FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2019 CA YMAN COM PASS Movie s Rum Tails sees pooches on parade Annual fundraiser invites dog lov ers to day out B2 ■ ON STAGE Broadway is back! Cayman Arts Festival hails ret urn of New York Cabare t Night. B6 ‘The Kid Who S T O LI F LA V O U R S CAYMAN WEEKENDER Broadway is back! EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 THE ALARMING DEPARTURE OF FIRE CHIEF HAILS High of 84 Low of 72 Seas: Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over open water. ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2019 $5 Lacovia owners vote to replace aging condo complex New design features three ten-story buildings JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Owners at Lacovia, one of Seven Mile Beach’s oldest condo developments, voted Saturday to demolish their homes and replace them with three new, 10-story buildings. They have partnered with Bronte Devel- opment, which won a bid to redevelop the property after a competitive tender process. Each of Lacovia’s 55 owners has been guaranteed an apartment in the new com- plex, which will feature a mix of multi-mil- lion dollar homes, including $20 million top-floor penthouse suites. James Lagan, director of Bronte, said the development, which features floor-to- ceiling glass and landscaped outdoor ter- races, would bring a new level of design to Seven Mile Beach. He said the partnership allows the Lacovia strata to retain ownership of the land and gives Bronte an opportunity to develop what he hopes will be an “iconic” project on the best part of the beach. The development will feature 88 apart- ments, a gym, food and beverage service, re- ception, concierge and other amenities. Bronte expects to generate enough from the 33 additional apartments to fund the con- struction costs, as well as its developer’s fee. The deal follows more than a year of discussions over the future of Lacovia. The original development, opposite Lone Star grill on West Bay Road, was built in 1981. The buildings had fallen into disrepair and would have required substantial in- vestment to refurbish. Mr. Lagan said the strata executive com- mittee and a wider development sub-com- mittee had led negotiations with various developers. He said his group had met in- dividually with all of the Lacovia owners and tailored its design pitch to their specifications. When the proposal went to a vote on Saturday, it had unanimous support from all 55 owners. The Lacovia owners will AMENDMENTS TO TRUST LAW EXPECTED MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Government is planning to amend the Trusts Law and related regulations this year, Minister for Financial Services Tara Rivers announced at the STEP Cayman Conference on Thursday. Cayman’s appeal for private client profes- sionals is the long-standing strength of the financial services industry and the ability to attract business-based, robust commercial legislation and adherence to global regulatory standards, she said at the annual event of the local chapter of the Society of Trust and Es- tate Practitioners. “Commercially we have made legislative amendments to support your work,” she told the 260 delegates at the Kimpton Seafire hotel. Last year, government passed a bill that pro- vided the industry with greater certainty and clarity with regard to wills in cases where a testator dies outside of the Cayman Islands. FIRE CHIEF DEPARTS; MINISTRY SEARCHING FOR REPLACEMENT KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Ministry of Home Affairs said it will announce on Friday a new acting fire chief to replace David Hails, whose three-year contract expires on the same day. The ministry said it is also in the midst of searching for an interim chief fire officer, to serve for 12 months and be paid between $105,252 and $128,232. Opposition legislators have criticized the way Mr. Hails departed, alleging that he re- ceived more than $40,000 for the compensa- tory time he accrued during his tenure. Mr. Hails, for his part, said this was a standard payment made for owed comp time and ac- crued leave, and that virtually every other person in his department received payouts. At a Jan. 16 meeting of the Public Ac- counts Committee, MLA Chris Saunders asked why Mr. Hails received “a chunk of money for time in lieu” when other civil servants such as Needs Assessment Unit workers are not paid An architect’s impression shows how the proposed 10-story Lacovia development will look. Lacovia owners celebrate after unanimously voting to demolish the property and rebuild in partnership with Bronte development company. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 »2 LOCAL®IONAL FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS West Shore Center, Seven Mile Beach • 10am to 10pm Cayman Cookin’ Over a Wood Fire! Internati onal Award-Winning Caribbean Chicken! Dine-in! Take-out! Indulge on a feast for 2 to 4 or 6 or more! With an awesome selection of sides to choose from. 945-2290 The Cayman AIDS Foundation will be holding its Annual AGM on Thursday February 7 th 2019 at Casanova Restaurant located at 65 North Church Street, George Town at 7:00pm Cayman AIDS Foundation Kenneth Farrow QC Kenneth Farrow QC has resumed practice as of 1 January 2019. He will continue to specialise in the field of dispute resolution relating to private trusts, companies (including insolvency) and general commercial matters. Ph: 926 9477 Email: parsonscircle@live.com VISITOR DIES AFTER SNORKELING DIFFICULTIES A 63-year-old Cana- dian man died Wednesday after getting into diffi- culties while snorkeling at Cemetery Beach, off West Bay Road. Police said the man was helped to the shore by a person on the beach. When he reached the shore, he collapsed and was attended shortly af- terward by Fire Service officers who performed CPR until an ambu- lance arrived. The snorkeler was transported to the Cayman Islands Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. This is the fourth re- ported water-related death in the Cayman Islands this year. Community seeks to breathe new life into playground JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Amid the debris of a run- down community playground in central George Town, a small crew is getting to work. Area legislator Ken- neth Bryan has galvanized a group of government workers and volunteers to help breathe new life into the Scranton park. Government bought the park along with adjoining land in October last year with a long-term ambition to redevelop the area into a thriving community park. Mr. Bryan said he was ex- cited about the prospects for the park. In the interim, he is clearing and cleaning up the area, to make better use of the site. Workers from the Rec- reation, Parks and Ceme- teries Unit and members of the community were on site Thursday with Mr. Bryan, pulling bush and clearing damaged equipment from the site. They are inviting volun- teers to join them Saturday to help clear debris from the area. The site is currently overgrown, dominated by broken slides and swings, and a cracked basketball court with damaged nets and old wooden bleachers fading to gray. A terrace of chicken coops has taken up residence in a corner of the adjacent land. Despite the weathered state of the facilities, Mr. Bryan sees enormous poten- tial in the park. “Once we have cleared it, we can see what we re- ally have and that is when I think people will start to be inspired about the possibili- ties,” he said. “It is important for the community to have somewhere they can come together.” Mr. Bryan said govern- ment had not announced a long-term plan for the park, but he believes community efforts can help make it a vi- able facility in the interim. “I am hopeful we can work with government over their plans, but there are things we can do as a com- munity to get more usage from it right now.” Dale Ramoon, chair of the Central Scranton Com- mittee, said the area was an important place for people to come together. He said he hoped the bas- ketball court could be resur- faced and work done to de- velop a recreational area that the community could be proud of. Mr. Bryan urges anyone who wants to assist with the project to come out from 7 a.m. Saturday. “We have supplies, gloves, rakes, refreshments. They just have to bring themselves and a willingness to work.” HASH HOUSE HARRIERS TAKE TO THE ROAD SUNDAY The Cayman Islands Hash House Harriers will host their annual Cross Is- land Relay on Sunday, Feb. 3 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. The relay will begin in Gun Bay, East End, and travel west along Austin Conolly Drive, Sea View Road, Bodden Town Road, Shamrock Road, South Sound Road and South Church Street, ending at Smith Barcadere. Motorists traveling in these areas on Sunday morning are asked to exercise caution. In addition, South Church Street will be closed between Thompson Drive and Antoi- nette Avenue from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. to facilitate the end point of the race. BLOOD DRIVE AT LIBRARY The Rotaract Club of Grand Cayman will hold a blood drive Saturday at the George Town Library. The blood drive, to boost supplies at the Blood Bank, will be held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., in the second floor conference room. One pint of blood can save three lives, the or- ganizers pointed out, as they invited members of the public to give back to their community and donate blood. A work team takes a break from renovations at the community park in Scranton. US border agency says it’s made biggest-ever fentanyl bust PHOENIX (AP) – U.S. Cus- toms and Border Protection officials announced Thursday their biggest fentanyl bust ever, saying they captured nearly 254 pounds of the deadly synthetic opioid from a secret compartment inside a load of Mexican produce heading into Arizona. The drug was found hidden Saturday morning in a com- partment under the rear floor of a tractor-trailer after a scan during secondary inspection indicated “some anomalies” in the load, and the agency’s po- lice dog team alerted officers to the presence of drugs, No- gales CBP Port Director Mi- chael Humphries said. Most of the seized fen- tanyl with an overall street value of about $3.5 million was in white powder form, but about 2 pounds of it was contained in pills. Agents also seized nearly 395 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value of $1.18 million, Humphries said. “It is said that a quarter- milligram, or the size of a few grains of salt, of fentanyl, which is a dangerous opioid, can kill a person very quickly,” Humphries said. The seizure, he said, had prevented an im- measurable number of doses of the drug “that could have harmed so many families.” Mexican traffickers have been increasingly smug- gling the drug into the United States, mostly hidden in pas- senger vehicles and tractor- trailers trying to head through ports of entry in the Nogales, Arizona, and San Diego areas. Fentanyl has caused a surge in fatal overdoses around the U.S., including the 2016 accidental death of pop music legend Prince, who consumed the opioid in counterfeit pills that looked like the narcotic anal- gesic Vicodin. U.S. law enforcement of- ficials say the illicit version of the painkiller is now seen mostly as a white powder that can be mixed with heroin for an extra kick as well as blue pills that are counterfeits of prescription drugs like oxycodone. The legal prescription form of the drug is used mostly to provide relief to cancer patients suffering un- bearable pain at the end of their lives. U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration officials have said that while 85 per- cent of the illicit fentanyl entering the United States from Mexico is seized at San Diego-area border cross- ings, an increasing amount is being detected on the border with Arizona, a state where the Sinaloa cartel controls the drug trade and fatal fen- tanyl overdoses are rising.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2019 Disclaimer : FIN Grand Cayman features and amenities are based on current development plans and concepts and are subject to change without notice. Some services and amenities are subject to service-based fees or homeowner fees. Two to four bedroom residences priced from US $1.8M SECRET, CROWDLESS BEACH Beach cabanas, attendant and a private salt-water lagoon. DISCREET, RELIABLE, READY A full service team to care for your every need and safety. PRIVATE RESIDENCE ENTRY Private elevator access, private foyer, no corridors. WALLED, GATED AND LUSH A hidden oasis surrounded by tall privacy hedges. PRIVATE UNDERGROUND PARKING Gated with singular entry and exit access points. ART DECO OCEANFRONT RESIDENCES fin@fingrandcayman.com + 1 345 326 1400 Reserve your private tour and discover the last word in luxury PRIVATE, SECURE AND DISCREETThe 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 find their own way” We will not waste space debating the propriety of departing Fire Chief David Hails receiving more than $40,000 in compensation pay accrued during his three years in the Cayman Islands, other than that it appears to be entirely proper and in line with department practice. Of far more importance is the unauthorized disclosure to a media outlet of Chief Hails’s confidential personnel records, in the form of line-item entries from the govern- ment’s Time Recording System. This question is for Deputy Governor Franz Man- derson: What is government doing to identify the leaker and hold him or her accountable? It is imperative that government find the source of the leak, and stop it. Whoever turned over Chief Hails’s personnel records does not appear to have acted as a whistleblower attempting to bring misdeeds to light, but as a hatchet- wielder dealing a personal blow to an individual on his way out of the jurisdiction. The government’s latest failure to safeguard suppos- edly confidential documents threatens Cayman’s reputa- tion for legitimate privacy and information security, a cor- nerstone of our financial services sector. The next time government agents come knocking on residential or business doors, seeking sensitive private information for whatever purpose – survey, census or questionnaire – public officials ought not to be surprised if people slam those doors (metaphorically) in their faces. The government’s routine assurances that private or proprietary information, voluntarily proffered, would remain confidential is fast becoming a hollow promise. For example, recall the government’s erroneous dis- semination of private information on two new Grand Court judges in 2017, the Immigration Department’s distri- bution of detailed information on all work permit holders in 2015, and, of course, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service’s sending out of “Gold Command minutes” in 2007, jumpstarting the Operation Tempura fiasco. On the flip side of government’s failure to protect private information concerning Chief Hails, is govern- ment’s failure to share public information concerning Chief Hails – i.e., his departure. The Cayman Islands Fire Service is entrusted with the sacred duty of preserving the health and safety of Cayman’s population. For the public not to have a clear idea of the leadership of this agency is evidence of gross incompetence or dysfunction spreading far beyond the government’s legions of official news outlets, information managers, public relations staff and designated spokes- people, and extending to the level of chief officers, min- isters and Cabinet. (For the record, the relevant Chief Officer is Dax Basdeo; the minister is Tara Rivers; and the premier is Alden McLaughlin.) In response to a reporter’s direct inquiries, the Ministry of Home Affairs would only confirm that Chief Hails’s last day was Thursday, coinciding with the expira- tion of his three-year contract, that an “acting fire chief” would be announced Friday, and that the ministry was searching for an interim chief fire officer. Readers may recall that Chief Hails’s departure is occurring about six weeks after he called for an official investigation into a November incident where fire officers – including Deputy Chief Officer Brevon Elliot – allegedly mishandled the landing of a 767 jet at Grand Cayman’s airport, and where fire service records on the incident were later altered. The hush-hush approach to Chief Hails’s exit is a con- tinuation of a trend where government has refused to provide basic details about the resignation, retirement or departure of top public officials, including Governor Anwar Choudhury, CINICO CEO Lonny Tibbetts, Depart- ment of Environmental Health Director Roydell Carter, and National Roads Authority Managing Director Paul Parchment … amid or following investigations, audits or other allegations. All of these former high-level public servants should be able to leave their posts with the dignity (or lack thereof) they deserve, certainly not behind a firewall of silence which leads inexorably to public speculation and suspicion. The alarming departure of Fire Chief Hails FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Mueller’s excessive, theatrical and costly raid How many agents should a law enforcement organiza- tion send to arrest a highly visible, older, non-violent man, who is not a flight risk, for allegedly lying to Con- gress – particularly, when the individual has appeared numerous times on national TV saying he expects to be arrested and was obviously making no attempt to avoid law enforcement officials? Yet, last week, special counsel Robert Mueller sent 29 highly armed agents in 17 vehicles to Roger Stone’s home in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, in a predawn raid to arrest him. Such action smacks of the Gestapo or the old KGB. The normal proce- dure would have been for one of Mr. Mueller’s lawyers to call Mr. Stone’s lawyer, say they intend to indict Mr. Stone and ask him if he would ap- pear at a specified time to be arrested. Mr. Stone had al- ready said he would comply with such a request. CNN had been obviously tipped off by the Mueller people so they were there to film the raid. All of this was not only highly in- appropriate, but a huge waste of taxpayer money. One of the many prob- lems with the special counsel set up is that Mr. Mueller operates without a speci- fied budget. He merely draws upon Department of Justice and FBI resources, including personnel, as he sees fit. If Mr. Mueller had to operate within a budget it would be unlikely that he would have staged a grossly exces- sive and costly raid, rather than accomplishing the same thing through a phone call. Civil libertarians and others were correctly out- raged about the heavy- handed tactics. What is dis- turbing is that so many in the mainstream media failed to recognize the threat to basic liberties that such gov- ernment actions portend. Having spent part of my ca- reer in Communist countries before, during and after the transition, I am particularly sensitive to the very thin line between a government that protects civil liberties and property and one that crushes them. Just look what has happened to Venezuela over the last few years. (There was a classic movie, “Lives of Others,” made in 2006 which does a magnificent job in portraying the abusive state.) One of the tools to keep government law enforce- ment and regulatory agen- cies in check is the budget process. Business students are taught that a budget is a planning document, a guide- line for future activities, and a tool of control within the organization to make sure that people are doing what is expected and not wan- dering into outside areas on their own whims. Mr. Mueller was charged with finding Russian collu- sion with the presidential campaign before and during the 2016 election. He managed to obtain a conviction of Paul Manafort for tax evasion that occurred long before the 2016 campaign and had nothing to do with Russian collusion. Such an investigation should have been funded under normal Department of Justice and IRS budgets where there was proper oversight, not by a rogue prosecutor operating without a budget. Budgets force discus- sions about the proper allo- cation of resources for activ- ities within the organization and, at least in theory, should reflect to some preliminary cost-benefit analysis. The Justice Department ought not to spend a million dol- lars chasing a potential tax cheat whose maximum lia- bility is $5,000. The public has no idea (and I would guess that Jus- tice Department does not have a much better idea ei- ther) of how much directly and indirectly Mr. Mueller spent to obtain his handful of convictions, but not one of them was part of his central task. The public has a right to know if these convictions met a basic cost-benefit test. Despite the press halo, Robert Mueller has a long record of poor judgments in chasing the wrong people at great cost (anthrax mailer, etc.). He served as head of the FBI from 2001 to 2013. During that time, Russian money found its way into U.S. environmental organi- zations that then appeared to have laundered it for po- litical purposes to help the Democrats. In the last several years, there were a number of articles on this issue, as well as congressional inquiries, all of which were stonewalled by the Justice Department. On Nov. 5, 2015, Mikhail Lesin, who conceived and cre- ated Russia Today (currently RT, the Russian government- funded international TV net- work that broadcasts in Eng- lish and other languages) and one-time head of Russian en- ergy giant Gazprom-Media, was murdered in a hotel in Washington, D.C. It was re- ported at the time that he was supposed to meet with the FBI the next day. He had been close to Russian Presi- dent Vladimir Putin and al- most certainly knew which Democratic and Republican organizations and individ- uals were receiving Rus- sian funds during Mr. Muel- ler’s stint as head of the FBI. The unsolved Lesin murder is likely to be more of the key to Russian political inter- ference than anything Roger Stone might know. Who, in the FBI, has a political in- terest in allocating (or mis- allocating) investigatory and budget resources? Richard W. Rahn is chairman of the Institute for Global Economic Growth and Improbable Success Productions. © 2019, The Washington Times, LLC. RICHARD W. RAHN Civil libertarians and others were correctly outraged about the heavy-handed tactics.The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2019 6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS National Gallery gets sponsorship for special needs art program MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com David Bridgeman grabs a handful of clay and holds it up so that the students sitting around the table at the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands art studio can see. “I want you to make it into a ball,” he says, as if it might be the most exciting thing he’ll do today. “Don’t throw it around the room.” He adds the latter com- mand while looking at a stu- dent who perhaps seems ready to do just that. “Slap it,” he says, smacking his hands against the developing sphere, “like this.” Not every student in the class is capable of doing what he asks. Most have lim- ited verbal skills. A few lack motor control. The group of clients from Sunrise Adult Training Centre are attending Bright Stars art program, a newly funded ini- tiative at the gallery, which caters to the developmen- tally disabled. Students from Lighthouse School, as well as homeschooled students and those in private care participate. “It’s an opportunity for them to express themselves in a way that they might not be able to otherwise,” says Mr. Bridgeman, a full-time artist who spent 16 years teaching primary and middle school students in Cayman. He has been a part-time in- structor at the National Gal- lery since 2006. Gallery director Natalie Urquhart said the Mourant law firm recently stepped for- ward to fund the program. It formalizes what were oc- casional offerings to the dis- abled community in the past. “It’s something we’ve been looking forward to launching,” Ms. Urquhart said. “It is a natural next step to make sure everyone in Cayman has access to the arts.” Art therapy has long been a part of many comprehen- sive programs for develop- mentally challenged people. Twila Rogers, a learning specialist with the Sunrise center, said the hour-long art sessions are a way for the center to broaden the arts and crafts it can offer its clients. “This is a way for them to come out and socialize and work independently,” she says. While she speaks, Mr. Bridgeman is helping the stu- dents roll their clay balls flat with a rolling pin. They then cut out a square from the flat piece of clay. Some are able to complete the task without much help, others need lots of assistance. “You’re going to take your scraps,” Mr. Bridgeman says, referring to the edges cut away from the square, “and make any shape or de- sign you like. You can make sausages,” he adds, rolling a piece of clay into a long roll. “Do you like sausages?” The student next to him smiles and nods. “I do too,” he says. He assists one stu- dent with contracted hands by holding a piece of clay against her palm and rolling it. He takes her other hand and helps her place the piece on the square of clay, making sure she makes an impres- sion in the clay. She smiles with an open mouth. One student, Josh Small, has a roll and two small balls on his square. “Josh, that’s exactly it,” Mr. Bridgeman says, his en- thusiasm never diminishing during the run of the class. He says he’s most in- terested in getting the stu- dents to engage. “I just try to get them to show some emotion and get them to respond to things,” he says. Sometimes he’s surprised at his success. One learning specialist recently told him he’d had a clear impact on a student. “She said, ‘She laughed so hard that her false teeth fell out,’” Mr. Bridgeman says. “That made the whole morning for me.” The group of clients from Sunrise Adult Training Centre are attending Bright Stars art program, a newly funded initiative at the gallery, which caters to the developmentally disabled. David Bridgeman, right, instructs students as Paula Bush listens. Sunrise employee William Delgaty assists Josh Small during the Bright Stars art class at the National Gallery. - PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY Employer sentenced for unlawful deductions Worker was charged for rent, utilities CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com An employer who pleaded guilty to two charges of making unlawful deductions from an employee’s pay was given a suspended sentence on Thursday and ordered to pay compensation. On behalf of Nadine’s Set Di Trend Beauty and Barber Salon, Belcia Auboine ad- mitted not paying an em- ployee between Nov. 4, 2015 and March 3, 2016. The matter first came to court in October 2016 and was originally set for trial in June 2017. At one stage, there was some question as to whether the salon was operational during the period of the al- leged offense. The proprietor had health issues that also caused sev- eral adjournments. Crown counsel Kerri-Ann Gillies told Magistrate Grace Donalds that the female com- plainant had been recruited from Jamaica. Indications were that she should send money for her work permit and airfare. When she arrived on island, she was not given a con- tract of employment, but was told she would be paid on commission. In March 2016, she de- clined to sign a contract because she was told she would not receive any remu- neration for the period since Nov. 4. She had received no wages. In a victim impact report, she said $1,567 would cover the payments she had made for her permit and its re- newal, plus wages. Defense attorney John Furniss explained that the worker and a relative had been staying at the pro- prietor’s premises and not paying rent. The money the worker earned by commission appar- ently equalled sums owed for rent and utilities. Mr. Furniss said his client had serious med- ical issues. She was willing to pay the amount sought, but asked for time. He also asked for no conviction to be recorded be- cause of the circumstances of the case. The magistrate said she did not consider this to be an appropriate case for such a disposal, but she did give the defendant three months to pay the $1,567. She imposed a prison sen- tence of two months for each offense, but suspended them for two years. A charge of failure to fur- nish statement of wages was left on file. In a victim impact report, she said $1,567 would cover the payments she had made for her permit and its renewal, plus wages. David Bridgeman shows students how to work with clay at the Bright Stars workshop.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2019 Our new home Welcome to SIX We are delighted to announce that we have relocated to SIX Cricket Square. Our move reflects much more than simply an expanded infrastructure. It is an investment that reflects our commitment to: • increase our collaborative and flexible work environment to attract, equip and inspire our people to reach their full potential; • deepen innovation and client engagement to ensure that our service approach and offerings align with our clients’ evolving needs; and • reinforce our positive impact in our community through our focus on education, development and the environment with our citizenship program. This milestone continues to strengthen our over 50 year commitment to Cayman. Our new address is: KPMG P.O. Box 493 Six Cricket Square Grand Cayman, KY1-1106 Cayman Islands kpmg.ky © 2019 KPMG, a Cayman Islands partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative, (KPMG International), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. The KPMG name, logo and “cutting through complexity” are registered trademarks or trademarks of KPMG International.8 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Albert Roy Nugent AKA “Skully” who passed away on Friday, January 18, 2019. A Thanksgiving Service will be held at Cayman Seafarers Association, Victory Avenue, PatricksIsland, Grand Cayman on Sunday, February 03, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. Viewing will be from 1:00 –2:00 p.m. Interment at: Prospect Cemetery Churchill’s Funeral Home Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com n The Family of the Late C. Linburgh Eden regrets to announce his passing on Tuesday, 29 January, 2019. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A funeral service will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, 2 February, 2019 at Savannah United Church Interment will follow in Tall Tree Cemetery. Government: Long-dormant anti-corruption law a ‘priority’ KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Government officials promised Wednesday in a Public Accounts Com- mittee hearing that govern- ment will soon reintroduce the long-dormant Standards of Public Life Law, a piece of legislation designed to pre- vent conflicts of interests in government. The original Standards in Public Life Law was passed in early 2014, but the legisla- tion was never put into effect, largely because of complaints from appointed members of boards and commissions serving at the request of politicians. The disclosures mandated by the initial law, board members argued, were far too broad – extending in some cases to distant rela- tions and employees of the board members. Under the 2016 amended legislation, board members do not have to declare mem- berships in any professional group, charity or special in- terest organization. Interest disclosure requirements for appointed board members extend only to their imme- diate family – spouses and dependents – and are to be declared only when the board member holds property or manages anything on be- half of that person or if that person manages something for the board member. PAC Chairman Ez- zard Miller commented on Wednesday that the amended version of the legislation is “watered down.” But those rules have not been enacted, either. Deputy Governor Franz Manderson said Wednesday that concerns persist about the 2016 amended legislation. He said board members are primarily concerned about disclosing their financial in- terests to the public. “They’re not concerned that they have to report a conflict; they’re concerned that they have to make their entire hold- ings public,” Mr. Manderson said. “We’re still working to have this addressed.” Mr. Manderson said he does not have a timeline for when a new Standards of Public Life Law will be pre- sented in the Legislative As- sembly, but that doing so is a priority for government. Cabinet Secretary Sam Rose made similar state- ments, saying Premier Alden McLaughlin has plans to re- view the law and is dis- cussing this with the at- torney general. The public can expect an announcement on this in the “not too distant future,” he said. Mr. Rose also disputed statements on a recently re- leased audit report on public corruption that there is a perception that some activ- ities, such as appointment of public officials, are open to corruption due to lack of transparency. “I believe this phrase- ology is very unfortunate,” said the cabinet secretary, saying that government has a strong anti-corrup- tion framework and is very transparent about how it appoints members to the boards of public entities. Auditor General Sue Win- spear rebutted Mr. Rose, however, saying that the per- ception about the appoint- ment of public officials is nevertheless present in the public. She said she is basing this assertion on the inter- views her office conducted for the report. The original Standards in Public Life Law was passed in early 2014, but the legislation was never put into effect, largely because of complaints from appointed members of boards and commissions serving at the request of politicians. Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose says an announcement on the Standards in Public Life legislation will be made in the ‘not too distant future.’ OBITUARY Remembering the life of Lerita Eden Submitted by husband Andrew Eden Arine Loretta “Lerita” Eden was born in George Town on Sept. 16, 1951. She was the daughter of Valda Arine Bodden and James Avanda Bodden. Lerita grew up on Bodden Road where she had many childhood memories playing with her friends Joy Merren, Gale Bush, the Douglas chil- dren and her cousins Connie (Marolyn) Bodden and Car- olyn Jackson (nee Bodden). Lerita attended the Govern- ment School, Ms. Gleeda’s School and the Secondary Modern School. At a young age, she be- came a sales clerk at Mr. Ar- thur’s Store in the evening, after school, and sold tickets at the Islander Theatre for Mr. Berkley Bush at night. She moved on to working for Yankee Notion Shoppe and Bodden Beverages, among others, over the years. I had been admiring the beautiful young lady from Bodden Road for a long time, and after sitting on the wall across from the Islander The- atre, where she sold tickets, I finally got the nerve to ask her to the movies in 1966 and she gladly accepted on a couple of occasions. Shortly after, I left to become a sea- farer and our paths never crossed again until April 1972 when I was home on vacation. We quickly rekin- dled our relationship and on July 7, 1973 we were united in marriage on my mother’s porch by Mr. Ernest Panton. Ten days later, I was back at sea and four weeks after that, Lerita joined me aboard the Universe Defender, thus starting her seafaring career. Over the next five years, Le- rita sailed with me on six dif- ferent super tankers – some- times nine or ten months of the year, she was out there with me. She enjoyed every minute of it, whether it was being lowered to the deck of the ship, by cable from a he- licopter, while the ship was under way off Tenerife in the Canary Islands or climbing 50 feet up to the deck on a pilot ladder in Palermo, Sicily – it was all fun. Lerita visited countries all over the world, from Kuwait to the Philippines, to most of Western Europe, many coun- tries in Africa, South America, and the Caribbean and all over the USA. Once we flew from Dubai to Beirut, Leb- anon, during the civil war there and we could hear the fighting going on and see the destruction all around. Being young, we were fearless. On June 24, 1978, our only child, Linbern Andrew Eden, was born and that brought a halt to her time at sea for a few years. Lerita’s final voyage with me was on board the Universe Burmah in Au- gust 1982 for a few weeks. I retired from sea at the end of 1982 to be with my family. Lerita managed a gift store in the Airport Departure Lounge for about 10 years during the late 1980s and 1990s and later worked at Pedro St. James Castle. In 2000, she opened her own store in the Departure Lounge called Black Coral Jewelry & Fine Gems Ltd., which she managed until the Departure Lounge closed for renovations at the end of 2017. Lerita also owned a gift and bike rental store in the Jack & Jill building down- town which was aptly named “Lerita’s.” Lerita was a true am- bassador for tourism in the Cayman Islands. In 1997, she was given the Melvin Jones Fellow award by the Lions Club of Grand Cayman for her service to the club and the community. She loved to cook and en- tertain her friends and family whenever she could. She loved to dance and was al- ways welcoming and friendly to everyone that she met. One of her greatest joys was taking care of her two grand- children, Jaelin and Jayzin. We were married for 45 years, six months and 10 days. On Jan. 17, 2019 we were lying in bed, holding hands and talking until 6 a.m. At 6:15 a.m., her breathing slowed, and she quietly passed away at the age of 67 years, four months and one day. She was the love of my life and will always be missed. Lerita will always be re- membered and greatly missed by husband Andrew Eden, son Linbern Eden, grandchildren Jaelin and Jayzin Eden, sister Uldene Peckham and her family of Gloucester, Massachusetts, sister-in-law Velma Chris- tian and her family, brothers- in-law Allan and Alexander Eden and their families, spe- cial niece Lana Ebanks and her husband William and daughter Joni, and a host of other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her sister Caroline and her brothers Edward and Irvin. May her loving soul rest in peace. Lerita visited countries all over the world, from Kuwait to the Philippines, to most of Western Europe, many countries in Africa, South America, and the Caribbean and all over the USA. Arine Loretta ‘Lerita’ Eden, Sept. 16, 1951 to Jan. 17, 20199 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2019 DEDICATION. TO THEIR TEAM. TO THEIR CAREER. TO DART. Dart is honoured to congratulate and thank these 17 individuals for their 220 collective years of experience and long-standing dedication to the Dart organisation. At Dart, we provide a meaningful and fulfilling work environment for our people – they are at the core of our business, they are the cornerstone of our success. 17 PEOPLE. 1 COMMON VALUE. LESLIE ARNOTT 20 YEARS JOANNE LAWSON 15 YEARS SAI NIDVAL 10 YEARS ANAND ADAPA 15 YEARS STACEY BUSSEY 10 YEARS GLENISHA POWELL 10 YEARS CINDY TIOFILO 20 YEARS WILLIAM SULLIVAN 15 YEARS RODERICK PIERSON 10 YEARS MARK DEDRICK 15 YEARS JOAN DOWLING 10 YEARS JEFFERY WIGHT 10 YEARS JACKIE DOAK 15 YEARS DUSHANE HAYE 10 YEARS SHYNECKA WILLIAMS 10 YEARS CAMERON GRAHAM 15 YEARS CHRISTOPHER LIMBERGER 10 YEARS DRUG, GAMBLING ARRESTS MADE IN EASTERN DISTRICTS Police made a number of arrests in relation to drug and gambling offenses in the eastern districts over the weekend. According to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice, officers carried out two operations in response to concerns from members of the community about “antisocial behavior and il- legal activity.” On Friday, Jan. 25, they conducted an operation at Coe Wood Beach in Bodden Town where they recov- ered several lottery tickets, receipt books and lottery books, along with a quan- tity of cash. Four people, including a 48-year-old George Town man, a 26-year-old Bodden Town man, a 26-year-old West Bay woman and a 56-year-old Bodden Town woman, were arrested on suspicion of unlawful gaming and possession of criminal property. They were later granted bail as investiga- tions continue. On Sunday, Jan. 27, of- ficers conducted a search under the Misuse of Drugs Law at an address in the vicinity of Further Road, North Side, in response to concerns from members of the community about the selling of drugs in the area. During the search, con- ducted with the assistance of K-9 officers, a quantity of ganja and containers were found in and around the premises, along with a ganja plant. A quantity of cash was also recovered. Two men, aged 56 and 24 of North Side, were taken into police custody. The 56-year-old has been charged with posses- sion of ganja and appeared in court Wednesday. The 24-year-old was granted police bail. Civil servants given day off for anti-fraud training KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com As of last September, only 19 percent of Cayman’s 3,950 civil servants had completed government’s fraud-aware- ness training – an online course on the 2017 anti-fraud policy, which is designed to curtail corruption. To boost those num- bers, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson offered civil ser- vants what he described as a “carrot”: a day off from work in exchange for completing the training. Mr. Manderson told this to the Public Accounts Com- mittee on Wednesday in re- sponse to questions from MLA Austin Harris about what is being done to increase the number of civil servants who have completed govern- ment’s anti-fraud training. The training is an on- line overview of the anti- fraud policy, anti-fraud code of business ethics, anti-fraud whistleblower policy, and the policy on offering or receiving hospitality, entertainment or gifts. Civil servants then take a test on the course’s content. In response to Mr. Har- ris’s initial question, Mr. Man- derson said not every civil ser- vant has a computer at work, so he allowed them to take the training as groups. Because the civil servants took the training as groups, he did not know how many have completed the training, but said he thinks it was the majority of them. However, Mr. Harris said he wanted “the record to show” that Mr. Manderson also used another method of encouragement. “It wasn’t so much a lack of a computer, but your en- ticement was you gave them a discretionary day off work, which of course everyone jumped at and took advan- tage of the opportunity,” said the opposition legislator. Mr. Manderson admitted that this was the case, but said he wanted to clarify the situation. For the last three or four years, he said, he has given civil servants a day off “in the very slow periods of Christmas” if they performed adequately at their jobs. “So it was based on your performance on your annual performance agreement. So anyone who got a 3 – which means you did your job – and above, were given the day off,” he said. “And that was a good incentive and we saw an increase in performance as a result.” But because gov- ernment has changed the timing of its financial year, there was no performance re- view in December and thus no days to give off based on that review, he said. “So I decided to use this policy as the carrot instead, and I must say the response was overwhelming,” the deputy governor said. “So I don’t want to give the impression that I just gave everybody a day off. It was based on doing some- thing substantial – and for me, that was going to benefit the civil service as a whole.” WOMAN ARRESTED FOR DRUG CHARGES ON BRAC Police and customs of- ficers arrested a 31-year- old woman on Cayman Brac on Friday following a drug operation. The officers conducted an operation at a residence on Dantzler Drive following in- formation and complaints from the community re- garding drug activity in the area, police said in a press release. The premises were searched under the Misuse of Drugs Law and a quan- tity of substances appearing to be ecstasy, cocaine and ganja were recovered. The woman was arrested on suspicion of possession and consumption of ecstasy, cocaine and ganja. She was released on police bail. Police made six arrests over the weekend in the eastern districts. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYNext >