ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 High of 84 Low of 73 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet with higher swells. Small craft should exercise caution over open water. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 BRITAIN VS. CAYMAN: A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY ON FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY LOCAL | PAGE 6 YELLOW MASTIC TREE THRIVES IN GRAND CAYMAN’S INLAND FOREST 187840_PRINT-Ad-Strip-Compass-FiPage 1 8/31/18 7:08:06 PM PREMIER: CAYMAN ‘WILL NOT BE BULLIED’ MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Premier Alden McLaughlin has criticized the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Of- fice (FCO) as being “disingenuous” in regard to the Cayman Islands’ cooperation with British law enforcement, in a statement issued Monday afternoon. The FCO claimed on Sunday that Cayman’s withdrawal from an agreement with the U.K., governing the exchange of beneficial owner- ship information, had made cooperation on serious organized crime more difficult. Premier McLaughlin admitted to having a difference of opinion on certain parts of the so-called Exchange of Notes but said that would not amount to non-cooperation with the U.K. The agreement established a cooperation mechanism for the speedier exchange of in- formation with British law enforcement about the true owners of Cayman-registered entities during the course of criminal investigations. “At the core of the current dispute with the FCO are fundamental issues of data security and human rights, specifically the right to pri- vacy,” Premier McLaughlin said in a statement. Premier McLaughlin said the FCO had ig- nored and dismissed the case law examples government had submitted to support its stance on certain privacy and data security is- sues relating to the exchange of information. Although the FCO had eventually conceded that the concerns around encryption were well founded, Premier McLaughlin said other issues remain. One such disagreement with the U.K. in- volves the competent authority for the ex- change of information. The FCO argues that stopping the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service from being the competent authority for U.K. law enforcement requests of beneficial ownership information hampered criminal investigations. The premier maintains that under the agreement with the U.K., the Cayman Islands General Registry is the competent authority for the maintenance of Cayman’s beneficial ownership platform. The Financial Crime Unit had only func- tioned as the point of contact during a tran- sitional period when the centralized beneficial ownership platform was established. “The revocation of this delegation to the Financial Crime Unit in no way affects the ability of local law enforcement to cooperate with its international counterparts, a point JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Government has voted new funding of $1.9 million for a massive, islandwide iguana cull and $6.5 million to help cover the healthcare costs of unin- sured patients. The additional spending was approved at a meeting of the Legislative Assembly’s Finance Committee last week. The money for the iguana cull, pulled from the Environ- mental Protection Fund, will en- able hunters to begin targeting the invasive species this year. Department of Environment di- rector Gina Ebanks-Petrie told the committee cullers would be paid $5-a-head in an islandwide eradication effort that will target 6,000 iguanas every day. The additional funds, com- bined with $400,000 already in the kitty and $1.1 million ap- proved for next year, give the DoE a fighting fund of $3.4 mil- lion to begin the cull. Premier Alden McLaughlin said government would be moni- toring the success of the project before seeking to vote on fur- ther funds. It is expected the cull could eventually cost around $8 million a year. “We have to make sure we are not just spending six, seven, eight million without achieving the overall objective. We have to assess along the way as quickly as possible Iguanas, healthcare costs take toll on budget Final graduating class for Department of Immigration KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Department of Immigration grad- uated a class of nine new officers Friday, marking the final recruitment cohort before the department merges with Her Majesty’s Customs service in 2019. Acting Chief Immigration Officer Bruce Smith called the graduation ceremony at Agape Family Worship Centre in George Town the beginning of a new chapter. “We said to the recruits, this is not the end. This is the beginning; this is the com- mencement,” he said. “It’s a bittersweet moment. We are happy for the recruits who toiled for a whole year to get to where they are today. Many sleep- less nights, collaboration with their teams, working with colleagues, getting posted to various areas, brought them here and they’ve done well.” In addition to learning immigration law, customer service and best practices, this class was also among the first to learn about duties under the forthcoming Cus- toms and Border Control Agency, explained graduate Kimberlee Rivers-Taylor. This agency will implement what has been described as an “intelligence-led” ap- proach to processing arriving passen- gers at air and sea ports, while employ- ment-related aspects of immigration will fall to another new agency, named Work- force Opportunities and Residency Cayman, known as WORC. “I feel ecstatic right now. It has been such an exuberant experience working with Government and immigration officials, front row, sit with the final class of Department of Immigration graduates Friday at the Agape Family Worship Centre. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 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. - TUESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) A SIMPLE FAVOR (R) 1:15 VIP I 4:30 I 7:10 I 9:30 VIP THE NUN (R) 2:00 I 4:20 VIP I 10:00 PEPPERMINT (R) 4:20 I 9:15 CRAZY RICH ASIANS (PG13) 1:30 I 4:15 I 7:00 I 9:45 FINAL SCORE (R) 2:15 I 5:00 I 7:30 I 10:00 CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (PG) 1:50 I 6:45 THE MEG (PG13) 7:15 I 9:50 CLASSICS @ THE CINEMA: MY GIRL (PG13) 7:00 VIP Visiting Gynecologist will be available for consultation at Novo Clinic, Britcay House 236 Eastern Avenue from 4-26 September, 2018 For appointments please call +1 (345) 746-6082 clinic@novocayman.com CRIME BRIEFS Passenger stabs, robs bus driver A bus driver reported he was robbed by a passenger Sunday evening on Shedden Road in George Town, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service said. The driver said he picked up the passenger in West Bay and that the man sat next to him at the front of the bus. “When the driver slowed to drop the passenger off near the intersection of Shedden Road and Main Street, the passenger drew a knife and demanded cash from the driver,” RCIPS said in a statement. “A struggle ensued, during which the driver received a wound to his leg, and the bus collided with a wall on the roadside.” The culprit made off with a quantity of cash and es- caped toward Elgin Avenue. The driver was taken to Cayman Islands Hospital for treatment and later released. Man appears in court for Birch Tree Hill burglary An 18-year-old George Town man was scheduled to appear in court on Monday, Sept. 17, after being charged with burglary in relation to an incident on May 15. On Tuesday, May 15, a business on Birch Tree Hill Road in West Bay was broken into and several items were stolen, the Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service said in a press release. George Town man charged with theft, common assault A 28-year-old George Town man has been charged with theft and common as- sault in relation to an inci- dent on the morning of Aug. 25 on Lawrence Boulevard. A man and two women were involved in an alterca- tion during which the man assaulted the women and at- tempted to steal a cellphone from one of them, the RCIPS said in a press release. He was scheduled to ap- pear in court Monday, Sept. 17. Police respond to altercation at North Side bar The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service re- sponded to a report of an al- tercation outside a bar on Frank Sound Road in North Side over the weekend. The incident, involving a man and two women who were known to each other, is currently under police investigation. The man was transported to the Cayman Islands Hos- pital to be treated for minor injuries and subsequently re- leased. A car at the location was also damaged during the altercation. Anyone who may have wit- nessed the incident is asked to contact the Bodden Town Police Station at 947-2220. Police make arrests for whelk poaching, ganja A man and woman were arrested at Kaibo Public Beach Thursday for allegedly taking marine life from a ma- rine park out of season. RCIPS officers attended Kaibo Public Beach in North Side in response to a request from Department of Environ- ment marine officers, who had been searching a vehicle belonging to the suspects. A substance thought to be ganja was also recovered during the search. The suspects, a man age 35 and woman age 37 of Bodden Town, were ar- rested on suspicion of pos- session and consumption of ganja and suspicion of taking whelks outside of season. They were transported to the Cayman Islands Deten- tion Centre and later bailed. Whelk season begins Nov. 1. Between May 1 and Oct. 31, no one may take whelks in the Cayman Islands, or purchase, receive or possess whelks taken in the islands. The catch limit is two-and- a-half gallons in the shell or two-and-a-half pounds of pro- cessed whelks per person per day during the open season. Anonymous tips can be provided directly to the RCIPS via its Confidential Tip Line at 949-7777, or via its website at www.rcips.ky/submit-a-tip. Tips can also be submitted anonymously via the Miami-based call centre of Crime Stoppers at 800-8477(TIPS). Isaac remnants to drench Cayman The remnants of Trop- ical Storm Isaac are expected to drench the Cayman Is- lands over the next two days, with the rain starting to de- crease Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. The NWS said a broad area of low pressure associ- ated with remnants of Isaac moved into the Cayman area Monday afternoon. Showers started Monday, but most of the rain is ex- pected to fall Tuesday, leading to possible flooding of low-lying areas, the NWS warned. Avalon Porter, a meteo- rologist with the NWS, ex- pects the system to bring 1.5 to 2 inches of rain in the coming days. “This might provide local- ized flooding,” he said. The weather service fore- casts wave heights of 3 to 5 feet Tuesday, with higher swells especially on the south and southeast coast of Grand Cayman. The NWS forecasts an in- crease in cloudiness and shower activity as the system continues to move west. The NWS advised small boats to exercise caution over open water on Tuesday. The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, gives the system only a 10-percent chance of cy- clone formation over the next 5 days. In a Tropical Weather Outlook, the NHC said en- vironmental conditions are forecast to become less con- ducive for re-development to occur by Wednesday, when the system moves toward the Yucatan Peninsula. CRIMINAL RECORDS OFFICE TO CLOSE EARLY WEDNESDAY The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service notes that the Criminal Re- cords Office and the Se- curity and Firearms Li- censing Unit will close early Wednesday. The Criminal Records Office and the Security and Firearms Licensing Unit on Walkers Road will be closed at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 19, in order to facilitate a staff meeting. The offices will reopen at their normal time Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. “This might provide localized flooding.” AVALON PORTER, meteorologist EQUATORIAL GUINEA: BRAZIL SEARCH OF VP DELEGATION SUITCASES ILLEGAL SAO PAULO (AP) – Equato- rial Guinea on Monday ac- cused Brazilian authori- ties of conducting an illegal search and seizure of the contents of suitcases be- longing to a delegation that included the African coun- try’s vice president. Brazilian media have reported that authorities seized around $16 million worth of cash and jewelry at an airport in Sao Paulo state on Friday. Equatorial Guinea’s em- bassy in Brazil said in a statement that Vice Pres- ident Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue had re- ceived diplomatic authoriza- tion for his visit and that the search violated diplomatic, international and national norms. It said that the del- egation had committed no infraction and that a formal protest would be lodged. “This approach of gross violation of international diplomatic practice had no other goal than to create a totally gratuitous embar- rassment for the vice pres- ident of Equatorial Guinea and the country he repre- sents,” the statement read. Federal police said the Brazilian tax authori- ties were responsible for the seizure and would not comment further. The tax authorities declined to com- ment, as did the Foreign Ministry, except to say that it was coordinating with the police and tax authorities. This is not the first time Obiang, who is the son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, has faced legal troubles abroad. A French court last year convicted him of em- bezzling millions of dol- lars in public money and ordered a mansion on a swanky Paris avenue con- fiscated, along with a stash of sports cars and designer clothes. Obiang denies the charges and has said the mansion serves as his country’s embassy. Brazilian football club criticizes its own fans for anti-gay chant SAO PAULO (AP) – Brazilian soccer club Atletico Min- eiro criticized its own fans for an anti-gay chant, a rare step in a country where ho- mophobia has been tolerated at stadia for decades. Hundreds of Atletico Mi- neiro fans were filmed tar- geting supporters of rival club Cruzeiro during a goalless draw in a Brazilian champi- onship match on Sunday. The chant said Cruzeiro fans needed to be careful because far-right Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro will kill gay people if elected in October. Atletico Mineiro said it “deeply regrets the ho- mophobic statements by some fans,” adding its fan base “is made of people of all social classes, race and gender, so no discrimination is acceptable.” Bolsonaro leads the polls with a polarizing campaign, mixing public security con- cerns, anti-left rhetoric, and politically incorrect state- ments about blacks, women, and homosexuals. Bolsonaro is currently in the hospital after being stabbed on Sept. 6. On Monday, another Bra- zilian club issued a state- ment to address views of a Bolsonaro supporter. Sao Paulo-based Pal- meiras said it remained a neutral institution after mid- fielder Felipe Melo dedi- cated a goal to the far-right candidate in a 1-1 draw against Bahia.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 ‘I feel like a new man’: American gets knee replacements in Cayman An award-winning Amer- ican videographer who could barely walk due to serious ar- thritis received a successful double knee replacement at Health City Cayman Islands. Tim Blanton can now walk freely without pain. “Six weeks ago I was barely able to walk, I could not go up or down stairs and I had some major prob- lems with my knees,” Mr. Blanton said in a press re- lease by Health City. “I feel like a new man,” said Mr. Blanton, who re- sides with his wife Barbara in Roatán, Honduras. “I saw world-class med- ical care from some of the finest doctors, anesthesiol- ogists, nurses, the medical staff, the administrative staff at Health City. They were outstanding.” His painful condition led him to consult with Dr. Alwin Almeida, orthopedic surgeon and specialist in joint replacement at Health City in Grand Cayman, who recommended a bi- lateral knee replace- ment operation. “His knee joints were giving him considerable pain from arthritis,” Dr. Almeida said. “And he was seeking to find a place where he finally could have the surgery. When I checked his knees they were pretty bad, and he needed a knee replacement in both.” As a professional videog- rapher, Mr. Blanton filmed underwater videos for Na- tional Geographic. However, for years his ability to dive in the ocean to get his shots was limited by arthritis, which gradually reduced his ability to walk even short distances. Mr. Blanton’s surgery was performed in two stages sev- eral days apart. “It’s been an amazing ex- perience beyond my wildest expectations,” he said.Post-knee surgery, underwater videographer Tim Blanton is back to doing what he loves. - PHOTO: SUBMITTED A pharmaceutical com- pany based in the Cayman Islands says it has devel- oped the only stimulant medication to treat symp- toms of Attention Deficit Hy- peractivity Disorder that is dosed in the evening for ef- fectiveness in early morning and throughout the day. Ironshore Pharmaceuti- cals said in a press release the U.S. Food and Drug Ad- ministration approved the New Drug Application for the medication, JORNAY PM, in patients 6 years and older. It expected to be avail- able commercially in the first half of 2019. Iron- shore says the medication may help increase atten- tion and decrease impul- siveness and hyperactivity in people 6 years of age and older with ADHD. David Lickrish, president and CEO, noted that some manufacturers adjusted the ratio of immediate-release and extended-release fea- tures in different formula- tions of methylphenidate to achieve an earlier onset. “Our approach to drug development was to start from the desired pharma- cokinetic profile and then work to develop a purpose- built technology capable of achieving that profile. I believe that the unique DELEXIS drug delivery platform is a disruptive technology that has many applications and opportu- nities in several therapeutic categories,” he said. Ironshore, a wholly owned subsidiary of Highland Therapeutics, noted in the press release that CNS stimulants, in- cluding JORNAY PM, have a high potential for abuse and dependence. According to research reports commissioned by Ironshore, control over the symptoms of ADHD during the early morning routine remains a significant con- cern for parents of chil- dren with ADHD. As reported in the Journal of Child and Adoles- cent Psychopharmacology, a majority of surveyed parents of children with ADHD re- port that the symptoms as- sociated with ADHD in the early morning are described as “moderate” or “severe” during this time period. “Developing a drug using a different delivery technology that will pro- vide an additional option for patients and the physi- cians who treat them takes time,” said Dr. Bev Incledon, head of research and devel- opment at Ironshore. “After 10 years of unrelenting de- termination, those efforts have finally been rewarded.” Ironshore proved the ef- fectiveness of JORNAY PM in two separate placebo- controlled studies con- ducted in 278 pediatric pa- tients aged 6 to 12 years. Dr. Randy Sallee, Iron- shore’s chief medical of- ficer, said, “Many parents of children with ADHD note that the early morning routine is often one of the most chaotic times of the day. The idea of dosing the medication the night before was our moonshot solution to meeting this need. “The approval of JORNAY PM is a wel- come treatment option for healthcare providers, pa- tients and their caregivers that may affect the way physicians think about ADHD treatment going for- ward,” Mr. Sallee added. CAYMAN COMPANY’S ADHD DRUG APPROVED BY FDA JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Well-known artist and conservationist Guy Harvey, Cayman Airways and HCP Media gathered at the Kimpton Seafire Resort to unveil a special issue of Cayman Airways Skies maga- zine Thursday. The art adorning the cover of the newly released Sep- tember/October issue fea- tures Mr. Harvey’s signature style, complete with various marine life endemic to the islands, including stingrays and sea turtles. “It’s a great honor for me to do yet another cover of the Skies magazine,” Mr. Harvey said. “It’s also relevant be- cause I am a massive fre- quent flyer with Cayman Air- ways but it also gives me a chance to portray the un- derwater natural beauty of the Cayman Islands to the traveling [public].” Five thousand maga- zines have been printed. The first copies were placed on Cayman Airways’ flights last week. “It’s special because we are celebrating our 50th anniversary,” said Philip Rankin, chairman of the Cayman Airways Board of Directors. Mr. Rankin said they were not just celebrating 50 years of operation but also 50 years of a strong safety record. “What I like about the cover … it’s extremely Cay- manian,” added Fabian Whorms, Cayman Airways president and CEO. “It de- picts much of what Cayman is noted for – the stingrays and the turtles. I believe the cover will awaken the minds of tourists [to] our destina- tions and make them more excited to get to Cayman to see what is depicted on the cover in real life.” On the back cover is Mr. Harvey swimming with “Tough Guy,” a shark that swam from Cayman to the Yucatan, some 300 miles west of Cayman. His inspiration for the cover art came from Cay- man’s beautiful underwater wonder and his desire to share that with everyone. The artwork, which mea- sures 40 by 30 inches, took one week to complete, he said. Mr. Harvey wants people to appreciate how lucky Cayman’s residents and visitors are to have a rela- tively unscathed marine eco- system when compared to other Caribbean islands. “Each stingray raises around $5,000 a year, lives around 20 years and con- tributes greatly to the country,” he said. Both Mr. Whorms and Mr. Rankin were pleased with Mr. Harvey’s involvement. “What we are happy about with Mr. Harvey is that, he’s of course internationally re- nowned, he’s a conserva- tionist, an artist … and he’s probably most famous for his art,” Mr. Whorms said. As for Skies maga- zine, he said the public has been receptive since 2008 when the first issues were placed onboard Cayman Airways flights. Mr. Harvey’s next ven- ture for the Cayman Is- lands is a new underwater stingray documentary. The last one, he said, was done 15 years ago. “We are putting together a handling guide along with the Department of Environ- ment so tour operators know how to handle the rays and not abuse them, because we do receive a lot of com- plaints,” he said. Guy Harvey brings stingrays, turtles to Cayman Airways magazine Artist Guy Harvey celebrates the September/October issue of Skies magazine with guests at the Kimpton Seafire Resort. – PHOTO: JEWEL LEVYThe 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. For the past two years, most major media outlets have been running nonstop about what a disaster President Trump is. Yet the economy has been booming, and lower taxes and fewer regulations not only meant more pros- perity but more liberty. The night Mr. Trump was elected, The New York Times’ economic columnist, Paul Krugman, famously predicted a stock market collapse with perhaps no recovery. As a young man, Mr. Krugman was a highly regarded econo- mist who won a Nobel Prize, but in recent years has be- come an economic and po- litical crank. If investors had followed Mr. Krugman’s stock market advice, they would have missed out on the more than 30 percent rise in the Dow-Jones index since Mr. Trump was elected. If Mr. Krugman had been a registered investment ad- viser, rather an economic writer, he might have had cli- ents attempting to sue him. Fortunately, most Ameri- cans ignored Mr. Krugman’s advice and, through their pur- chases of shares in corporate America and beyond, drove both the markets and their own personal wealth to re- cord levels. Few newspapers have been relentlessly more critical of President Trump than The Washington Post. Every day, the writers at The Post produce many articles as to why the end is near be- cause of Mr. Trump. If one ac- tually believed much of what appears in The Post and many other media, a person would probably be very fearful of in- vesting in America. The richest man in the world, founder of Amazon Jeff Bezos, owns The Washington Post. Mr. Bezos became the richest man under the Trump presidency from his owner- ship of Amazon stock, which has more than doubled in the last two years. Amazon may have invested more in America than any other company as it has been building the colossal infrastructure to support its rapidly growing sales. An economy growing at 4 percent, as it is now under Mr. Trump, is of much greater benefit to Amazon than an economy growing at 2 percent, as it was under Mr. Obama. Yet, The Post opposed the Trump tax cuts and much of the deregulation which were of direct benefit to Mr. Bezos and the other Amazon stockholders. There is a rational expla- nation as to why the owners of major media often act in ways seemingly contradictory to their public advocacy. Com- panies buy many different forms of insurance, such as fire insurance. The insurance is a cost to the business, but when a fire erupts, the com- pany has already bought pro- tection. Big businesses and wealthy individuals have been traditional targets of many in the political class. In an earlier time, a Jeff Bezos would have had to en- dure an endless series of at- tacks, not because he had done anything wrong, but merely because he was so wealthy. There would have been calls to break up his businesses or severely reg- ulate them. Mr. Bezos has been subject to relatively little of this, despite the amount of market power Am- azon has amassed. Mr. Bezos has bought himself political fire pro- tection through his owner- ship of The Post. By attacking Mr. Trump and the Repub- licans often about nothing and saying nice things about many Democrats (who tend to be pro-regulation, except when their donors are in- volved), Mr. Bezos and the others have bought them- selves protection. Entrepreneurs and in- vestors are also much more likely to pay attention to data and real facts, rather than sensationalist headlines and scaremongering about the environment and science or whatever. For example, there has been a growing move- ment worldwide against vac- cines, fueled by headlines from a few isolated cases that give rise to the belief that vaccines, in general, are unsafe. Parts of Europe are now experiencing an epi- demic of measles, an easily preventable disease, which, according to the World Health Organization, cost nearly 90,000 lives in 2016. Fortunately, optimists are still willing to invest billions in pharmaceutical companies that benefit not only the in- vestors but all of mankind. Those who fret about global warming have lost much of their credibility be- cause of gross overstate- ments, hyped by members of the media, often based on flawed models. Al Gore and others received much media attention when they pre- dicted the end of Arctic sea ice by a decade ago. It not only did not happen, but sea ice is growing again. A new population survey of polar bears posted last week shows the numbers are increasing, not declining. Most media reports on the environment only focus on the costs of global warming and not the benefits. For ex- ample, far more people die from cold rather than heat. Rising CO2 levels have re- sulted in greater farm yields. A new study in Nature re- ports that the global tree canopy cover increased by “2.24 million square kilome- ters (865,000 square miles) between 1982 and 2016.” Those who are successful investors tend to dig into the data and facts, looking for the green shoots of optimism. Those who run on emotion tend to see only disaster and not opportunity. Not a for- mula for happiness or per- sonal prosperity. Richard W. Rahn is chairman of Improbable Success Productions and on the board of the American Council for Capital Formation. © 2018, The Washington Times, LLC. This weekend, U.K. National Crime Agency Director Donald Toon dropped on the Cayman Islands a bomb- shell that was both explosive and unexpected. Mr. Toon complained to the BBC that his agency (equivalent to the American FBI) is “having a difficulty with Cayman” in terms of obtaining beneficial owner- ship information on Cayman companies linked to U.K. anti-money laundering and criminal investigations. Pardon? For years Cayman officials have waved the banner of financial services transparency, claiming that our country sets the standard for sharing relevant company information with law enforcement entities and tax authorities. Specifically in regard to the U.K., Cayman had signed an agreement, known as an “exchange of notes,” to respond to British law enforcement requests within 24 hours and in urgent cases within one hour. The contrary tune sung very publicly by Mr. Toon revealed a very private feud being waged between U.K. and Cayman officials on a subject crucial to Cayman’s political and economic standing. The stage was set for an unavoid- able showdown, conducted via dueling press releases. First, from Cayman’s Office of the Premier: “There is absolutely no merit to Mr. Toon’s allegation. His complaint is a gross misrepresentation of a single situation and is no basis on which to accuse the Cayman Islands of being uncooperative. … The fact that the UK Parliament in May 2018 imposed an unjustifiable and inequitable requirement on the British Overseas Territories and not the Crown Dependencies is bad enough. Now it appears that in fur- therance of that agenda the NCA has entered the political arena against what it has previously described as one of its most cooperative and excellent supporters.” Then, from a U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson: “The Cayman Islands withdrew from the Exchange of Notes after the UK’s Sanctions and Anti- Money Laundering Act was passed in May. Recently, the Cayman Islands Government has also stopped the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) from being the competent authority for dealing with Beneficial Owner- ship requests. Both of these steps make our coopera- tion on serious organised crime more difficult.” And now (as reported on today’s front page), a retort from Premier Alden McLaughlin: “At the core of the current dispute with the FCO are fundamental issues of data security and human rights, specifically the right to privacy. ... The Cayman Islands stands by its commit- ment to cooperation with all international law enforce- ment, including the NCA, but will not be bullied into the violation of fundamental principles of human rights or to cooperating in a way that runs counter to internationally accepted standards.” So … Who did what, and when? What was Mr. Toon doing using the U.K. media to call out Cayman in front of the world? Surely the decision to single out Cayman by name was not incidental. In the absence of further explanation, it certainly resembles a political smear job. How did we get to the point that there was even a bombshell to be dropped – particularly by a key law enforcement figure such as Mr. Toon? Why was not the Cayman public kept informed, either by local or U.K. officials, about significant changes to the “exchange of notes” regime? Instead of an important but somewhat abstruse policy discussion, the news arrived in the form of reputation-damaging international headlines. Mr. Toon and Premier McLaughlin have affixed their names to their statements. How about others? Does “an FCO spokesperson” mean Head of the Governor’s Office Matthew Forbes? Acting Governor Franz Man- derson? Where does Financial Services Minister Tara Rivers fit in? Chief Officer Dax Basdeo? If they’re not talking on record to the press, are they talking to each other? Remember, they work in the same Government Administration Building. And they all work for us. The secretive row is indicative of – potentially an eroding relationship between country and colony – at minimum an absolute breakdown of communications … between the FCO and our government, and between Mr. Toon’s agency and our officials. The situation illustrates why Cayman needs a governor, and not a “local” or “acting” governor or faceless “Office of the Governor,” but an individual with authority who unequivocally represents the interests of the U.K. in Cayman, someone who can act as mediator, negotiator and, when required, decision-maker. It is not irrelevant that we are marking 14 weeks since Governor Anwar Choudhury was “temporarily withdrawn” from his Cayman post, based on what are still officially unspecified allegations, for what initially was estimated to be a 4-6 week investigation. Even in light of the above editorial, the very first question our country needs answered remains: What happened to Governor Choudhury? Britain vs. Cayman: A lack of transparency on financial transparency TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Bad news sells, but optimism wins RICHARD W. RAHN There is a rational explanation as to why the owners of major media often act in ways seemingly contradictory to their public advocacy. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 TUESDAY, SEPT. 18 SEAFARERS SOCIAL: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association advises all members that there will be the September Social at 7 p.m. in the Seafarers Hall, 11 Victory Avenue, Prospect. Buses will be provided from West Bay Town Hall at 6 p.m. A bus leaves the George Town public library parking area at 7 p.m. stopping at the Cayman Compass building and the Airport Foster’s. The bus is blue and marked Bobo $1 Public transport, but there is no charge. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 19 NATIONAL TRUST AGM: The Annual General Meeting of the members of The National Trust for the Cayman Islands will be held at 6 p.m. upstairs at the George Town Yacht Club, the Barcadere Marina at 606 North Sound Rd. Doors will open from 5:30 p.m. for registration. Drinks and canapes will be served. THURSDAY, SEPT. 20 LOCKED INN: Fundraiser for One Dog at a Time. Assemble a team with up to six players, solve puzzles and obtain clues to escape from your chosen room within 45 minutes – Outbreak, Pirates Cellar, Asylum or Death Row. 6 p.m. $300 per team or $50 per person. Ticket price includes buffet and two complimentary drinks. Teams must be registered and paid for by Sept. 13. Later time slots will be available depending on number of teams. SATURDAY, SEPT. 22 HEALTH FAIR: The Savannah United Church presents Total Wellness Health Fair, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the church. There will be free health screening, personal consultation with health practitioners and pharmacists corner for Brown Bagging. There will also be health talks and prayer stations. Prizes for the first 50 attendees. The Savannah United Church is behind the Rubis Station. CARIBBEAN BREAKFAST: The Lions PACCE committee cooks up a Caribbean Breakfast at the Lions Centre, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. The breakfast is the last opportunity for prospective participants to register, collect bibs and T-shirts for the 7th annual Delano Hislop 15 Mile Walk/Run on Sunday. BRAC 5K: Lions Clubs present the Brenda Tibbetts-Lund Memorial 5K Walk/Run. Starts 6 a.m. High School to Hospital and back. $10 registration. Contact 928-5800 for more information. SUNDAY, SEPT. 23 LIONS PACCE: Prostate and Colon Cancer Event. Delano Hislop Memorial Walk/Run. 5, 10 or 15 miles. 5 a.m. from West Bay Road Public Beach. Registration fee, $25. Phone 917-7223 or register at www.caymanactive.com. THURSDAY, SEPT. 27 BRAC COURT: Summary Court sits in the Aston Rutty Centre from 10 a.m. today and tomorrow. PALLIATIVE CARE: The Caribbean Palliative Care Conference, presented by Cayman HospiceCare, takes place 1:30-8 p.m. at the Westin Resort & Spa. No registration fee, but RSVP is required. Email info@caymanhospicecare.ky. Healthcare professionals can earn a total of 4.5 contact hours. SATURDAY, SEPT. 29 BARGAIN SHOP BAG SALE: The NCVO’s New To You Bargain Shop invites customers to buy a bag for $5 and fill it to the brim with items they find in the store. The sale is 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Lightly used products on sale include Halloween costumes, household items, baby supplies (strollers, cribs, carrier seats), stuffed animals and toys, clothes (including select school uniforms), shoes, books and craft items. MONTHLY BARGAIN STORE: St. George’s Anglican Church holds its monthly Bargain Store sale 7-11 a.m. Located 64 Courts Road (off Eastern Ave. opposite Kirk Market), George Town. All are invited. CLAY WORKSHOP: Visual Arts Society studio at Pedro St. James. Today and tomorrow, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fee is $150 for members, $175 for non-members. Includes terracotta clay, glazes, firing, use of tools and studio plus light lunch and beverage. Limited space. Register at workshops@ visualartcayman.com. SUNDAY, SEPT. 30 5K FOR RECOVERY: Hope Foundation sponsors this 5K walk/run to raise funds for the residential recovery program. Start at Seven Mile Public Beach. Walk, 6 a.m. Run, 6:30 a.m. Tickets $10 from Brent, 928-9099; or Chris, 938-0095. Prizes include staycations. GENERAL INTEREST PRE-SCHOOL OPENINGS: Miss Nadine’s Preschool still has space available in its two-year-old class. To register your child(ren), contact Preschool Director Heather Lopez on 945-1078/324-1498 or email ncvopreschool@ncvo.org.ky Miss Nadine’s is a program of the NCVO (registered nonprofit) and is located in the Richard Arch Children’s Centre, 90A Anthony Drive, George Town. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Be a volunteer and join the fun as athlete training begins at Truman Bodden Sports Complex 5:30 p.m. for basketball skills, track, bocce and football. Swimming on Wednesdays at the Lions Pool 10-11 a.m. or on Saturdays at the Cayman International School pool, 9:30 a.m. Email soci@candw.ky or call 916-2600 for more information. TOBACCO LICENCES: Tobacco license holders are reminded of the 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1 deadline to apply for their annual license renewals. Annual registration renewal fees are $500 for a retailer, $750 for a cigar bar and $5,000 for a wholesale distributor. Persons in Grand Cayman must submit their applications at the Business Licensing Counter, first floor, Government Administration Building. In the Sister Islands, applications must be submitted to DCI Senior Licensing Officer, Mrs. Lolita Bodden-Arch, in the Bodden and Bodden building on Cayman Brac. CAYMAN ARTISTS INVITED: Artists resident in the Cayman Islands or artists of the Caymanian diaspora are invited to submit photos of work (or work concept drawings/photos), with an accompanying artist’s statement relating the work to the exhibition synopsis for consideration, in electronic format, directed to the attention of the curator at assistantcurator@ nationalgallery.org.ky. Deadline for submission is Monday, Nov. 26 2018 at 5 p.m. For more information contact public.engagement@ nationalgallery.org.ky. SEAFARERS HALL: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association wishes to inform the community that the hall is now available for rental every day of the week, including Saturdays, as the church is no longer contracted with us at 11 Victory Ave. Prospect. LOCAL HARVEST MARKET: Wednesdays and Saturdays at Camana Bay. A produce- only market featuring local farmers. Located in Heliconia Court (the new courtyard next to the building containing Scotiabank). 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. U.K. SCHOLARSHIPS: The Chevening Secretariat is accepting applications for U.K. Government scholarships to study in the U.K. in 2019/2020. Applications for Chevening Scholarships are open until Nov. 6, 2018, with applications to be submitted via www.chevening. org/apply. Visit www. chevening.org/apply/ guidance for detailed information on the eligibility criteria and scholarship specifications. Contact Gill Skinner on 244-2431 or gillian.skinner@fco.gov.uk. NEW THRIFT SHOP: One Dog At A Time has launched its “New To You” Thrift Shop. Open Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the summer. The shop is at Unit 26 at the warehouses on Bodden Road, which runs down the side of Kirk Home Store to the old screen print place. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 68 Mary St. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc. in good condition always needed. COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8 p.m., West Indies Wine Company. Join the Cayman Chess Club for a complimentary chess class and open challenges weekly. Anyone can learn to play and enjoy chess, even beginners. ART OPEN CANVAS: At KARoo Restaurant in Camana Bay, Wednesdays 7-11 p.m. Artists of all levels are welcome to come and enjoy painting and socializing with other artists. Includes use of easels, lights, space, beverage ticket. No fee. For more information, contact info@visualartcayman.com or jar.was@gmail.com. VISUAL ARTS SOCIETY: Adult Open Studio available to those who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere. Wednesdays for adults, 9 a.m. till noon. Thursdays Adults and Youth, 10 a.m. till noon. Watler House Art Studio, Pedro St. James. Fee is $5/$15 or Ceramics. $15 pp/$25 pp non-members. Includes use of studio, glazes, and ceramic tools. Clay available $30 per bag/fee for kiln usage. To register, call 546-9422 or email info@visualartcayman.com. CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. Call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail.com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centered 12-step recovery group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Tuesdays, 7:15 p.m. For details, contact Vanessa Gilman at 946-2422, or visit www.overcomersoutreach.org. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at ADACI’s office, 4th floor, Cardinall Plaza, 30 Cardinall Ave., George Town. Call 924-4170 or email info@adacayman.com. GRAND CAYMAN TOASTMASTERS: Club meets each Thursday 6-7:15 p.m. on 3rd Floor, George Town Public Library. Visitors and guests welcome. The local contact is George R. Ebanks, 322-9369 or Grand Cayman Toastmasters club on Facebook. Email info@ toastmastersclub2686.org. ROTARACT BLUE OF CAYMAN: Meets Wednesdays 6 p.m., at Royal Palms Beach Club, West Bay Road. Contact rotaractblue@gmail.com or www.rotaractblue.org. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. The National Trust for the Cayman Islands will have its annual members’ meeting Wednesday at 6 p.m. upstairs at the George Town Yacht Club.6 LOCAL NEWS TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Yellow mastic tree thrives in Grand Cayman’s inland forest SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com The trek to see one of Grand Cayman’s most no- table trees will take you over a harsh and unforgiving forest floor strewn with hard- ened rock and gnarled tree roots. Here, the plants have no soil to give them nutri- ents, and the trees have en- dured repeated battering by storms over the centuries. The Mastic Trail, named for the native yellow mastic tree, provides a glimpse to a part of Cayman that has ex- isted in its present form for millions of years. And in the middle of the trail, there’s a majestic specimen of yellow mastic that has likely been standing since the days of Christopher Columbus. The path to the yellow mastic begins at the northern trailhead, and the walk com- mences in a small field that was previously used as a cow pasture. As you make your way deeper on the trail and further from the main road, you progress into older for- ests and walk into a more alien environment. For the first residents of Cayman, the Mastic Trail would look much as it did today. There are some non-native trees planted by people in the northern area of the trail, but the southern stages are pretty much unaltered, said Stuart Mailer, the environmental programs manager for the National Trust for the Cayman Islands. “They might have been in- terested in doing a bit of log- ging, but it was such a dis- tance to carry out any trees that they’d cut. So it was pretty much left alone,” said Mr. Mailer of the old-growth forest. “It’s in about the same state it would’ve been when Christopher Columbus ar- rived at the island.” The National Trust has been trying to acquire much of the Mastic Trail land for preservation, and to date, it has been able to purchase about 840 acres out of 1,200 in its intended target area. The trail is barely wide enough for one person to walk in most areas, and it’s framed by lush vegetation. Mr. Mailer warns people on his tour groups to be wary of Maiden Plum, a shrub that carries a toxin sim- ilar to poison ivy. He points out fruit trees on both sides of the trail as you march forward, and he shares a simple secret: Almost none of the plants bearing fruit in Cayman belong here. “If you were to make a list of all the tropical fruit you can think of,” said Mr. Mailer at one point of the journey, “I’d be surprised if you had a single Cayman native plant.” That includes Caribbean staples such as bananas, breadfruit, pineapple and coconuts, all of which were introduced to Cayman by human settlers at some point in the last few hundred years. Interestingly, the Mastic Trail has one native tree spec- imen that was only identified within the last 20 years. The tree – Casearia staffordiae – is named after the naturalist, Ann Stafford, who discov- ered it and pressed the flower samples that ultimately con- firmed it as a unique species. There’s a point on the trail where the narrow forest trail becomes rougher, where the sure grass-and-dirt footing gives way to a rocky out- cropping and every step be- comes perilous. That is not just a milestone for the av- erage hiker, said Mr. Mailer, as much as it is a signpost of a totally different world. “You’ll notice that on ei- ther side of the trail, there’s a rock wall. And behind me, the ground rises up to a higher level,” he said. “This is actu- ally an ancient coastline. If you had been standing here 125,000 years ago, you’d have wet feet. This is where sea level was. And it would’ve been a very shallow sea at this point, so probably a mangrove swamp. This is- land is very low-lying, less than 20 feet above sea level. The vast majority of Grand Cayman would’ve been un- derwater 125,000 years ago. That may sound like a long time in human terms, but it’s not a very long time in evolu- tionary or geological terms.” In practical terms, Mr. Mailer said, everything be- yond that point has been evolving for millions of years. All of Cayman’s native flora and fauna would have de- veloped above the water line. And they would have had to evolve in a region that is struck by heavy storms sev- eral times per century. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » The yellow mastic tree is hollow and it eventually stood at the corner of three parcels of land, which may have encouraged early residents of Cayman to leave it right where it was. The mushrooms on the Mastic Trail forest floor help provide the nutrients the trees need in a soil-free environment. This majestic yellow mastic was threatened by strangulation by a vine at one point, but it was saved by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. - PHOTOS: ALVARO SEREY7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 One such tree, the red birch, has developed a unique survival strategy. Its roots have burrowed down around solid rock, and its limbs have evolved to grow in a hurri- cane-rich environment. “Birch is a rather soft wood and it has an inter- esting strategy for living in a major hurricane zone. It sheds its branches,” Mr. Mailer said. “When the winds get to tropical force, the trees start shedding branches. If we have a big storm or even a big squall, I’ll quite often have to pick up branches from the red birch. By losing all those branches, it cuts down its wind resistance and it manages to stay standing when stronger trees around it are broken off and blown over. If they still are alive, they have to start their life from the forest floor. The birch is still standing and puts out new branches.” The inner section of the Mastic Trail is prone to much of the same weather as the rest of the island, and the local plants can go about six months without really seeing much in the form of precipitation. In several junctures along the side of the trail, you can see dense groupings of mush- rooms growing rampantly, and they help provide the trees with the nutrients they need to grow. “The fungus acts like a giant net,” Mr. Mailer said. “They have microscopic fila- ments that penetrate through tiny hairline cracks in the rock and act like a net, sucking in water and nutri- ents and feeding them to the trees. The trees, in turn, pro- vide the fungus with sugar. It’s a symbiotic relationship, and it allows the trees to sur- vive and thrive in what ap- pears to be a completely un- inhabitable environment.” Finally, after hiking for an hour or more, you can come to find the best surviving specimen of the tree the trail is named after. It’s a tall and solidly built tree with an ex- pansive canopy, and Mr. Mailer said that when he ar- rived at the National Trust, it was estimated to be around 700 years old. “This particular mastic tree was big and old when humans first came across it,” he said. “Hell, it was prob- ably a big tree when Chris- topher Columbus sailed into the Caribbean.” The tree is hollow and it eventually stood at the corner of three parcels of land, which may have encouraged early residents of Cayman to leave it right where it was. But even so, it had to sur- vive centuries worth of hor- rible storms to remain as one of the oldest trees on the Mastic Trail. Two or three times a cen- tury, Mr. Mailer said, Cayman will be struck by a storm that is at least a Category 4. That is strong enough to knock down even the most signifi- cant trees, or at least to knock off their tops and rip off their branches. But the yellow mastic has somehow survived and adapted to those condi- tions, and it has been shaped by countless storms that have battered its position. Early in his tenure at the National Trust, Mr. Mailer said, there was a bit of a controversy surrounding the tree. It was being strangled by a huge sprawling vine that threatened to overwhelm it, and volunteers debated whether they should let na- ture run its course or attempt to salvage the tree. “Nothing happened. I don’t know if that’s because they made the decision to let nature take its course. My guess is, being a big com- mittee, they didn’t make a decision,” said Mr. Mailer of the trail’s signature yellow mastic. “Eventually, in 2004, we had Hurricane Ivan, and after the storm, people came to inspect the damage on the trail. They noticed that this tree had a bare trunk, a couple branches and nothing else. It was still alive, and the vine had ended up in a huge pile of rotting vegetation. “Nature took its course and left the mastic tree for another 700 years of life.” Yellow mastic tree thrives in Grand Cayman’s inland forest CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 Stuart Mailer, environmental programs manager for the National Trust, leads relaxed and educational Mastic Trail tours. – PHOTOS: ALVARO SEREY The holes in this tree were made by a yellow-bellied sapsucker, a migratory woodpecker that feeds on tree sap and insects. A tour of the Mastic Trail provides a look into Cayman’s natural history. This prickly ash tree, Zanthoxylum caribaeum, grows in much of the region and can be found along the Mastic Trail.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS my department so far. I have been one of the first trainees to engage in the cross- training for Customs as well, in preparation for the merger in 2019. I feel very excited to be a part of this,” she said. Ms. Rivers-Taylor described an intense and at times uncer- tain year, but for her, the work has been worthwhile. “I did a lot of crying, a lot of preparation, a lot of studying because I wasn’t settling for mediocrity. I prayed a lot, was on my knees a lot and now I’m here today. It all paid off. I’m glad for that,” she said. “I’ve always had a calling to be a part of a law en- forcement agency. I actually applied to Police, but I got through with Immigration and here’s where my talents and skills [were] unveiled. I’m so happy to serve my country and be part of protecting our borders.” Fellow graduate Landie Ebanks described a sim- ilar sense of pride and accomplishment. “I’m immensely excited. It’s been 12 long months, lots of ups, lots of downs and it feels really good that it has finally come together, that all of the hard work has finally paid off,” Mr. Ebanks said. “I was a bit naïve before and Immigration has really shaped me, made me into this sharp person and it opened me to a lot of things I was not aware of. So I feel the De- partment of Immigration has made me into a completely different and better person.” Other graduates were: Kimberly Glasgow, Estina Hamil, Keriann Powell, Em- marie Powery-Rosales, Rudy Walton, Marcella Wright and Stephene Wright. The new officers were re- ceived at the ceremony by Acting Governor Franz Man- derson and immigration offi- cials, including Jenifer Gager- Sterling, Tamara Reid-Vernon and Garfield Wong. Compass journalist Alvaro Serey contributed to this story. whether we are capable of achieving the goal.” The other major spending allocation for 2018 was to cover a short- fall for the payment of “ter- tiary care at local and over- seas institutions.” Government initially budgeted $11 million for this, but authorized an additional $8 million in spending in July and a fur- ther $6.5 million last week. Health Minister Dwayne Seymour acknowledged the payments were putting a growing strain on govern- ment resources. He said it was very difficult to predict how much would be re- quired each year for the al- location, which covers med- ical emergencies for people classified as “indigent.” He said there had been a number of cases in- volving premature babies where the mothers had to be flown off island that had pushed the expenditure up in the past six months. Chris Saunders, in- dependent legislator for Bodden Town, said the ex- pense had risen by more than 50 percent in the last three years. He said it was unsustainable for government to con- tinue to bear the full cost of tertiary treatment for the uninsured. “The solution has got to be looking at national health insurance,” he added. In an interview with the Cayman Compass, Friday, Finance Minister Roy Mc- Taggart acknowledged that the funding of emer- gency care for Cayman’s poorest citizens placed a heavy and unpredictable burden on government fi- nances. He said there had been some cases this year that had cost more than $1 million each. “What we have now is unsustainable. We are trying to look at every way we can to limit the growth in costs that we are experiencing.” Part of that includes looking at the scope of ser- vices Health City could pro- vide, Mr. McTaggart added. Government also passed a bill Thursday for ad- ditional spending in the 2016/17 budget year. The expenditures had already been approved by the Legislative As- sembly but had to be offi- cially sanctioned through the Supplementary Appro- priations (July 2016 to De- cember 2017) Bill. The bill highlights nearly $50 million in addi- tional spending during that budget period. Mr. McTaggart said the spending represented emergency appropriations that were not foreseen when the original budget was formulated. These included $3.6 million to help deal with an unexpected number of Cuban migrants and $4.8 million to buy land adjacent to Smith Cove to preserve it for public use and prevent a development on the site. There was also an $8.5 million equity invest- ment in Cayman Airways, which allowed the airline to repay its debts to the Cayman Islands Airports Authority. That money was crucial in helping the CIAA pay for the construction of the upgraded airport, Mr. McTaggart said. Supplementary appro- priations are a normal part of the budgeting pro- cess, Mr. McTaggart said. He said such spending was only possible because of government’s policy of running large operating budget surpluses. “We wouldn’t be able to make these invest- ments and approve this kind of additional spending if we didn’t have the funding available.” Government reported an operating budget surplus of $201 million after the first six months of 2018. Mr. McTaggart expects that to be closer to the $137 mil- lion originally forecast by the end of the year. that has explicitly been made to the FCO on multiple occasions,” the premier said. He added that even though the government be- lieves that he U.K. is in breach of the agreement, it had “repeatedly sought to ensure that an enhanced level of cooperation” re- mains in place. However, the premier’s statement concluded, Cayman “will not be bullied into the violation of fundamental principles of human rights or to cooperating in a way that runs counter to internation- ally accepted standards.” Acting Chief Immigration Officer Bruce Smith addresses the Department of Immigration’s final graduating class. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Final graduating class for Department of Immigration FULL STATEMENT FROM PREMIER ALDEN MCLAUGHLIN It is correct that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Cayman Islands Gov- ernment continue to have a dif- ference of opinion on parts of the agreement termed the ‘Ex- change of Notes’, but it is disin- genuous for the FCO to say that the Cayman Islands is not coop- erating with the UK with regards to investigating serious crimes. At the core of the current dis- pute with the FCO are funda- mental issues of data security and human rights, specifically the right to privacy. Cayman has on several occasions of- fered case law examples to sup- port our point of view. The FCO has never provided any coun- terpoints, choosing instead to dismiss Cayman’s concerns without explanation. This at- titude is alarming as a recent decision by the European Court of Human Rights found that British surveillance violated pri- vacy rights – an indication that the UK’s interpretation of human rights protection is not infallible. The FCO, since November 2016, had chosen to dismiss Cayman’s concerns relating to a funda- mental principle of data secu- rity, specifically encryption, in relation to the exchange of in- formation for an active investi- gation. Eventually, in July 2018, the FCO conceded that Cay- man’s concerns, in this regard, were well founded. But other concerns remain. Under the ‘Exchange of Notes’ (EoN), the Cayman Islands Gen- eral Registry is the competent authority on the maintenance of Cayman’s beneficial owner- ship platform. This mirrors the mechanism in the UK in which Companies House maintains the UK’s beneficial ownership register. Under the EoN, the Cayman Islands specified the Fi- nancial Crime Unit of the RCIPS as the ‘designated point of con- tact’ for requests. This distinc- tion in functions was determined by the UK in the crafting of the EoN. Between August 2017 and July 2018, the Cayman Islands took the additional step of del- egating certain powers of the beneficial ownership competent authority to the Financial Crime Unit to facilitate a transition pe- riod while the platform became fully operational. At the end of the transition period on June 30 2018, the additional powers delegated to the Financial Crime Unit were no longer necessary and were consequently revoked. The revocation of this delegation to the Financial Crime Unit in no way affects the ability of local law enforcement to cooperate with its international counter- parts, a point that has explicitly been made to the FCO on mul- tiple occasions. The Financial Crime Unit does have in place a designation to make search requests on the beneficial ownership platform in accordance with the provisions of our Companies Law. Further- more, while the Cayman Islands has taken the position that the UK is in breach of the agree- ment made with the signing of the EoN, we have repeatedly sought to ensure that an en- hanced level of cooperation re- mains in place. The Cayman Islands stands by its commitment to cooperation with all international law en- forcement, including the NCA, but will not be bullied into the violation of fundamental princi- ples of human rights or to co- operating in a way that runs counter to internationally ac- cepted standards. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Premier: Cayman ‘will not be bullied’ Nine recruits completed a year-long training in immigration and customs enforcement. - PHOTOS: ALVARO SEREY Iguanas, healthcare costs take toll on budget Finance Minister Roy McTaggart acknowledged that the funding of emergency care for Cayman’s poorest citizens placed a heavy and unpredictable burden on government finances. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Finance Minister Roy McTaggartThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 Leading Brazil candidate talks electoral fraud The man leading Brazil’s presidential election polls says he’s worried fraud could cost him victory in October. Far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro said Sunday he sees a risk that fraud might give the election to Fernando Haddad of the left-leaning Workers Party ticket. Kavanaugh willing to talk to panel, arrives at White House WASHINGTON (AP) – Supreme Court nominee Brett Kava- naugh said Monday he was willing to speak to a Senate panel to “refute” an allega- tion he sexually assaulted a woman while in high school, after his accuser said via her attorney that she was ready to testify in public. Kavanaugh released a new statement calling the al- legation “completely false” and saying he “had no idea who was making this accu- sation until she identified herself” on Sunday to The Washington Post. “I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the Committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my in- tegrity,” Kavanaugh said. Kavanaugh, meanwhile, was seen arriving at the White House late Monday morning. There was no im- mediate explanation of the reason for his visit. He had been on a smooth confirmation track, but the new allegations have roiled that process. Republican sen- ators have expressed con- cern over a woman’s private- turned-public allegation that a drunken Kavanaugh groped her and tried to take off her clothes at a party when they were teenagers. Debra S. Katz, the attorney for the woman, Christine Blasey Ford, said her client considered the incident to be an attempted rape. “She believes that if were not for the severe intoxica- tion of Brett Kavanaugh, she would have been raped,” Katz told NBC’s “Today.” Kavanaugh, 53, “cat- egorically and unequivo- cally” denied the allegations when they came out anony- mously last week. “This has not changed,” said White House spokesman Kerri Kupec on Monday. “Judge Kavanaugh and the White House both stand by that statement.” Still, White House coun- selor Kellyanne Conway said of Ford: “She should not be insulted. She should not be ignored. She should testify under oath and she should do it on Capitol Hill.” Conway, who said she had discussed the situation with President Donald Trump, said that both Ford and Ka- vanaugh should testify, but made clear it was up to the Judiciary Committee. She said Sen. Lindsey Graham had told her it could happen as soon as Tuesday and the White House will “respect the process.” Stressing that Kavanaugh had already testified and un- dergone FBI background checks, Conway said: “I think you have to weigh this tes- timonial evidence from Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh along with the considerable body of evidence that is al- ready there about the judge’s temperament and qualifica- tions and character.” In morning television interviews, Katz said her client was willing to tell her story in public to the Judi- ciary panel, although no law- makers or their aides had yet contacted her. Katz also de- nied that Ford, a Democrat, is politically motivated. “No one in their right mind regardless of their motives would want to inject them- selves into this process and face the kind of violation that she will be subjected to by those who want this nominee to go though …. She was quite reluctant to come forward.” Initially the sexual mis- conduct allegation was con- veyed in a private letter, without revealing Ford’s name. With a name and dis- turbing details, the accusa- tion raised the prospect of congressional Republicans defending Trump’s nominee ahead of midterm elections featuring an unprecedented number of female candidates and informed in part by the #MeToo movement. Ford told the Post that Ka- vanaugh pinned her to a bed at a Maryland party in the early 1980s, clumsily tried to remove her clothing and put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. She said Kavanaugh and a friend – both “stumbling drunk,” she says – corralled her in a bedroom when she was around 15 and Kava- naugh was around 17. She says Kavanaugh groped her over her clothes, grinded his body against hers and tried to take off her one-piece swim- suit and the outfit she wore over it. Kavanaugh covered her mouth with his hand when she tried to scream, she says, and escaped when the friend, Mark Judge, jumped on them. Kavanaugh attended a pri- vate school for boys in Mary- land while Ford attended a nearby school. A split over the nomina- tion seemed to be emerging among the GOP. The GOP-controlled Judi- ciary Committee has previ- ously scheduled a Thursday vote on whether to recom- mend approval of Kavana- ugh’s nomination in the full Senate. Critics have already accused the GOP of fast- tracking the process to get Ka- vanaugh on the court by Oct. 1, the first day of the fall term. Democrats called for a delay in the vote, and two committee Republicans – all 11 on the GOP side are men – Sens. Jeff Flake of Ari- zona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said they wanted to hear more from Ford. Flake went as far as to say he was “not comfortable” voting for Kavanaugh for the time being. A potential “no” vote from Flake would complicate the judge’s prospects. A Repub- lican not on the committee, Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, said the vote should be post- poned until the committee heard from Ford. Contacted Sunday by CNN, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, wouldn’t say if the vote should be postponed. A committee spokesman said late Sunday that its chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, was trying to arrange separate, follow- up calls with Kavanaugh and Ford, but just for aides to Grassley and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., before Thursday’s scheduled vote. The allegation against Ka- vanaugh first came to light late last week in the form of a letter that had been for some time in the possession of Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee and one of its four female members. On Sunday, The Washington Post published an interview with Ford. In the interview, Ford says she never revealed what had happened to her until 2012, when she and her husband sought couples therapy. Ford’s husband, Russell Ford, said he recalled his wife using Ka- vanaugh’s last name and ex- pressing concern that Kava- naugh – then a federal judge – might someday be nomi- nated to the Supreme Court. Senate Republicans, along with the White House, see no need to postpone voting over what they consider uncor- roborated and unverifiable accusations, according to a person familiar with the sit- uation but not authorized to speak publicly. UK leader warns rebels: it’s my Brexit agreement or no deal LONDON (AP) – British Prime Minister Theresa May has warned opponents of her blue- print for Brexit that rejecting it means crashing out of the European Union without a deal, an outcome the Inter- national Monetary Fund said Monday would have “very large” economic costs. Attempting to assert con- trol over a fractious party and faltering Brexit negotia- tions, May told the BBC that if rebel lawmakers shoot down a deal between her government and the EU, “the alternative to that will be having no deal.” With just over six months until Britain is due to leave the 28-nation EU on March 29, the two sides still have big gaps to bridge in divorce negotiations, and May’s Con- servative government re- mains divided over how close an economic relation- ship to seek with the bloc after Brexit. May is proposing to keep Britain aligned to EU rules in return for free trade in goods and an open border between the U.K.’s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland. EU chiefs have responded by warning that the U.K. cannot cherry pick aspects of membership in the bloc’s single market without ac- cepting the costs and respon- sibilities. May is hoping to win EU leaders around to her proposal at a meeting in Sal- zburg, Austria, on Wednesday and Thursday. The two sides hope to strike a deal on divorce terms and the outlines of future trade by November, so that individual member states can approve it before Britain leaves in March. That includes a vote in the British Parliament, where May’s Conservatives do not have an overall majority and where her Brexit blueprint faces opposition from both pro- and anti-EU lawmakers. May is calculating that, faced with a stark choice be- tween an imperfect agree- ment and the unknown ter- ritory of “no deal,” many lawmakers will grudgingly back her proposals. “I think Parliament will vote for a deal because I think people will see the im- portance of a deal that main- tains a good trading relation- ship with the EU but also maintains good cooperation in other areas, but gives us the freedom to take the ben- efits and opportunities of Brexit,” she said in an inter- view broadcast Monday. That outcome is far from certain. Although the prime minister insists the choice will be between her deal and no deal, pro-EU lawmakers want further negotiations, or even remaining in the bloc, to be options. Anti-Brexit cam- paigners are also pushing for a public referendum on the divorce agreement. Meanwhile, a “hard Brexit” Conservative faction says leaving without a deal is preferable to May’s proposed terms because it would leave Britain free to strike new trade deals around the world. Ex-Brexit Secretary David Davis and Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson both quit May’s Cabinet in July out of opposition to her plan. Johnson wrote in Mon- day’s Daily Telegraph that May’s Brexit negotiations were heading for a “spec- tacular political car crash” that would leave Britain in “the ditch with a total write- off of Brexit.” Many economists say leaving the EU without a deal would be economically dev- astating for Britain. IMF chief Christine La- garde said Monday that “all the likely Brexit scenarios will have costs for the U.K. economy,” and a no-deal Brexit “would impose very large costs.” In an update on U.K. eco- nomic prospects, the IMF forecast growth of 1.5 per- cent in 2018 and 2019, down from 1.75 percent in 2016-17. The IMF says that even a good deal would mean new barriers to trade. As part of the EU, Britain currently en- joys the freedom of goods, services, money and people to move across borders with 27 other countries in the re- gion. Brexit will revoke some of those freedoms. Britain has fallen behind other Group of Seven econo- mies since the 2016 vote to leave the EU, with business uncertainty holding back in- vestment and a fall in the value of the pound slowing growth in incomes and con- sumption, the IMF said. May is proposing to keep Britain aligned to EU rules in return for free trade in goods and an open border between the U.K.’s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland. President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, waits to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee for the third day of his confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 6, 2018. - PHOTO: APNext >