FRIDAY JULY 20, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Special Olympics has big anniversary The international organization turns 50 B2 Midsummer Night’s Dream Market Anchor & Den hosts its second night shopping experience B5 Movies Movies Events ■ EVENTS Women’s Dive Day Female divers attempt to set world record this Saturday. B3 ‘Skyscraper’ rises high at box office Dwayne Johnson scales buildings with the greatest of ease B4 ‘Tocsin’ shor t to show at Poinciana Festival Frank E. Flowers shoots latest film in Cayman B6 Fine Wine & Spirits TORTUGA ® TORTUGA ® MADE IN CAYMAN COMBO PACK ONLY $ 25 Contains Local TORTUGA® 500mL Gold Rum with a 4 oz. Golden Original TORTUGA® Rum Cake and a Cayman Islands Tote Bag. 15 stores island-wide & Mary Lou’s in Cayman Brac. CAYMAN WEEKENDER Women’s Dive Day EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 LET’S GET THE KIDS OF NORTH SIDE THEIR ‘FIELD OF DREAMS’ High of 91 Low of 79 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY JULY 20, 2018 6 Dart, NCB to partner on new residences Wayne Panton to lead CIMA $1.3M South Sound boardwalk project nearing completion TOURISM ASSOCIATION PRESENTS STINGRAY AWARDS Dart Real Estate and NCB Group on Thursday announced they have entered into a joint venture partnership to develop the first residential properties for sale in Camana Bay. Camana Bay, which celebrated its 10th anni- versary in November 2017, already has residen- tial properties for rent, but not for purchase. Initial construction of the new residences is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2019. Dart and NCB Group will partner to build the development, which comprises a space of 685 acres. It will be located south of Camana Bay’s Town Centre and adjacent to Cayman In- ternational School, which will be expanded to double its capacity to 1,100 students by 2020. “We look forward to collaborating with NCB Group to meet the demand for residen- tial offerings in Camana Bay,” said Jackie Doak, president of Dart Real Estate, in a press release. “This project is another example of the Town Centre’s growth as it continues to cater to those who want to live and work in an ame- nity-rich community that provides connec- tivity to the world-class Seven Mile Beach.” The residential development is expected to offer living spaces ranging from one-bedroom condominiums to four-bedroom townhouses. TRIO Architecture, a local firm, has been selected to design the project. The sales campaign for the new residen- tial development is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of this year, the compa- nies announced. “We are excited to partner with Dart Real Estate on this innovative and much-antici- pated residential community at Camana Bay,” said Matthew Wight, managing di- rector of NCB Group. “NCB has been devel- oping homes and communities of distinction for more than 17 years in Grand Cayman, and we are committed to building with the Cayman Islands’ future in mind. “We are fortunate that Dart Real Estate shares this same commitment and look for- ward to delivering a successful, quality de- velopment to the wider community.” Other development work is already under way at Camana Bay. Foster’s Food Fair broke ground on a new supermarket at the site in May, and the 60,000-square-foot facility is ex- pected to be completed by November 2019. “As the Camana Bay community continues to grow with the expansion of CIS, construction of the new Foster’s Food Fair supermarket and a planned five-star resort, a joint venture agree- ment with NCB Group further diversifies the de- velopment of the Town Centre at this important juncture in Camana Bay’s history, with its first for-sale residences,” said Justin Howe, Dart’s se- nior vice president of development. BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former government Minister Wayne Panton was named Wednesday as chairman of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, replacing his former colleague at Walkers law firm, Grant Stein, in the chairman’s post. Contacted for comment Thursday, Mr. Panton declined to make any immediate statements about his appointment. The term of the appointment is from July 21, 2018 to July 20, 2021, according to notices pub- lished Thursday in the government gazette. In addition to Mr. Panton, three new CIMA board members have been appointed; Theo Bull- more, Barry Kroeger and Patricia Teufel. Their terms will also run through July 2021. Former Island Heritage Insurance Company KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com The development of a boardwalk and other amenities along South Sound Road is expected to be completed by the end of August at a cost of $1.3 million, according to the Ministry of Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure. The project along South Sound Road entails the construction of a 1,500-foot- long boardwalk, benches, parking, and a bike lane in the South Sound area near the Cayman Crossing subdivision. Government said in January that the project should be completed by the end of June, but what the ministry termed “ro- bust” construction needs have pushed that date by about two months. On Tuesday, several workers were drilling drainage on the east side of the boardwalk to protect it from floods. “The construction of the boardwalk had to be robust because of its proximity to the sea and the natural undulation of the beach ridge,” government said. “There is also a ‘peat’ layer [plant matter] under the sand which can cause movement of the layers above it as water is absorbed or released.” Government’s update explained that if the boardwalk was simply constructed on top of compacted fill like a typical Local diving legend Nancy Easterbrook was honored with a lifetime achievement award Tuesday evening at the Cayman Is- lands Tourism Association’s annual Stingray Tourism Awards. She and 13 other re- cipients received blown-glass Stingray Awards for their contributions to Cayman’s tourism industry. For more on this story, see page 6. Workmen rake sand at the South Sound boardwalk, which is under construction along South Sound Road. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY JULY 20, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Award-Winning Caribbean Chicken! Fresh, Healthy & Delicious! West Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMBWest Shore Center, SMB chicken@chicken2.com® Eat-in!Take-out! 945-2290 AGM Notice Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of Rotary Central Junior Achievement of the Cayman Islands will be held at the Chamber of Commerce, Governor’s Square, West Bay Road Wednesday, August 15th, 2018 at 6:00pm HSA expands services to Smith Road Centre The Cayman Islands Health Services Authority is relocating its Public Health Administration and the Cayman Islands Cancer Reg- istry from the Cayman Is- lands Hospital campus to the nearby Smith Road Centre offices. Lizzette Yearwood, chief executive officer of the HSA, noted in a press release, “A growing population, aging infrastructure, and the con- tinued prevalence of chronic illnesses have amplified the demand for clinical services in the Cayman Islands. As the leading healthcare organisa- tion on these islands, we are also increasing our efforts to ensure that our people, and those that visit our islands, have access to the quality care they need.” Moving the two offices to the Smith Road Centre is part of Phase I of the hospi- tal’s expansion project, which also includes the relocation of the offices of the Med- ical Officer of Health, Public Health Surveillance, Health Promotion and Genetics. “The move will create more space for additional rooms to expand our ser- vices, which may help to re- duce waiting times and im- prove the patient experience in all interactions with the HSA,” according to a press release from the Health Ser- vices Authority. Public Health services, in- cluding immunizations for adults and children, the travel health clinic and school entry screening, are still available at Cayman Islands Hospital. “By relocating our admin- istrative units, we will be able to expand our range of ser- vices, improve the level of comfort, privacy and care our patients and their families ex- perience, and create [a] more comfortable work space for our staff to work more effi- ciently,” said Dr. Samuel Wil- liams-Rodriguez, director of primary healthcare and acting medical officer of health. “The Cancer Registry’s new office at the Smith Road Centre will provide more comfort and privacy to those seeking to register with us. Members of the public will also be able to find and ac- cess our office with greater ease, but can be assured that the same security precau- tions are in place to ensure their information is managed with the utmost confidenti- ality,” said Cancer Registrar Amanda Nicholson. The new Public Health Administration and Cancer Registry offices are located on the second and third floor of the Smith Road Centre, respectively. The Public Health Administration and the Cayman Islands Cancer Registry are being relocated to the Smith Road Centre offices. Suspects apprehended at Smith Cove BURGLAR SPRAYS HAIR SPRAY AT VICTIM’S FACE SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Police officers converged on Smith Cove Thursday af- ternoon, bringing multiple cars, a helicopter, the K-9 unit and a boat from the Joint Marine Unit in pursuit of three burglary suspects. After police located the suspects – two of whom had fled into the sea and another into nearby bushes at the beach – all three were sub- sequently arrested and taken into custody. An eyewitness who watched events unfold told the Cayman Compass at the scene that the police de- scending on the beach on South Church Street was “like a movie.” Witnesses said two of the suspects had burst out of the bushes near Smith Cove, also known as Smith Barcadere, and run into the water. When police spoke to people on the beach, they were able to point out to the officers the sus- pects who were still swim- ming in the sea. A third suspect was later found hiding in the over- grown vegetation next to the beach, witnesses said. A Royal Cayman Islands Police Service spokesperson confirmed that police offi- cers were responding to a report of a suspected bur- glary on nearby Denham Thompson Way. A burglar sprayed a woman in the face with hair spray after she woke up to find him in her North Side home early Thursday morning. Police said the occu- pant disturbed a man who had entered her home in Rum Point Drive. The man sprayed a sub- stance, which police said was possibly hair spray, at her face, grabbed her purse and fled from the rear of the house. The woman was not injured. The suspect is described as being of brown com- plexion, with short hair and wearing dark shorts. Police spent time canvassing the beach and speaking to beachgoers after apprehending three suspects at Smith Cove. - PHOTO: SPENCER FORDIN NEW CAYMAN STAMPS COMMEMORATE ROYAL WEDDING The Cayman Islands Postal Service has is- sued new stamps to commemorate Prince Harry and Meghan Mar- kle’s May wedding. The stamps are issued in four denominations and a first-day cover is part of the issue. The Postal Service re- leased the stamps on Wednesday. The stamps, in value denominations of 25¢, 75¢, 80¢ and $1, fea- ture the couple in four different poses. The first-day cover in- cludes the stamps at a sale price of $3.60 for collectors. The stamps are available for purchase at all post of- fices in the Cayman Islands. The first-day cover issue is available also at the Phil- atelic Bureau at the Seven Mile Beach Post Office lo- cated in West Shore Centre, at the General Post Office and the Hell Post Office. Four new stamps feature images of the royal couple.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JULY 20, 2018 Hy de s & So ns Lt d. Ca ym an Bu si ne ss Pa rk Ba rn et t Mu si c St or e Brit is hR ed Cr os s CIAA Es so Ja cq ue s Sc ot t G ro up L td . Ed uc at io n De pa rtme nt Ta xi & B us Di sp at ch Hy de s & So ns Ca ym an Ca te ring Se rv ic es L td . Na tion al Ar ch iv e L & T Ty re Sa le s & Re pa ir S ho p Eu ca ly pt us Bu ildi ng Bo dd en Pl ac e Au to mo tive Ar t Eu ro ca r Re na ul t Ma ng o Tr ee Re st au ra nt De al s Re ga l Re al ty Na pa Au to Pa rts Kirk Mo to rs Lt d. Is la nd Ve te rina ry Se rv ic es Mi dT ow n Ce nt re CICS A Co -O p Cr ed it U ni on Ca ym an Te ch no lo gy Ce nt re SMITH RD SH ED D EN R D ELG IN AVE SH ED DE N RD EL GI N AV E TH OM AS RU SS EL L AV E HU LDAH AVE ST AF FO RD LN TH OM AS RU SS EL L AV E HULD AH AVE A R C H IV E LNThe 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” In a long-awaited deci- sion, the European Commis- sion on Wednesday fined Alphabet Inc.’s Google a re- cord 4.3 billion euros (US$5 billion) for unfair business practices. The commission won some praise for standing up to big tech. But theat- rics aside, this decision is misguided, harmful to con- sumers, and almost entirely beside the point. Start with the alleged of- fenses. Google licenses its Android software to phone- makers for free. If they want to offer its app store, called Google Play, they must also install a suite of the com- pany’s other products, such as its search engine and web browser. All told, this is a pretty popular trade- off: Android is now used in about 80 percent of the world’s smartphones. Europe’s regulators object. “These practices have denied rivals the chance to innovate and compete on the merits,” says Margrethe Vestager, the competition commissioner. “They have denied European consumers the benefits of ef- fective competition in the im- portant mobile sphere.” This statement is wrong in nearly every particular. For starters, Google isn’t unduly inhibiting competi- tion. Android users can se- lect among more than 3 mil- lion apps on the Play store, including plenty of alter- natives to the Google prod- ucts that come pre-installed. It may be true, as Vestager says, that few users “are cu- rious enough to look for an- other search app or browser.” But fostering curiosity prob- ably isn’t a job for anti- trust regulators. More to the point, the de- cision conceives of compe- tition too narrowly. Android may be a dominant oper- ating system. But because it’s free and open-source, it has vastly expanded the range of choices otherwise available to consumers. Developers around the world have built products using Android - in- cluding many of the 1.6 mil- lion Europeans who make apps for a living - and often offer them free of charge. All this, though, is pre- mised on that initial trade- off: Manufacturers get a free operating system; consumers get cheap phones and free apps; and Google gets the re- sulting data and advertising dollars. If the EC throws a wrench into this cycle by making it harder for Google to serve ads, the likely result is that it will start charging for Android – thus leading to more expensive phones, re- duced innovation and less choice for consumers. The damage doesn’t end there. One way Google im- poses quality control over this ecosystem is by prohib- iting manufacturers from using “forked” or custom- ized versions of Android if they want to keep offering Google’s apps. The EC wants to stop this practice in the interests of competition. Yet doing so would erode secu- rity and worsen the problem of “fragmentation,” or incon- sistencies across different versions of Android. Nei- ther is in the interests of consumers. In imposing this admit- tedly arbitrary penalty, then, the European Commission is threatening to harm con- sumers, impede innovation, make life difficult for devel- opers, and undermine the se- curity and usability of ap- plications, all in pursuit of thoroughly implausible goals. If it is solving any problems along the way, it has yet to explain how. © 2018, Bloomberg Opinion FRIDAY JULY 20, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Let’s get the kids of North Side their ‘Field of Dreams’ It’s impossible to say with precision when the rela- tionship between North Side representative Ezzard Miller and this newspaper began to deteriorate. It most likely followed an editorial we wrote years ago commenting on a demonstration Mr. Miller was leading outside the Government Administration Building on Elgin Avenue. He and his acolytes were making a racket about one thing or another, and we wrote something to the effect that “BS, bellowed through a bullhorn, is still BS — only louder.” Soon thereafter, communications between the elected member and the Compass, more specifically the publisher, broke down, but, in truth, this was not necessarily a consequential thing. The Compass con- tinued to cover without bias Mr. Miller’s legislative duties, including floor debates in the House and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meetings he chairs. All of which leads to a story which appeared on the front page of yesterday’s newspaper and warrants our editorial support of Mr. Miller’s position. Very briefly: For at least four years Mr. Miller and fellow North Siders have been trying to get decent ground covering for the playing field of the Edna M. Moyle Primary School, so the kids can play sports and romp around in safety. Currently, especially following rainy weather, the field could pass for either a series of large puddles or a small pond. Mr. Miller repeatedly took his request for a proper playing field to government without success: Nada; no action. Then, a few months ago, a North Side citizen and Good Samaritan had the opportunity in Chicago to purchase a large quantify of artificial turf at auction. He spent $20,000 of his own money, shipped the artifi- cial turf to Miami and forwarded it on to Grand Cayman, where for months it has been languishing in storage at the Port Authority. To date, the storage fee from the port is approaching $30,000 – and increasing every day. Preventing this whole project from moving forward is, you guessed it, government, in particular the civil service and the Ministry of Education (Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, acting Chief Officer Cetonya Cacho and others who yesterday issued a statement). They say the artificial turf was designed for indoor use and could present a health risk to the children if used outdoors. The manufacturer disagrees about the health risk, Mr. Miller disagrees, and, given what we have learned to date, we disagree. (As we indicated earlier, this Editorial Board knows BS when we see, hear or smell it.) However, because this is our “Field of Dreams” edi- torial, we will share with you our dream: Mr. Miller and the good people of North Side somehow prevail, the field is completed and opening- day ceremonies are in full swing. In gratitude, North Siders hoist Mr. Miller atop their shoulders for a victory lap around the periphery of the new field to the wild applause of students, parents and voters alike. Spotted on the sidelines in this scenario, however, are various civil servants, Minister O’Connor-Con- nolly and acting Chief Officer Cacho. They are hardly noticed, perhaps because they are silent, hands folded, teeth clenched. They appear bitter. But, of course, North Siders are ebullient, even jubilant. That’s our dream. It could happen. In fact, we have to make sure that it does. LETTER TO THE EDITOR MLA responds to criticism over beach disabled access comments Following a July 10 com- munity meeting regarding the redevelopment of Smith Barca- dere at South Sound Commu- nity Centre and the ensuing comments made through var- ious forms of media, I want to assure the people of the Cayman Islands that I have the best for my people at heart. I want to take this oppor- tunity to clearly state that I recognize the importance of accommodating the disabled, handicapped and elderly. The responsibility of our Govern- ment is to encompass all citi- zens when providing facilities, amenities or services. At no time during the meeting was it the intention of any member of the panel, including me, to appear to be insensitive and disrespectful to anyone. Those of you who know me well can attest to the fact that my greatest passion is for the people of these Is- lands, and more importantly, to the most vulnerable. My Committee, together with the Government, will strive to do what is best for Smith Barcadere and explore all options in terms of acces- sibility for ALL people of the Cayman Islands. Barbara Conolly, MLA, George Town South In fining Google, Europe gets almost everything wrong5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JULY 20, 2018 189608-Ad-JrPage-101-2018.indd 17/9/18 3:20 PM Realtor was ‘terrible businessman,’ court hears DEADLINE LOOMS FOR CONTRACTORS TO REGISTER WITH BUILDERS BOARD KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com The deadline for general contractors to register under the new Builders Law is coming up at the end of the month, and many contrac- tors still have not completed their applications with the Builders Board. According to the Depart- ment of Planning, about 650 of the territory’s 1,040 li- censed construction compa- nies have registered with the Builders Board. However, that number may not reflect the true situa- tion of how many contractors have registered. Builders Board Chairman Heber Arch said many of the 1,040 licensed construction companies are not actual contractors, but are instead labor brokers – meaning that they hire out labor to the companies with project con- tracts. Those companies do not qualify as contractors, and likely don’t have to reg- ister with the Builders Board. Contractors who fail to register by July 31 could find themselves unable to ob- tain permits for their proj- ects after the end of this month. The application fee to become registered is $75, and requirements include getting public liability in- surance and workman’s compensation. After some initial opposi- tion to the law from within the industry, Mr. Arch has said he believes the system is now being well received. Mr. Arch said the goal of the new system is con- sumer protection. He said the new system would en- sure contractors were only doing the type of work they were qualified to do and that they carried the necessary li- ability insurance. Sentencing for theft from clients adjourned to August CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former real estate broker Antonio Paolini was “a ter- rible businessman” who used money from two cli- ents to pay business ex- penses and he never in- tended to benefit personally, a Grand Court judge was told on Wednesday. Justice Philip St. John- Stevens listened via Skype to the facts of the case set out by Crown counsel Toyin Salako and then mit- igation by defense at- torney Alex Davies. The judge said it was not a simple case of two sums of money being stolen; he indi- cated there were nuances he wanted to consider. He set sentencing for the week of Aug. 22 and continued the defendant’s bail. Mr. Paolini, now 78, was found guilty by a jury in Au- gust 2017 of stealing $51,600 from a client who had in 2013 given his company the money for a parcel of land she wanted to buy near her sister. The client was a housekeeper by occupation and the money represented much of her life savings, Ms. Salako pointed out. Instead of keeping the cli- ent’s money in a separate es- crow account, Mr. Paolini put it in the only business ac- count he had and then he used it to pay company ex- penses. The woman never re- ceived her money back nor did she get the land. While Mr. Paolini was on bail during police inves- tigation of this matter, an- other client gave one of his agents a check for $43,000 as down payment on some investment property. If the transaction had gone through, Mr. Paolini would have been entitled to some $14,000 in fees. Mr. Davies acknowledged that the defendant had gam- bled that the transaction would go through and so he spent the money he would have been entitled to. “That was a form of hopeless op- timism,” the attorney said, adding that the sale was not completed. Mr. Paolini has since re- turned to the client the por- tion of the deposit that was not spent, it was noted. He initially pleaded not guilty to this second theft charge, but changed his plea after all of the evidence had been presented to a jury ear- lier this year. Justice St. John-Stevens was the judge for the second trial, so he is passing sen- tence for both offenses. Ms. Salako said the of- fenses were breaches of trust. She noted that the max- imum sentence for theft in Cayman is 10 years. Mr. Davies urged the court to say that a sus- pended sentence of up to 24 months would meet the jus- tice of the case. He said it was never Mr. Paolini’s intention to de- prive either person of their money permanently. The de- fendant knew the risks, but he did not intend to cause the harm that had resulted. He intended that more money would have been coming into the company. When he could not pay back his first victim, he drew up a loan agreement, which she signed. In it, he promised to pay the money back with interest by the end of 2013. Mr. Davies said his client be- lieved, on the basis of advice from another attorney, that the contract made it a civil matter, not criminal. “He accepts he was a ter- rible businessman,” Mr. Da- vies told the court. Mr. Paolini had formed his company in 2003 and may have operated negligently, but not dishon- estly, he suggested. The jury in the first trial had decided that the defendant’s dissipa- tion of the money “crossed over from reckless to dis- honest,” he said. Mr. Paolini came to recog- nize during his second trial that what he had done was wrong; his change of plea showed genuine remorse, the attorney submitted. Mr. Davies asked the judge to consider the defen- dant’s previous good char- acter – not just an absence of any earlier convictions, but positive impact on the com- munity through years of vol- unteer work. He also noted Mr. Paolini’s health issues. The defendant currently does some computer repair work, but because his pass- port had been surrendered, he had been unable to fly to the U.S. to replenish his sup- plies. He was reliant on state funds for electricity and rent assistance. “He is terrified by the prospect of prison,” the attorney said. Antonio Paolini6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY JULY 20, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS https:// endpointprotection. eshoreltd.com Old Antivirus-based solutions just don’t cut it. Online Backup from Carbonite A ordable Protection Recover from Disasters Achieve IT Resilience Ransomware is EVERYWHERE 24/7/365 Support Backup for Business $1 Million Ransomware Guarantee 6 CPE NASBA ARMOUR EXPO 2018 INFORMATION SECURITY & DATA GOVERNANCE CONFERENCE 12 September 2018 Marriott Beach Resort Grand Cayman REGISTER TODAY WWW.ARMOUREXPO.COM DatacentreDatacentre Batelco Group Member Tourism Association presents Stingray Awards Nancy Easterbook was honored with a life- time achievement award on Tuesday evening at the Cayman Islands Tourism As- sociation’s annual Stingray Tourism Awards. Ms. Easterbrook, a member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame and a former owner of Divetech, was the point person in bringing the USS Kittiwake to Cayman, where it was sunk in 2011 to serve as a dive destination. She has also been involved in conservation and environ- mental issues. This is the 15th year that CITA has presented the awards, which recog- nize people involved in busi- nesses that have a tourism impact such as accommoda- tion, transportation, restau- rants and sporting activities. The event was held at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. Winners received hand- blown glass stingray trophies. Garfield Ebanks of the Marriott Beach Resort re- ceived the Diamond Award, recognizing longtime service in the tourism industry. Andrew Ebanks, of Is- landlife Watersports, took the Rising Star trophy. Winners in other categories were: ■■ Watersports Manager of the Year, Sharon Maher of Reef Divers; ■■ Watersports Employee of the Year, Daniel Dixon of Go Pro Diving/Seasports; ■■ Restaurant Manager of the Year, Crystal Marshall of SEVEN, The Ritz- Carlton, Grand Cayman; ■■ Restaurant Employee of the Year, Denise Solomon, An- chor & Den, Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort; ■■ Allied/Attraction/Trans- portation Manager of the Year, Ned Jerris Miller of the Cayman Turtle Centre; ■■ Allied/Attraction/Trans- portation Employee of the Year, William Chisholm of the Cayman Turtle Centre ■■ Accommodations Manager of the Year, Trudy Viers, Cayman Brac Beach Resort; and ■■ Accommodations Employee of the Year, Adriana Airinei, The Ritz- Carlton, Grand Cayman. Police officers Jonathan Kern and Fabian O’Connor were also honored, receiving special trophies for their contributions to Cayman Is- lands tourism. This is the 15th year that CITA has presented the awards, which recognize people involved in businesses that have a tourism impact such as accommodation, transportation, restaurants and sporting activities. Local dive legend Nancy Easterbrook receives the Cayman Islands Tourism Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award from Acting Governor Franz Manderson. The Marriott Beach Resort’s Garfield Ebanks receives the Diamond Award from CITA President Theresa Leacock-Broderick at Tuesday night’s Cayman Islands Tourism Association’s Stingray Awards. Sharon Maher of Reef Divers, pictured with Ash McKnight, CITA watersports director, was among the many honorees at Tuesday night’s Cayman Islands Tourism Association’s Stingray Awards. She was named Watersports Manager of the Year. - PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKE Julie Allen, CITA’s restaurant board director, left, presents a Stingray Award for Restaurant Manager of the Year to Crystal Marshall of SEVEN, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. - PHOTOS: STEPHEN CLARKE7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JULY 20, 2018 Gender tribunal refuses to explain ruling in prison case BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s appointed body that considers complaints re- garding gender discrimina- tion has told government of- ficials it does not need to explain its decision in 2016 that Her Majesty’s Prison’s Service discriminated against four male prison supervisors. The case made headlines because the men alleged they were paid less than a female prisons manager, Nina White, who was a family friend of former Prisons Director Neil Lavis. The allegation made by the male officers was es- sentially that Mr. Lavis, and other senior government offi- cials, agreed to pay Ms. White more because of her personal relationship with the former prisons boss. The Gender Equality Tri- bunal’s ruling was reviewed by the government Internal Audit Unit at the request of the Commission for Stan- dards in Public Life, which has pressed Acting Governor Franz Manderson for a re- sponse on the tribunal ruling. Internal auditors looking into the matter were rebuffed by the gender tribunal, which apparently refused to re- spond to questions sent by the audit service. “[The tribunal] declined to comment, stating the tribunal is a ‘quasi-judicial body and unless there is a clear legisla- tive authority to do so, is not at liberty to elaborate or elu- cidate on its determination,’” the audit report noted. Auditors went ahead with the review anyway, stating that all three senior public officers involved in Ms. White’s hiring at the prison service – including Mr. Lavis and deputy chief officer at the Ministry of Home Af- fairs Kathryn Dinspel-Powell – complied with recruitment requirements in the Public Service Management Law. “No evidence was found to indicate that any of the three civil servants whose behav- iors were drawn into ques- tion as a result of the Gender Equality Tribunal hearing acted contrary to the public service values or code of con- duct during the recruitment process,” auditors stated. Gender tribunal mem- bers found in their No- vember 2016 ruling in the case that statements made by Mr. Lavis and other in- terview panel members re- garding Ms. White’s hiring were simply “not credible.” The four-member tribunal ruled Nov. 3, 2016 that the four male custodial managers were paid about 2 percent less in annual salary than the female prison supervisor, Ms. White, and were not given a motor vehicle upkeep allow- ance as she was. According to the tribunal records, Mr. Lavis informed the interview panel of his re- lationship with the poten- tial 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 Af- fairs Deputy Chief Officer Kathryn] Dinspel-Powell also confirmed 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 material conflict be- cause it was a panel of four persons and given the ex- perience of the persons on the panel, any possible con- flicts would be balanced out because they would know who would be a good fit for the positions.” The tribunal was incred- ulous about these claims: “The tribunal found it dif- ficult to understand why, if these various disclosures of the director’s prior re- lationship with Ms. White had been made, this had not been noted in the [job] inter- view notes or elsewhere …. In fact, it appears that the re- lationship was not disclosed in these proceedings 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 ruling of Nov. 3 states: “The tribunal, by a majority … finds that the re- spondent [the prisons ser- vice] has not discharged the burden of proof placed upon it pursuant to section 8 of the [Gender Equality] Law and accordingly, the complaints are substantiated.” Internal auditors found the relatively slight differ- ence in salaries to be rea- sonable and, in fact, normal within the civil service. The review looked at six govern- ment jobs where an on-is- land resident and an over- seas applicant had been recruited for the same posi- tion during 2017, regardless of gender, and found that in five of the six cases, the suc- cessful overseas applicant was paid more. “Human resources professional[s] consistently supported the view that off- island applicants are in a stronger negotiating posi- tion and more likely to make, and be successful with, higher salary demands,” the report noted. Auditors found that Mr. Lavis had clearly declared his relationship with Ms. White during the process and pro- vided further advice on the matter from the attorney gen- eral’s chambers which noted it was “completely unclear … how any personal relation- ship … had anything to do with discrimination based on sex or gender.” A ruling by the Gender Equality Tribunal on a complaint stemming from the Prison Service was reviewed by the Internal Audit Service.8 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY JULY 20, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Auditors conduct three-part review of landfill overtime pay BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Government auditors are now conducting a ter- tiary review of overtime pay- ments made to Department of Environmental Health staff, according to informa- tion obtained by the Cayman Compass through the Freedom of Information Law. The first two parts of the review are finished, but In- ternal Audit Service Director Andy Bonner said those could not be released be- cause of an ongoing investi- gation into the matter. “Phase 1 and 2 reports cannot be released until the third and final phase is com- pleted,” Mr. Bonner wrote in response to an open records request filed by the Compass. “This is expected to be by early September 2018.” According to Mr. Bonner, the first two phases detail budget controls and man- agement reporting of the overtime spending and the reasons behind the rise in overtime pay. “[The] focus is on the highest overtime spend oper- ation within the Department of Environmental Health, solid waste collections,” Mr. Bonner said. The third part of the review involves “further scrutiny” of the overtime data and a review of over- time spending on other department operations, including George Town land- fill operations. Environmental and Health Minister Dwayne Seymour confirmed last month that the department was spending $100,000 per month for overtime to staff garbage collection as of late 2017. Since the start of this year, those costs have been cut to about $25,000 per month, Mr. Seymour said, after 10 tem- porary staff members were brought in to assist with “mission critical” areas of the department. “All trucks are currently operational and routes are fully staffed,” Mr. Seymour said, adding that there were some lower-than-usual levels of employee attendance due to “employee illness and va- cation” at the Department of Environmental Health. “I cannot promise that these challenges will end immi- nently, we are doing every- thing in our power to provide reliable, consistent service. “No one is more anxious than myself to see this situa- tion improve and normalize.” A staff dispute that oc- curred in fall 2017 con- cerning overtime pay and dif- ficulties with operating some of the government’s garbage trucks led to persistent de- lays in trash collection and recommendations for the internal audit. Sometime in late 2017, De- partment of Environmental Health Director Roydell Carter was placed on unspec- ified leave in the wake of the overtime spending concerns. As of Thursday, he had not returned to the depart- ment and an acting director, Richard Simms, was named in his place for what gov- ernment said was a six- month secondment. Both Health Ministry chief officer Jennifer Ahearn and Acting Governor Franz Manderson have declined to respond to questions about Mr. Carter’s status, beyond a statement released late last year denying he had been suspended from the job. The third part of the review involves “further scrutiny” of the overtime data and a review of overtime spending on other department operations, including George Town landfill operations. Overtime spent on trash pickup is a key focus of government’s review at the Department of Environmental Health. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JULY 20, 2018 Churchill’s Funeral Home Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Peggie Rose Irving, who passed away on Tuesday July 03, 2018. A Thanksgiving Service will be held at Savannah Seventh Day Adventist Church, 1631 Shamrock Road on Sunday July 22, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. Viewing: 1:00 - 1:45 p.m. Interment follows at Prospect Cemetery. We have been asked to announce the passing ofWe have been asked to announce the passing of The family of the Late Matthew Carlyle Ebanks regrets to announce his passing on Tuesday, 3 July, 2018. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com Funeral Service will be held 3:00 p.m. Saturday, 21 July 2018 at Wesleyan Holiness Church, West Bay. Interment will follow in West Bay Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Bethesda Counselling Centre. Wayne Panton to lead CIMA $1.3M South Sound boardwalk project nearing completion chief executive Garth Mac- Donald has been named deputy chairman of the board. While the terms of current board mem- bers Patricia Estwick and Judith Watler have been extended. Mr. Panton served as Cayman’s Minister of Fi- nancial Services, Com- merce and Environment during the Progressives government’s prior term in office between 2013- 2017. He lost his re-elec- tion bid in Newlands dis- trict in May 2017. He has extensive expe- rience in both the financial services and legal profes- sions in the Cayman Is- lands, becoming a partner at Walkers in 1997, even- tually becoming a man- aging partner of the firm’s structured and asset fi- nance practice before his retirement in 2011. The monetary authority serves as the regulator for Cayman’s banking, insur- ance, securities broker- ages and investment com- panies, money services and trusts sectors. sidewalk, the material could wash away in inclement weather, crack or wrap over time and eventually lead to structural issues. “The project is constructed with piles and a combination of concrete members and in- lays of Trex planking,” gov- ernment explained. Infrastructure Min- ister Joey Hew touted the benefits that the devel- opment will bring to the nearby community. “The South Sound board- walk will be an open and ac- cessible space that secures some of the remaining wa- terfront vistas that our is- lands have to offer for Cay- manians and residents alike,” Mr. Hew said. “The walk also allows beach explorers to feel safe from road traffic as they enjoy a morning stroll or a Caymanian sunset.” Government had origi- nally submitted plans for the development in June 2016 as part of an overall beautifica- tion and improvement scheme for the area. In October 2016, Premier Alden McLaughlin said that work would be com- pleted by the end of that year. However, no work seemed to have taken place until the National Roads Authority changed the alignment of the road and announced last September that the change was made to accommodate the boardwalk construction. Dozens of traffic cones have extended along the roadside for months, but no work took place until February. Government explained in a press release in Jan- uary that it was working out “technical details” with the project contractor. “A contract was signed with The Phoenix Construc- tion Group late last year, but some final technical details had to be worked out prior to commencement,” government said at the time. Wayne Panton Road work continues on the boardwalk on South Sound Road. It is expected to be completed by the end of August. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Gun charge withdrawn against wife Peru judicial chief resigns in latest scandal rocking country Husband’s case sent to Grand Court CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Charges of possessing an unlicensed firearm and ammunition were with- drawn on Thursday against a woman in whose home the items had been found. Eliza Eunice Webster, 27, had been accused of pos- sessing a Glock 17, 9 mm handgun and 59 rounds of 9 mm ammunition at her Bodden Town residence on or about April 10 this year. When the matter first came to court, the mag- istrate was told that the items were found behind a built-in microwave in the kitchen of the residence. Mrs. Webster was charged along with her husband, Elton David Webster, 31. This week, Crown counsel Garcia Kelly with- drew the charges against Mrs. Webster, who was represented by attorney Amelia Fosuhene. After a preliminary in- quiry into the charges against Mr. Webster, Mag- istrate Grace Donalds committed his matter to Grand Court, where he was scheduled to return on Friday, Aug. 17. Ms. Fosuhene also rep- resented Mr. Webster. LIMA, Peru (AP) – The head of Peru’s judicial branch re- signed Thursday in the wake of a mounting corrup- tion scandal involving secret phone recordings capturing numerous judges making be- hind-the-scenes deals on ev- erything from promotions to criminal sentences. The latest scandal to em- broil this South American na- tion has ensnared some of the country’s highest-ranking judges and political officials and comes just four months after then-President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski stepped down in a separate cor- ruption probe. In a short letter shared on Twitter, judicial chief Du- berli Rodriguez announced he was tendering his resig- nation “due to the institu- tional crisis.” The judicial misconduct became public two weeks ago when the Peruvian in- vestigative news website IDL-Reporteros and the “Pan- orama” new analysis televi- sion show published a series of telephone recordings in- volving an extensive network of judges, businessmen and local authorities describing back-room deals. In one recording, judge Cesar Hinostroza was caught talking with an unidentified person about the suspect in the rape of an 11-year-old girl. After asking the child’s age and whether she had been “deflowered,” Hi- nostroza promises to inves- tigate. Then he asks: “What do you all want? For the sen- tence to be reduced or be de- clared innocent?” It remains unclear whether the suspect was ac- tually let off, but in the past Hinostroza has acquitted three other suspects accused of raping minors. Hinostroza managed to ascend to the country’s Supreme Court de- spite accusations of pre- vious misconduct, including having allegedly plagiarized his thesis and a book that bears his name. He has now been suspended. Other recordings describe members of powerful judicial commissions helping judges and prosecutors get promo- tions over more well-quali- fied candidates, apparently maneuvering with tactics like asking candidates irrelevant questions during interviews. In one video, candidates for a chief prosecutor position were asked how to prepare duck ceviche, a traditional Peruvian dish. The records have struck a nerve in Peru, a country where three out of the last four presidents are embroiled in Latin America’s biggest graft scandal. Kuczynski resigned in March after opposition law- makers revealed that when he was a Cabinet minister his private consulting firm had accepted payments from Odebrecht, the Brazilian con- struction company accused of paying millions in bribes. He denied any wrongdoing, saying he had removed him- self from the company when the payments were made. The latest scandal has provoked scattered protests around Peru and frustrated citizens called for a march in the capital Thursday night. Polls say 80 percent of Pe- ruvians disapprove of their country’s justice system. Aside from the judicial branch chief, the minister of justice and the head of an important commission for judges have also resigned. At a public event Thursday, President Martin Vizcarra remarked that the country has institutions that “don’t deserve the public’s trust,” and that perhaps an even greater problem is there still appears to be a consid- erable amount of indifference to combat it. In a short letter shared on Twitter, judicial chief Duberli Rodriguez announced he was tendering his resignation “due to the institutional crisis.” People pass in front of Peru’s judicial building in Lima Thursday. The head of Peru’s judicial branch is offering his resignation over the latest corruption scandal to rock the South American nation. - PHOTO: APNext >