ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY AUGUST 8, 2018 High of 90 Low of 78 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 TO UK LAWMAKERS: COME BACK SOON – AND OFTEN! LOCAL | PAGE 5 SCOOTER PRO TEACHES TRICKS OF THE TRADE PRIVY COUNCIL REJECTS CHALLENGE AGAINST CIMA KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com The territory’s financial regulator, the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA), announced on Tuesday that the Privy Council has refused an application to appeal from an international stock trading platform, which had been challenging CIMA’s order to produce records for an ongoing investigation in Aus- tralia – records the entity claims to not have. The case stems from efforts by the Austra- lian Securities and Investments Commission to obtain information from the stock trading platform – a group of companies known as the Vantage Group – for an ongoing investigation into alleged market manipulation it has been conducting since March 2015, according to in- formation from CIMA and court documents. Cayman authorities became involved in 2017 when the Australian regulator requested information from CIMA about Select Vantage, a Vantage Group company that is domiciled here but is not a licensee of CIMA. In March 2017, CIMA obtained a Grand Court order for Select Vantage to turn over the telephone numbers, addresses, and trader identification numbers of each Vantage Group trader involved in the investigation in Australia. Select Vantage, however, argued that Select is only a subsidiary company that holds stock trading capital, and therefore does not hold information about traders. The company that actually employs traders is domiciled in An- guilla and operates in Costa Rica, according to Select Vantage. At the Court of Appeal hearing last Oc- tober, Select also argued that the company should have access to evidence that was pre- sented during the ex parte hearing – the Grand Court granted CIMA the order in March CLEANUP PROGRAM SO NICE, IT’S HELD TWICE The Cayman Islands’ annual gov- ernment-sponsored pre-Christmas cleanup program is not just for the holidays any longer. Cayman will hold two public cleanup exercises this year ,in August and again in November. For more on this story, see page 3. Tourism pontoon project proposed for North Sound JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Plans to station a perma- nent “tourism pontoon” close to Stingray City Sandbar in the North Sound are being reviewed by government. Marineland Tours has sub- mitted a coastal works applica- tion for a multi-deck platform featuring a water slide, under- water observatory, scuba diving center and sundeck. Documents submitted with the application indicate the pontoon, with a main deck of 150 feet by 50 feet, would be modeled on similar structures in Australia. The concept is a first for Cayman, and the company in its application urges government to make “hard decisions” now to en- sure the long-term sustainability of the islands’ tourism industry. It suggests the pontoon would be a new attraction for Cayman and would drive visita- tion to the island, as well as of- fering something different to a new generation of tourists. It adds that the tourism in- dustry needs to look at new op- portunities to diversify amid competition from new destina- tions for younger travelers. “Some visitors may return year after year, suggesting little need to change things. The danger is that, as this group ages, there will be no one to take its place. Natural successors have become used to taking holi- days elsewhere based on higher expectations,” the company, which is owned by the Eldemire family, stated in the application. The pontoon would be built Cayman men hoist Caribbean amateur golf title The Cayman men’s amateur golf team are the new holders of the Hoerman Cup, which is awarded to the winner of the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships. The Cayman team became the regional champions for the first time last week. For more on this story, see page 14. The Cayman team poses following the end of the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » An application is being considered to set up a ‘tourism pontoon’ near Stingray City Sandbar. - PHOTO: FILE2 REGIONAL NEWS WEDNESDAY AUGUST 8, 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. - WEDNESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) THE DARKEST MINDS (PG13) 1:50 I 4:25 I 7:00 I 10:00 VIP MISSION : IMPOSSIBLE FALLOUT (PG13) 12:45 3D I 3:30 VIP I 6:45 VIP I 9:30 3D THE EQUALIZER 2 (R) 12:40 VIP I 3:45 I 6:35 I 9:15 HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 (PG) 1:35 I 6:45 TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES (PG) 12:35 I 2:50 I 5:05 I 7:00 I 9:25 INCREDIBLES 2 (PG) 4:00 I 9:10 MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN (PG13) 1:10 I 4:10 I 7:25 I 10:00 1 in 7 children of moms who had Zika have problems NEW YORK (AP) – One out of every seven babies born to U.S. mothers who were in- fected with Zika during preg- nancy developed some kind of health problem, according to the first long-term look at those children. Tuesday’s study focused on the children of women in Puerto Rico and other ter- ritories, where most of the U.S. cases were seen when the disease swept across the Americas more than two years ago. Most people infected with Zika do not get sick. In others, it can cause a mild illness, with fever, rash and joint pain. But infection during pregnancy can lead to severe brain-related birth defects. Earlier studies focused on those birth defects. The new research is unique in that it’s a large study that looked for conditions that became ap- parent only later, said Mar- garet Honein of the Centers for Disease Control and Pre- vention, one of the authors. The researchers looked at 1,450 kids who were at least 1 year old and whose mothers were infected with Zika while pregnant. Most were in Puerto Rico, but the count included Amer- ican Samoa, the Marshall Is- lands, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Micronesia. Of those children, 6 per- cent had birth defects, such as abnormally small heads, damaged brains or eye ir- regularities. That is about 30 times what’s seen in chil- dren generally. The percentage rose to 14 when the researchers also counted later-developing problems possibly caused by Zika, including seizures, de- velopmental delays and diffi- culty swallowing or moving. Researchers also found that not enough kids were being checked for problems. For example, only about a third received recommended eye exams by a specialist, half got a hearing evalua- tion, and less than two-thirds got brain scans. Medical services have been disrupted at times in hurricane-battered Puerto Rico. Still, it means kids who need therapy or treat- ment may not be getting it, Honein said. Most Zika infections are spread through the bites of infected mosquitoes, but it can also be spread through sex or blood transfusion. The CDC previously has ad- vised couples planning to conceive to abstain from sex or to use condoms for at least six months after a male partner comes down with Zika. On Tuesday, health offi- cials changed the recommen- dation to three months in the wake of research that found the risk of sexual transmis- sion is shorter than orig- inally feared. BRAZIL’S HADDAD PROMISES MEDIA OWNERSHIP REFORM IF ELECTED SAO PAULO (AP) – The likely presidential candi- date of Brazil’s Workers’ Party in October’s elec- tions pledged on Tuesday to reform the country’s media ownership rules as part of efforts to “radi- calize Brazil’s democracy.” He also said the country needs more banks. Former Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad is the party’s vice presidential candidate, but is widely ex- pected to take over the top of the ticket after electoral bar former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who now leads national polls. Haddad, known mostly in the country’s south, has tried to appeal to the par- ty’s base in other parts of the country since polls show him with minimal support so far. The former mayor said in a press conference that there aren’t enough voices in Brazil’s mainstream media, which is owned by a handful of groups. He crit- icized what he calls “the permission of crossed own- ership,” which enables TV networks to own newspa- pers, radios and vice versa. “The levers of demo- cratic development are credit, both in economic and in political forms. News has to be true and free. We want to radicalize democracy. A radicalization that all developed countries have made,” Haddad said. He also criticized allowing politicians to own media. Members of the Workers’ Party often deem Brazil’s mainstream media as antagonistic to left- leaning parties and da Silva has said the coun- try’s media is on a crusade to keep him in prison and off the ballot. “It is not possible that there is only one opinion in the media,” Haddad told journalists. “This will be the first time that a Workers’ Party program will deal with two very se- rious things for Brazil’s de- mocracy: access to credit and access to information.” Da Silva leads polls with more than 30 per- cent backing. But Haddad until now has been a marginal figure in popu- larity surveys. Earlier in a chat with friendly bloggers, Haddad criticized the country’s dominant media com- pany, TV Globo. “Some other day I was watching Globo taking re- sponsibility in an edito- rial of 2013 for their sup- port of the [1964] military coup. It took 49 years for them to recognize that. Are we going to wait 49 years for them to recog- nize what they did to Lula? We don’t have that time to wait,” Haddad said. Da Silva was jailed in April after a corruption conviction and will stand trial on several other cases. He denies any wrongdoing and promises to appeal every decision against him. Former Argentina VP Boudou sentenced to prison for corruption BUENOS AIRES, Argen- tina (AP) – A court in Ar- gentina on Tuesday sen- tenced former Vice President Amado Boudou to five years and 10 months in prison for bribery and conducting business incompatible with public office. The decision is a hard fall from grace for Boudou, 55, who also served as economy minister during the 2007- 2015 administration of Presi- dent Cristina Fernandez, and who was the first sitting Ar- gentine vice president to face such charges. The court also banned Bodou for life from elec- tive office, fined him about $3,200 and ordered him to be immediately sent to a local jail. He denied any wrong- doing in court and dismissed the accusations as politi- cally motivated. Five other people were sentenced Tuesday and the sentences can be appealed. The investigation was launched in 2012 following reports in the local press. Boudou was accused of using shell companies and se- cret middlemen to gain con- trol of a company that was given contracts to print Ar- gentine currency as well as material for Fernandez’s elec- tion campaign. In a separate case, Boudou was arrested in early November 2017 on charges of money laundering and illicit association. He was released from jail in January after a court ruled that he was un- likely to interfere in the case against him, which was the original reason he was jailed pending trial. Last week, authorities car- ried out raids and arrested at least a dozen business leaders and former govern- ment officials, while a local judge called on Fernandez to testify Aug. 13. Some have compared it to “Operation Car Wash,” the widespread corruption probe that has shaken Brazil’s elite by uncovering billions of dol- lars in bribes and kickbacks and that has resulted in the jailing of many of its most powerful business leaders and former President Luiz In- acio Lula da Silva. Fernandez is currently a senator, a post that grants her immunity from prosecu- tion. She has not spoken pub- licly since the scandal that was originally reported in the local press broke out. The former leader was in- dicted in 2016 and faces ac- cusations in other cases involving alleged money laundering, possible illegal enrichment and fraud. She has denied wrongdoing. Puerto Rico resident Michelle Flandez caresses her two-month-old son Inti Perez, diagnosed with microcephaly linked to the mosquito-borne Zika virus, in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. – PHOTO: AP The decision is a hard fall from grace for Boudou, 55, who also served as economy minister during the 2007-2015 administration of President Cristina Fernandez Ex-Barbados Parliament official arrested in Florida NEW YORK (AP) – A former member of the Parliament of Barbados has been arrested in Florida on conspiracy and money laundering charges filed in Brooklyn federal court. Donville Inniss, a legal permanent U.S. resident and ex-member of the Barbados parliament and a former in- dustry minister there, was arrested Friday. U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue announced the ar- rest, saying an indictment was unsealed Monday. The 52-year-old Inniss was released on a $50,000 bond after appearing in Tampa fed- eral court. His lawyer did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Prosecutors say Inniss conspired to accept $36,000 in bribes from high-level ex- ecutives of a Barbados-based insurance company in 2015 and 2016. They say he laun- dered the money in the U.S. They also say he helped the company obtain govern- ment contracts.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY AUGUST 8, 2018 *The quoted sale fares are based on roundtrip economy class purchase. Additional government and airport taxes and fees of up to CI$110.11 roundtrip apply for travel from Grand Cayman to: New York, Miami, and Tampa; up to CI$158.89 roundtrip for travel from Grand Cayman to Kingston, Montego Bay, La Ceiba, Roatan, and Havana; and up to CI$13.13 for travel between Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands. Government and airport taxes and fees are subject to change without notice. No minimum stay is required. A maximum stay of 30 days is allowed. All tickets must be purchased between Aug. 3-11, 2018, and must be purchased within one day of booking, or by Aug. 11, 2018, whichever is earlier. All segments must be confirmed. Fares are valid for travel from Sept. 7, 2018 through Nov. 7, 2018. From the Cayman Islands, travel is not permitted to Florida Oct. 19-21, 2018, nor Nov. 8-10, 2018. From Florida, travel is not permitted to the Cayman Islands Oct. 26-28, 2018 nor Nov. 11-13 2018. From the Cayman Islands to Jamaica and Honduras, travel is not permitted Nov. 8-10, 2018, and from Jamaica and Honduras, travel is not permitted Nov. 11-12, 2018. Between Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands, travel is not permitted Nov. 9-12, 2018. Seats are limited for these sale fares and may not be available on every flight at the time of booking. The following change fees apply: CI$126 plus any fare difference for travel to any US gateway; CI$63 plus any fare difference for travel to all other international gateways; CI$21 plus any fare difference for flights between Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands. Fares are non-refundable and non-transferable. In case of no show, ticket has no value. For connecting flights to/from the Sister Islands, additional through-fares of up to CI$65.94 roundtrip apply, with no overnight on Grand Cayman. SINCESINCE *The quoted sale fares are based on roundtrip economy class purchase. Additional government and airport taxes and fees of up to CI$110.11 roundtrip apply for travel from Grand Cayman to: New York, Miami, and Tampa; up to CI$158.89 roundtrip for travel from Grand Cayman to Kingston, Montego Bay, La Ceiba, Roatan, and Havana; and up to CI$13.13 for travel between Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands. Government and airport taxes and fees are subject to change without notice. No minimum stay is required. A maximum stay of 30 days is allowed. All tickets must be purchased between Aug. 3-11, 2018, and must be purchased within one day of booking, or by Aug. 11, 2018, whichever is earlier. All segments must be confirmed. Fares are valid for travel from Sept. 7, 2018 through Nov. 7, 2018. From the Cayman Islands, travel is not permitted to Florida Oct. 19-21, 2018, nor Nov. 8-10, 2018. From Florida, travel is not permitted to the Cayman Islands Oct. 26-28, 2018 nor Nov. 11-13 2018. From the Cayman Islands to Jamaica and Honduras, travel is not permitted Nov. 8-10, 2018, and from Jamaica and Honduras, travel is not permitted Nov. 11-12, 2018. Between Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands, travel is not permitted Nov. 9-12, 2018. Seats are limited for these sale fares and may not be available on every flight at the time of booking. The following change fees apply: CI$126 plus any fare difference for travel to any US gateway; CI$63 plus any fare difference for travel to all other international gateways; CI$21 plus any fare difference for flights between Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands. Fares are non-refundable and non-transferable. In case of no show, ticket has no value. For connecting flights to/from the Sister Islands, additional through-fares of up to CI$65.94 roundtrip apply, with For details and to book call 345-949-2311, contact a local travel agent or visit caymanairways.com BOOK BY AUGUST 11, 2018 *Quoted fares are roundtrip from Grand Cayman, and taxes & fees are additional LITTLE CAYMAN CAYMAN BRAC Up to CI$ 89* MIAMI TAMPA LA CIEBA ROATAN MOBAY KINGSTON HAVANA CI$ 152* NEW YORK CI$ 194* AIRFARES NOW ON SALE! Celebrating five decades of connecting the Cayman Islands with the world! Government is ‘NiCE’ twice in 2018 BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands an- nual government-sponsored pre-Christmas cleanup pro- gram is not just for the holi- days any longer. Commerce Minister Joey Hew has announced plans for the government’s first summer- time cleanup program called the National Community En- hancement summer project, known as “NiCE,” to proceed between Aug. 20 and Aug. 31. Registration for the work, which includes some repairs, maintenance and gardening work in public areas, as well as cleaning parks, beaches and garbage collection, will be held Monday, Aug. 13, at the Lions Centre between 9 a.m. and noon. A second NiCE cleanup is being scheduled for November. This will be the first time the government has hosted two community cleanup ef- forts in one year. “It will be an added op- portunity this year for many to learn new skills for the job market and to earn extra money for during the summer and back-to-school expenses,” Minister Hew said. Similar to the 2017 cleanup program, general workers will be paid $10 per hour while job foremen will receive $12 per hour. Work times will be between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. The work is open only to unemployed Caymanians or permanent residents who are married to Caymanians. Par- ticipants must be at least 18 years old. Workers will be supervised by either public works, National Roads Au- thority or Department of En- vironmental Health employees. “Rigorous vetting will take place to ensure that only those who are qualified are accepted into the program,” according to a government statement released Monday. During last year’s pro- gram, which lasted two weeks through late November and early December, more than 500 people signed up for the NiCE program work. The budget for the two- week project last year was $475,000. Application forms can be picked up at all government li- braries in Grand Cayman, as well as from district MLA of- fices, the Needs Assessment Unit, the National Workforce Development Agency and the reception desk at the govern- ment administration building. After all participants are registered, they will be called and told where and when to show up for work. Applicants line up for the 2017 NiCE Christmas cleanup program at the Lions Centre in November last year. The government is launching a NiCE summer program this year. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A new resource to assist mothers, fathers, grandparents and families come to terms with their grief after the loss of a child is now on island. The first meeting of “In Our Heart – Cayman” took place at the Cayman Islands Baptist Church on Pedro Castle Road Monday evening. Dr. Annette Stephenson, fa- cilitator and co-founder of the group started the resource after losing her baby trip- lets in 2017. She wanted to share her grief and yearned for someone to talk to. “What I got was not enough. Books were not helping and what was missing was a need for connection,” she said. This happens a lot with preg- nancy loss, stillbirth, termina- tion and miscarriage, she ex- plained, as families experience a deep mourning and have no- where to turn. “They often don’t talk about their baby because they are afraid of having a conversation that will have them be emo- tional, and people don’t reach out to the parents for fear of making them cry. Eventually, the experience is somewhat pushed under the rug and people try to forget and move on.” She said those who have lost a baby perpetually yearn for an acknowledgement of their loss and try desperately to deal with their emotions. This leads to disconnection, isolation and a sense of de- spair. She said women may have anxiety about the future or current pregnancies. In her search to find some type of support or community on island, earlier this year she connected with Michelle Ty- liakos, a doula who used to live in Cayman. They started sharing their experiences with miscarriage and pregnancy loss, at which time Ms. Tyl- ialkos mentioned that she had started a support group in her community in Vancouver called In Our Hearts. This lay the foundation for the establishment of the first international chapter of In Our Hearts. Dr. Stephenson de- scribed In Our Hearts as a safe space with monthly meetings for women, partners and sup- port people to gather, share their experiences and learn of resources in the community. “It is simply a place for people to cry or let out their emotions and talk about their grief,” she said. “It is a place for acknowledgment and grat- itude. It is a non-judgemental room allowing people to be fully expressed in grief. It’s to hold the space, not to fix any- thing, but to make room for a woman and families to voice what is needed.” Because of a small turnout at the group’s first meeting Monday, going forward Ms. Stephenson said she will have suggestions on time, location and how to promote and bring more awareness of the meeting. She will also look at inviting a counselor for processing grief and a nutritionist to talk on how to eat to heal the body. GROUP OFFERS HELP TO DEAL WITH DEATH OF A CHILDThe 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” A quartet of MPs from “across the pond” – we’ll call them Cayman’s “Fab Four” – struck all the right notes on their recent visit to these islands, calling for revision of the United Kingdom’s “untidy” and unequal treatment of its overseas territories. None of the four – Martin Vickers, Henry Smith, Col. Bob Stewart and Andrew Rosindell – all Conservatives, were complicit in the House of Commons’ May 1 decision to compel Britain’s Overseas Territories – but not the three Crown Dependencies – to create public registers of company ownership. (Messrs. Vickers, Smith and Stewart voted against the amendment. According to parliamen- tary records, Mr. Rosindell did not vote on the matter.) Indeed, the four (all members of the All Party Parlia- mentary Group) appear sensitive to the deteriorating rela- tionship between the U.K. and its overseas territories. Like Lord Tariq Ahmad, a steady ally who most recently visited in June to discuss public registries and hurricane preparedness, these four elected members appeared eager to understand the U.K.’s relationships – and its responsibilities – to its territories. Their visit has us wondering how many of the 650 sitting members of the House of Commons have ever visited Cayman to examine firsthand what many have referred to as our “economic miracle.” Judging by their actions (and the sheer volume of painfully misguided statements uttered during that fateful May 1 debate), many MPs’ “understanding” of the Cayman Islands appears to have been gleaned from John Grisham-like novels, not actual experience. Throughout their four-day visit, our VIP guests were able to see a somewhat representative image of our islands and our people. Their itinerary took them from the fish market in George Town to Health City in East End, from West Bay to Cayman Brac. We are not so naïve as to think the current con- tentiousness between Cayman and Great Britain can be resolved by a brief “goodwill tour” – no matter how pleasant. Still, we allow ourselves to hope the four MPs will serve as willing and capable advocates for our community – forming a “bridge over troubled waters,” so to speak. During these tense times, even as government officials and business leaders work behind the scenes to attempt to minimize the damage done both by Parliament’s “public register” vote and the unceremonious (and unexplained) suspension of our well-received new governor, Mr. Anwar Choudhury, Cayman cannot have too many friends telling our story, correcting misinformation and encouraging more U.K. decision-makers to come here to form, first- hand, realistic perceptions of the territory they oversee. Perhaps an underused resource to edify parliamen- tarians on the Cayman Islands would be the former U.K. governors who actually served here. After spending a number of years in Cayman, many, if not most, left with a genuine love for our people and an appreciation for our culture. Their voices, more than any PR agency we might employ, would have far more access and credibility in the halls of Westminster. When the All Party Parliamentary Group returns this autumn, we would encourage them to bring along more of their colleagues – as large an entourage as they can muster. We trust they will come to think of Cayman as a welcoming second home, one, we would remind them, that not only flies the Cayman flag but proudly the Union Jack as well. To UK lawmakers: Come back soon – and often! WEDNESDAY AUGUST 8, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Where is the outrage about Clinton’s links to Russia? WASHINGTON – All of Wash- ington is waiting with bated breath to find out whether the Mueller investiga- tion will provide evidence proving that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. So far, “Exhibit A” against President Trump is the meeting Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort had with a group of Russians claiming to have dirt on Hillary Clinton. That meeting should never have happened. When you get an email offering to pro- vide “very high level and sensitive information” from the “Crown prosecutor of Russia” that could “incrim- inate Hillary” Clinton and is part of “Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump” you don’t reply by saying “I love it.” You call the FBI. The president claims he did not know about the meeting. His former lawyer, Michael Cohen, says he did. Whether he knew is beside the point. Senior officials of his campaign were willing to accept help from Vladimir Putin; they were saved only because the meeting was a bust. The Russians did not end up providing any dirt. But as bad as the Trump Tower meeting was, it took place at the request of the Russians. They were the ones who approached the Trump campaign, not the other way around. By contrast, the Clinton campaign proactively sought dirt on Trump from Russian government sources. They did it through cutouts. In April 2016, Clinton campaign lawyer Marc Elias retained opposition research firm Fusion GPS to compile in- criminating information on Trump. Fusion GPS in turn hired Christopher Steele, a former British MI6 operative with sources among Russian government officials. The re- sult was the salacious dos- sier, whose sources included “a senior Russian For- eign Ministry figure” and “a former top level intelligence officer still active in the Kremlin.” Steele’s work was paid for by Clinton’s presi- dential campaign and the Democratic National Com- mittee. That means a paid agent of the Clinton cam- paign approached Russian officials for damaging mate- rial on Trump. Clinton claims she did not know about Steele’s work. It does not matter. Imagine if Michael Cohen, or an- other lawyer paid by the Trump campaign and Repub- lican National Committee, had hired a former British spy with campaign money to collect dirt on Clinton from Russian intelligence and foreign ministry offi- cials. Do you think that ev- eryone in Washington would be saying: “There’s no evi- dence Trump knew, so no big deal – nothing to see here?” Of course not. Moreover, Clinton offi- cials have defended Steele’s actions. Brian Fallon, Clin- ton’s campaign spokesman, has said he “would have vol- unteered to go to Europe and try to help” Steele and would happily have spread dirt obtained from the Rus- sians. “Opposition research happens on every campaign,” he told The Post. He also said: “I am damn glad [Elias] pursued this on behalf of our campaign and only re- gret more of this material was not verified in time for the voters to learn it before the election.” In other words, “I love it.” We also know that the Democrats covered up their involvement. The dossier was published by BuzzFeed in January, but it was not until Oct. 24, 2017 – more than nine months later – that Americans learned it was the DNC and the Clinton cam- paign that paid for it. If it did nothing wrong, why did Team Clinton leave Ameri- cans in the dark about its in- volvement for so long? Let’s be clear: None of this excuses the Trump cam- paign’s reprehensible be- havior in accepting a meeting with Russians claiming to be government agents offering dirt on Clinton. Mueller’s in- vestigation is not a witch hunt. If Mueller finds that anyone on the Trump cam- paign entered into a criminal conspiracy with Russia, they should go to jail. Furthermore, none of this calls into question the in- telligence community’s as- sessment that the Rus- sians wanted Trump to win – something Putin pub- licly confirmed in his Hel- sinki news conference with Trump. But the intelligence community assessment also found that the Kremlin ex- pected Clinton to win. The Russians are not stupid. They were preparing for the prospect of a Clinton presi- dency, and they played both sides. That is why millions of dollars in Russian cash were sloshing around Clinton World – including $500,000 Bill Clinton received for a Moscow speech from a Rus- sian investment bank with links to the Kremlin. Russia continues to pose a threat. Their goal, according to our intelligence commu- nity, was not just to help Trump but also to “under- mine public faith in the US democratic process.” They are playing a long game. If we are to counter the Russian threat, we need to under- stand its complexities – and that mean we have to look beyond Trump. Follow Marc A. Thiessen on Twitter, @marcthiessen. © 2018, The Washington Post Writers Group MARC A. THIESSEN The Russians are not stupid. They were preparing for the prospect of a Clinton presidency, and they played both sides.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY AUGUST 8, 2018 Discover an unmatched collection of experiences at Grand Cayman’s top luxury resort. He asked Chef Marcello Piacentini if the children could join him in the kitchen to learn how to make his famous pizza and the chef delightedly agreed. Mr. Vivek then invited the family personally to return the following morning for the private pizza lesson and they were amazed and excited to participate. When they returned for the class, Chef Marcello taught the family the techniques and ingredients to make their favorite pizza and everyone had a great time bonding and learning. The family was very happy about the wonderful experience and to express their appreciation, they invited Mr. Vivek to join them to go and watch a movie later that evening. The day before their departure, the family visited Andiamo once more to bid farewell to Mr. Vivek and have one last taste of their favorite gelato, which unfortunately was not available on that day. This did not stop Mr. Vivek who went above and beyond to get Oreo cookies around the resort and combined them with vanilla gelato to ensure the family got what they wished for before departing. The family was ecstatic! They thanked Mr. Viveck for making their stay so memorable and promised to return every year to The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman not only for the memorable service but also for the new friend they had found during their visit. The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman is proud to share the stories crafted by our most valuable resource: our Ladies and Gentlemen. A family of seven, who are recurring guests at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, engaged in con- versation with Mr. Vivek, a gentleman from Andia- mo restaurant. He had met them once while ordering their favorite Oreo gelato at the restaurant so when he saw them at the Harbour Pool and greeted them, he learned that they were experiencing a heavy sun burn. He immediately visited the spa to get Aloe Vera for the family as well as moisturizing cream and cold tow- els and they were extremely grateful for the gesture. The following day, the family visited Andia- mo for lunch, were very happy to see Mr. Vivek once again, and thanked him for being so thoughtful on the previous day. While they were talking, the parents ex- pressed how much the kids loved the pizza at Andia- mo so he had another brilliant idea to make their stay even more memorable. ADVERTORIAL Scooter pro teaches tricks of the trade JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Flips, tricks, spins and grabs were on show at the Black Pearl Skate Park last week as youngsters learned some tricks of the trade from one of the world’s best scooter riders. Jared Foulk dropped in to the skate park summer camp to show off his skills and work with Cayman Islands youth at the park’s summer camp. The 19-year-old from Houston is a regular on the growing international pro scooter circuit. He was im- pressed with the facili- ties and the talent of the kids in Cayman. He said he was able to teach the youngsters a few new tricks and educate them about the opportunities in the sport and the mentality needed to get to the top. “It has been great a great opportunity to meet new faces and see a new culture,” he said. “The kids are enthusi- astic, having a great time and everyone is smiling.” Mr. Foulk, who has been scootering since age 12, has broken multiple bones in his quest to get to the top. He was knocked out and broke several bones in his face in one par- ticularly gruesome accident. But, he says, each time he is injured, he just gets straight back into it. “I really like action sports and everything that goes with it,” he said. “You have to get over your fear and push your- selves to the next level.” Pro scooter rider Jared Foulk, second from right, spent a week working with kids at the skate park summer camp.Caleb Winspear tries out some tricks. - PHOTOS: JAMES WHITTAKER FIREARMS TRIAL Fisherman explains walk in South Sound CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Gerald Jaleel Bush, on trial with Rico Roy Walton for possession of unlicensed firearms, continued giving evidence on Tuesday about events on the night of June 24-25, 2017, when the alleged offense took place. The men were arrested after being seen in a boat in South Sound and then the dis- covery by police of two hand- guns near the “shoe tree” along the shore of South Sound. Mr. Bush, 21, told the jury previously that he and Mr. Walton had forgotten their bait when they went out on a boat to fish off Pedro Castle. He said they came back in a little after midnight and Mr. Walton dropped him ashore near Old Crewe Road so that he could walk to a gas sta- tion to get bait. Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Patrick Moran, who is conducting the pros- ecution, asked why Mr. Bush did not just go back to the South Sound dock where his truck was parked and then drive the truck to get bait. Mr. Bush explained that his truck was not roadworthy and he did not want to get stopped by police. He said he “took my chances” driving the truck to the dock with the boat earlier in the evening, but he knew police often have roadblocks in the area around Hurley’s at that time of night. He agreed that camera footage from the police he- licopter did not show him walking in the direction of the gas station; it showed him turning in the direction of the dock. He said he realized he did not have his wallet to pay for bait. He phoned Mr. Walton, who was in the boat, and asked if his wallet was there. Mr. Walton said no, but the truck keys were and Mr. Walton was going back to the dock to see if the bait was in the truck. The prosecutor asked why Mr. Bush did not tell Mr. Walton to come back and pick him up. Mr. Bush replied, “That never came to mind at the moment right there and then.” Later, he noted that the two men were drinking beers and smoking earlier that evening, so he wasn’t really functioning at one hundred percent. On Monday afternoon, ju- rors were shown photos of Mr. Bush holding a gun. Ques- tioned by his attorney, Jona- thon Hughes, Mr. Bush had said he did not take a partic- ular picture of a gun that was on his phone. “I don’t have ac- cess to any gun to take a pic- ture of,” he said. When Mr. Moran began his cross-examination, he showed the photos of Mr. Bush and a gun. He suggested that Mr. Bush not having any access to a gun was not the truth. Mr. Bush pointed out that the prosecutor had not asked what jurisdiction, that he had not clarified where – in the Cayman Islands or abroad. He said the photo was a selfie he had taken in Jamaica in February 2017.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 WEDNESDAY AUGUST 8, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS without Select Vantage having the chance to argue against it. Not having ac- cess to that material is “un- fair and contrary to the rules of natural justice,” the company argued. “[The Grand Court de- cision] seems to be em- boldened by what was presented at the ex parte hearing … He had some- thing in mind that we weren’t allowed to learn,” stated Select Vantage’s at- torney, Tom Lowe, at the October hearing. For CIMA’s part, at- torney Neil Timms argued at the hearing that the reg- ulator made its applica- tion ex parte and sought to keep the evidence from Se- lect Vantage because “we weren’t confident that we could keep the material confidential.” Mr. Timms added that none of the evidence that Grand Court Justice Raj Parker reviewed would have tainted his judg- ment on the technical issue of whether Select Van- tage could comply with the court order. Before the hearing ended, Mr. Lowe disputed any suggestion that Se- lect Vantage records might “dissipate” if the company had more information about why the regulators were seeking the com- pany’s records. The Cayman Islands Court of Appeal sided with CIMA, rejecting Select Van- tage’s arguments that it should have access to all the material the Grand Court relied on in its deci- sion to order the company to produce internal records. Justice of Appeal Richard Field stated that there is a strong public interest in keeping information shared between Cayman and over- seas regulators confiden- tial, according to CIMA’s press release. After the Court of Ap- peal made its ruling, Se- lect Vantage President Daniel Schlaepfer told the Compass that his firm would petition the Privy Council to appeal. However, The Privy Council denied that ap- plication, according to CIMA, which touted the decision as an affirmation of its powers. “This decision by the Privy Council effectively affirms CIMA’s powers to require information and documents in response to a proper request from an overseas regulatory au- thority whether the com- pany or companies involved are licensed by CIMA or not,” said CIMA Managing Director Cindy Scotland. to withstand hurricanes and could also be used for in- teractive education and as a base for research, according to the application. Docking at the site would be limited to Marine- land’s boats. Other activities planned from the platform include semi-submersible tours and wildlife viewing. The application states, “The outer reef on the North Sound offers beautiful coral and fish viewing. Since the proponents already op- erate trips in this area, ex- tending opportunities to include a tourism pontoon destination seemed a fea- sible option.” A separate document, sub- mitted with the application, highlights the proliferation of such pontoons in Australia. There are multiple struc- tures in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park which at- tract tourists for day trips to the outer reefs. Some are marketed as miniature floating islands featuring a host of amenities, including cafes and sleeping facilities. The report indicates that design and regulatory sys- tems in Australia have been developed to ensure min- imal impact on the reef and could be transplanted to Cayman for the management of this project. The exact lo- cation of the site is not in- cluded in the paperwork, with the proponent indi- cating it would work with Department of Environment experts to select the most appropriate spot if the appli- cation is approved. The document indi- cates it would likely be in shallow water close to the reef and close to Stingray City Sandbar. Coastal Works Applica- tions are decided by Cab- inet, with input from various agencies, including the De- partment of Environment. Curtis Eldemire, CEO of Marineland, said he had no comment to make at this stage, when contacted by the Cayman Compass. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Privy Council rejects challenge against CIMA Tourism pontoon project proposed for North Sound CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 BA CHIEF CRITICIZES BORDER CONTROL DELAYS AT HEATHROW LONDON (AP) – The head of British Airways is urging the British government to tackle the long delays faced by non-European passen- gers at Europe’s busiest air- port – London’s Heathrow – or risk discouraging them from coming to its shores. In a letter Monday to the Times of London, CEO Alex Cruz says two-hour immi- gration lines are the norm now for many non-Euro- pean travelers at Heathrow. His letter was prompted by reports that the British government is considering putting in special fast track lanes for U.K. pass- port holders only. Cruz says doing this without solving other delays sends a poor message for a country trying to prove it was open for business as it prepares to leave the 28-nation Euro- pean Union next year. He described the im- migration situation at Heathrow as a “farce,” calling it worse than any other European airport. “What kind of message does this send, as we try to build links outside the EU?” he wrote. Last month, some pas- sengers at Heathrow’s Ter- minal 4 were forced to wait three hours before being processed at immigration because of what Heathrow chief executive John Hol- land-Kaye said was a “lack of staffing” during England’s second-round World Cup soccer game against Colombia. The Home Office said this was partially because of a computer failure and because of officers dealing with a high number of vulnerable adults and children. Up to 40 million people arrive at Heathrow each year. Between January and June 2018, the Home Of- fice says more than 95 per- cent of all passengers ar- riving at Heathrow seeking entry to the U.K. have been handled within their target times. Japan med school confirms altering scores to limit women TOKYO (AP) – A Tokyo medical school apologized Tuesday after an internal in- vestigation confirmed that it altered entrance exam scores for years to limit the number of female stu- dents and ensure more men became doctors. Tokyo Medical Univer- sity manipulated all entrance exam results starting in 2006 or even earlier, according to findings released by lawyers involved in the investigation, confirming recent reports in Japanese media. The school said the ma- nipulation should not have occurred and would not in the future. It said it would consider retroactively ad- mitting those who other- wise would have passed the exams, although it did not explain how it would do so. The manipulation was re- vealed during an investiga- tion into the alleged “back- door entry” of an education ministry bureaucrat’s son in exchange for favorable treat- ment for the school in ob- taining research funds. The bureaucrat and the former head of the school have been charged with bribery. The investigation found that in this year’s entrance exams the school reduced all applicants’ first-stage test scores by 20 percent and then added at least 20 points for male applicants, except those who had previously failed the test at least four times. It said similar manipula- tions had occurred for years because the school wanted fewer female doctors since it anticipated they would shorten or halt their careers after becoming mothers. The education ministry official’s son, who had failed the exam three times, was given a total of 20 additional points, which eventually el- evated him to just above the cutoff line. The report said the ma- nipulation was “profound sexism,” according to lawyer Kenji Nakai. He said the in- vestigation also suggested that the school’s former di- rector took money from some parents who sought preferen- tial treatment for their sons and that the manipulation was part of a deep-rooted culture that lacked fairness and transparency. Nakai said the report only covered the latest exam re- sults because of time con- straints, and that further in- vestigation was needed. “We sincerely apolo- gize for the serious wrong- doing involving entrance exams that has caused con- cern and trouble for many people and betrayed the public’s trust,” school man- aging director Tetsuo Yukioka said. He denied any previous knowledge of the score ma- nipulation and said he was never involved. “I suspect that there was a lack of sensitivity to the rules of modern society, in which women should not be treated differently because of their gender,” he said. Yukioka said women were not treated differently once they were accepted, but ac- knowledged that some people believe women were not al- lowed to become surgeons. Nearly 50 percent of Jap- anese women are college ed- ucated – one of the world’s highest levels – but they often face discrimination in the workforce. Women also are considered responsible for homemaking, childrearing and elderly care, while men are expected to work long hours and outside care ser- vices are limited. Studies show the share of female doctors who have passed the national med- ical exam has plateaued at around 30 percent for more than 20 years, leading some experts to suspect that other medical schools also discrim- inate against women. Education Minister Yoshi- masa Hayashi told reporters that he plans to examine the entrance procedures of all medical schools. Gender equality minister Seiko Noda was quoted by Kyodo News as saying that “It is extremely regrettable if medical schools share a view that having female doc- tors work at hospitals is troublesome.” Internal investigation committee members hold a press conference Tuesday on an investigation into the admissions process of Tokyo Medical University. – PHOTO: AP The proposed tourism pontoon on the North Sound would be similar to those seen on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, such as this Reefworld pontoon. - PHOTO: FILEThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY AUGUST 8, 2018 Quake strikes off Japan’s eastern coast Officials say a strong, shallow earthquake has struck off the eastern coast of Japan. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit early Wednesday and had a magnitude of 5.6. There was no immediate tsunami warning and no reports of injuries or damage. Building Tomorrow Today CIBC Cayman Bank Limited Scholarship 2018 CIBC Cayman Bank Limited Invites applications from suitable quali ed Caymanians for an annual Scholarship to pursue an Associates or Bachelor’s degree at a local university. Candidates should have been accepted for the 2018 academic year. Successful candidates should have: • An interest in pursuing a degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, IT or Human Resources • A proven academic record (GPA of 3.0 or higher) • Caymanian status or be Caymanian Email: human.resourcescayman@wi.cibc.com to obtain scholarship guidelines and application form Deadline for applications is August 17th, 2018 Northern California blazes set record for largest in state history LAKEPORT, Calif. (AP) – Twin Northern California blazes fueled by dry vegetation and hot, windy weather grew Monday to become the largest wildfire in state history, be- coming the norm as climate change makes the fire season longer and more severe. The two fires burning a few miles apart and known as the Mendocino Com- plex are being treated as one incident. It has scorched 443 square miles, fire offi- cials said Monday. The fires, north of San Francisco, have burned 75 homes and is only 30 per- cent contained. The size of the fires sur- passes a blaze last December in Southern California that burned 440.5 square miles. It killed two people, including a firefighter, and destroyed more than 1,000 build- ings before being fully con- tained on Jan. 12. Hotter weather attributed to climate change is drying out vegetation, creating more intense fires that spread quickly from rural areas to city subdivisions, climate and fire experts say. But they also blame cities and towns that are expanding housing into previously un- developed areas. More than 14,000 fire- fighters are battling over a dozen major blazes throughout California, state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Scott McLean said. “I can remember a couple of years ago when we saw 10 to 12,000 firefighters in the states of California, Or- egon and Washington and never the 14,000 we see now,” he said. Crews did make progress over the weekend against one of the two blazes in the Men- docino Complex with help from water-dropping aircraft, Cal Fire operations chief Charlie Blankenheim said in a video on Facebook. But the other one is growing after spreading into the Mendocino Na- tional Forest. The complex of fire has been less destructive to prop- erty than some of the other wildfires in the state be- cause it is mostly raging in remote areas. But officials say the twin fires threaten 11,300 buildings and some new evacuations were or- dered over the weekend as the flames spread. A new fire erupted Monday in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, and prompted the evacuation of two canyons and some campgrounds as it expanded into the Cleveland National Forest. By nightfall, the fire had burned 4,000 acres of chaparral-covered hillsides and destroyed one building. Farther north, crews gained ground against a deadly blaze that has de- stroyed more than 1,000 homes in and around Red- ding. It was nearly halfway contained, Cal Fire said. The wildfire about 225 miles north of San Fran- cisco started more than two weeks ago by sparks from the steel wheel of a towed-trail- er’s flat tire. It killed two fire- fighters and four residents and displaced more than 38,000 people. Officials began allowing some residents to return to their neighborhoods. But tens of thousands of others were still evacuated. The fires in Northern Cal- ifornia have created such a haze of smoke in the Cen- tral Valley that Sacra- mento County health offi- cials advised residents to avoid outdoor activities for the entire week. A U.S. Air Force plane drops fire retardant on a burning hillside Sunday in Clearlake Oaks, California. – PHOTO: AP LONDON (AP) – The chairman of Britain’s governing Conser- vative Party told former For- eign Secretary Boris Johnson to say sorry Tuesday for a newspaper column in which he wrote that burqa-wearing women looked like “letter boxes” and bank robbers. Johnson, who quit the government last month in a dispute over Brexit, made the remarks in a Daily Telegraph article published Monday. Johnson said he opposed banning burqas and other face-covering garments, but wrote that it was “absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes.” His article drew criticism from Muslim groups and fellow politicians – including some Conservatives. Mohamed Sheikh, founder of the Conservative Muslim Forum, said John- son’s article had been “totally out of order.” Middle East Minister Alistair Burt criticized Johnson for comments he said “many people would find offensive.” Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis said in a tweet that he agreed with Burt and had asked Johnson to apologize. Latin-spouting, tousle- headed Johnson is a former mayor of London and one of Britain’s best-known politi- cians. He resigned as foreign secretary in July, accusing Prime Minister Theresa May of killing “the Brexit dream” with her plan to seek close economic ties with the Eu- ropean Union after the U.K. leaves the bloc next year. The resignation solidi- fied Johnson’s position as a leader of the pro-Brexit wing of the Conservative Party, which is deeply divided over its attitude to the EU. Many expect May to face a leadership challenge if fal- tering Brexit negotiations do not improve – and Johnson is likely to be a contender to replace her. Some suspected Johnson’s burqa comments were intended to boost his appeal among right-wing members of the party. Sayeeda Warsi, a Conser- vative member of the House of Lords, said Johnson was using Muslim women as a “convenient political foot- ball to try and increase his poll ratings.” “These were offensive comments but clever poli- tics,” she said. “Boris knew the effect and the impact that this kind of dog-whistle poli- tics would have.” UK politician Boris Johnson draws ire with burqa comments Britain’s former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has been asked to apologize for a controversial newspaper column. – PHOTO: AP8 WORLD&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY AUGUST 8, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS We regret to announce the passing of Mr Clifton Bodden of Crewe Road, GT Affectionately known as Mr. C.B. Who passed away peacefully On the 2nd August, 2018 Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date. Incoming Colombia president faces long list of challenges BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) – The young protégé of a powerful former president is being sworn in as Colombia’s new leader Tuesday, tasked with guiding the implementa- tion of a peace accord with leftist rebels that remains on shaky ground. Forty-two-year-old Ivan Duque will be the youngest Colombian chief of state ever elected in a popular vote when he is sworn into office at Bogota’s Plaza Bolivar. The prematurely graying father of three describes himself as a centrist who will unite the nation at a time when many are still fiercely divided over the peace agreement that ended more than five decades of bloody conflict. His detractors fear he will be little more than a puppet for Alvaro Uribe, the conser- vative ex-president who led a referendum defeat of the ini- tial version of peace accord in 2016. Uribe is still backed by millions of Colombians, though he is perhaps equally detested by legions who decry human rights abuses during his administration. Duque is taking Colom- bia’s presidency at a crit- ical juncture: Coca produc- tion is soaring to record levels, holdout illegal armed groups are battling for terri- tory where the state has little or no presence and a spate of killings of social activists has underlined that peace re- mains a relative term. “If Duque is not able to solve this problem and find a way to bring the state into the countryside, we’re going to keep having the same problems we’ve had for de- cades,” said Jorge Gallego, a professor at Colombia’s Ro- sario University. Duque is the son of a former governor and en- ergy minister and friends say he has harbored pres- idential aspirations since early childhood. But his rise from unknown technocrat to a popular senator and now president has been extraor- dinarily rapid, propelled in large part by the support of his mentor, Uribe. Just four years ago, Duque was a Washington subur- banite with a cushy job at an international development bank. It was there that he de- veloped close ties to Uribe, assisting the former presi- dent when he taught a course at Georgetown University. Later Duque helped Uribe lead a United Nations probe into Israel’s deadly attack on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla and helped him write his memoir. Then in 2014, Uribe pro- pelled Duque into the polit- ical limelight when he en- couraged him to return to Colombia to run for a Senate seat and placed him on a list of newcomer candidates that he urged his multitude of supporters to elect. Within Uribe’s conserva- tive Democratic Center party, Duque’s reputation as a more moderate voice can at times put him at odds with the solidly right-wing faction. Uribe’s support is thus con- sidered crucial for Duque to rule with the full backing of his party. But he will need to build a broader alliance to pass laws in Congress. Duque’s dependence on Uribe has sparked concern from critics, though ana- lysts believe the former lead- er’s mounting legal troubles could provide the incoming president a new degree of independence. Uribe briefly stepped down from the Senate in July after the Supreme Court asked him to testify on alle- gations of bribery and wit- ness tampering in a case related to claimed ties to paramilitaries, which he ve- hemently denies. Uribe later reversed course and with- drew his resignation letter. In the weeks since Duque’s resounding victory over leftist ex-guerrilla Gus- tavo Petro, the president-elect has signaled both his loyalty to Uribe and a conviction to chart his own path. While many of his Cabinet picks have ties to Uribe, there are also a number of incoming ministers with no links to a traditional political party. “So far I think he has shown more independence than some sectors believed,” Gallego said. “Treating Duque as a puppet of Uribe is a very simplistic way of ana- lyzing things.” At the top of Duque’s agenda are likely to be Co- lombia’s economy and the peace agreement as well as reversing coca production that last year reached levels unseen in more than two de- cades of record keeping and $10 billion in U.S. counter- narcotics work. The soaring coca levels have tested tra- ditionally close ties with the United States. Throughout his cam- paign, Duque promised to push changes in the peace agreement, including cre- ating tougher penalties for former leaders of the now de- funct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia respon- sible for crimes against hu- manity. Under the accord, most rebels who fully confess their crimes will be spared any jail time, a sore point for many Colombians who still vividly remember the atrocities of war. Colombia’s conflict be- tween leftist rebels, the state and paramilitary groups left at least 260,000 dead, some 60,000 missing and mil- lions displaced. Ivan Duque, Colombia’s new president, gives a thumbs up to supporters. – PHOTO: AP Taliban attacks kill 12 in Afghanistan KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – A string of Taliban attacks in Afghanistan have killed 12 people, including four women who died in the cross- fire during a shoot-out be- tween insurgents and sol- diers, while an errant NATO airstrike killed nine Af- ghan police, Afghan officials said Tuesday. The Taliban attacked a military checkpoint in the western Farah prov- ince, killing four troops and wounding six, according to Mohammad Naser Mehri, the provincial governor’s spokesman. The attack in Bala Buluk district started late Monday night and lasted for several hours. Mehri said Afghan airstrikes killed 19 Taliban fighters and wounded 30. “The Taliban were pushed back and the situation is under control now,” he said. In the eastern Logar province, the four women were killed and four children were wounded in the cross- fire during a shoot-out near Puli Alim, the provincial cap- ital, said Hasibullah Stan- ikzai, a provincial council member. He said an investi- gation is under way to deter- mine which side caused the civilian casualties. In a separate attack in Logar, the Taliban assaulted police checkpoints in the Azrah district, setting off heavy fighting and causing the police to call for help. Duterte berates, threatens to kill corrupt police on live TV MANILA, Philippines (AP) – Phil- ippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday threat- ened to kill corrupt police, in- cluding those accused of in- volvement in illegal drugs and other crimes, in an expletives- laden encounter on live TV. More than 100 policemen, many of them facing admin- istrative and criminal com- plaints including rape, kid- napping and robbery, were escorted to the presidential palace to meet Duterte, police officials said. The national police, which Duterte once called “corrupt to the core,” have been under- going an internal cleansing since they were removed twice from the president’s crack- down on illegal drugs last year due to reports of abuses. Duterte later allowed them to rejoin drug raids, partly be- cause the small lead anti- narcotics agency lacks per- sonnel and firepower to quell the drug menace. “If you’ll stay like this, son of a bitch, I will really kill you,” Duterte told the policemen in the dressing-down broadcast by local TV networks. The cases of some of the policemen will be reviewed, but Duterte warned, “I have a special unit which will watch you for life and if you commit even a small mistake, I’ll ask that you be killed.” Addressing the policemen’s families, Duterte said, “If these sons of bitches die, don’t come to us yelling ‘human rights, due process’ because I warned you already.” Such public threats, along with the more than 4,500 mostly poor drug suspects who have been killed in gunbattles with police under Duterte’s anti- drug crackdown, have trig- gered alarm by Western gov- ernments and human rights watchdogs since he rose to power in mid-2016. Duterte has vowed to press his campaign until the last day of his six-year term, often declaring that he is ready to go to jail, although he denies sanctioning extrajudicial kill- ings. Police say nearly 150,000 drug suspects have been ar- rested and dozens of law en- forcers have been killed in drug raids, proving the danger of battling illegal drugs, which remain a major problem. The Bureau of Customs and anti-drugs authorities an- nounced Tuesday night the discovery of about half a ton (1,100 pounds) of methamphet- amine, locally called shabu, concealed in two steel cylin- ders in two abandoned con- tainer vans at Manila’s inter- national container port in one of the largest drug seizures under Duterte. Nasrat Rahimi, the deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said NATO carried out an airstrike in the area that mistakenly killed nine police and wounded an- other 14. He said NATO and the Afghan govern- ment have launched a joint investigation into the incident. Lt. Col. Martin O’Donnell, a spokesman for NATO, confirmed that it carried out an air- strike in support of Af- ghan forces in Azrah. “We are aware of varying and unconfirmed reports, and are looking into the matter further,” he added. Rahimi said around 30 Taliban fighters were killed in the battle. The Taliban have not com- mented on any of the recent attacks. The Taliban have stepped up attacks across the country since NATO and the U.S. for- mally ended their combat mission in 2014, and have seized con- trol of several districts. An Islamic State affiliate has carried out dozens of deadly attacks in recent years, mainly targeting security forces and mi- nority Shiites. A member of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency arranges packs of Methamphetamine which they found hidden inside a steel cylinder Tuesday in one of the biggest ever drug hauls in the Philippines. – PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY AUGUST 8, 2018 Pacific hurricane absorbs tropical storm; new storm in Atlantic MEXICO CITY (AP) – A growing hurricane absorbed a tropical storm off Mexi- co’s Pacific Coast on Tuesday and a new subtropical storm formed in the northern At- lantic, though none were pro- jected to make landfall. The U.S. National Hur- ricane Center said Trop- ical Storm Ileana was van- ishing into the larger system of Hurricane John, which al- ready had maximum sus- tained winds of 105 mph and was forecast to grow into a major hurricane while south of the Baja California Pen- insula. It was likely to bring rain to the southern penin- sula, as well as heavy surf. It was centered about 345 miles south of the southern tip of the Baja Tuesday morning and was moving to the northwest at 9 mph, a track that would keep it out to sea. Farther west was recently formed Tropical Storm Kristy, which had sustained winds of 50 mph and could be- come a hurricane. It was cen- tered about 1,255 miles west- southwest of the southern tip of the Baja. It was moving west at 9 mph. Meanwhile, Subtropical Storm Debby formed far out over the north Atlantic, but it was expected to be a short-lived storm. Debby’s maximum sus- tained winds were near 40 mph and the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Debby was expected to dissipate in a few days without threat- ening land. The storm was centered about 1,160 miles west of the Azores and was moving north near 16 mph. Gates admits committing crimes with Manafort ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) – The government’s star wit- ness in the financial fraud trial of Paul Manafort testi- fied Monday that he embez- zled hundreds of thousands of dollars from the former Trump campaign chairman – and told jurors that he and Manafort committed crimes together. Rick Gates, described by witnesses as Manafort’s “right-hand man,” calmly re- lated his criminal conduct as prosecutors looked to provide jurors with damning testi- mony from a co-conspirator they say carried out an elabo- rate offshore tax-evasion and fraud scheme on behalf of his former boss. Gates, who continued to testifying for several hours Tuesday, has been regarded as a crucial witness for the government ever since he pleaded guilty this year to two felony charges and agreed to cooperate in spe- cial counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. The courtroom testi- mony brought Gates face- to-face with Manafort, his longtime boss and fellow Trump campaign aide, for the first time since his plea deal. His testimony, given in short, clipped answers as Manafort rarely broke his gaze from the witness stand, follows that of vendors who detailed Manafort’s luxu- rious spending and financial professionals who told ju- rors how the defendant hid millions of dollars in off- shore accounts. Gates told jurors that he siphoned off the money without Manafort’s knowl- edge by filing false expense reports. He also admitted to concealing millions of dollars in foreign bank accounts on Manafort’s behalf and to fal- sifying documents to help his former boss obtain millions of dollars more in bank loans. “We didn’t report the in- come or the foreign bank ac- counts,” Gates told jurors, noting that he knew he and Manafort were committing crimes each time. Under questioning from prosecutors, Gates read off the names of more than a dozen shell companies he and Manafort set up in Cy- prus, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the United Kingdom to stash the pro- ceeds of Ukrainian political consulting work. Asked whether the money in the accounts was Manafort’s income, Gates said, “it was.” Gates said he repeatedly lied to conceal the bank ac- counts and, at Manafort’s direction, he would classify money that came in as either a loan or income to reduce Manafort’s tax burden. Gates, who also served in a senior role in Donald Trump’s presidential cam- paign, is expected to face ag- gressive cross-examination once prosecutors are finished questioning him. Manafort’s defense signaled early in the trial that they intend to blame Gates for any illegal conduct and to cast him as a liar and embezzler who cannot be trusted. Gates pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and to lying to investigators as part of his plea agreement. He is awaiting sentencing, and he told jurors Monday that in exchange for his truthful tes- timony prosecutors agreed not to oppose his attorney’s request for probation at a later date. That recommenda- tion is nonbinding as a fed- eral judge will ultimately de- cide his sentence. He faces 57 to 71 months in prison under federal sentencing guidelines. The criminal case has nothing to do with either man’s work for the Trump campaign and there’s been no discussion during the trial about whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia – the central ques- tion Mueller’s team has tried to answer. But Trump has shown interest in the pro- ceedings, tweeting support for Manafort and suggesting he had been treated worse than gangster Al Capone. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, who repeatedly interrupted prosecutors last week as they tried to present evidence about Manafort’s lavish life such as $900,000 in expensive suits and a $15,000 ostrich jacket, clashed again with prosecutor Greg An- dres on Monday when An- dres delved into the status and identities of the Eastern Europeans who made pay- ments to Manafort. Ellis said all that is rel- evant is that Manafort was paid and whether he hid the income from the IRS. “It doesn’t matter whether these are good people, bad people, oligarchs, Mafia …. You don’t need to throw mud at these people,” Ellis said. Andres said he was en- titled to show the jury why Manafort was get- ting tens of millions of dol- lars in payments. “When we try to de- scribe the work, Your Honor stops us and tell us to move on,” he said. Prosecutors say Manafort used those companies to stash millions of dollars from his Ukrainian consulting work, proceeds he omitted year-after-year from his in- come tax returns. Later, they say, when that income dwin- dled, Manafort launched a different scheme, shoring up his struggling finances by using doctored documents to obtain millions more in bank loans. All told, prosecutors al- lege that Manafort failed to report a “significant per- centage” of the more than $60 million they say he re- ceived from Ukrainians. They aimed to show jurors how that money flowed from more than a dozen shell compa- nies used to stash the in- come in Cyprus. File photo of Rick Gates, who is giving testimony at the trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort for financial fraud. – PHOTO: AP ATHENS, Greece (AP) – Greece’s prime minister vowed on Tuesday that ex- perts will investigate all aspects of the country’s deadliest forest fire in de- cades and that the seaside resort areas devastated by the blaze will be rebuilt to higher standards. Alexis Tsipras led a meeting about the fire on Tuesday with ministers and regional officials in Lavrion, a seaside town about 30 miles south of the areas burned. At least 91 people died in the July 23 fire. “My promise, from the first day of this tragedy, was that the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ will be investi- gated in depth and in all its dimensions,” Tsipras said. “Nothing will be cov- ered up in the name of any vested interests.” The prime minister reit- erated that illegal buildings and fencing erected in for- ests, on coastlines and in creeks will be demolished. Government officials have blamed unauthorized con- struction for contributing to the death toll. Experts have pointed to the lack of town planning in the worst affected area of the seaside resort of Mati as a contrib- uting factor, with narrow streets, numerous dead ends and no clear way to get to the sea. “Uncontrolled building which threatens human lives can no longer be tol- erated. Anything that de- stroys forests and coast- lines, anything that is a danger to human life, will be torn down,” Tsipras said. “It is our duty toward our dead, but most of all it is our duty toward the future generations.” Tsipras’ government has come under intense criticism for its handling of the blaze, particularly after it denied any mishan- dling of the response effort. The public order minister, Nikos Toskas, had argued that despite much soul- searching he had been un- able to detect any major mistakes. But following in- tense criticism from oppo- sition parties, Toskas re- signed last Friday, and senior officials under his supervision followed suit over the weekend. GREECE’S PM PROMISES FULL INVESTIGATION OF DEADLY FIRE People swim at a beach in Rafina, east of Athens, just days after the the wildfire that killed at least 76 people. – PHOTO: APNext >