things that distinguish us as Caymanians. It will also be an opportunity to shape a national conversation about who we are, where we came from and our future aspirations. It is, therefore, an inclusive national conversation. There will be fascinating discoveries and rediscoveries. You will no doubt be intrigued by some of the incredible backstories about individual contributors, facts and even artefacts that have been unearthed as we piece together the story. It is not only our desire for the public to participate in these activities over the next two years, but, more importantly, to ensure that this process enriches our collective institutional memory in a way that secures the truth about our history for posterity. Most of all, I hope that this experience will be an inspiration for both young and old, multi-generational and new Caymanians, work permit holders and visitors. Our story is wonderful and with the continued blessings of our almighty God, one with many more chapters to be written. Therefore, please accept my personal invitation to join me as we Celebrate Cayman over the next two years. Hon. Alden McLaughlin, MBE, JP, MLA Premier celebratecayman.ky #celebratecayman 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. OfReg, Cayman’s “super-regulator,” wants an emer- gency infusion of one million dollars. Government shouldn’t give it to them. Regulators should be starved, not fattened. In fact, OfReg would be well advised to follow the “Franz Manderson model”: A healthy diet, daily exercise and an emphasis on agility, flexibility and high perfor- mance – certainly not on girth-expansion and weight-gain. Let us be clear: Over-regulation clogs business arteries, restrains growth and impedes economies. Subsequently, societies suffer as their quality of life diminishes. All business leaders and economists know this intui- tively, but President Donald Trump and his advisers know it empirically. The American economy is booming – unemployment is at its lowest rate, 3.9 percent, since 2000 (the lowest in history for African Americans and for Hispanics in a dozen years). Wages, cross-sector, after having stalled, again are rising. The stock market, of course, regularly reaches record highs. Much of this renewed vitality can be linked to the deregulation of the marketplace. “In the history of our country, no president, during their entire term, has cut more regulations than we’ve cut,” Trump said recently. And the slashing and defunding of the regulatory red tape continues. Looking forward, the Trump administration has “killed or stalled” 860 pending regulations by withdrawing 469, designating another 109 as “inactive” and relegating 282 to “long-term.” Unfortunately, Cayman appears to be going in the opposite direction. Let’s have a closer look at OfReg: Vice President Alee Fa’amoe told members of the Public Accounts Committee last week that the utilities and commodities regulator was forced to dip into cash reserves – including monies that had been earmarked to fix the territory’s 911 system – to fund operational costs. His reason: funding streams from previous fuel and water regulatory agencies had not been sorted when the agencies were merged. Why not? Yes, this is the same group that, for the better part of a year, has been trying to insinuate itself into private business. Whether it be coffee shops that provide wireless internet “hot spots” for customers or telecom compa- nies allegedly too slow to establish fiber optic networks, it seems no group is too big or too small for its interference. This is classic “mission creep,” big government getting bigger. If OfReg is short on cash, its first call should have been to the government entities that apparently have not been paying their annual licensing fees. At that PAC meeting, Mr. Fa’amoe revealed that some licensed government entities were “of the opinion” that they should not have to pay their fees. He said that while he disagreed (the entities are, in fact, required to pay the fees), it was “not worth starting a war over.” Yes, Mr. Fa’amoe, it was, if you want your agency to have the confidence and support of the public. Remember, OfReg is the same regulator that is planning to lay a national fiber optic network – a mul- timillion dollar infrastructure project – and try to force telecom companies to pay the bill. And yet, it cannot even collect the modest fees it is legally owed by gov- ernment broadcasters because it is unwilling to “start a war?” A small amount of money, but a very large principle, is at stake. This comes on the heels of last month’s admission that the regulators consider it “futile” to attempt to enforce a licensing requirement for cable companies to provide local content over a “free-to-air” public channel. Then there was last month’s unexplained 10-cent per gallon jump in the cost of unleaded gasoline. (To his credit, OfReg President J. Paul Morgan did tell PAC members that increased competition – not price controls – was the appropriate market mechanism to establish prices. We emphatically agree.) When government commissioned Ernst & Young to recommend public service and regulatory reforms, OfReg cannot have been the future the consultants, or legislators, could have possibly imagined. Is OfReg becoming a troubled – and troubling – regulator? MONDAY MAY 14, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Work to stop bullying among youth The issue of bullying is often considered by many of us parents, as the “elephant in the room.” We do not talk about this unpleasant topic until it hits home and our lives are impacted. Can you imagine if it were your child? Too often, we are made to witness firsthand when it is too late, the victim may have decided to end it all. We have seen the impact of bul- lying around the world, and it has severe consequences. We only need to take a look at some of the school shootings in the United States to gain insight into how victims are likely to engage in self-destructive be- haviors, such as drug abuse and even suicide. The implications are far reaching for any country. Unbeknownst to many per- sons, bullying is prevalent right here in the Cayman Islands. It is for this reason that we write, as concerned parents and citizens. We have decided to come to- gether to form an anti-bullying group (“United Against Bul- lying”). This was done to create more awareness within our com- munity, with the hope of making a difference in the lives of vic- tims and to work together with other interest groups to elimi- nate this dastardly behavior from our schools and society. United Against Bullying is a nonprofit organization; and we are committed to our cause to educate, unite, protect, pre- vent and stop bullying. We will continue to work tirelessly to achieve our goal. As we move forward it is our aim to edu- cate the community at large, and to work to help the victims and the bullies. As a group, we received data from the National Drug Council which was compiled by con- ducting surveys every two years from our schools. The findings are compelling and demonstrate that our children at school are indeed impacted by bullying. By way of example, the data shows that in 2016, 59.1 percent of the students in Years 7 to 8 and 53 percent of the students in Years 9 to 12 experienced bul- lying. Some of the causes for bul- lying range from students being teased about their body types, race and skin color. In 2016, 26.3 percent of students experienced being teased about their body type, while 15.4 percent were bullied because of their race and the color of their skin. What was even more surprising is that of the students being bullied, 61.9 percent had not received any as- sistance in terms of counseling or the like to help them to deal with the emotional trauma. This may be because, for the most part, parents are not aware of their children being bullied. The “United Against Bul- lying Foundation” will kick- start a series of activities with our first annual 5K run/walk. We hope you will join us at He- roes Square on Sunday, June 3, at 6 a.m. Please come out and “Be A Hero.” Janet Young LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Support efforts to resist ownership registry The Cayman Islands gov- ernment should be supported by everyone in its efforts to ad- dress the U.K.’s recent action to progress a bill pushing us to implement a public beneficial ownership registry by 2020. Our local authorities have consistently demonstrated that the jurisdiction is coop- erative and fully supports a system that provides benefi- cial ownership information to all the relevant authorities, dif- fering only on the matter of whether this registry should be made public. We should all support that position. If the information is to be made available to all the relevant agencies then it is an unnecessary intrusion of the legitimate right to privacy to insist it is made available to the general public. It is encouraging to see that this issue has also brought to surface a broad consensus across political lines locally within government as well as within industry, and very likely also on a personal level in our community. In the end, the Cayman Is- lands has always been able to effectively meet any newly re- vised/imposed standards on regulation or cross-border co- operation, while maintaining the success of its financial ser- vices industry. Striking that near-perfect balance between regulatory and commercial interests has been one of the unique features of the Cayman Islands as a financial services jurisdiction, and it is expected that in this situation we will also do the same, if necessary. The Minister of Finan- cial Services Ms. Tara Rivers, and the Premier Mr. Alden Mclaughlin should both be commended for their content as well as tone in their immediate responses to the U.K.’s actions. The Chamber will con- tinue on our mission to sup- port, promote and protect business and community suc- cess. Whether this concerns supermarkets, construction companies or banking and in- vestment funds services, our commitment to commerce in this country remains the same. Going forward we will con- tinue to provide our full sup- port to the Government on this issue to ensure that the Cayman Islands remains one of the world’s leading interna- tional financial centres. Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MAY 14, 2018 EDITION BOOKING DEADLINE Monday May 21st NO PUBLICATION Tuesday May 22nd Thursday May 17th Wednesday May 23rd Thursday May 17th Thursday May 24th Friday May 18th Friday May 25th Tuesday May 22nd DISCOVERY DAYDISCOVERY DAYDISCOVERY DAYDISCOVERY DAY Celebrate the long weekend DISCOVERY DAYDISCOVERY DAY May 21st (345) 949-5111 • sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Please be advised there will be no newspaper on Monday, May 21st, Discovery Day. OUR OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED ON MONDAY PUBLICATION DEADLINES: OfReg chief: Don’t discourage fuel market competition BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands fuel market would be better served by additional com- petitors rather than outright price controls, the territory’s chief commodities regulator told lawmakers last week. OfReg President J. Paul Morgan appeared be- fore the Legislative Assem- bly’s Public Accounts Com- mittee Wednesday, where committee members que- ried what had become of a 2017 effort to lower local fuel prices. Prices at the pump in Grand Cayman rose between 10 and 20 cents per gallon during April, according to fig- ures on OfReg’s website. Public Accounts Com- mittee Chairman Ezzard Miller said the purpose of the Fuel Market Regulation Law, approved in March 2017, was “sold to the public” as the “only sure way of regulating fuel prices.” A year later, Mr. Miller said it seemed little progress had been made, with prices at the pump rising again as summertime approached. “What seems to happen uniquely in Cayman is when we get competition, on the fuel side and the [in- formation technology] side, there is minimal competi- tion and we get what I call a multi-headed monopoly,” Mr. Miller said. “The govern- ment doesn’t seem to be pre- pared to intervene by pro- tecting the public to help lower prices.” Government intervention in forcing fuel companies, whether in the petroleum market or propane supply business, was envisioned as a “last resort” under the leg- islation approved by the Progressives-led govern- ment last year. Mr. Morgan told accounts committee members that he believed Cayman could achieve what it wants in “as- suring that fuel prices are as low as possible” with the model that is in place now. Mr. Morgan said the first decision OfReg made in the fuel sector was to determine that the major suppliers, Sol Petroleum and Rubis in motor vehicle fuels and Home Gas in the propane market, had what is termed “significant market power” under the law. With that determina- tion having been made, Mr. Morgan said OfReg could now formulate a set of rules to “make sure the playing field is level.” What the Cayman market cries out for at the moment, the OfReg chief said, was a significant third player in both the fuel and the tele- communications markets, to “keep the big players honest.” “We need to not dis- courage the possibility of a new entrant coming in,” he said. Mr. Miller pointed out that at least one smaller third player had entered the local fuel market and so far there had been no noticeable different in price. To a certain extent, there is little Cayman can do about the prices charged to locally operating fuel distributors for bulk fuel and shipment to the islands. Those costs will be roughly the same for anyone in the market, Mr. Morgan said. The “spread” in the local portion of the costs, from the time the fuel is stored at the Jackson Point Fuel terminal to when it is sold to the public at the petrol stations, is about $1.50, Mr. Morgan said. “It is in that space which, no matter who the player is, that they will have room to operate,” Mr. Morgan said. “The price delivered to our ports we have very little con- trol over. The question is what happens from the ports to the retail pump?” OfReg is researching that area now and has received “good cooperation” from the local fuel companies, Mr. Morgan said. However, the new agency has been ham- pered by a lack of funding due to various budget mat- ters that were discussed in the Public Accounts Com- mittee Wednesday. Mr. Morgan said he be- lieved those matters had now been addressed by Cab- inet and that the agency was ready to move forward. What the law allows The Progressives-led gov- ernment introduced and passed the Fuel Market Reg- ulation Law during March 2017. The law was part of the effort to combine the regula- tion of public sector utilities and commodities under the newly formed Utility Regula- tion and Competition Office, now called OfReg. Cayman’s water, elec- tricity, telecommunications and fuel sectors are all regu- lated under that office. OfReg was given the ability to determine “signif- icant market power” under the provisions of the law to rule upon whether competi- tion among distributors and retailers “truly exists in the fuel market.” If the market is not determined to be compet- itive, the regulator is autho- rized to ensure there is “suit- able competition.” The government approved separate laws last year that give the new regulator power to inspect local distributors’ and retailers’ prices, but the law does not allow those to be publicly released. Rather, the information on pricing is used to inform govern- ment officials on other deci- sions involving the competi- tive environment. Mr. Morgan told accounts committee members that he believed Cayman could achieve what it wants in “assuring that fuel prices are as low as possible” with the model that is in place now. CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A cocaine case that started in 2015 almost concluded on Friday, when four men were scheduled to be sentenced for their various roles in a conspiracy to supply con- trolled drugs. One of the men, how- ever, did not show up, so Justice Michael Wood is- sued a warrant for the ar- rest of the missing man, Ian Neil Duncan. Mr. Duncan was found guilty of four charges in No- vember 2017, after trial by jury. The other defendants in that trial, Wayne Carlos Myles and Ukel Fernandez Dixon, were found guilty of one charge each. Another de- fendant, Robert Cialon, ini- tially pleaded not guilty but then changed his pleas before the November trial. These three appeared in court Friday and re- ceived their sentences of imprisonment. The central figure in the conspiracy appeared to be Alexander Adrian Ebanks. In October 2015, police with a search warrant found a sub- stantial quantity of cocaine in the apartment he shared with a woman. Mr. Ebanks had two cell- phones and when these were analyzed, more than 438 com- munications were noted and 56 individual customers were identified. After further in- vestigation, police brought charges against the woman, Mr. Ebanks and seven other men. Most of the illegal transactions occurred be- tween July and October, 2015. The Crown’s case was that Mr. Ebanks was “a retailer, rather than a wholesaler, with a substantial client base.” In general, the “clients” pur- chased their drugs from Mr. Ebanks to share with friends or sell onward for profit or to fund their own habits. In August 2016, Mr. Ebanks pleaded guilty. The maximum sentence in Cayman for conspiracy is 10 years. With a tariff of eight years, Mr. Ebanks received a discount for his guilty pleas and was sentenced to serve a total of six and a half years. Two other men pleaded guilty at that early stage and they received sentences of 28 months each. The woman was sentenced to nine months. One man charged with con- spiring with Mr. Ebanks to import cocaine was found not guilty after trial. The four men scheduled for sentencing last week were originally meant to be dealt with in February, but some of the social inquiry reports were not ready and the mat- ters were adjourned. Attorney Alice Carver, rep- resenting Mr. Cialon, said he had turned his life around, had engaged in community service, and was recently recognized for his volunteer work with a local charity. Justice Charles Quin had indicated a sentence of 34 months last year when Mr. Cialon entered his guilty pleas. Justice Wood said the mitigation he heard was something Justice Quin had not been aware of; if he had, his indicated sentence would have been much lower. He then passed a sentence of 24 months, but declined to suspend it. The judge imposed a sen- tence of three years on Mr. Myles but gave credit of 354 days for time in cus- tody on remand and curfew restrictions. Attorney Nicholas Dixey described Ukel Dixon as having the lesser role of a de- liveryman, collecting drug or- ders from Mr. Ebanks and taking them to the customers over a period of a month. He advised the court that Mr. Dixon had eight children to support and a close relative who was seriously ill. The judge said he was sorry to hear about the relative’s illness, but he found nothing to mitigate the sentence and he im- posed three years. 2015 COCAINE CONSPIRACY CASE ALMOST OVER J. Paul Morgan, OfReg president6 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY MAY 14, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Students improve skills in mock interviews JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Year 12 students at CIFEC are taking part in mock inter- views to gain valuable prac- tice for their goal of securing jobs after school. Drama Kitchen Cayman Ltd. is conducting the free in- terview skills workshop over a four-day period, on May 10, 11, 14 and 18. The workshops consisted of three days of interviews and one day of improvisa- tion exercises in non-verbal communication. During the workshops, ac- tors were used rather than interviewers from real com- panies, so as to eliminate stu- dents’ fears of jeopardizing future job interviews or ca- reers when the time comes for them to apply for a real job. The sessions were recorded and will be used as a learning tool in their classrooms. Each student is being given group feedback, as well as personal individual reports. “Our mission is to give the students one last much- needed springboard oppor- tunity to build their con- fidence and develop skills towards successful job in- terviews,” said Inika Pierre, drama coach. Mrs. Pierre and her hus- band Kendell, founding members of Drama Kitchen Cayman, have developed techniques to use drama to support school curricu- lums in Cayman. “Drama Kitchen spe- cializes in classes tai- lored to the needs of the teachers and their students,” said Mrs. Pierre. She said three “inter- viewers” carry out the mock interview sessions with stu- dents. “The goal is for the workshop to be conducted annually and become an in- tegral part of the students’ training,” she said. Kahdeidra Rivers, 17, a Year 12 student participating in the interview sessions, said she found the experience a good opportunity and she en- joyed it. “It would be a good thing for other Year 12 stu- dents,” she said. The interviews also ap- peared to be building stu- dents’ confidence, said Mrs. Pierre. “Students appeared to be so shy when they first entered the classrooms and then they were leaving with a buzz,” she said. Year 12 work skills teacher Sarah McDougall said it was a positive end-of-school- year experience before stu- dents graduate. Principal Delores Thompson was also impressed with the workshop and the students’ participation. “We are very appreciative of Mrs. Pierre and her company for coming in and giving the students this opportunity,” she said. “We had people come in to host mini programs, but never to this extent. It was very stress-free experience and [it] taught the students interview skills. It was a learning expe- rience for all,” she added. PUBLIC HOSPITAL HIRES CANCER SPECIALIST The Health Services Au- thority has hired Dr. Basil Armonis as a full-time on- cologist at the Cayman Is- lands Hospital as part of ef- forts to enhance cancer care services at the hospital. Dr. Armonis, who is orig- inally from Athens, Greece, said, “It is a pleasure to be a part of the HSA team, and to be able to help patients in the Cayman Islands receive the care that they need and deserve close to home. “Reducing the travel time for patients exposes them to less physical as well as less psychological distress, al- lowing them more time to focus on healing and also spending quality time with family and friends doing the things that they enjoy doing.” Before Dr. Armonis’ em- ployment, Dr. Gillian Wharfe, a visiting oncologist/hema- tologist, traveled from Ja- maica at least once a month to treat patients. Dr. Wharfe, who has been working with the HSA since 2002, will con- tinue to provide medical care for patients with hema- tological conditions. “Utilizing the best med- ical equipment and tech- nology science has to offer is just one aspect of quality medical oncology and cancer care. The other part, which is even more important, is the ability to deliver the best care possible in a way that is timely, accessible and effi- cient,” said HSA Medical Di- rector Dr. Delroy Jefferson. “Having Dr. Armonis, who has a wealth of knowledge and experience in oncology, helps us to achieve this. It is what people in our commu- nity diagnosed with cancer need and deserve from their primary provider of health- care services.” Dr. Armonis received his medical degree from the Uni- versity of Rome, Italy and completed his fellowship in medical oncology at the Uni- versity College of London Hospital in the U.K. In 1996, he obtained the European Certification in medical on- cology. Dr. Armonis holds a second specialization in in- ternal medicine and full reg- istration as well as specialist registration in medical on- cology with the U.K.’s Gen- eral Medical Council. Poetry slam competition celebrates Child Month Lauren Williams, who at- tends the University Col- lege of the Cayman Islands, has won this year’s Creative Frame of Mind in the Love Poetry Slam finals, which was staged by the New Self Help Community Foundation to celebrate Child Month. In an hour-long YouthFlex broadcast on Radio Cayman, Ms. Williams competed with 11 other young poets live on- air. The 20-year-old came in first place, winning $500 with her original “spoken word” composition, “Bang, Bang.” Her poem tackled the reali- ties of children who grow up in the Caribbean and expe- rience absentee parents and gun violence. Cayman Prep and High School student Romilly Miller placed second in the compe- tition, winning a $400 cash prize. The 18-year-old’s poem, “My Anxiety,” was about the coping mechanisms and self- esteem of teens battling anx- iety and mental health issues. Sanaa Archer and Bella Grieff, a duo who are also from Cayman Prep, placed third. The 16-year-olds, who will share the $300 prize money, penned and per- formed “Statistics,” which contextualized social issue statistics affecting teens such as gender non-conformity, gun violence and depression. Poetry slams are fast- paced competitive events where poets recite original poems that deal with per- sonal and/or consciousness- raising topics. Contestants at the May 2 event were judged on originality, per- formance, stage presence, writing ability and thematic understanding. As well as cash prizes, the winners also earned the chance to perform in June’s Talent Xposition of the Arts. The annual youth talent show is organized by the New Self Help Community Foundation. “I was happy to see so many young people take part and produce high-quality po- etry pieces,” said Youth Ser- vices Unit Coordinator and YouthFlex Producer, James Myles. “The Cayman Islands is blessed with very talented young people and thanks to the New Self Help Commu- nity Foundation, the Youth Services Unit, Radio Cayman and the Young Caymanian Leadership Award recipient, Faith Gealey, we were able to showcase their poetic skills.” Other finalists were from John Gray High School, Cayman Prep and High School, Clifton Hunter High School, Cayman Islands Fur- ther Education Centre and the Lighthouse School. Drama Coach Inika Pierre, right, conducts a mock job interview with student Kahdeidra Rivers. - PHOTOS: JEWEL LEVY From left, CIFEC principal Delores Thompson, with Sarah McDougal, work skills teacher, and Inika Pierre, Drama Kitchen Cayman Ltd. coach. UCCI DEAN ELECTED TO ACCREDITATION BODY JD Mosley-Matchett, the interim dean of Aca- demic Affairs at the Univer- sity College of the Cayman Islands, was elected as a member of the Board of Commissioners of the In- ternational Accreditation Council for Business Edu- cation at its annual con- ference in Louisiana, U.S., last month. The Board of Commis- sioners of the IACBE is the independent accredita- tion decision-making body of the council. Dr. Mosley-Matchett played a crucial role in the UCCI Business Depart- ment’s efforts to obtain IACBE accreditation, which was granted in April 2017, and earned the department and the institution commen- dation for demonstrating excellent performance. JD Mosley-Matchett, interim dean, UCCI HSA’s medical oncologist Dr. Basil Armonis, center, with chemotherapy nurses Rosanna Humphreys-Johnson and Andrew Ward. From left, New Self Help Community Foundation CEO JC Connor, Romilly Miller (2nd place), Lauren Williams (1st place), Sanaa Archer and Bella Grieff (3rd place), with Youth Services Unit Coordinator and YouthFlex Producer James Myles.7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MAY 14, 2018 HAS MOVED! COME SEE OUR NEW RETAIL AND HOMECARE STORE IN WINDWARD PLAZA, 93 SMITH RD, OPPOSITE PASADORA PLACE IN GT. 9-5 MON TO FRI, 9-12 SATURDAYS 345-949-6211 ROYAL NAVY CONDUCTS REGIONAL TRAINING COURSE The Royal Navy is con- ducting a maritime small craft instructor training program in Cayman for Caribbean police and fire officers. Members from the Royal Navy International Defense Maritime Training Team are carrying out the three-week program, which began last week. The pro- gram includes participants from the Joint Marine Unit, Fire Service and all of the Caribbean British Overseas Territories, with the excep- tion of Anguilla, the RCIPS said in a statement. “The training program includes sessions on craft handling by day and night, navigation, splicing and whipping, sea survival, search and rescue, distress signals, instructor training and other relevant topics, while the third week fo- cuses on engineering,” ac- cording to the RCIPS. Four instructors are con- ducting the program for 17 students, including seven from the local Joint Marine Unit and the Fire Service, four from Turks and Ca- icos, and two each from the British Virgin Islands, Ber- muda, and Montserrat. Warrant Officer Martin “Wolfie” Power is heading up the program, which was previously held in Cayman in 2015. “We are happy to be back in the Cayman Is- lands. The Joint Marine Unit here is well-estab- lished and highly regarded in the region, with vessels and facilities that make it suitable for hosting this program,” said War- rant Officer Power in the press release. “Some of the students attending this session, both from Cayman and some of the other countries, were also present for the session in 2015. It’s great to see the improvements they’ve made since that time.” Acting Inspector Deme- nian Maxwell of the Joint Marine Unit described the program as “a special op- portunity for us to further develop the capabilities of our officers and to net- work with fellow officers from the other overseas territories.” “This training will also serve in the planned tran- sition of the Joint Marine Unit into a national Coast Guard, and will give them the necessary knowledge to instruct and train their own staff,” Warrant Of- ficer Power added. Immigration fraud trial set for January Eleven of 12 defendants plead not guilty CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A trial expected to last two months has been set to start on Jan. 14, 2019, for six immigration personnel and five other defendants on charges relating to the pro- vision of assistance to pass a required English Language Test, and arrangement of payment of a reward for pro- viding such assistance. Ten defendants appeared in Grand Court before Jus- tice Michael Wood on Friday, along with co-defendant Mariel Maleno Suriel, a Do- minican woman residing in George Town. Ms. Suriel, 33, pled guilty to four counts of conspiracy to commit fraud on the government. Everyone else pleaded not guilty to all charges against them, including the people Ms. Suriel is accused of con- spiring with. Immigration of- ficial Pheadra McDonald was off-island for medical rea- sons, but attorney Prathna Bodden indicated she would be pleading not guilty. Justice Wood noted that the five civilian defendants who pleaded not guilty re- quired the assistance of an interpreter of the Spanish language. They are from Hon- duras or Dominican Republic. With the involvement of in- terpreters and the number of defense attorneys, the judge estimated the trial could last eight weeks. He said a vis- iting judge would preside. With Court 5 in Kirk House able to be rearranged to accommodate 11 defen- dants and their attorneys, the judge confirmed that only one trial would be necessary. Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Patrick Moran said the Crown was keen to have the trial this year, but the defense attorneys had scheduling conflicts. The first clear dates were in January, so the judge set Monday, Jan. 14, for the trial to start. The judge also noted that there would have to be an “enormous” number of po- tential jurors available. Each defendant is allowed five challenges during the jury selection process; the Crown also has five challenges re- lating to each defendant. With 11 defendants, there could potentially be 110 challenges. Justice Wood asked that the jury bailiff be warned about the number of jurors who will have to be summoned. A case management con- ference was set for June 22 so that the Crown could know which witnesses will be required by defendants. The six serving Immigra- tion Department staff mem- bers have been placed on re- quired leave – suspension with pay – following their 2017 arrests. Their alleged of- fenses relate to dates or pe- riods between April 19, 2015 and Jan. 11, 2017. Marcus Alexander, 43, is charged with 12 counts of conspiracy to commit fraud on the government, four counts of conspiracy to commit breach of trust, three counts of breach of trust and one count of failing to report the solicitation of an advantage. Carlos Robinson, 43, is charged with eight counts of conspiracy to commit fraud on the government and one count of failing to report the solicitation of an advantage. Kathy-Ann Forbes, 44, is charged with four counts of conspiracy to commit fraud on the government, one count of conspiracy to commit a breach of trust, and one count of failing to report the solicitation of an advantage. Pheadra McDonald, 43, is charged with four counts of conspiracy to commit fraud on the government and one count of failing to report the solicitation of a reward. Diane Dey-Rankin, 57, is charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit fraud on the government and one count of failing to report the solicitation of an advantage. Sherry Lee McLaughlin, 57, faces three counts of con- spiracy to commit breach of trust and one count of failing to report the solicitation of an advantage. Five civilian defendants pleaded not guilty. Katerine Montero Pani- agua, 27, faces two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud on the government. Carolin Nixon-Lopez, 35, is charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud on the government. Marlenis Perez Mata, 31, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit fraud on the government and three counts of conspiracy to commit a breach of trust. Angela Suyapa Rodri- guez David, 38, is charged with one count of con- spiracy to commit fraud on the government. Santo Castro Castillo, 45, is charged with 11 counts of conspiracy to commit fraud on the government and three counts of conspiracy to commit a breach of trust. All charges were brought under the Anti-Corruption Law, 2014 revision. The Eng- lish test is administered to all non-Caymanian workers who hail from countries where English is not the pri- mary language. LEGISLATURE PUSHED BACK TO JUNE 27 BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands Leg- islative Assembly will re- convene at the end of June, about a month later than first planned. A June 27 date has been set for the second assembly meeting of 2018. Premier Alden McLaughlin had ear- lier set the last week of May as a tentative meeting time. However, the premier and a number of government of- ficials are in U.K. this week and another contingent of Cayman officials will head to Brussels, Belgium next week, giving the government scant time to prepare for the late- May meeting date. The government does not have to vote on a budget during 2018, having al- ready produced a two-year spending plan for 2018 and 2019. However, Finance Min- ister Roy McTaggart has said the legislature will likely hold a finance committee meeting this summer to re- view any additional spending requirements. The legisla- ture is also expected to con- sider some changes to local immigration law during the summer meeting. The Immigration Department headquarters on Elgin Avenue, George Town. Twelve people, including six Immigration Department staffers, have been charged in relation to bribery allegations. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 MONDAY MAY 14, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS be determined,” said Mr. Smith on Friday. “We never thought temporary would be so long. However, that location has served us well. We have grown from a staff of 12 to our current compli- ment of 22 employees.” When it came time to swing the sledgehammer, Mr. Smith jokingly invited all present and former em- ployees of Cayman Air- ways to participate in the demolition. “Our purpose here is two-fold: To memorialize the fallen Cayman Air- ways headquarters, and to celebrate a new begin- ning for the Civil Aviation Authority,” he said. “This building we are about to demolish holds many mem- ories for a great number of current and former Cayman Airways employees. “I imagine there are good memories and per- haps some not-so-good memories …. Sledgeham- mers are provided for you to participate in the demo- lition. It could be a whack for love or a whack for bad memories.” Mr. Smith explained that the Civil Aviation Au- thority was restructured in June 2004, and the Cayman Islands Airports Authority acquired all real estate previously held by CAACI. Then came Hurricane Ivan in September of that year, setting the Civil Aviation Authority back in terms of acquiring new offices. The Civil Aviation Au- thority, said Mr. Smith, has never received any funding from the gov- ernment, and as a result of the Public Authori- ties Law of 2017, it had to use its cash resources or risk losing them. “We’ve paid dividends to the government. We had a formula where each year we paid 75 percent of our net,” said Mr. Smith. “We re- tained 25 percent. It built up over the years to the point where we had fairly significant reserves. That all changed with the passing of the Public Authorities Law, because under that law, the amount of cash re- serves you’re allowed to re- tain as an authority has been significantly reduced. We had to get approval from Cabinet to use the funds we had in place to support this building.” The outlay will be sig- nificant, he said. CAACI has already paid a sum of $400,000 to execute the 99- year lease on the property, and its new headquarters building is expected to cost about $2 million. Premier Alden McLaughlin said Friday that it was an easy project for the govern- ment to approve. “It really warms my heart as premier to hear that we’re going to have another major piece of important infrastruc- ture put in place and gov- ernment doesn’t have to find the money to do it,” said Premier McLaughlin in his speech at the cere- mony. “That’s an example I wish all authorities would follow. I’m happy to say that the Cayman Islands Airports Authority have, I think, set a very good prec- edent in that regard.” Mr. McLaughlin went on to say that the govern- ment has two major pieces of infrastructure in the works – a cargo and cruise pier and a waste manage- ment facility – and that it hoped to finance impor- tant infrastructure proj- ects without placing any strain on future Cayman administrations. “The policy of my ad- ministration is to continue to pay down debt as far as possible and to fund as many of these infrastruc- ture projects as we pos- sibly can without having to borrow money,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “Over the course of these five years, we haven’t borrowed any long-term money.” all applicants … are legally entitled to know the yard- stick against [which] they and others are being measured,” HSM Managing Partner Huw Moses told the Cayman Com- pass last week. “To date, we have not received the re- quested documents.” It seems the HSM law firm is not the only entity or person struggling with open records matters filed with immigration officials. Acting Chief Immigra- tion Officer Bruce Smith said Thursday that the Immigra- tion Department received 65 Freedom of Information re- quests since May 2017 and that 52 of those “have been addressed” with 13 yet to be finalized. However, Mr. Smith pointed out that immigra- tion historically receives the largest number of open re- cords requests out of any government department. He noted these requests are often complex and require coordination of resources be- tween various sections of the department to answer. Of the 13 open records re- quests remaining, seven are overdue – meaning they have not been answered within the time line set by the Freedom of Information Law. The depart- ment has also been hampered in responding to requests fol- lowing the departure of long- time open records manager Petula Twinn in February. Mr. Smith said the de- partment has recently as- signed two specialists to handle open records requests in the future. “Requests under the Freedom of Information Law are one of our competing pri- orities and we shall not settle for what is satisfactory, but strive to raise the standards in which this is managed,” Mr. Smith said. Both Mr. Smith and Mr. Howell apologized for the delays in responding to re- quests out of time. “I am con- fident that the team we have assembled will soon get the [department’s] FOI team to the point where we are re- sponding to FOI requests in a timely and high quality manner,” Mr. Howell said. Bill of Rights Cayman’s various immi- gration boards – and other appointed bodies – previously operated under guidelines that have never been made public, although they may have existed or were simply known but not written down. The primary concern in such instances involves sec- tion 19 of the Cayman Is- lands Constitution Order’s Bill of Rights. Section 19 of the bill states that all ac- tions of public officials must be “lawful, rational, propor- tionate and procedurally fair.” “Every person whose in- terests have been adversely affected by such a decision or act has the right to re- quest and be given written reasons for that decision or act,” Section 19 of the Bill of Rights states. This is difficult to do if there are no expressly written operating policies and procedures attached to whatever appointed board is making the decision. It was for this reason, in 2012, as the new bill of rights was coming into effect, the Human Rights Commission advised all appointed boards to make public their policies and operating procedures. “One of the things that we’ve said to them is that written policies and proce- dures should be available,” Commissions Secretariat Manager Deborah Bodden said at the time. “There is no reason, unless they can be exempted under FOI, there is no reason that the general public cannot understand what they need to do.” “How will the recommen- dations, if that is part of the consultancy, be imple- mented?” Public Accounts Committee Chairman Ezzard Miller asked. “I can’t really answer that question … it’s [the min- istry’s] report and they’re making the decision on it,” Mr. Hails replied. “That’s concerning,” Mr. Miller said. “If you’re the chief fire officer, I would like to suggest that the expertise to know what kind of jobs you need and what the com- petencies are for those jobs … rest with you and the fire service, not the ministry.” Mr. Hails said the com- petencies [training and job qualification requirements] were provided by him to the ministry; however, the min- istry was completing job de- scriptions for the new hires which he had not seen yet. “The shortfall has been that there’s been no promotion into slots that have been held vacant for a very long time,” Mr. Hails said. “For some per- sonnel … the jumps that are going to have to be made into those positions are quite high.” The PwC report stated that, in February, there were 31 vacancies within the Cayman Islands Fire Service and that a number of those were in key positions. Ministry Chief Officer Dax Basdeo said at the time the PwC report was released that it provided a blueprint for the way forward in the fire service, stressing the need for better focus on human re- sources and training. “The lack of a [succes- sion planning] strategy is one of the factors inhibiting the current vacancies from being filled,” the PwC report states. “This will clearly be compounded as the aging workforce issue also comes to fruition.” During a May 10 ap- pearance before the Public Accounts Committee, Mr. Basdeo said he understood the frustrations experienced among the fire service rank- and-file and promised the ministry was “going as fast as we can” to resolve issues with hiring and promotion. Public Accounts Com- mittee member, Bodden Town West MLA Chris Saunders said many firefighters he had spoken with simply did not trust the ministry after not being paid the full amount of the overtime they said they were owed. “For some of those guys, it was personal,” Mr. Saunders said. Other committee mem- bers, like West Bay North MLA Bernie Bush, noted their concerns with some of those now being chosen to fill se- nior management roles in the fire service. “There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind … that there have been people who have been hired who are not qualified,” Mr. Bush said. Mr. Basdeo said his ap- proach would be to simply hire and promote the best candidates available. New headquarters for Civil Aviation Authority CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Home affairs: ‘Working fast’ to fix fire service CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Immigration misses FOI Law time lines The PwC report found there was a lack of succession planning within the Cayman Islands Fire Service. The PwC report stated that, in February, there were 31 vacancies within the Cayman Islands Fire Service and that a number of those were in key positions. “[A]ll applicants … are legally entitled to know the yardstick against [which] they and others are being measured.” HUW MOSES, managing partner, HSM Chambers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Premier Alden McLaughlin speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Cayman Islands Civil Aviation Authority’s new building on Friday. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MAY 14, 2018 Fine weather forecast for royal wedding Neither too hot nor too cold. That’s the weather forecast Britain’s Met Office has offered for Saturday in Windsor, England, where Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle are having their wedding. Forecasters predict highs of around 64 degrees and sunshine for much of the day. Paris stabbings investigated as terror attack, claimed by ISIS PARIS (AP) – A knife- wielding assailant killed a 29-year-old man and injured four others in a lively neigh- borhood near Paris’ famed Opera Garnier before he was killed by police Saturday night. The Islamic State group claimed the attacker as one of its “soldiers.” Counterterrorism authori- ties took charge of the inves- tigation, and President Em- manuel Macron vowed that France would not bow to ex- tremists despite being the target of multiple deadly at- tacks in recent years. Paris police officers evac- uated people from some buildings in the Right Bank neighborhood after the at- tack, which happened on rue Monsigny at about 9 p.m. Bar patrons and opera-goers de- scribed surprise and confu- sion in the immediate area. Beyond the police cordon, however, crowds still filled nearby cafes and the city’s night life resumed its normal pace soon after the attack. The unidentified attacker targeted five people and then fled, according to Paris po- lice and a witness. A 29-year- old man was killed, and four others were injured. When police officers arrived min- utes later, he threatened them and was shot to death, ac- cording to police union offi- cial Yvan Assioma. Authorities are working to identify the assailant and anyone who might have helped him, Interior Min- ister Gerard Collomb told re- porters Sunday. Prosecutor Francois Mo- lins said counterterrorism authorities are leading the investigation on potential charges of murder and at- tempted murder in connec- tion with terrorist motives. “At this stage, based on the one hand on the account of witnesses who said the at- tacker cried ‘Allahu akbar’ (God is great in Arabic) while attacking passersby with a knife, and given the modus operandi, we have turned this over to the counterterrorist section of the Paris prosecu- tor’s office,” Molins told re- porters from the scene. The Islamic State group’s Aamaq news agency said in a statement early Sunday that the assailant carried out the attack in response to the group’s calls for sup- porters to target members of the U.S.-led military coalition squeezing the extremists out of Iraq and Syria. The Aamaq statement did not provide evidence for its claim or details on the assail- ant’s identity. France’s military has been active in the coalition since 2014, and Islamic State ad- herents have killed more than 200 people in France in recent years, including the 130 who died in the coor- dinated November 2015 at- tacks in Paris. President Emmanuel Ma- cron tweeted his praise for police who “neutralized the terrorist” and said “France is once again paying the price of blood but will not cede an inch to enemies of freedom.” Saturday’s attack oc- curred near many bars and theaters, as well as the opera. France’s BFM television interviewed an unnamed witness in a restaurant who said a young woman was at the entrance when “a man arrived and attacked her with a knife.” A friend came to her aid and the attacker left, “hitting on all the doors, all the shops,” the witness told BFM. He turned onto another street, and everyone scattered, the witness said. “I was having a drink with friends and we heard a boom,” a witness named Gloria, who had been in a nearby bar, recounted on Saturday night. She said she went outside to see what happened and “I saw a guy lying on the ground.” Another witness de- scribed leaving the opera house and being told to go back inside because of the attack. The interior min- ister said the lives of the four injured people are no longer in danger. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said it took police less than nine minutes to subdue the attacker from the moment they were alerted. “This speed, calm and ef- fectiveness allowed them to avoid … a much heavier toll,” he told reporters. French police have been criticized in the past for failing to prevent attacks. Paris authorities called for calm and understanding. “Whatever the motiva- tions of this odious act, let us remain united and standing,” deputy mayor Bruno Juilliard tweeted. The unidentified attacker targeted five people and then fled, according to Paris police and a witness. A 29-year-old man was killed, and four others were injured. Forensic police officers investigate after an attacker stabbed five people in central Paris on Saturday. – PHOTO: AP Pompeo: US will need to give Kim Jong Un security assurances WASHINGTON (AP) – Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday that the United States will need to “provide security assurances” to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un if the adver- saries are to reach a nuclear deal, describing the stakes of President Donald Trump’s upcoming summit with Kim. Pompeo met with Kim last week in North Korea, helping set the stage for Trump’s his- toric summit with the North Korean leader in Singa- pore on June 12. Trump’s goal is for North Korea to get rid of its nu- clear weapons in a perma- nent and verifiable way. In return, the U.S. is willing to help the impoverished nation strengthen its economy. Pompeo was asked on “Fox News Sunday” whether the U.S. was in effect telling Kim he could stay in power if he met the U.S. demands. Pompeo said: “We will have to provide security assur- ances, to be sure.” The top U.S. diplomat did not elaborate, but his com- ment could refer to the type of assurances North Korea has sought in the past. A statement issued during in- ternational negotiations with North Korea in 2005 over its nuclear weapons develop- ment said the “United States affirmed that it has no nu- clear weapons on the Ko- rean Peninsula and has no intention to attack or invade [North Korea] with nuclear or conventional weapons.” The North has said it needs nuclear weapons to counter what it believes is a U.S. effort to strangle its economy and overthrow the Kim government. “Make no mistake about it, America’s interest here is preventing the risk that North Korea will launch a nuclear weapon into LA or Denver or to the very place we’re sitting here this morning,” Pompeo said from Washington. “That’s our ob- jective, that’s the end state the president has laid out and that’s the mission that he sent me on this past week, to put us on the trajec- tory to go achieve that.” North Korea said Sat- urday that all of the tun- nels at the country’s north- eastern nuclear test site will be destroyed by explo- sion in less than two weeks, ahead of Kim’s summit with Trump. Observation and re- search facilities and ground- based guard units will also be removed, the North said. Pompeo praised it as “one step along the way.” In a separate interview, John Bolton, the president’s national security adviser, de- scribed the types of steps that North Korea would need to take as part of a denucle- arization process, including the potential involvement of a processing center in Tennessee. “The implementation of the decision means get- ting rid of all the nuclear weapons, dismantling them, taking them to Oak Ridge, Tennessee,” Bolton said in an interview with ABC’s “This Week.” “It means getting rid of the uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing capabilities,” adding the pro- cess would also need to ad- dress North Korea’s bal- listic missiles. “I don’t think anybody believes you’re going to sign the complete ending of the nuclear program in one day. But we are also very much interested in op- erationalizing the commit- ment as quickly as pos- sible,” Bolton said. Bolton said in an in- terview with CNN’s “State of the Union” that North Korea should not “look for economic aid from us. I think what the prospect for North Korea is to be- come a normal nation, to be- have and interact with the rest of the world the way South Korea does.” “The prospect for North Korea is unbelievably strong if they’ll commit to denu- clearization. That’s what the president is going to say,” he said. Pompeo said private sector Americans could help rebuild North Korea’s energy grid and develop the coun- try’s infrastructure. He de- scribed the possibility of American agriculture being used to “support North Korea so they can eat meat and have healthy lives.” Trump’s goal is for North Korea to get rid of its nuclear weapons in a permanent and verifiable way. In return, the U.S. is willing to help the impoverished nation strengthen its economy. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a meeting Wednesday at the Workers’ Party of Korea headquarters in Pyongyang. – PHOTO: APNext >