FR IDAY MAY 10 , 2019 CA YMAN COMPA SS The simple beauty of Great Inagua When you really want to get away from it all B2 ■EVENTS Junior Batabano Multiple children’s mas bands prepare to parade in George Town. B6 CAYMAN WEEKENDER Junior Batabano EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 IN CELEBRATION OF CAYMAN’S MUMS High of 88 Low of 76 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019 SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY GOVERNANCE CHANGE LOOMING FOR SCHOOLS MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com A major shift in the way schools are gov- erned is in the works. In his recent strategic policy statement to the Legislative Assembly, Premier Alden McLaughlin outlined a move to decentralise control away from the Ministry of Education and Department of Education Services. Calling the idea radical, McLaughlin said, “Maybe, just maybe, it is not the good people in the Department of Education, many of whom rarely set foot inside a classroom, who are best placed to make decisions about what happens in those classrooms.” “Over the next two years,” he added, “we will establish new governing bodies for Cayman public schools and give them the re- sponsibility for raising students’ levels of achievement. Those governing bodies will give parents, teachers and the wider community a direct say in how their schools are run.” The idea was floated within the Education Council, soon after the current body was con- vened in 2017. Since then, it’s been in develop- ment. Dan Scott, chairman of the council, said there are still many details to be worked out. RCIPS UNIT TO TACKLE MONEY LAUNDERING JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A new task force has been established to proactively investigate money laundering and terror financing in the Cayman Islands. The new police unit, bolstered by experts from the City of London police force’s Eco- nomic Crime Directorate, will work with fi- nancial regulators to put suspicious transac- tions under the microscope. Royal Cayman Islands Police Commis- sioner Derek Byrne said the task force would have ring-fenced resources and its own budget to initiate inquiries into the movement of money through the islands. International authorities fear criminal gangs could be stashing their ill-gotten gains offshore or using accounts in the Cayman Police car involved in collision Four children and two police officers were among eight people taken to hospital Thursday after a police SUV in the process of escorting an inmate from North- ward Prison to court was in- volved in a car accident on Shamrock Road in Bodden Town. The collision, which occurred just after 9:30am, happened at the junction of Northward Road and Shamrock Road. Two police vehicles were es- corting a van from the prison, and a passenger car headed eastbound collided with the po- lice vehicle at the rear of the convoy. The inmate was returned safely to Northward Prison. There were two adults and four children in the civilian ve- hicle involved in the accident, and two police officers were riding in the police Ford Ex- plorer SUV. All eight occupants of the vehicles were transported to a hospital, but the injuries sustained in the accident were believed to be minor, police said. Emergency medical services, including a paediatrician, at- tended the scene. The eastbound lane of Shamrock Road was temporarily closed, with traffic being diverted onto Will T Lane. The accident had a knock- on effect at court on Thursday morning. A number of defend- ants who were expected in Sum- mary Court instead had to be presented by videolink from Northward Prison. Countdown to Mother’s Day Florist Maudlyn Christie prepares an impressive Mother’s Day bouquet of flowers for a customer at Trisha’s Roses in George Town on Thursday. Mother’s Day, or rather the days immediately before it as it falls on a Sunday, is the second busiest time of year for florists, after Valentine’s Day. See pages 11, 12 and 13 for more Mother’s Day stories . - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY A blue Honda Civic, carrying four children, collided with a police car escorting a prison van, at the junction of Northward Road and Shamrock Road on Thursday morning. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL®IONAL FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Casual indoor & outdoor dining with a local flair. Family friendly & affordable. 94-PASTA [ 947.2782 ] • Marquee Plaza Enjoy Dinner Tonight at Try One of Our Signature Dishes B anana W rap S napper Foreign Exchange Revenue from Services in 2017, CI$Million Batabano incident leads to hospital and court Man faces charges of assault, wounding, escape and robbery CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A trip to Batabano in George Town on Saturday ended in court on Wednesday for Charles Leonard Walton III, whose charges included common assault, wounding with intent to cause bodily harm, escape and robbery. After hearing details of the allegations against Walton, Magistrate Kirsty- Ann Gunn remanded him in custody until Friday, 12 May, when he is to appear in the Grand Court. Crown Counsel Kenneth Ferguson outlined the al- legations. He said Walton, 21, attended the Batabano Street Festival on 4 May, ar- riving around 7pm. He was with two friends. One of the complainants in the in- cident was a vendor who was selling water and soft drinks from his food stall. He said three young men approached him, ordered water and then refused to pay. He said he told them to leave because they were being disorderly. One of the three young men reportedly reached into his pants’ waist and pulled out a knife. Another of the three punched the vendor in the face. During the in- cident, which lasted only a few seconds, the vendor’s nephew was stabbed, Fer- guson related. Walton himself was also stabbed, the court heard. An off-duty fire of- ficer was in the crowd and he saw a man walking to- wards him, holding his side and looking as if he were in pain, Ferguson said. The fire officer saw the man col- lapse near the library. An ambulance came and car- ried him to hospital. That man was Walton. Later, Walton told police that he had been walking with friends and bought a beer. He said his friends picked up water from an- other vendor. Then Walton said he felt a sharp pain in his side. He lifted his shirt and saw blood. The Crown counsel con- tinued his narrative in court on Wednesday by noting that Walton, whom had been ar- rested by police, escaped from the hospital that Saturday night/Sunday morning. Once outside, he saw a man with a bicycle. Walton allegedly took the bike from the man and rode off. The robbery charge related to the bicycle. Defence attorney Prathna Bodden told the court she had not yet received the doc- uments for the case. POLICE SEARCH HOLIDAY INN FOR CRIMINAL SUSPECT Police spread out over the grounds of Holiday Inn on Thursday after- noon, searching for, and re- portedly apprehending a “wanted” male suspect who fled, along with a woman companion, when police tried to stop their vehicle in West Bay. The suspects, both aged 29 and from Bodden Town, were arrested on the hotel grounds. The man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving. Police said he was also wanted for several of- fences, including wounding with intent. The woman was ar- rested on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact and having the intent to impede the apprehension of another. Both are cur- rently in custody pending further investigations. Police officers talk outside a room at the Holiday Inn where police reportedly apprehended a wanted suspect after a search of the grounds Thursday afternoon. - PHOTO: MARK MUCKENFUSS ROAD CLOSURES FOR JUNIOR BATABANO Police advised that a number of streets in George Town will be closed on Saturday during Junior Batabano. Elgin Avenue will be closed between Hospital Road and Claude Hill Road (formerly Humber Lane) from 1:30pm until 6:30pm. The parade begins at 3pm and travels west from the old Glass House on Elgin Avenue, turns left onto Shedden Road, right onto Harbour Drive, right onto Fort Street, right onto Edward Street, then con- tinues onto Elgin Avenue and finishes back at the old Glass House. Police officers will close sections of these roads ahead of the parade and re- open them once the parade passes. Motorists are asked to exercise caution in these areas on Saturday evening. Board extends its power to all Puerto Rico’s municipalities SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – A federal control board that oversees Puerto Rico’s fi- nances voted on Thursday to extend its power and bring all of the US territory’s 78 municipalities under its su- pervision for the first time. The board announced that it also will require fiscal plans and budgets from 10 of those municipalities, as well as from a government agency that collects prop- erty taxes as part of a pilot programme to help boost the island’s economy amid a 12-year recession. “This is absolutely not a takeover of anything,” said board chairman José Car- rión. “We all know that the municipalities are facing challenges.” The board expects to help implement measures to re- duce spending, increase a tax collection rate from 68% to 85%, hire more property appraisers and reduce the number of property exemp- tions, among other things. Board members said the Center for Collection of Mu- nicipal Revenue is missing more than 300,000 properties from its registry and needs another 150 appraisers. The municipalities tar- geted for the pilot pro- gramme are: Aibonito, Bar- ranquitas, Camuy, Cidra, Comerío, Isabela, Orocovis, Quebradillas, San Sebastián and Villalba. They are located in the island’s central and north- western regions. “If we don’t start having a conversation with them … they’re going to be facing a critical situation in the fu- ture,” said board member José González. Board members said it’s too early to say whether the programme will be extended. The board also approved a new fiscal plan that allo- cates more funding to Puerto Rico’s health, education and public safety sectors but contains austerity measures rejected by the local govern- ment, including a 10% cut to professional services ex- penses. It previously an- nounced cuts to a public pension system facing nearly $50 billion in unfunded liabilities.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019 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” Wanted: Nurse, counsellor, chauffeur, chef, tutor, advisor, coach for full-time position with variable hours. Mornings, nights, weekends and holidays a must. Pre- ferred candidates will be multitaskers, highly skilled in conflict resolution who thrive in a fast-changing and unpredictable environment. Warm personality and bot- tomless patience a plus. Considering the job description, it is almost miracu- lous that anyone would apply, let alone rush to fill the position. That so many women do is something to cel- ebrate: So please join us in wishing happy Mother’s Day to all of Cayman’s mums. Inside today’s Compass readers will find several articles in honour of Mother’s Day, celebrated each year on the second Sunday in May. And although some of our islands’ mums may already have been recognised once this spring (Mother’s Day in the UK and Ireland falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent), we see no harm in offering them a second helping. Why be stingy with praise? Mothers today may not make long walks over rocky terrain on long and mosquito-plagued thatch walks, or climb 30-foot trees to gather tops for making rope, as Carmen Conolly’s mother once did (see page 11), but they are similarly determined to do whatever they can to nurture and provide for their families – whether that means bleary-eyed overnight feedings, juggling hectic schedules or working far from home. Though their circumstances may be vastly dif- ferent, mums the world over share similar joys, trials and worries, as is clearly shown in the day-in-the-life snapshots six busy mums so graciously submitted to the Compass (see pages 12-13). Sometimes that means waking before dawn to study, driving toddlers to lessons and playtime or transforming fruit into a Pinterest-worthy birthday cake on her lunch break – and the endless repetitions and negotiations required to care for tiny bodies, kindle tiny spirits and fill tiny hearts with security and love. Historians say celebrations of mothers and mother- hood go back at least as far as the ancient Greeks and Romans. The Christian festival of Mothering Sunday dates back to the 16th Century. Its secular cousin became an official US holiday in 1914, although its ‘Mother’, Anna Jarvis, would later lament the commer- cialisation of what she intended as a domestic display of appreciation. Jarvis’s own mother had died years before the holiday gained popularity. She, herself, had no children. But she thought it important to honour the sacrifices mothers make for their children. So we do today. For all the long hours and little frustrations, most mums will say the perks of the job far outweigh the demands. That does not mean they wouldn’t welcome a nice card, some lovely flowers, or just a little break. If there’s one thing the world’s mothers almost certainly have in common, it’s that they want their children to be happy and healthy, whatever their age and wherever they may be. So if she isn’t here to remind you, we’ll do it for her: Call your mum. In celebration of Cayman’s mums The constant talk about the port, roads, planes and airport expansion being for the future of Cayman is completely ignoring the people who are the future of Cayman: students. Young Caymanians and the off- spring of expats that are married to Caymanians will inherit these islands. Who is building them? Only teachers. Teachers are the least appreciated and most important element of a successful future. Teachers are the most important people in the world, they are giants and the keepers and crea- tors of all real knowledge and humanity. Every great person, every leader, scientist, doctor or philosopher was born knowing only how to suckle. This, too, was re- fined and improved by eve- ryone’s first and greatest teacher, Mother! All else was learned from a teacher. A teacher that made selfless sacri- fices which led them to their place in the world. All teachers make great sacri- fices in their lives, time and income, all only to give. To love us and make us better, to push us to be the best we can be and to reach up. A great teacher came 2000 years ago. A very great teacher and Rabbi gave us all the greatest gift of all, salvation, redemp- tion and forgiveness. Teachers are giants among men. There is no more noble or necessary calling than to teach your brothers and sisters. Michael Powell FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Concerned about Batabano and public morality A friend sent me a few pictures of participants in the recent Batabano ‘sexi- bration’, as I am now com- pelled to refer to it, and out of his grief at the level of public debauchery that was celebrated, he suggested that this imported affront to public morality is a greater threat to Cayman [than] the issue of same-sex marriage. (Frankly, I am reluctant to forward those pictures elec- tronically for fear of being accused of trafficking in pornography.) I share my friend’s grief at this government-approved and supported celebration of moral decadence, but was minded to respond to him that it is not a matter of ei- ther or in terms of whether we oppose same-sex mar- riage or this imported live pornographic display that is supposedly ‘Caymanian’. Both these expressions have their roots in the same issue, which is the over-sexual- isation of our culture and the concomitant death of public morality. When human sexuality is viewed primarily as a source of physical pleasure, and is treated virtually on the same level as any bodily function, the logical progres- sion is to remove it from the category of morality and transfer it to the elevated category of rights. Objec- tions, then, from such per- sons as my friend or me are quickly classified as hate speech, which has much greater resonance with those who gyrate and sim- ulate sexual acts in public than the now antiquated ac- cusation of ‘prudes’. Are there no laws gov- erning standards of public decency and morality? Are we to complain, on the one hand, about cruise ship tourists parading through town in bikinis, while not only permitting but cele- brating the level of public near-nudity and sexual sim- ulation that is the hallmark of Batabano? Perhaps we need to refrain from refer- ring to the Cayman Islands as ‘a Christian nation’ after all – not because we are not a nation, but because a great majority of those who in- habit these three rocks are not just post-Christian, but anti-Christian. Finally, how can we ex- pect that our children will be less sexually permis- sive, will not video and cir- culate their friends partici- pating in sexual acts on our school compounds, and will refrain from risky sexual be- haviour when our best-at- tended public function is a monumental celebration of sexual excesses? The Rev. M. Alson Ebanks Are we to complain, on the one hand, about cruise ship tourists parading through town in bikinis, while not only permitting but celebrating the level of public near-nudity and sexual simulation that is the hallmark of Batabano? Teachers are giants among menThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019 • SECURED GATED ENTRY & EXIT • SWIMMING POOL & SUN LOUNGERS • GYM • LANDSCAPED GARDENS BY LEADING DESIGNER • RESIDENT ROOF TERRACE • SECURED ALLOCATED PARKING KARMA SEAVIEW is an exciting and vibrant development of 10 luxury high end condos in South Sound overlooking the Caribbean Sea. KARMA SEAVIEW also enjoy the following features: *TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY. Starting from US$874,950.00 STAMP DUTY & LEGAL FEES PAID BY DHOWN HOMES* Alister Ayres: (345) 926-2885 • Alister@CaymanIslandsPropertiesLtd.com Karma Seaview www.karmaseaview.ky Karma Seaview www.CaymanIslandsPropertiesLtd.com Douglas R. Sell (345) 525-4444 Doug@CaymanIslandsPropertiesLtd.com Alister Ayres (345) 926-2885 Alister@CaymanIslandsPropertiesLtd.com www.primelocationscayman.com Nikki Thomas (345) 916-2436 nikki@primelocationscayman.com6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Premier says investment in crime fighting has paid off Investment in commu- nity policing is paying off, Premier Alden McLaughlin said Thursday. Highlighting a steep drop in the burglary rate, McLaughlin said his govern- ment’s decision to fund 75 new officers had helped po- lice get crime under control. He said the introduc- tion of community beat of- ficers, as well as new Neigh- bourhood Watch schemes, had helped make Cayman a safer place. “The success of that ap- proach is demonstrated in the statistics released last week,” the premier said in a statement. The crime figures showed the burglary rate had dropped to its lowest point since 2000, something police attributed to the arrest of a number of high-profile, pro- lific offenders. Overall, police logged a total of 3,453 crimes in 2018 – a decrease of 3% on the previous year. Of those, 1,335 were classified as ‘se- rious crimes’, which includes murder, rape, robbery, assault and burglary. Reports of domestic abuse were up substantially, while traffic offences in- creased amid a renewed en- forcement effort. There were also increases in the amount of drugs and guns seized from smugglers. McLaughlin said the new coastguard unit and the merger of customs and immi- gration into a single border force would help make fur- ther inroads in that area. The National Secu- rity Council has also com- missioned a new anti-gang strategy, which McLaughlin said would look at crime pre- vention as well as detection. “I believe the most signif- icant contribution to long- term crime reduction, besides a good education, will come from the early identification of young people at risk of of- fending behaviour, and imple- menting programmes to help them make better life choices – choices that will benefit them, their families and their communities,” he said. “The anti-gang strategy that the National Security Council has commissioned will be an important part of our efforts to support young people, as well as targeting gang activity directly.” He said the crime sta- tistics were positive news, but not a reason to be complacent. “Community safety is not just a policing issue. The whole of government has a role to play and communi- ties themselves contribute to their own safety. The 2018 crime statistics show that by working together we have helped to make Cayman safer. We must all do our part to maintain that improvement over the years to come.” Overall, police logged a total of 3,453 crimes in 2018 – a decrease of 3% on the previous year. Premier Alden McLaughlin LEGISLATORS CLAP BACK AT PREMIER’S ‘INSULT’ KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Opposition legislators is- sued a response Thursday to remarks made by Premier Alden McLaughlin about how groups of Independent candi- dates are not equipped to run the country. McLaughlin’s remarks were made earlier this week in response to MLA Ez- zard Miller stepping down as leader of the Opposition. The premier said the turmoil on the Opposition benches showed the value of the party system. “In effect, the country is witnessing firsthand why it is not practical for a group of independent candidates to get elected and then seek to come together in the coun- try’s interest,” the premier said in his statement. “They are too busy pursuing their own individual agendas to even try to develop a shared view.” In a nearly 1,200-word statement issued by MLA Alva Suckoo, McLaughlin is called on to apologise for his “in- sult” to voters. Suckoo said the statement was drafted by him, Arden McLean and Chris Saunders. “While it is clear from the statement issued by the Pre- mier shows that he is un- happy and displeased with the democratic choices that many Caymanians have made by choosing Independent mem- bers to represent them – one of the primary principles of De- mocracy is that the will and the wishes of the people be respected,” states the release from Suckoo. “It is not the Pre- mier’s place to question the choices of the voters that we were all elected to serve. This is an insult to the Caymanian people and the Premier owes them an apology.” The statement also criti- cised the current government for failing to adhere to the “seven Nolan’s Principles on public life: Selflessness, In- tegrity, Objectivity, Accounta- bility, Openness, Honesty and Leadership”. Conflicts of interests on government boards, consti- tutional discussions taking place in secret, and the unfin- ished high school projects are specific evidence of govern- ment’s failure, according to the Opposition. “Additionally, the Cayma- nian people have yet to receive an explanation as to why text- books were taken out of public school or why their children no longer receive free healthcare that now costs many parents thousands of dollars per year in insurance premiums,” the Opposition legislators stated. Meanwhile, a new Op- position leader has not yet been determined. Suckoo said McLean is currently off is- land, so a new leader has not been chosen, but a deci- sion will be made by the end of the month. Australian funds industry defends the use of Cayman entities MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Australia’s superannu- ation fund industry has hit back at media criti- cism of structuring local investments through the Cayman Islands. Traditional news media, politicians and social media commentators in Australia focussed heavily on Cayman in the wake of a $80 million water rights sale to the gov- ernment that saw much of the $52 million profit go to a Cayman-based company, Eastern Australia Irrigation. Regardless of the de- tails of the sale, which al- legedly involved inflated prices, to a company that once had Australian En- ergy Minister Angus Taylor among its directors, mil- lions of ordinary Austral- ians are already among the beneficiaries of similar in- frastructure investments through Cayman Islands en- tities, the Australian Finan- cial Review reported. Citing the example of IFM Investors, which is owned by 27 Australian super funds, the business newspaper reported that IFM’s infrastructure fund buys ports, airports and toll roads through a Luxem- bourg company and a Dela- ware partnership, with the assets held by a Cayman Is- lands trust. Superannuation is part of Australia’s system to help workers generate income for retirement. Employers make compulsory contribu- tions for their employees, who are encouraged to make voluntary contributions to super funds. IFM founder Garry Weaven told the newspaper that this kind of structure had nothing to do with profit shifting and was all about avoiding double tax- ation. The fact that no tax is paid in Cayman made the process simpler be- cause investors did not have to claim tax credits and would simply pay tax on any earnings in their own country. Yasser El-Ansary, chief executive of Australian In- vestment Council, an advo- cacy organisation for pri- vate capital investments, noted Australia was a cap- ital-importing country that is actively seeking foreign investments and politicians were “absolutely wrong” to conflate the issue of profit shifting by multinational companies with the use of pooled investment vehicles in the Cayman Islands. The Australian Financial Review article listed equity investments by IFM Inves- tors in a container port in Poland and Vienna Interna- tional Airport in Austria as examples for transactions that benefit about 7 million Australians invested in the 27 not-for-profit super funds that own IFM. The assets in these deals are held by a subsidiary of Cayman-based Conyers Trust Company, which acts as trustee of IFM’s global in- frastructure fund. Alva Suckoo Garry Weaven, founder, IFM Investors TOURISM AWARDS NOMINATION DEADLINE EXTENDED The Cayman Islands Tourism Association has extended the nomination deadline for the 16th Annual Stingray Tourism Awards to Friday, 24 May. CITA said in a statement that the decision to extend the deadline was made in order to give member busi- nesses the opportunity to fully participate. The organisers said that as “tourism has been booming, so have the de- mands on the industry in coordinating activities, and ensuring smooth, safe and quality operations. With members reaching out to request an extension, the Association decided to do just that.” Tiffany Dixon-Ebanks of CITA said the awards cer- emony is “just a ‘feel good’ kinda time where everyone gets dressed up and comes together to celebrate the magic of our industry.” The awards ceremony will be held at the Ritz- Carlton, Grand Cayman on 23 July. This event recog- nises employees in the tourism industry. Nominations can be made online at www.cita.ky/stingrayawards. Winners of the Stingray Tourism Awards are presented with glass stingray trophies.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019 8 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019 CAYMAN COMPASS A Tribute To My Mom Phyllis Mae Ebanks “If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk forever in my garden” – Claudia Ghandi The day you left, I lost a part of me You will forever be a part of me. You are my mom. Soar with the angels until I see you again From your daughter, Patsy Ruth Rowan From your daughter, From your daughter, er aPatsy Ruth Rowan The Family of the Late Andrew Darwin Bush regrets to announce his passing on Tuesday, 30 April, 2019. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A funeral service will be held 3:00 p.m. Saturday, 11 May, 2019 at Community of Christ, George Town. Interment will follow in South Sound Cemetery. Haines prepares for latest trek for charity Students win Child’s Month awards Tiann Scott and Julius Smith are this year’s Child’s Month awardees. The Department of Chil- dren and Family Services presented the students with their awards at a church ser- vice Sunday at First Baptist Church in George Town. Lighthouse school student Tiann, 11, was honoured as an outstanding scholar, artist and all-star communicator. Her character and willing- ness to succeed were said to exemplify this year’s theme: ‘Be Strong! Be Brave! Be You!’ Julius, 16, is a former Lighthouse student who is currently studying at the Cayman Islands Further Ed- ucation Centre. He was rec- ognised for his educational, athletic and social accom- plishments. Julius is a two- time Special Olympian and multi-medal winner at the Games. His confidence and positive attitude earned him a ‘Proud of Them’ award last year. He is involved in Toast- master’s Eloquent Speakers Leadership programme and other roles. Sunday’s Child Month service, officiated by Senior Pastor Steve Brady, attracted a large congregation, in- cluding Governor Martyn Roper, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, Acting Minister for Community Af- fairs Austin Harris, George Town Central MLA Kenneth Bryan, the ministry’s Chief Officer Teresa Echenique and DCFS Director Paulinda Mendoza-Williams. SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Once again, Derek Haines is going the extra mile for philanthropy. But in this case, it’s an- other 538 miles. Haines, an avid distance runner and fundraiser, is in- viting the public to his final fundraiser on Thursday, 23 May, at Abacus restau- rant in Camana Bay prior to his eight-week quest across the Pyrenees mountain range from Hendaye to Banyuls- sur-Mer, France, in support of the Special Needs Founda- tion Cayman. The Pyrenees forms the natural border between France and Spain in south- western Europe. Haines, who will be walking with friend Mike Burcombe, has already raised $600,000 in conjunc- tion with the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman, and the ul- timate goal is to top $1 mil- lion to ensure inclusivity in schools and the community for people with special needs. The Abacus fundraiser will begin at 5:30pm and con- tinue deep into the night. En- trance will cost $25 and come with a free drink. For Haines, it’s an opportunity to meet and greet the community that has given him a leg up in his various philanthropic events over the years. “I’ve been lucky with health and fitness. I’m 70 now,” he said. “If you can do it and raise a few dollars, then it’s worth trying. The community in Cayman has been very supportive of me over the years.” Haines has raised more than $3 million for Cayman causes over his decades of philanthropy, and he played a starring role in raising funds for the Jasmine hospice care facility that recently opened. For his latest endeavour, beginning in early June he will be walking along the GR 10 French footpath that runs the length of the Pyrenees, and he will climb 157,000 feet along the way. That is the equivalent of five Mount Ever- ests, said Haines, but he made sure to note that the altitude for his trek is considerably lower than Nepal and Tibet. The average elevation will be between 6,000 and 7,000 feet during his eight-week trek, and Haines and Bur- combe expect to camp out along the path for quite a lot of it. They will begin their walks early in the morning and conclude in the early afternoon in an attempt to avoid seasonal showers. “You can almost set your clock by it,” he said of the daily rainstorms that will punctuate his walk through the Pyrenees. “You don’t want to be marching around in the middle of it.” The inspiration for this journey came in his early 20s, and Haines said it’s been kicking around his head the last few decades. He also said that Chris Johnson, past pres- ident of the Rotary Club, has always been keen on aiding his journeys, which could not happen without the support of the community. Haines, who has also scaled volcanos in Guatemala and finished gruelling endur- ance races in Australia, plans on documenting a lot of the trip with a GoPro camera and taking people along with him for the journey. But as always, his focus is on helping segments of society who cannot help themselves. “People have complete trust in what we do,” he said. “They know every penny goes into the projects we cham- pion. I’m very lucky. You just do your best to help others before they put you into the ground.” People who want to donate and follow along with the journey can find details at www.snfc.ky. For his latest endeavour, beginning in early June, Derek Haines will be walking along the GR 10 French footpath that runs the length of the Pyrenees, and he will climb 157,000 feet along the way. Mike Burcombe, left, and Derek Haines will trek more than 500 miles across the Pyrenees next month. Derek Haines, pictured here in the Leicester Mercury newspaper taking part in a philanthropic activity in 1984, has been raising funds for various causes for more than three decades. From left, Department of Children and Family Services Director Paulinda Mendoza-Williams, Julius Smith, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, Tiann Scott and Residential Care Supervisor Thelma Richards during the announcement of this year’s Child’s Month honourees.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019 Calling the governing councils a “work in pro- gress”, Scott said the wheels are already turning on some aspects of organising the bodies. “You could see certain things as soon as the fall,” he said. Education Minister Ju- liana O’Connor-Connolly de- clined to comment on the change on two occasions, saying she did not want to discuss the issue until the plan was fully in place. The move to decentralise some control of the schools makes sense, Scott said. “When you think about where the rubber hits the road, it’s ultimately that ex- perience between the teacher and the student in the class- room,” he said. “If you take the decision-making too far away, what happens is it gets delayed.” In fact, a common com- plaint among school admin- istrators, teachers and par- ents is that even decisions of lesser importance at schools often have to go through the Department of Education, which, they say, typically op- erates at glacial pace. Scott said re-apportioning some of the decision-making that has traditionally been done at the Department of Education to school councils will be more efficient. Those decisions would include how to address shortcomings identified by the Office of Education Standards, whose inspectors regularly assess school performance. “It would be incumbent on the board to put into ef- fect the changes necessary,” he said, adding that the board’s job would be to “ad- vocate and do some of the heavy lifting” on such things as implementing the new curriculum being unveiled for primary schools this fall. “The concept really brings it back to the community,” he said, “It also gives teachers the opportunity to say, ‘Look this is what we [need].’” What combination of ed- ucators, parents and com- munity members might com- prise the governing councils has not yet been determined, Scott said. Whether members will be appointed or elected is unknown, as are the quali- fications required to serve. Some educators say they welcome the change. “It brings a fresh ap- proach,” said Clifton Hunter High School Principal Pauline Beckford. She thinks such councils would be benefi- cial in such things as tai- loring the curriculum to indi- vidual schools and providing a forum for collaborative decision-making. She also said it could be a better check on school performance. “I think it will bring a range of expertise of different community stakeholders to hold schools to account,” she said. Beckford formerly worked as an administrator in the British school system. So did John Gray High School Prin- cipal Jonathan Clark. He said that system has local school councils. “I’m used to working with a governing body for a school,” Clark said. “It’s right and proper to have the com- munity involved in the school. I welcome it and I think it would be very positive.” He does not believe forming such councils will be a great challenge. “We already have the people in place to a certain extent, but it’s very informal relationships.” Kari Seymour, who serves on the PTA at both Clifton Hunter and Savannah Pri- mary, said she knows of people who would be good candidates for governing councils. “There are many people in our community that have sat or currently sit on PTA executive committees and/ or other governing boards like that,” Seymour said in an email. “I believe individ- uals would be keen to sit on a council like this. ” Seymour called the pro- posed shift in governance a “great idea”. “A lot of the decisions sent to the DES could be made closer to the school level,” said in the email. “This could potentially provide a seam- less and more efficient pro- cess for handling issues that need immediate attention and or resolution.” Beckford said there are potential problems with such councils. The mem- bers, she said, would need to avoid infighting and conflicts of interest. “They have to be impar- tial,” she said. Scott said the Educa- tion Council is examining those issues. “With anything, you go in with eyes wide open,” he said. “Who are the people that get selected? What’s the process? Make sure there is proper training, there is account- ability, there is [a policy] to deal with conflict. If the rules of engagement are clear so those items are highlighted, I think the benefit far out- weighs any potential pitfall.” The new structure, he said, will help to better inte- grate schools with society. “It will be a way to tie the community closer to the schools,” Scott said. “It will be a way to tie the busi- ness community closer to the schools.” He said it is too early for interested people to take action, and encouraged people to wait until the plan is finalised. “I think at this minute, they probably need to just be patient,” he said. He also realises that with any change, and particularly with one that will substan- tially change the education landscape, there will be some resistance. “With anything that you roll out, as with the inspec- tions, folks have concerns,” he said. “There’s always trepida- tion. But I think we all agree that the endgame is we have delivered the very best edu- cation for our students.” Governance change looming for schools Education Council Chairman Dan Scott says local governance will help schools operate more effectively. - PHOTO: MARK MUCKENFUSS Police task force formed to tackle money laundering threats Islands to siphon funding to terrorist organisations. Byrne said there was no di- rect evidence that this type of crime was taking place in the territory. But he acknowledged that the recent Caribbean Finan- cial Action Task Force re- port had correctly identified a shortfall in resources dedi- cated to such investigations. “The big finding was not that we have a major problem with money laun- dering or terrorist financing,” he said. “The issue was that we were not looking for them. This is a major financial hub and we weren’t going out proactively looking at.” The report warned that large money laundering in- vestigations and prosecu- tions are currently non- existent in the Cayman Islands and the use of the Financial Reporting Au- thority to initiate investiga- tions is benign. Byrne said he has split the police’s Financial Crime Unit into two. One arm will continue to focus on do- mestic crimes while the new unit will be specifically re- sponsible for working with the Financial Reporting Au- thority to investigate suspi- cious transactions. He added, “The focus has to change, we have to go in looking, asking questions, why did someone transfer this amount of money from one jurisdiction to another?” The unit currently has three investigators working with a detective chief in- spector, as well as con- sultants from the City of London police’s respected economic crime unit. Two more officers are expected to join mid-May. Byrne said the task force would use over- seas officers on temporary contracts until permanent staff can be recruited. “We are in an observa- tional period. There is no time to sit back. We have to show we can get out and do what needs to be done,” he said. Government allocated additional funding to the Royal Cayman Islands Po- lice Service to help fight fi- nancial crime during the last meeting of the house in April. The creation of the new investigative unit is just one aspect of the national re- sponse to the findings of the FATF report. Premier Alden McLaughlin is chairing a working group of the var- ious ministries and agen- cies responsible for en- suring follow-through on the report. Byrne added, “It is the biggest news at the minute in terms of what we are addressing for the na- tional economy.” McLaughlin said in his Strategic Policy Statement in April that his government would act fast to implement the findings of the report. He said, “I believe that the report’s recommenda- tions will help to strengthen our jurisdiction. I have said before that Cayman does not need or want illegiti- mate business and we stand ready to do all that we can to resist any attempts at using our Financial Services industry for money laun- dering, terrorist financing or other illegal purposes.” Fake German heiress jailed Royal Cayman Islands Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said the task force would have ring-fenced resources and its own budget to initiate inquiries into the movement of money through the islands. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 NEW YORK (AP) – Anna So- rokin, the German con artist who passed herself off as a wealthy heiress to swindle banks, hotels and even close friends as she lived out a high-society, Instagram- ready fantasy in New York, was sentenced Thursday to four to 12 years in prison. The 28-year-old, who had played with her own tab- loid image during the trial by wearing stylish dresses to court, looked despondent as the verdict was announced. She pressed her hand to her face and squeezed her eyes shut, appearing to hold back tears. Judge Diane Kiesel said Sorokin had been “blinded by the glitter and glamour of New York City” as she turned to fraud to finance a life she could never afford. But the judge turned down a re- quest by Sorokin’s lawyers to sentence her to the time she has already spent in jail awaiting trial. “I am stunned by the depth of the defendant’s de- ception,” Kiesel said, adding that she hoped to send a message to Sorokin’s internet following “that her behaviour is unacceptable”. “Certainly she didn’t think about the people she scammed,” the judge added. The sentencing capped a spectacular case that drew international attention and tabloid headlines. Netflix and HBO are both working on shows based on Sorokin’s au- dacious efforts to finagle her way into the Manhattan so- cialite scene. She was convicted last month on multiple counts of larceny and theft and has been in custody since her October 2017 arrest – time behind bars that will be credited towards her sen- tence. The judge also or- dered Sorokin to pay nearly $200,000 in restitution and a $24,000 fine. Sorokin forged a new identity – Anna Delvey – and defrauded financial institu- tions and Manhattan celebri- ties into believing she had a fortune of $67 million over- seas that could cover her jet- setting lifestyle, high-end clothing and lavish hotel stays. She falsely claimed her father was a diplomat or an oil baron and falsified bank records. Her ruse included an ap- plication for a $22 million loan to fund a private arts club, complete with exhibi- tions, installations and pop- up shops, prosecutors said. She was denied that loan but persuaded one bank to lend her $100,000 that she failed to repay. In all, prosecutors ac- cused her of stealing some $275,000, including a $35,400 bill she failed to pay for a plane she chartered to and from the Berkshire Hath- away shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. She went to great lengths to en- sure others paid her way, even as she had “not a cent to her name, as far as we can determine”, prosecutor Cath- erine McCaw said following Sorokin’s arrest. Anna Sorokin cries during sentencing at New York State Supreme Court in New York on Thursday. - PHOTO: APNext >