High of 86 Low of 74 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 DISABILITIES STUDY SHOULD BE PUBLIC INFORMATION WORLD | PAGE 11 WIKILEAKS’ ASSANGE JAILED FOR 50 WEEKS FOR JUMPING BAIL ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY MAY 2, 2019 Regulated in the Cayman Islands as a licensed insurer by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. Generali Worldwide is a trading name of Utmost Worldwide Limited. Registered Head Office address: Utmost Worldwide Limited, Utmost House, Hirzel Street, St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands GY1 4PA. Regulated in Guernsey as a licensed insurer by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission under the Insurance Business (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2002 (as amended). Incorporated in Guernsey under Company Registration No. 27151. Jump. Wave. Hydrate. Ready for di road! www.generali-healthcare.com Burglary rate hits 18-year low Cruise port referendum campaign creeps towards target REPORT: PENSION LIABILITIES TO COST $368M OVER 20 YEARS JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Door by door, signature by signature, campaigners are inching towards their target of a people-initiated referendum on the controversial cruise port project planned for George Town harbour. The group Cruise Port Referendum Cayman announced Tuesday that it has reviewed and verified over 90% of the pe- tition signatures required to a trigger a public vote under section 70 of the Consti- tution. Group members say they are now within 500 signatures of reaching the re- quired threshold of 25% of the electorate, estimated at 5,288 based on electoral roll records at the time the campaign began. Members of the group were joined by legislator Kenneth Bryan as they went door-to-door in central George Town last weekend. Bryan said those efforts would con- tinue until the campaigners hit their target. He said he was still finding people in his constituency who were unaware of all the issues and had not yet had a chance to sign the petition. “I was pleased with the response at the weekend,” Bryan said. “I genuinely believe that the people of this country want to have their say on this issue. I believe in direct democracy. If this is something that is good for the country, then there should be no problem Speeding tickets triple amid clampdown on the roads JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Police are crediting the arrest and impris- onment of a significant number of prolific of- fenders with causing a sharp drop in the bur- glary rate across the Cayman Islands. There were 390 burglaries in the terri- tory last year, compared with 595 in 2017, according to a comprehensive crime statis- tics report published Wednesday by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. Detectives said 40 people were brought before the courts on burglary charges in 2018. Among them were several known re- peat offenders with a record of committing multiple burglaries. Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said, “We did have some significant arrests during the year. We have prolific recidivist offenders op- erating and they have been targeted by our crime task force and our Criminal Investiga- tions Department with good success.” He acknowledged the burglary rate could fluctuate as high-profile offenders move in and out of prison, but said his of- ficers were working hard to target repeat offenders and reduce the number of break- ins at homes and businesses. Police also believe new community of- ficers and a fast-growing network of neigh- bourhood watch schemes have helped im- pact the burglary rate. Bodden Town, which was one of the worst-affected areas for burglaries in 2017, saw the biggest decrease. There were 67 break-ins in the district in 2018 compared with 157 the previous year. The crime stats, which cover every offence committed in the Cayman Islands in 2018, Government not following consultant’s advice for addressing shortfall KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com A valuation report on the territory’s public pensions calls for government to spend more than $368 million over the next 20 years – more than $18.4 million annually – to address the pensions’ combined funding shortfall of $197.2 million. However, government has not been meeting that target in recent years. While this will not immediately pose any difficulties for govern- ment to meet its monthly pension obligations, in the future it may mean that government must spend even more than $18.4 million annually to address the shortfall. The information about the pensions plans was made public last month when Finance Minister Roy McTaggart presented the valuation report, which is released every three years. He explained that the funds have a combined $197.2 million de- ficiency because civil servants accrued benefits be- fore the funds were established. The public service pension plan was not established until 1990, and so the benefits promised by government to civil servants before that time were unfunded. This defi- ciency is referred to as a ‘past service liability’. McTaggart said last month that the defi- ciency is “not a cause for alarm” because gov- ernment is spending extra money to address the unfunded liabilities. “The existence of an actuarial deficiency is not a reason for immediate concern because the government does have some time to eliminate the deficiency and is taking actions to do so,” he said PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » Cruise ships line up off George Town Harbour on Wednesday morning. - PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKE2 REGIONAL NEWS THURSDAY MAY 2, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS versation was brief and didn’t touch on Puerto Rico. An aide to another lawmaker present said Trump told the group, “I’ll stay out of it, just get it done.” The aide spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a pri- vate meeting. At issue is a $14 billion – and growing – disaster aid measure that was blocked by Senate Democrats earlier this month in the standoff over Puerto Rico. Democrats are demanding additional funding to help repair Puerto Rico’s water systems and to give the cash-poor island disaster aid on more generous terms. Trump has already agreed to $600 million in food aid to re- store cuts to the island’s food stamp benefits. Democrats are also upset that the Department of Housing and Urban Develop- ment, which dispenses block grants for rebuilding projects, has been slow to award the funding that lawmakers have already approved. “Congress appropriated $19.9 billion in Community Development Block Grant funding over a year ago for the victims of two devas- tating hurricanes that struck the American citizens of Puerto Rico,” said Jay Tilton, a spokesman for ranking Ap- propriations Democrat Pat- rick Leahy of Vermont. “In that time, HUD has denied the is- land access to all but 7 per- cent of that funding. If the Re- publican proposal provides new funding to Puerto Rico, we need to make sure the is- land will actually receive it.” The legislation also com- bines aid to Southern farmers, California communities devas- tated by last summer’s wildfire, and hurricane-hit states such as Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. Hurricane-damaged military bases in Florida and North Carolina would receive rebuilding funds. The House passed the measure in January and has scheduled a vote next week on an expanded bill with $3 billion for Midwestern states such as Iowa and Ne- braska that were recently hit by spring flooding. Senate Re- publicans, however, want to move more quickly and pass the bill through their chamber that the Democratic-controlled House would simply OK and send straight to Trump. WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House is displaying new flexibility on giving disaster aid to hurricane- ravaged Puerto Rico as President Donald Trump’s GOP allies increasingly lose patience with a weeks- long standoff over a widely backed bill. A new Senate GOP offer is aimed at breaking the logjam and offers greater flexibility in delivering al- ready-appropriated funding to Puerto Rico. Trump has feuded with Democratic of- ficials on the US territory and has sharply criticised Puerto Rico’s handling of the disaster. But the latest offer, re- layed Monday in a meeting of the chairman and top Democrat of the Senate Ap- propriations Committee, has not won over Democrats, ac- cording to party aides. They are reviewing the latest plan but are looking for changes to make sure the money for Puerto Rico does not get hung up by bureau- cratic snags. The admin- istration has been slow to dispense money that is been already approved. Patience is running out among a group of Senate Republicans from states hit hard by hurricanes last fall, including Trump allies like David Perdue of Georgia and Rick Scott of Florida, because the legislation in- cludes aid to the mainland US as well. A meeting with Trump almost three weeks ago was supposed to jump- start negotiations, but no progress was made during a two-week recess, top aides said. “We’re talking about a disastrous failure of the government of the United States of America to re- spond to the needs of the people,” said Sen. Johnny Isakson, Georgia Repub- lican. “I don’t want to leave this Friday without us having done something.” Trump himself raised the issue in a meeting with Democrats on Monday. “He did express a concern that that needed to be passed,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Maryland Democrat, though the con- BREAKTHROUGH (PG) 1:25 I 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 SUN: 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 KALANK (PG) 3:10 I 9:00 (SAT ONLY) I 9:30 (NO SAT) SUN: 3:10 I 9:20 LITTLE (PG13) 12:30 I 3:25 (SAT ONLY) I 3:50 (NO SAT) 6:50 I 9:45 SUN: 3:50 I 6:50 I 9:35 DUMBO(PG) 10:30 (SAT ONLY) I 4:35 I 7:15 (NO SAT) SUN: 4:35 I 7:15 CAPTAIN MARVEL(PG13) 1:40 I 10:00 (NO SAT) SUN: 6:30 I 10:00 THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA (R) 1:10 VIP I 4:35 I 7:00 VIP I 10:15 HELLBOY (R) 12:35 (SAT ONLY) I 1:00 I 6:10 (SAT ONLY) I 6:45 SHAZAM! (PG13) 1:30 I 3:40 VIP I 7:15 I 9:30 VIP SUN: 3:40 VIP I 4:40 I 6:40 VIP • 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. - THURSDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) AVENGERS: END GAME (PG13) 1:00 I 2:00 VIP I 2:50 I 5:00 3D 6:30 3D I 9:00 BREAKTHROUGH (PG) 12:45 I 3:45 I 6:50 I 9:40 THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA (R) 12:30 I 4:05 I 10:20 LITTLE (PG13) 9:20 CAPTAIN MARVEL (PG13) 1:10 SHAZAM! (PG13) 6:45 I 9:45 Trump’s GOP allies press for action on disaster aid bill REGIONAL BRIEFS Honduras withdraws health, school privatisation TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) – Legislators in Honduras have struck down laws that could have privatised some health and education services, after protests left some govern- ment offices burned and some businesses looted. The protests occurred largely in the capital of Te- gucigalpa on Monday. On Tuesday, Congress voted unanimously to strike down the laws that had been ap- proved last week. The governing party’s congressional head, Mau- ricio Oliva, said the move was made “to bring peace to the country”. Government workers con- cerned about being laid off had burned offices of the local government and the state telephone company and broken windows at some businesses. The government had denied the laws would cause big layoffs. Health workers associa- tion leader Suyapa Figueroa says workers “are willing to dialog”. El Salvador: Violent gangs pressure president-elect SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) – Salvadoran President Sal- vador Sánchez Cerén says street gangs are attacking po- lice to try to force his suc- cessor to negotiate with them. President-elect Nayib Bukele is scheduled to take of- fice June 1, and Sánchez Cerén said Tuesday that the gangs “are using threat to blackmail the incoming government to negotiate with them”. On Monday, a street gang put a fake body in an aban- doned car to lure police of- ficers into a car-bomb at- tack that wounded two policemen. Over the weekend, suspected gang members killed two off-duty police and three soldiers. National police director Howard Cotto says the at- tacks were the work of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, known as MS-13. In 2012, the govern- ment of a previous presi- dent negotiated a truce with gangs that included giving gang leaders greater lib- erty in prison. Brazil to slash funding of universities by 30% RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Educa- tion officials for Brazil’s far- right government say they are planning to slash the budget of federal universi- ties by 30%. Education Minister Abraham Weintraub told O Estado de S. Paulo news- paper three top universities are being targeted. The min- istry’s chief of higher edu- cation told a television sta- tion later Tuesday it would affect all federal universi- ties and institutions linked to the ministry. Weintraub has com- plained about political ac- tivism at the schools. On Tuesday, he said, “The univer- sity must have a surplus of money to be making such a mess and organising ridicu- lous events.” President Jair Bolsonaro recently tweeted that funding for sociology and philosophy studies could be eliminated. University officials say the cuts could affect schol- arships, utility services and maintenance. Administration officials have said they want to up- root “Marxist ideology” from schools. In this Nov. 15, 2017 photo, buildings with their roofs damaged by the winds of Hurricane Maria are shown still exposed to weather conditions, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. - PHOTO: AP Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro A Salvadoran policeman reviews the remains of a car that exploded as authorities were responding to a report of a vehicle with a corpse inside, in Soyapango, El Salvador, Monday. - PHOTO: AP3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY MAY 2, 2019 NOTICE TO THE MEMBERS OF CAYMAN NATIONAL PENSION FUND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Notice is hereby given of the Annual General Meeting of Members of the Cayman National Pension Fund Ltd. to be held Thursday, 9th May, 2019, in the Cayman National Building, 4th Floor Board Room, Elgin Avenue, George Town, Grand Cayman at 4pm. The Agenda is set out below: - AGENDA 1. Review the Minutes of the last Members Meeting held on the 9th May, 2018 and any matters arising. 2. Receive Audited Financial Statements for the period ended 30th September 2018. 3. Report from Investment Committee. 4. Trustee Elections: Chris Gunby retires by rotation and is eligible for re-election. 5. Any other competent business. Tennis club manager gets 6 years, 8 months for thefts Offences were gross breach of trust, judge says CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Robert Todd Seward, 48, was sentenced on Tuesday to a prison term of six years, eight months after pleading guilty to thefts and other fi- nancial crimes against the Cayman Islands Tennis Club, where he had worked as gen- eral manager and tennis pro for over nine years. He was responsible for managing the day-to-day fi- nances of the club. The thefts occurred during a period of just under three years and involved a total of $280,908, starting in January 2015. One indictment concerned a total of $116,398 and Justice Michael Wood accepted that this amount had been repaid. Seward was arrested in January last year and for- mally charged in May. Three guilty pleas were entered to charges of uttering a forged document – forging the club treasurer’s signa- ture. One of the banks where the club had accounts ac- cepted that they had failed to make proper checks when Se- ward presented cheques for various withdrawals. On this basis, the bank re- paid the club $81,000. The judge imposed dif- ferent sentences for the var- ious thefts, making them con- current with the highest term of four years, eight months. The judge said the single aggravating feature was the forging of the treasurer’s sig- nature and he made that sen- tence of two years run con- secutively, for the total six years, eight months. Defence attorney Prathna Bodden spoke in mitigation. No reasons for the thefts were given. Seward told investiga- tors that he had intended to repay the money, saying it was stolen for an investment scheme in Cayman. However, he refused to name the recip- ients of the cash payments or to provide details of the na- ture of the investments. Crown counsel Toyin Salako conducted the case for the prosecution. Arrangements have not yet been made for a confisca- tion hearing. The thefts occurred during a period of just under three years and involved a total of $280,908, starting in January 2015. Overstayer arrested for stolen beach bag An overstayer who stole a woman’s bag from Seven Mile Beach while she was swimming has been sen- tenced to deportation. The bag owner had noti- fied police officers on beach foot patrols of the theft on March 27. Police said in a statement that a man “be- having suspiciously in the area was seen and was pur- sued, but not apprehended”. After examining CCTV from the area and receiving information from the com- munity, police went to a location on Powell Smith Drive in West Bay on April 23, where the stolen bag was recovered. Officers ar- rested a 30-year-old Ja- maican man living nearby on suspicion of theft and booked him into custody. They then discovered that the man was overstaying in the Cayman Islands, and the Customs and the Border Control Enforcement De- partment was notified. When police obtained a search warrant and searched the residence, they recovered items that had been inside the bag. The man pleaded guilty to theft and overstaying. He received an adult caution and has been sentenced to deportation. He is expected to leave the island soon, police said. “This case shows that keeping our beautiful beaches theft-free is a group effort,” said Robert Graham, superintendent of Uniform Operations. “Thanks to the immediacy of the initial report from the visitor, and the information received from the commu- nity, [Community Policing Patrol] officers were able to track the offender, make an arrest, recover stolen prop- erty and identify a separate immigration offence. This is a good example of the kind of enforcement we can de- liver together.” After examining CCTV from the area and rceiving information from the community, police went to a location on Powell Smith Drive ... where the stolen bag was recovered. Pinnacle dress-down days benefit local charities Pinnacle Media recently launched a charity dress- down day to benefit local organisations. Held on the last Friday of every month, a different charity is chosen to receive funds donated by Pinnacle staff and the public. Pinnacle invites the com- munity to join in the charity drive each month. Those who stop by Pinnacle Media’s of- fices on Shedden Road and do- nate to the chosen charity re- ceive a free Friday newspaper. Pinnacle’s most re- cent charity dress-down day was held in April and raised $117.52 for the Na- tional Council of Voluntary Organisations. The next dress-down day is Friday, May 31. Funds are earmarked for Canine Friends, a foster- based dog rescue group that partners with shel- ters in the US and Canada for adoptions. Pinnacle Media’s Marketing and Sales Supervisor Taylor Vaughn, left, presents funds raised through its charity dress-down day to NCVO CEO Miriam Foster. - PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKE Robert Seward, seen here playing at the Cayman Islands Tennis Club in 2013, where he worked for nine years. He was arrested for stealing from the club in January last year and sentenced this week.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion & Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited 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 PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” When government uses public funds to study an issue of public interest, the product belongs to the people. Transparency is a philosophical cornerstone of any democratic society and the default set by Cayman’s Freedom of Information law. So why has government refused to share the results of a nearly 10-year-old study about our islands’ disability provision? Cetonya Cacho, the acting chief officer for the Ministry of Education, recently told a Cayman Compass reporter it was because the study forms part of the Outline Business Case for a much-needed new Sunrise Adult Training Facility, currently under deliber- ation by Caucus and Cabinet. But government has had nearly 10 years to release the report, and we see no compelling reason for the delay. As the Compass reported this week, Deloitte’s analysis occurred in 2010. Some results of that study were discussed in Finance Committee hearings four years later. Government did not announce until May 2016 that an outline business case would be formed for Sunrise’s long-promised permanent home. In our view, there is a clear public interest in dis- closing the study’s findings. At minimum, we presume it would help the public understand current shortcom- ings in services to people with disabilities. As the Compass reported last October, Sunrise’s cramped and ageing facilities are interfering with the programme’s ability to deliver occupational therapies and other valuable programs to this vulnerable popu- lation. Dozens of potential clients are on a waiting list – a number which could exceed 150 within the next decade. There are inadequate kitchen and washroom facilities, and serious security and fire safety concerns that seem difficult to address, if not impossible, in the current space. We would expect that these and other issues would be identified and explored in the 2010 study. But rather than trusting the public with its findings, it is only through occasional public utter- ances, such as the premier’s most recent Strategic Policy Statement, that we have been offered any insight, at all. In his statement, Premier Alden McLaughlin announced that a new Sunrise Adult Training Centre will be built by early 2021, adding, “It will include better and more modern equipment, and significantly enhance the opportunities available for learning and personal development for the some 150 adults to which the facility will cater.” That certainly is good news. But such announcements are no substitute for gov- ernment transparency in this instance or any other. Without a compelling justification for privacy, the public has a right to know how government is carrying out our work. Unless disclosure of documents might prejudice security, defence or international relations, jeopardise the effectiveness of law enforcement operations, reveal trade secrets, breach legal professional privi- lege or amount to unreasonable disclosure of personal information, or meet other legal thresholds for specific exemptions, they ought to be released to the public. In fact, Cayman’s FOI law goes so far as to command to proactively make important public infor- mation available, rather than wait for a request. Disabilities study should be public information THURSDAY MAY 2, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Huawei is being held to an impossible standard LEONID BERSHIDSKY The Bloomberg report of persistent vulnerabili- ties found in Huawei tele- communications equipment by major telecom operator Vodafone highlights the Chinese vendor’s current problem: While its competi- tors are given the benefit of the doubt when their prod- ucts are found vulnerable, Huawei is held to impos- sible standards for polit- ical reasons. This is a problem that probably cannot be solved on a technical level. Huawei will have to drop any legacy resistance to stringent tests by clients and regulators and make more of an ef- fort to clean up its soft- ware, but at the same time, European countries in particular should expect subtle pressure from China to treat Huawei like any other vendor. The US is not the only country that can play that game. The headlines that in- clude the words ‘Huawei’ and ‘backdoor’ look damning given the US government’s insistence that US allies view Huawei as a security threat. But it’s not at all un- usual for backdoors – soft- ware vulnerabilities that allow third-party access to a piece of equipment – to be found in the products of other major suppliers, too. Last year, Cisco Systems – with a long history of its equipment being exploited by US and other spy agen- cies – removed no fewer than seven backdoors from var- ious products. In February, security firm Tenable Re- search discovered backdoors in Nokia routers that, like the Huawei vulnerabilities found by Vodafone, allowed potential attackers access via the Telnet protocol. It’s standard for equip- ment vendors to warn in- vestors of such vulnerability risks. Here’s the language from Ericsson’s 2018 an- nual report: “It is possible that a cy- bersecurity incident in Er- icsson’s supply chain could have an adverse impact on Ericsson’s ability to deliver products or services to Er- icsson’s customers. These incidents may include tam- pering with components, the inclusion of backdoors or implants, the unintentional inclusion of vulnerabilities in components or software and cybersecurity incidents … Products and infrastruc- ture used by Ericsson may contain vulnerabilities that can be leveraged by a threat actor. In some situations, it may be impossible to detect these vulnerabilities due to their location, or due to the fact that they are unknown vulnerabilities.” Software is developed by humans, who will, some- times inadvertently and sometimes on purpose, roll out releases with backdoors in them – often for past or future servicing and main- tenance needs. But the tel- ecom industry’s problem goes beyond human error, la- ziness and malicious intent. Its fundamental services are based on dated protocols. As GSMA, the global tel- ecom operator’s lobby, wrote in its most recent threat re- port, “Many of these pro- tocols are dated and were implemented without an authority model but relied on assumed trust within a closed industry. Couple this insecurity with their essen- tial nature to operate many network functions and any security threats realized against these services will have a high impact.” Since the protocols will continue to be used, even the most vigilant telecom opera- tors face high security risks. The widespread reliance on vulnerable open source software is another source of problems. But while Western equip- ment vendors and the mo- bile operators themselves are expected to deal with these issues to the best of their ability and at their own pace, with inevitable setbacks now and then, that is no longer the case with Huawei. Any security problem, any failure to de- tect a backdoor and close it will be used as proof that the vendor is an arm of Chi- nese intelligence. That im- poses tough demands on Huawei if it wants to keep its leadership in the telecom equipment industry and avoid government bans. Intention matters. The Bloomberg report has the company telling a major client that it’s fixed a vul- nerability when it had not. If that was an inten- tional deception, that is bad enough. It was at least a poor decision; but in view of the evolved US position, that kind of thing is imper- missible now. Of course, Huawei’s polit- ical problem is not really for the firm to solve. No matter what the Chinese company does, the current US admin- istration will keep going after it for a mix of national security, trade and competi- tion-related reasons which are hard to separate from each other. This requires a pointed response from China, and such a response will undoubtedly follow. The UK, where Vodafone is based, will be more ex- posed to the competing US and Chinese pressures than most other countries if it goes through with Brexit. It will lose the EU’s protec- tion but its market is suffi- ciently large for both the US and China to try to impose their terms of trade. The US is already warning the UK of possible cuts in intelli- gence sharing if it does not drop Huawei, but if it caves, the probability of a favour- able post-Brexit trade and investment deal with China will recede. Even so, Huawei cannot rely solely on its home na- tion’s support. It needs a conscious effort to build trust. The Chinese vendor might be well-advised to borrow a page from Cis- co’s book: The US company is combing systematically through all its software, re- porting and fixing the vul- nerabilities it finds. That kind of exercise would not resolve Huawei’s American problem, but it would go a long way towards keeping other clients, major mo- bile networks, on its side against any government meddling. The Chinese firm is being too defensive and not open enough, and that needs to change. Leonid Bershidsky is Bloomberg Opinion’s Europe columnist. He was the founding editor of the Russian business daily Vedomosti and founded the opinion website Slon.ru. No matter what the Chinese company does, the current US administration will keep going after it for a mix of national security, trade and competition-related reasons[.]5 LOCAL®IONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY MAY 2, 2019 Man sentenced to 39 months in jail for sexual assault CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com After a Grand Court jury convicted him of indecent assault, Corey Robert Dodge was sentenced this week to three years, three months imprisonment. Dodge had pleaded not guilty, saying he thought that what occurred was consensual. The offence took place at the home of a friend of Dodge’s, whom he was vis- iting. The victim was already there. There was no evidence she and Dodge knew each other before that night. At some point, the woman asked her host if she could lie down for a while before going home. She then went into the host’s bedroom. Later, other guests and occupants left the premises. Dodge also left, but returned. No one else was present when he re-entered the prem- ises. He went to the bedroom and the assault took place. In passing sentence, Jus- tice Marlene Carter said the offence appeared to have been opportunistic and it was quite possible that al- cohol was a major factor. The woman had been the victim of a previous sexual assault and this incident had a significant impact on her, the judge noted. A victim impact statement indicated that she felt socially alien- ated, embarrassed, ashamed and unable to get back to her previous level of func- tioning. She had lost her self- confidence and was subject to panic attacks when ap- proached by a man. The judge described the woman as a vulnerable victim, in part because, “This complainant believed she was safe and she had a right to that expectation.” The judge accepted that Dodge had worked in Cayman a number of years, he had no previous con- victions, he had expressed victim empathy in his social inquiry report, and he felt extremely remorseful that the woman had felt violated. He said he did not mean to hurt her. The maximum sen- tence for indecent assault is 10 years, the judge explained. Cases with a similar level of harm and defendant cul- pability have attracted sen- tences in the range of one to four years. On this basis, she imposed the term of three years, three months. HSM articled clerk called to Bar HSM articled clerk Suneeta Lee was called to the Bar on Wednesday, having completed her articles at the law firm. Her admission was moved by HSM Senior Associate and Principal Sarah-Jane Allison, who summarised her qual- ifications for Justice Che- ryll Richards. Lee joined the firm in June 2016 as a legal intern and started her clerkship in Oc- tober 2017. During her time at HSM, she covered a wide range of practice areas, in- cluding intellectual property, debt collection, litigation, corporate services, property, immigration and employ- ment, according to a press re- lease from the law firm. She graduated from the Truman Bodden Law School in 2017, attaining a Distinc- tion in the Professional Prac- tice Course. She was awarded the OL Panton Memorial Prize for best overall perfor- mance on the Professional Practice Course 2016/2017 and the Attorney General’s Trophy for outstanding per- formance in the qualifying examination. She also at- tended the Truman Bodden Law School from 2013-2016 and attained an LLB (Hons) degree from the University of Liverpool. Addressing the court, Lee said, “I recognise and accept the responsibility that comes with being an officer of the Court. I would like to thank Huw Moses and the partners and management of HSM for giving me the opportu- nity to work for such an in- credible firm.” Since HSM opened its doors in 2012, this is the second articled clerk to be called to the Cayman Islands Bar. Majdi Beji was the first and remains at the firm. Lee will be joining HSM as an associate in the property division, assisting with devel- opment transactions, acquisi- tions and disposals, as well as landlord/tenant matters across residential and com- mercial properties. Managing Partner Huw Moses said, “Our firm con- tinues to grow with a quali- fied local attorney and we couldn’t be more proud of Suneeta. I look forward to working with her in serving our valued clients.” Man found dead in Frank Sound area Police are investigating the death of 63-year-old man found at a home on Frank Sound Road on Tuesday. Officials said they re- ceived a 3pm call reporting that the man had been found unresponsive. He was later pronounced dead. It was the second such call in the same day. Ear- lier, a 51-year-old Jamaican man was found unrespon- sive in his Bodden Town area home after he did not show up to work. He too was later pronounced dead. A police spokesman said both incidents are under investigation but do not ap- pear to be related. CONCH, WHELK SEASON CLOSES UNTIL NOVEMBER The annual conch and whelk season is offi- cially closed. Cayman’s open season for conch and whelk, which runs from Nov. 1 to April 30, closed on Wednesday. Anyone pos- sessing, attempting to sell or attempting to buy lo- cally caught conch or whelks during the closed seasons will face prose- cution under the National Conservation Law, ac- cording to the Department of Environment. The DoE is also re- minding the public that lobster season is now closed and will not reopen until Dec. 1. “These closed seasons for each species usually co- incide with that species’ annual mating and repro- ductive season, which is important for us because it gives the species a chance to replenish and increase their numbers,” said Envi- ronment Minister Dwayne Seymour in a statement. To report poaching, call 911 or DoE enforcement officers on Grand Cayman at 916-4271 or on Little Cayman at 925-0185. HSM associate Suneeta Lee, second from left, at her admission to the Bar on Wednesday, with, from left, HSM associate Hilary Brooks, Justice Cheryll Richards and HSM senior associate Sarah Allison. Conch and whelk season is now closed. The Law Courts Building in downtown George Town. In passing sentence, Justice Marlene Carter said the offence appeared to have been opportunistic and it was quite possible that alcohol was a major factor. RIGHTS GROUP ALARMED BY OUSTER OF BOLIVIAN JUDGES LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) – A prominent human rights group said Monday that Bolivia has undermined ju- dicial independence by ar- bitrarily dismissing nearly 100 judges since 2017 and it asked the Organization of American States to ad- dress the issue. Human Rights Watch said the judges were not given any reason for the dismissals by a Magistrates Council dominated by allies of President Evo Morales. It said even judges who supposedly had permanent positions have been ousted. Government officials contacted by The Associ- ated Press said they would have no comment before reading the report. The New York-based or- ganisation noted that the OAS Democratic Charter calls for the “separation of powers and independ- ence of the branches of government” and said sev- eral international treaties signed by Bolivia demand an independent and impar- tial judiciary. Judges who can be re- placed by officials “are much more vulnerable to pressure that the govern- ment can exercise”, said the organization’s Americas di- rector, Jose Miguel Vivanco. “HRW has received credible complaints of pressure by senior government officials for judges to try opponents.” He also cited a Consti- tutional Tribunal ruling de- claring that Morales has a “human right” to run for re- election indefinitely despite a constitutional ban.THURSDAY MAY 2, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or non-profit organisations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Road or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. THURSDAY, MAY 2 FISHING TOURNAMENT: The 2019 Cayman Islands International Fishing Tournament begins today, and continues through to May 5. Visit www.fishcayman.com for more details. FRIDAY, MAY 3 CHILD MONTH: Trivia Game Night, Bodden Town/ Savannah, Savannah United Church, 6-9:30pm. Organised by the Department of Children and Family Services to celebrate Child Month. SATURDAY, MAY 4 BATABANO CARNIVAL: Cayman’s national Batabano carnival street parade begins at 1pm at Public Beach, West Bay Road, and ends at the harbourfront in downtown George Town. After the parade, it’s time for the Last Lap party, featuring three stages and music in the streets until midnight. No cover charge. A food festival on Cardinall Avenue offers local, Caribbean and international dishes until 11:30pm. CHILD MONTH: Inter- generational Cook-off, Lighthouse School, 6-8pm. DEALS ON WHEELS: The Red Cross Thrift Shop’s mobile shop will be in Bodden Town at the Rubis parking lot, 6-10am. Items available include clothing and shoes for men, women and children, books, toys, linens and household items. SUNDAY, MAY 5 CHILD MONTH CHURCH SERVICE: First Baptist Church, George Town, 10am to noon. MONDAY, MAY 6 BUILDING SAFETY MONTH: Information Booth, Cox Lumber, 9am to noon. CHILD MONTH: Celebrity Reading Day, Cayman Brac. All schools, 9am to noon. TUESDAY, MAY 7 CHILD MONTH: Snuggle & Read, Sir John A. Cumber Primary School, 6:30-9pm. WEDNESDAY, MAY 8 CHILD MONTH: Poetry Slam finals, Radio Cayman, 4-5pm. BULLYING: Presentation by the Alex Panton Foundation. 6:30-8pm, North Side Civic Centre. THURSDAY, MAY 9 CAYMAN DRAMA SOCIETY: Stage production of ‘Proof’ by David Auburn. Prospect Playhouse. Doors open 6:30pm, show starts 7:30pm. Adults $25, students, $15. Order tickets at www.cds.ky. FRIDAY, MAY 10 GOLF TOURNAMENT: Triple C School hosts the 7th annual Captain Theo Bodden Memorial Golf Tournament today at the North Sound Golf Club. The tournament is one of the school’s largest fundraisers. Golfers will be in the running for a slew of prizes, including a chance to win a Toyota Rush. Players can also buy a ticket that gives them the chance to win additional prizes, including a three-day, two-night vacation getaway. Entry is $200 per player, or $750 for a team of four. Noon registration for a 12:30pm start. Contact rhowell@triplecschool.org or call 949-6022. BUILDING SAFETY MONTH: Public training session on how to use the Online Planning System. Admin Building, 10am to 2pm. Reserve space by emailing info@planning.gov.ky. CHILD MONTH: Trivia Game Night, East End/North Side, 6-9:30pm. SATURDAY, MAY 11 JUNIOR BATABANO: Old Glass House Lawn, 2–6pm. BRAC FUN DAY: Child Month activity. Government Public Pool, 10am to 2pm. BUILDING SAFETY MONTH: Public Information Session on electrical requirements for dwelling units, Family Life Centre, 1pm. SEA SWIM: The 32nd annual FLOW 800m Sea Swim takes place today at 4pm from Governors Beach. RAISE THE ROOF TEA PARTY: The Cayman Islands Crisis Centre and Mothers Union host a tea party 3-6pm, includes high tea, fashion show, music and auctions. $50 per person, $500 per table of 10. Purchase tickets at www.cicc.ky/events. CHILD MONTH: Circle of Love Breakfast, Mary Miller Hall, 8:30-11am. MONDAY, MAY 13 CAYMAN CUP TENNIS: The Cayman Islands Tennis Club will host the Cayman Cup from today until May 18. There will be a Junior U-18 ITF Tournament and a COTECC U-14 Tournament. In addition, there is also an Adult Championship. More details regarding the tournaments and registration can be found on the Cayman Cup website: www.caymancup.ca. THURSDAY, MAY 16 BRACCANAL: Cayman Brac Carnival. Through May 20. Contact cybbraccanalcommittee@ gmail.com or visit www.braccanal.com for more information. FRIDAY, MAY 17 BUILDING SAFETY MONTH: Information Booth, Foster’s Strand, 11am to 2pm. FRIDAY, MAY 24 BUILDING SAFETY MONTH: Information Booth, A.L. Thompson’s, all day. GENERAL INTEREST LOCAL HARVEST MARKET: Local farmers sell their produce and farmed goods at Camana Bay on Wednesdays from 10am to 3pm in Heliconia Court (located next to Scotiabank). COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8pm, 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 7-11pm. Artists of all levels are welcome to come and enjoy painting and socialising with other artists. Includes use of easels, lights, space and a 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, 9am till noon. Thursdays Adults and Youth, 10am till noon. Watler House Art Studio, Pedro St. James. Fee is $5/$15 pp for ceramics. $15/$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. SEAFARERS HALL: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association wishes to inform the community that the hall is now available for rent every day of the week, including Saturdays. THRIFT SHOP: One Dog at a Time’s New To U shop is now located at JJT Warehouses, Row 2, Unit 2 on Industrial Way. Open Saturdays 8am to 5pm and Wednesdays 10am to 2pm. Variety of items available, including men’s, women’s, children’s and baby clothes, shoes, household, electrical items, CDs, DVDs, books, home furnishings, toys, baby cribs, car seats, dog beds and more. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 5:30pm at 68 Mary Street. 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 12:30-4pm; Tuesday-Friday, 9:30am to 4pm; Saturday 9:30am to 4:30pm. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. For more information, email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards, etc., in good condition needed. CLUBS, ORGANISATIONS 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-centred 12-step recovery group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Tuesdays, 7:15pm. 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 6-7:15pm on 3rd Floor, George Town Public Library. Visitors and guests welcome. Contact George R. Ebanks at 322-9369 or Grand Cayman Toastmasters club on Facebook. Email info@ toastmastersclub2686.org. EMINENT ORATORS TOASTMASTERS: Want to be a better speaker or leader? Join a Toastmasters Club. The Eminent Orators Toastmasters Club meets every second and fourth Monday at Cayman Academy Canteen, Walkers Road, 6-7:30pm. Contact Sashoy Duncan at 939-8847 or email eminentorator stoastmasters@ gmail.com. Visitors and guests welcome. THE LIONS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets every first and third Thursday 7:30pm at the Lions Community Centre. Email lionsclubgcm@hotmail.com. THE LIONS CLUB OF TROPICAL GARDENS: Meet every first and third Tuesday at 6:30pm at Elizabethan Square (corner unit). Members of the public are invited to attend. ROTARY CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN SUNRISE: Service club meetings 7am every Wednesday at George Town Yacht Club, 612 North Sound Road. Visit www.rotarysunrise.ky or info@rotarysunrise.ky. KIWANIS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 12:30pm, at The Wharf Restaurant. Projects include promoting well- being of children in the community and schools. Email president@kiwanis.ky or view www.kiwanis.ky. RELIGIOUS SERVICES EL MINISTERIO HISPANO: de la Iglesia Bautista Cayman Islands te hace una cordial invitación a nuestro culto en español cada Domingo, 6:30pm, Pedro Castle Road, Savannah. Para transporte, llamar al teléfono no. 946-2422, email: cibaptist@candw.ky. SPANISH WORSHIP SERVICE: First Baptist Church, Crewe Road, 6:30-8:30pm. Third Sunday of each month. HARBOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH: Meets for Divine Worship and Fellowship at South Sound Community Centre, South Sound, Sundays at 10am www.safeharbourlc.com. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. The annual Batabano carnival starts at 1pm at Public Beach, West Bay Road, on Saturday, May 4. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 last month. “In the meantime, payments of monthly pensions continue to be paid from the funds without any difficulties.” But government is spending less than what’s recommended in the report, which was drafted by the consulting firm Mercer. The valuation report, which covered a three-year period ending Jan. 1, 2017, recommends that govern- ment spend about $368 mil- lion over the next 20 years to eliminate the shortfall in the public pensions funds. According to budget fig- ures, government only spent $10 million in 2018 to fund the past service liabilities – about $8.4 million less than the report calls for. This year, government budgeted $11.1 million to fund past ser- vice liabilities, and last month legislators approved an addi- tional $4 million in supple- mental spending that will also fund past service liabilities. Financial Secretary Ken- neth Jefferson told the Compass that government is “substantially there” in meeting the $18.4 million annual target this year. If government is running a larger-than-expected sur - plus towards the end of the year, legislators may choose to allocate even more funds to cover the past service li- abilities, Jefferson said. The financial secretary added that the next valua- tion report will be done in 2020. That report will revise the estimates for how much government must spend to shore up the unfunded liabil- ities, and lawmakers will re- spond to the report accord- ingly, he said. The last time government released a three-year valu- ation report on the public pensions funds was in June 2016. In that report, consult- ants called for government to spend about $320 million over 20 years – about $16 million annually – to address the past service liability. McTaggart was off is- land on Wednesday and unavailable for comment about why government is spending less on addressing past services liabilities than has been recommended in the valuation report. show a number of interesting trends: ■■ The burglary rate has hit an 18-year low. ■■ Referrals to police in do- mestic abuse cases have quadrupled since 2015. ■■ There were six major drug hauls last year, with a total of $1.125 million of ganja seized. ■■ More than 2,000 speeding tickets were issued last year, more than triple the previous year. Speaking at a press conference Wednesday afternoon Byrne said the overall picture of crime in the Cayman Islands was relatively good. He said, “The number of serious crimes is, relatively speaking, very small. There is pretty good news all around. We would obviously prefer if we had no crime, but the figures are manageable in terms of the ju- risdiction we are in.” He added that police were now adequately resourced and would be hoping to make further inroads. “There is lots more to be done obviously, and we won’t take our foot off the pedal,” he added. Child safeguarding and domestic violence There was a sharp increase of reports involving domestic violence or child safety issues that were re- ferred to police in 2018. There were 2,218 reported cases involving allegations of domestic vi- olence, ranging from threats to kill to physical assaults, referred to po- lice last year, compared with less than 1,000 the previous year. There was also 747 cases re- ferred to the Multi Agency Safe- guarding Hub – up from 491 the previous year. That includes 67 re- ports involving alleged sexual abuse of a child. Police say the increase could be attributed to outreach from the MASH unit and training for front- line officers and other partners to improve the referrals process when incidents involving child protection are involved. Traffic The report also indicates a mas- sive increase in traffic enforcement. The number of people caught speeding in 2018 is more than triple what it was in 2017, rising from 652 tickets to 2,128 in the space of just 12 months. The number of people caught drunk driving also rose, from 253 to 328, while almost every other category of traffic offence saw significant increases. In all, the total traffic offences recorded rose from 4,980 to 7,437. Police say this is part of a de- liberate strategy aimed at making Cayman’s roads safer. Byrne said that approach would continue. “There is an awful lot of traffic on the road,” he said. “We are seeing a lot of intemperate habits and some really bad driving, so the de- tections have been upped in 2018 and our focus is to continue with that enforcement strategy.” Police highlighted a 14% drop in road collisions as evidence that the policy is paying off. Despite that dip, there was an in- crease in fatal accidents. Eight people were killed on Cayman’s roads last year in eight separate collisions. In 2017, six people were killed on the islands’ roads in three incidents, in- cluding one crash in East End which claimed the lives of four people. The statistics report suggests the relaunch of the traffic and roads po- licing unit, staff increases and the in- troduction of new radar equipment have had a big impact on the roads. “This new resourcing had a clear and positive impact on the overall level of enforcement taking place around the islands,” the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service said in the report. “It also appears to be reflected in the gradual decrease in collisions across all categories in the quarterly numbers throughout the year, as the effect of this intensified enforcement and visibility took hold.” Police added that such enforce- ment may need to be combined with other initiatives to reduce the most dangerous type of behaviour on the road and cut fatal collisions. Other crimes Overall, police logged a total of 3,453 crimes in 2018 – a de- crease of 3% on the previous year. Of those, 1,335 were classed as ‘serious crimes’, which includes murder, rape, robbery, assault and burglary. There were six major drug hauls in Cayman’s waters in 2018 resulting in the seizure of 2,250 pounds of ganja, 24 arrests, and the recovery of two illegal firearms. The value of the drugs seized is esti- mated at $1,125,000. CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY MAY 2, 2019 699 652 439 510 324 77 110 62 85 66 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 20142015201620172018 YEAR BurglaryAttempted Burglary Burglary & Attempted Burglary 5 Year Comparison (2014-2018) Finance Minister Roy McTaggart said the deficiency is “not a cause for alarm” because government is spending extra money to address the unfunded liabilities. Crime figures 2017 v 2018 Crime20172018 Murder24 Attempted Murder49 Burglary510324 Rape1717 Robbery3040 Assault379448 Firearms offences2610 Traffic collisions2,7322,353 Speeding tickets6522,128 Total traffic offences4,9807,437 with opening it up to a referendum. “I think it would also force some of the informa- tion into the public. Eve- ryone would have to put their cards on the table and put their points out there and then the people are in- telligent enough to make an informed decision.” Cruise Port Referendum Cayman issued a press re- lease indicating it is in- creasingly optimistic about reaching its target. The group said numerous people have registered to vote for the first time to be able to participate in the process. “We see this as an en- couraging sign that more Caymanians are paying at- tention to current issues and willing to participate in national decision-making as involved citizens,” the re- lease stated. It added that there has been an outpouring of sup- port to the referendum campaign from those re- siding in Cayman and overseas who are not able to vote. “Given that to date we have yet to see finalised plans, costings, and that the documents government is basing its proposal on themselves raise severe en- vironmental and socioeco- nomic concerns about the project, we urge those in the community that have not yet signed to reach out to us. Our commu- nity deserves to decide on this project, as it will have long-lasting repercussions on everyone,” the press re- lease stated. Bryan added that the ref- erendum could also repre- sent an opportunity to poll the country on a host of other issues, from same-sex marriage to skyscrapers or legalising gambling. “It would be a big op- portunity to resolve some unanswered questions as to how people feel on a va- riety of important issues,” he said. Door-to-door efforts to collect the final signatures for the cruise port refer- endum campaign are con- tinuing. There will also be a petition table at Hur- ley’s this Saturday from 10am to 2pm. Petition booklets are at Rubis Savannah, Four Winds Esso and Hell Gas Station in West Bay, Fos- ter’s Food Fair Strand, Sil- houette in Camana Bay, and Pure Art and Cathy Church Photo Centre in George Town. Registered voters who wish to have the petition brought to them, at home or at work, can call 327-5411. Burglary rate hits 18-year low Report: Pension liabilities to cost $368M over 20 years Cruise port referendum campaign creeps towards target Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said targeting prolific repeat offenders had helped reduce the burglary rate in 2018. – PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “ There is an awful lot of traffic on the road. We are seeing a lot of intemperate habits and some really bad driving, so the detections have been upped in 2018 and our focus is to continue with that enforcement strategy.” POLICE COMMISSIONER DEREK BYRNE - SOURCE: ROYAL CAYMAN ISLANDS POLICE SERVICEThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 THURSDAY MAY 2, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Pakistan militant leader added to sanctions list Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry says the leader of an outlawed militant group blamed by India for a February suicide attack that killed 40 soldiers has been added to a UN blacklist. The sanctions against Masood Azhar were confirmed Wednesday by a ministry spokesman. May Day around the globe: Workers demand rights, respect BERLIN (AP) – Higher sala- ries, better working condi- tions, maternity leave, min- imum wage and an end to discrimination against tem- porary or foreign workers: These were among the con- cerns as hundreds of thou- sands of union members and labour activists ral- lied around the world to mark May Day. The tradition of May Day marches for workers’ rights began in the United States in the 1880s. It quickly spread to other countries at a time when industrialisation pitted poorly paid employees who had few protections and little power against increasingly dominant factory employers and landowners. Over the decades, the May Day protests have also be- come an opportunity to air general economic grievances or political demands. Here’s a look at Wednesday’s protests: Violent radicals disrupt May Day in France French police clashed with stone-throwing protesters who set fires and smashed up vehicles as thousands of people gathered for May Day rallies under tight security. About 165 arrests were made. Police repeatedly used tear gas to try to control the crowd gathering near Paris’ Montparnasse train station for the main protest. Some protesters were injured. As- sociated Press reporters saw groups of hooded, black-clad people shouting anti-police slogans, mixing with other protesters wearing yellow vests or waving union flags. France’s interior min- ister warned earlier there was a risk that “radical ac- tivists” could join the pro- tests in Paris and elsewhere, and deployed 7,400 police to counter them. Russian workers march at Red Square Authorities in Russia said about 100,000 people took part in a May Day rally in central Moscow organised by Kremlin-friendly trade un- ions on Red Square. Opposi- tion activists said more than 100 people were detained in several cities, including for participating in unsanctioned political protests. In St. Pe- tersburg, police arrested over 60 supporters of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Some of them carried signs saying ‘Putin is not immortal’, in ref- erence to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been at the helm of the country since 2000. Detentions at Turkey’s May Day rallies Turkish police detained May Day demonstrators trying to march towards Is- tanbul’s main square, which has been declared off-limits by authorities, who cited se- curity concerns. Still, small groups chanting “May Day is Taksim and it cannot be banned,” attempted to break the blockade, with dozens reportedly detained. Taksim Square has held symbolic value for Tur- key’s labour movement since 34 people were killed there during a May Day rally in 1977 when shots were fired into the crowd from a nearby building. Sri Lanka calls off May Day rallies In Sri Lanka, major po- litical parties called off the traditional May Day rallies due to security concerns fol- lowing the Easter bomb- ings, which killed 253 people and were claimed by mili- tants linked to the Islamic State group. German unions denounce nationalism Ahead of rallies across Germany, the country’s big- gest trade union group urged voters to participate in this month’s European Parliament elections and reject nation- alism and right-wing pop- ulism. The DGB, a confeder- ation of unions with almost 6 million members, warned that the political and eco- nomic turmoil in Britain fol- lowing its vote to leave the European Union nation- alism “shows what happens if those who stoke fear but have no plan for the future gain the upper hand”. Koreans demand better working conditions Wearing headbands and swinging their fists, pro- testers in South Korea’s cap- ital of Seoul rallied near City Hall, marching under ban- ners denouncing deteriorating working conditions and de- manding equal treatment and pay for temporary workers. A major South Korean umbrella trade union also issued a joint statement with a North Korean workers’ organisation calling for the Koreas to push ahead with joint economic projects, despite lack of progress in nu- clear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang. May Day paralyses transport in Greece Union rallies in Greece paralysed national rail, is- land ferry and other trans- port services. Hundreds of people gathered in central Athens on Wednesday for three separate marches to parliament organised by rival unions and left-wing groups. Spanish workers press new government Spain’s workers marched in its major cities to make their voices heard days be- fore acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez starts nego- tiating with other parties to form a new government. Leading labour unions are pressing Sánchez to roll back business-friendly labour and fiscal reforms that have re- mained in place since the conservatives were in charge. Garment workers seek maternity leave In Bangladesh, hundreds of garment workers and mem- bers of labour organisations rallied in Dhaka, the capital, to demand better working conditions and higher wages. Nazma Akter, president of one of Bangladesh’s largest unions, said female garment workers were also demanding six months of maternity leave and protection against sexual abuse and violence in the workplace. South Africa’s May Day turns political An opposition party in South Africa used May Day to rally voters a week before the country’s national election. Economic Freedom Fighters members, wearing their sig- nature red shirts and berets, gathered at a stadium in Jo- hannesburg to cheer populist stances that have put pres- sure on the ruling African National Congress to ad- dress topics like economic in- equality and land reform. Filipino workers demand minimum wage rise In the Philippines, thou- sands of workers and la- bour activists marched near the Malacanang presidential palace in Manila to demand that President Rodrigo Du- terte’s government address la- bour issues including a min- imum wage increase and the lack of contracts for many workers. One labour group said its members would not vote for any candidate en- dorsed by Duterte in upcoming senate elections and burned an effigy of the president. Foreign workers protest in Hong Kong Construction workers, bus drivers, freelancers and do- mestic workers from outside the country joined a Labour Day march through central Hong Kong. The protesters marched from Victoria Park to the main government of- fices, some carrying banners reading ‘Maxed Out!’ The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions is demanding a maximum standard work week of 44 hours and an hourly minimum wage of at least US$7. Low-paid workers protest in Jakarta Thousands of low-paid workers took to the streets in Indonesia in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. Labourers in Jakarta, the capital, gath- ered at national monuments and elsewhere, shouting de- mands for higher wages, better benefits and improved working conditions. Ahead of rallies across Germany, the country’s biggest trade union group urged voters to participate in this month’s European Parliament elections and reject nationalism and right-wing populism. People march with a banner reading ‘Europe, now really’ at a demonstration of Germany’s trade unions on May Day in Hamburg, Germany, Wednesday. Tear gas cannisters lie on the ground during a May Day demonstration in Paris, Wednesday. Brief scuffles between police and protesters broke out in Paris as thousands of people gathered for May Day rallies under tight security measures. Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions hold up their banners during a May Day rally in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday. - PHOTOS: AP9 WORLD®IONAL CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – He called it the moment for Ven- ezuelans to reclaim their de- mocracy once and for all. But as the hours dragged on, op- position leader Juan Guaidó stood alone on a highway overpass with the same small cadre of soldiers with whom he launched a bold effort to spark a military uprising and settle Venezuela’s agonising power struggle. Like past attempts to oust President Nicolas Maduro, the opposition seemed out- manoeuvred again Tuesday. What Guaidó dubbed ‘Op- eration Freedom’ triggered a familiar pattern of security forces using repressive tac- tics to crush small pockets of stone-throwing youths while millions of Venezue- lans watched the drama un- fold with a mix of fear and exasperation. The opposition’s hoped- for split in the military did not emerge, a plane that the United States claimed was standing by to ferry Maduro into exile never took off and by nightfall one of the gov- ernment’s bravest opponents, who defied house arrest to join the insurrection, had qui- etly sought refuge with his family in a foreign embassy. Guaidó, the telegenic 35-year-old leader of the op- position-dominated con- gress who is recognised by the US and over 50 nations as Venezuela’s rightful pres- ident, nonetheless pressed forward in calling for a new round of mass street pro- tests Wednesday. Opposition forces are hoping that Vene- zuelans angered by broadcast images of armoured vehicles ploughing into protesters and fed up with their nation’s dire humanitarian crisis will fill streets across the nation. In one blow to Maduro, the head of Venezuela’s feared intelligence agency announced that he was breaking ranks with the em- battled socialist leader. “We need to keep up the pressure,” Guaidó said. “We will be in the streets.” The latest chapter in Ven- ezuela’s political upheaval marks the most serious threat yet to Maduro’s contested rule. The leader, who has been relying on support from Russia and China, was largely absent as events unfolded Tuesday. He finally emerged late in the evening to call the small-scale uprising a failed US-backed coup attempt. Speaking on state televi- sion, Maduro said that the unrest had been quelled and that Venezuela would not succumb to right-wing forces intent on “submitting our country to a neocolonial eco- nomic domination model and enslaving Venezuela”. “Now you can see a Ven- ezuela largely in peace,” he proclaimed. Venezuelans waited to see if that remained the case Wednesday. Giancarlo Morelli, with the British analysis group Economist Intelligence Unit, said the uprising will likely force Maduro to make a de- cision on Guaido’s fate and he will face perils whatever path he takes. “Failing to arrest Mr. Guaido would be perceived as an important sign for weakness from Mr. Ma- duro,” Morelli said. “But ar- resting Mr. Guaido risks a strong counter-reaction from the US,” which has been ra- cheting up sanctions. The competing quests to solidify a hold on power pro- duced one of the most stun- ning days yet for a country with the world’s largest proven oil reserves but is struggling with an economic contraction that is worse than the US Great Depression. The turmoil Tuesday began when Guaidó, flanked by a few dozen national guardsmen and some ar- moured crowd-control vehi- cles, released a three-minute video shot near the Carlota air base. In a surprise, Leopoldo Lopez, Guaido’s political mentor and the nation’s most-prominent opposition activist, stood alongside him. Detained in 2014 for leading a previous round of anti- government unrest, Lopez said he had been released from house arrest by secu- rity forces following an order from Guaidó. “I want to tell the Vene- zuelan people: This is the mo- ment to take to the streets and accompany these patri- otic soldiers,” Lopez declared. As the two opposition leaders coordinated actions from a highway overpass, troops loyal to Maduro fired tear gas from inside the adja- cent air base. A crowd that quickly swelled to a few thousand scurried for cover, reap- pearing later with Guaidó at a plaza a few blocks away. A smaller group of masked youths stayed behind on the highway, lobbing rocks and gasoline bombs towards the air base and setting a govern- ment bus on fire. “It’s now or never,” said one of the young rebel- lious soldiers, his face cov- ered in the blue bandanna worn by the few dozen insur- gent soldiers. Amid the mayhem, several armoured utility vehicles ca- reened over a berm and drove at full speed into the crowd. Two demonstrators, lying on the ground with their heads and legs bloodied, were rushed away on a motor- cycle as the armoured vehi- cles sped away dodging gas- oline bombs thrown by the demonstrators. The head of a medical centre near the site of the street battles said doctors were treating over 50 people, about half of them with in- juries suffered from rubber bullets. At least one person had been shot with live am- munition. The Venezuelan human rights group Provea said a 24-year-old man was fatally shot during an anti- government protest in the city of La Victoria. Later Tuesday, Lopez and his family sought refuge in the Chilean ambassador’s residence and later moved to the Spanish Embassy. There were also reports that 25 soldiers who had been with Guaidó fled to Brazil’s diplomatic mission. Amid the unrest, Maduro’s military commanders went on state television to pro- claim their loyalty. Flanked by top generals, Defense Min- ister Vladimir Padrino López condemned Guaido’s move as a “terrorist” act and “coup at- tempt” that was bound to fail like past uprisings. “Those who try to take Mi- raflores with violence will be met with violence,” he said, referring to the presidential palace where hundreds of government supporters, some of them brandishing fire- arms, gathered in response to a call to defend Maduro. But in a possible sign that Maduro’s inner circle could be fracturing, the head of Venezuela’s secret police wrote a letter breaking ranks with the embattled leader. In a letter directed to the Venezuelan people, Manuel Ricardo Cristopher Figuera, the head of Venezuela’s feared SEBIN intelligence agency, said he had always been loyal to Maduro but now it is time to “rebuild the country”. He said corruption has become so rampant that “many high- ranking public servants prac- tice it like a sport”. “The hour has arrived for us to look for other ways of doing politics,” Figuera wrote. The authenticity of the letter circulating on social media was confirmed by a senior US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not author- ised to divulge details. He said the general’s wife was outside Venezuela. CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY MAY 2, 2019 Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page Funeral services will be held 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, 05 May, 2019 at East End Civic Centre, Viewing will take place from 1:00 p.m. prior to the service. Interment will follow in the East End Cemetery. The Family of the Late Marvelle Norine McLaughlin Regrets to announce her passing on Friday, 26 April 2019 Opponents to Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro confront loyalist Bolivarian National Guard troops firing tear gas at them, outside La Carlota military airbase in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday. UK defence chief fired over Huawei leaks LONDON (AP) – British De- fence Secretary Gavin Wil- liamson was summarily fired Wednesday after an investi- gation into leaks from a se- cret government meeting about the Chinese telecom- munications giant Huawei, but he denied any involve- ment in the case. An investigation was launched last week after newspapers reported that Britain’s National Secu- rity Council, which meets in private, had agreed to let Huawei participate in some aspects of Britain’s new 5G wireless communica- tions network. The Conservative gov- ernment insists that no de- cision has been made yet about Huawei. The security council in- cludes senior ministers, who receive briefings from top military and intelligence of- ficials, and its meetings are considered highly sensitive. In a letter to Williamson, British Prime Minister The- resa May said she “can no longer have full confidence” in Williamson in the wake of the investigation. In the letter released by her Downing Street of- fice, May told Williamson that there was “compel- ling evidence” suggesting his “responsibility for the unauthorized disclosure” from the National Secu- rity Council. “No other, credible version of events to explain this leak has been identified,” she said. But Williamson, 42, de- nied he was the source of the leak in a letter posted on Twitter. He said he was confi- dent that a formal and thor- ough inquiry would have vin- dicated him. He says that he appreci- ated being offered a chance to resign but “to resign would have been to accept that I, my civil servants, my mil- itary advisers or my staff were responsible: this was not the case”. Penny Mordaunt, the in- ternational development sec- retary, was appointed to replace Williamson. She be- comes the first woman to hold the post. The United States has been lobbying allies like Britain to exclude Huawei from all 5G networks, noting that the Chinese government can force the company to give it backdoor access to data on its networks. The leak at the security council comes amid a Brexit- fueled breakdown in govern- ment discipline. With May weakened by her failure so far to take Britain out of the European Union, multiple ministers are positioning themselves to try to replace her, partly by cultivating pos- itive press coverage. The Daily Telegraph said last week it had obtained de- tails of security council meet- ings about Huawei. It said several ministers, including Williamson, had opposed let- ting Huawei work on Brit- ain’s 5G network. Britain’s Defence Minister Gavin Williamson - PHOTO: AP In a letter to Williamson, British Prime Minister Theresa May said she “can no longer have full confidence” in Williamson in the wake of the investigation. Venezuela awaits more protests after a day of turmoilNext >