Little Cayman 16 Dec, 9am4pm Cayman Brac 17 Dec, 9am2pm Sister Islands Customer Appreciation Days cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 75 CENTS | Funding local journalism | Wednesday, 11 December 2019 News Beach- access fight heads to court Page 5 Business EU countries push for tougher tax blacklist Page 13 The real story of Wreck of the Ten Sail Page 6 14 security guards lose jobs at HSA Page 7 Deutsche Bank settles money laundering probe Page 13 Page 2 Spotlight on court inefficiencies Wreck of the • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - WEDNESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) 21 BRIDGES (R) 1:30 | 4:05 | 7:20 | 10:00 VIP THE COURIER (PG) 12:50 | 2:45 | 7:05 | 10:00 FORD V FERRARI (PG13) 3:20 | 6:40 | 9:30 FROZEN 2 (PG) - 3D 12:45 3D | 1:15 | 3:50 VIP 4:25 3D | 7:00 | 9:30 3D KNIVES OUT (PG13) 12:45 VIP | 3:35 | 7:00 VIP | 9:50 PANTI PATNI AUR WOH (PG) 6:20 | 9:40 PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Cayman Compass Ltd. Compass Centre, Shedden Road, George Town, Cayman Islands SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman, KY1-1108 Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@compassmedia.ky ADVERTISE WITH US: T: (345) 949-5111 E: sales@compassmedia.ky W: caymancompass.com PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA NEWS PRODUCER AND OPERATIONS MANAGER KEVIN MORALES A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” Cloudy skies with a 20% chance of showers weather Forecast today Cayman Islands 82°F 77°F HIGH LOW WINDS Northerly at 5 to 10 knots SEA STATE Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet cayman compass 2 news N news WEDNESDAY, 11 DECEMBER 2019 In a story published on Monday, 9 Dec., titled ‘Outcry over public beach wall’, Dart was incorrectly identified at the applicant that was seeking planning permission for the upgrades at Seven Mile Beach public beach. The application was made by government through the Ministry of Commerce, Infrastructure and Planning. Dart is the contractor on the government project. CORRECTION Lack of performance measures hampers assessment RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky The efficiency of Cayman’s Judicial Adminis- tration and, more specifically, the Summary Court system remains unknown, according to an audit report. Auditor General Sue Winspear said a lack of performance and financial information has made it “difficult to assess the overall efficiency and effectiveness of Summary Courts or Judicial Administration.” Winspear, commenting on her office’s latest report, ‘Efficiency of Summary Courts’, said performance measures are not in place to manage or improve that court system. “Judicial Administration has limited performance information and does not use the information available to understand, manage or improve its performance,” Winspear said. “In addition, Judicial Administration does not record its expenditure by type of court, despite the budget being set in this way, or calculate the cost per case.” The 43-page report, which was made public last week, evaluated the efficiency of processing Summary Court cases. It also reviewed how Judicial Administration was performing, how it used resources, and its relationships with other justice partners and court users. The auditor general registered concern over the plans for the redevelopment of the courthouse, as she said at this stage she could not assess the value for money of the proposed multi-million-dollar investment. “It is important that the OBC [Outline Business Case] is in line with good practice to ensure that it provides a strong evidence base to justify the need for and investment in the new court building; this is not available currently,” the report said. Winspear, commenting on the project, said the need for a new courthouse is not in question as the current court facilities are not fit for purpose. “However, the Outline Business Case for the project is still in draft form and there are a number of significant gaps in the information presented. For example, there is no recent analysis of current and future workload that justifies the need for the number of court rooms being proposed,” Winspear said in her statement. The report pointed out that no support was presented on why 10 court rooms were needed. “This appears to be based on experience rather than an analysis of current and projected workload,” the report noted. At the time of the audit, the report said, plans for the new court building were “well advanced” but there had been limited engagement with other justice organisations to identify their requirements for the building. “These could include, for example, the need for specialist accommodation for vulnerable witnesses, or for secure accommodation for people attending court from prison. Judicial Administration needs to engage with both internal and external stakeholders to ensure that the new court buildings meet their requirements,” it said. While the report found that local justice partners work well together at an operational level, it highlighted a need for more strategic collaboration to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the justice system as a whole. “Individual organisations and managers understand their own responsibilities, and there is a Criminal Justice Board that operates as a court users’ group. However, there is no senior strategic board with shared responsibility for ensuring that the entire justice system operates efficiently and effectively,” the report said. This, it said, results in a limited collective understanding and consideration of the criminal justice system as a whole and how changes implemented by one organisation can affect the workload of others, “which likely causes inefficiencies in the system”. The report said the complex and multi- agency nature of the Summary Court system made it difficult to identify the total cost involved in prosecuting cases through those courts. “Judicial Administration’s budget for 2018 was $15.2 million. Our analysis of the budget statements and estimates shows that $4.8 million of this budget was allocated to support court proceedings, including $1.99 million for Criminal and Traffic Courts and $1.96 million for Civil Court proceedings. However, Judicial Administration does not record its expenditures in this way,” the report said. Judicial Administration is also in the process of upgrading its information technology system. “The current upgrade of the IT systems has the potential to significantly improve the efficiency of Summary Courts by introducing online payments, e-ticketing and electronic court scheduling,” Winspear said. Report: Summary Court overall inefficiencies unclear Key recommendations: Engage with all court users to ensure the design of the new court building takes into account the current and future needs of all stakeholders. Ensure the Outline Business Case for the new court building is in line with good practice. Establish a performance management framework for the criminal justice system. Monitor and evaluate the use of out-of-court disposals. Develop a risk register and change management plan for the implementation of AMANDA JEMS IT system. Undertake financial analyses to identify current costs of different types of cases.cayman compass 3 WEDNESDAY, 11 DECEMBER 2019 STAND UP FOR THE FUTURE OF CAYMAN INTEGRITY. OPPORTUNITY. PROSPERITY. VOTE YES. Ships will come, even if we don’t have piers. The cruise companies have repeatedly said they will not tender the larger size ships. The cruise market is the fastest growing tourism sector and in the next decade cruising in the Caribbean is expected to increase by 40%. If the Cayman Islands want to retain cruise business, a cruise berthing facility is the only option. CPR CLAIMS: “As the ships get larger and are unable to tender guests in, I think over time you might see a decline in the number of guests coming to Cayman. Ships are becoming somewhat larger and, therefore, not able to tender in. I think over time there would be a decline.” Arnold Donald, CEO and President, Carnival Corporation “It was never intended that our large Oasis Class, and upcoming Icon Class ships would be tendered. The size and capacity of these ships makes tendering impractical, and we have no plans for tendering them in the future.” Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International “Typically, when we purchase a new, larger ship, the older ships go out of service, they are a replacement for our older, smaller ships which are sold. What you will see over time is a phasing ÕÌvÌ i`iÀ]Ã>iÀà «Ã]>`Ì iyiiÌÜLi`>Ìi`LÞÞ>À}ià «Ã°/ iVÀÕÃià « yiiÌÞÕÃiiÜÜLiÛ>ÃÌÞ`vviÀiÌÌ iiÝÌÌiÞi>ÀÃ]>`ÌÜ >««iµÕVÞ° ÛiÀÞÞi>À you will see more larger ships and rapidly the cruise industry will transform to something different from what we see now.” Russell Benford, Vice President, Government Relations Americas, Royal Caribbean Cruises “Today Carnival has 22 ships on order and 9 of those are the new advanced larger class of ships, powered by LNG and carrying 6,000 plus passengers. These new class of ships unfortunately won’t go to destinations where we have to tender.” David Candib, Vice President, Development & Operations, Carnival Corporation FACT:The ongoing debate regarding the cruise berthing piers/cargo port facility has, in my humble opinion, focussed too much on SHORT-TERM implications. I do pray that our younger generation will look past some of the controversy surrounding this project, and think more about what it means for their future. I support the proposed development of this project, because I believe it is necessary for the long-term survival of our tourism product, and our economy as a whole. If we listen carefully to the experts who work at our port, it is very clear that our existing cargo port is woefully inadequate for the Cayman Islands of today. We must bear in mind that the existing facility was built in the 1970s, when our islands’ population was a mere 12,000 people ... at a time when we were importing around 25,000 tons of cargo, annually. Today, our population has increased fivefold, to over 60,000, with imports having increased by more than 20 times, to over 550,000 tons, annually! In other words, the existing cargo port has reached a stage whereby it can no longer serve our needs, even in the medium term. The Caribbean region accounts for around 50% of the global cruise industry, and our beautiful Cayman Islands remains one of the most sought-after destinations. As our cruise tourism sector continues to grow, we need to accommodate that growth by development of an expanded and more efficient cruise-berthing facility. We are about to secure a new first-class port, and at Port will benefit Cayman over the long term I do not support the cruise ship expansion and here is why: Destroying the harbour to accommodate more ships will fundamentally change Grand Cayman. Our natural beauty is our most important quality. This feature (our best) has made us an attractive place to visit. Destroying that would be foolish and would amount to shooting ourselves in the foot. Currently the influx of people and increase in traffic during cruise ship days is substantial and our infrastructure is tested. Adding ships capable of carrying 5,000 souls would just make rush hour all day. Waiting lines at restaurants and beaches would become common. I must agree with Guy Harvey that we should not destroy what has made us such a beautiful spot. Our natural beauty is fundamental to our nature. The new cruise ship project is a very bad idea whose ramifications and unintended consequences would change Grand Cayman fundamentally for years to come and not for the better. Peter Longo Cruise port would destroy Cayman’s natural beauty The recent tragedy in which a Bodden Town man was senselessly killed by a motor vehicle has compelled me to once again draw attention to what is happening in Caymanian society. We should have realised that Anton Bodden Drive is particularly prone to speeders. In the past, it was regularly monitored by the police who mounted speed traps to catch offending drivers. The speed limit has been reduced by 10 miles so as to deter those who would take the drive for the Daytona Speedway and yet users continue to drive with reckless abandon. I am particularly disappointed in the fact that for all the money we pay for surveillance cameras, there is not a single camera mounted along this stretch of road. Now a citizen, a former policeman no less, has been mowed down by some ghoul and decent people remain at risk of the situation recurring. The situation is not so much as Andrew Morris Gerrard warned us years ago that “modern roads would warrant us readying our drawing rooms for the caskets of the victims of road accidents”. Rather, it is the disrespect, ignorance and wanton disregard for pedestrians and other road users by those who feel they are entitled to break the law. Regrettably, a good number of these are Caymanians but my observation also is that too many fall into the category of ‘other’. And just as they have ruined their society, so it seems they are hell bent on ruining ours. J.A. Roy Bodden Reckless speeding must be stopped There are over 1 million dead iguanas in the dump. What happens to the carcasses? As they decompose, do they constitute a health hazard? Ted Pearson Where do the culled iguanas go? Truly disappointed in the Parade of Lights. With the extended restaurants and 20 feet on each side of the stage available for the locals, it didn’t feel like a family event but instead a Dart commercial event. Why is this not held in the harbour with the boats running down Seven Mile Beach? Michelle Lee As a single mother who can’t afford to reserve a spot to see the Parade of Lights, I went three hours in advance but was surprised that such a small space was available. This event is only meant for the wealthy and elite expats. Lauren Rivers Unhappy with Parade of Lights YesterdaY's sOLUtIONs 1234567 8 910 1112 131415 1617 18192021 2223 2425 1234567 8 910 1112 131415 1617 18192021 2223 2425 Puzzle 16244 ACROSS: 1 Tactful, 5 Ample, 8 Name of the game, 9 Cairn, 10 Antenna, 11 Grovel, 12 Staple, 15 Awesome, 17 Shaft, 19 Preoccupation, 20 Defer, 21 Freight. DOWN: 1 Tonic, 2 Commit oneself, 3 Flounce, 4 Lethal, 5 Agent, 6 Plain speaking, 7 Elevate, 11 Grasped, 13 Testate, 14 Rebuff, 16 Occur, 18 Tenet. aCrOss 1 Smart (6) 4 Counting frame (6) 9 South American river (7) 10 Cavalry spear (5) 11 Critical judgment (5) 12 Northeast US state (3,4) 13 Approve routinely (6-5) 18 Spring back (7) 20 Saunter (5) 22 Boat (5) 23 Notable feat (7) 24 Puzzling matter (6) 25 To offer (6) dOWN 1 Suave (6) 2 An assumed name (5) 3 Maxim (7) 5 Local regulation (2-3) 6 Fit in (7) 7 Arab chief (6) 8 Oppressed (11) 14 Rebuke severely (7) 15 Tread heavily (7) 16 Provisions retailer (6) 17 A trusted adviser (6) 19 Up to such time as (5) 21 Ponder morbidly (5) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16245 The numbers in the black cells are clues. Numbers above the slash are across clues. Number below the slash are down clues. The goal is to enter digits 1 - 9 in the white cells to add up to the number clues. You cannot enter any digit more than once when adding up to clue. Letters to the editor no net cost to the public; and with mitigation measures to be put in place, so as to minimise the impact on our natural environment. All of this, while we provide the necessary infrastructure, accommodate the necessary importation of goods, and facilitate a growing tourism industry. If this is not considered well- meaning, long-term planning, then I don’t know what is! I pray that for the long-term benefit of our islands, and especially for the future of our children, we can ignore much of the ‘politics’ surrounding this debate and stand in support of developing our much-needed cruise berthing piers and cargo dock facilities, to be located in George Town, our islands’ capitol. Daphne Orrett cayman compass 4 N news WEDNESDAY, 11 DECEMBER 2019Contact Heidi Kiss, Broker P: +1.345.525.1126 | E: heidi.kiss@evrealestate.com www.caymanevrealestate.com Proud member of CIREBA CIREBA MLS 410743-6 Starting from CI$725,000 Public Sandy Beach access 258 yard away Large 3 bedrooms with terrace, 2100 sq ft 2 swimming pools Elevated 7 ft above sea level Gas appliances & Solar = Low CUC bills Location, Location, Location close to Walkers Road and San Sebastian Stamp Duty paid by Developer Reputable and successful Caymanian Developer 60% SOLD OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY DEC 7, 1-3PM JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky Government is facing legal action over its decision not to register more than 200 historic rights of way to the beach. A court date has been set for 9 Jan. next year for a judge to decide if there is a case to answer. The Concerned Citizens Group is seeking leave to apply for a judicial review of the Registrar of Lands’ decision not to record on the official land register the 200 beach-access paths. As far back as 2003, the group filed 500 affidavits from members of the public in an effort to officially register the paths. The affidavits attest that the paths had been used for more than 20 years as walkways to the ocean. The group contends that this makes them public rights of way that should be registered and protected from encroachment and development. Members of the group say they have been in constant dialogue with successive governments since the affidavits were filed. But it was not until 2017, when a series of beach-access disputes put the issue back in the spotlight, that they received a response. In a letter to the group, Registrar of Lands Sophia Williams said the law did not enable her to register the accesses unless ordered to by a court, following a dispute. She acknowledged that such access paths did acquire legal status under the Prescription Law after 20 years of use, but indicated that this could not be officially recorded on the lands register without a court order confirming the “existence, nature and extent” of the easement. Three members of the Concerned Citizens Group, Alice Mae Coe, Ezmie Smith and Annie Multon, sought to challenge that decision. They were granted legal aid for the challenge after a series of hearings and now a date has been set to determine if the case should proceed to trial. “If we are successful, then they will hear the arguments,” Smith said of the 9 Jan. hearing. Ultimately, she said, the group wants the court to compel the registrar to make the beach- access paths official so they can be preserved in perpetuity. “It is important to remember that we are a maritime community. Love for the sea is something we grew up with. The beaches are for the people," she said. “Everybody is talking about the port and all the tourists that will come. We have to make sure we have beaches and access paths for locals and visitors to get to them.” As far back as 2003, the group filed 500 affidavits from members of the public in an effort to officially register the paths . A judge will determine if a judicial review into the future of 200 beach paths can go ahead. Beach-access fight heads to court cayman compass 5 news N news WEDNESDAY, 11 DECEMBER 2019Peggy Leshikar-Denton, the director of the Cayman Islands National Museum, has written the definitive story of the Wreck of the Ten Sail. news N news 6 CAROLINA LOPEZ clopez@compassmedia.ky Eleven white-crowned pigeons and 18 white-winged doves were released last week as part of the Cayman Turtle Centre’s captive breed-and-release programme last Thursday. “These birds are a keystone species, that means they play a very important role in our environment,” said Shona McGill, the centre’s education officer. “The white-crowned pigeons, in particular, are fruit and seed eaters; they help disperse seeds for local species, like our thatch palms and also sea grapes.” White-crowned pigeons are considered ‘near-threatened’ species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Turtle Centre said it has released more than 100 white- crowned pigeons since 2008. According to Geddes Hislop, the centre’s curator for terrestrial exhibits and education programmes, the breeding initiative started in 2008 with white-crowned pigeons and white-winged doves that had been rescued following Hurricane Ivan. “We put them into the aviary. Some of them couldn’t be released and we kept them as display birds, and then a couple of them started breeding, so we figured why not make this a formal thing,” Hislop said. The centre recently invited visitors to enter a draw to release a pigeon themselves. Jennifer Chatmon, who was vacationing in the Cayman Islands with her parents, took part after her father’s name was called. She described releasing the bird as a “special, spiritual experience”. ‘Near-threatened’ birds released New book on Wreck of the Ten Sail JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky The thrilling history of the Cayman Islands’ most famous shipwreck is revealed in a new book penned by the director of the national museum. Peggy Leshikar-Denton’s account of the story behind the Wreck of the Ten Sail is the culmination of more than three decades of research. Using a mix of documentary accounts, oral histories and underwater archaeological surveys, the book pieces together the story of how a convoy of British ships were wrecked on the reefs off East End en route from Jamaica to the UK. The book, ‘Cayman’s 1794 Wreck of the Ten Sail, Peace, War and Peril in the Caribbean’, is on sale at the Cayman Islands National Museum shop. The author will be signing copies as part of a soft launch Wednesday night. Leshikar-Denton describes the book as a “labour of love” that had been made possible by the help and support of “many, many people” in the Cayman Islands and beyond. Her interest in the story was sparked when she was part of a team that surveyed the wrecks of the Cayman Islands in 1979 and 1980. Years of research, including trips to the national archives in England and Jamaica and a PhD thesis followed, culminating in the book. “It is a compelling story,” she said. The story Everyone in Cayman knows of the Wreck of the Ten Sail. But few know the full story. The basic details, outlined in the book’s preface, tell how 10 British ships travelling from Jamaica in a convoy of 59 vessels went down off Grand Cayman. Led by the frigate HMS Convert under the command of Captain John Lawford, the vessels were mostly merchantmen laden with rum, sugar, lumber and other produce bound for England. Approximately 10 lives were believed lost when the Convert and nine other ships wrecked on the eastern reefs in the early hours of 8 Feb. 1974. The inhabitants of Grand Cayman, which numbered fewer than 1,000 people at that time, helped rescue the survivors. Captain Lawford and around 30 of his men camped in tents on the beach opposite the wreck site for weeks afterwards as they attempted to salvage the vessels. Folklore A famous, likely apocryphal tale still told about the wreck in the Cayman Islands today is that King George III exempted the territory from taxes in thanks for the efforts of the islanders. Leshikar-Denton says it is conceivable that Cayman Islanders were granted freedom from conscription to the British army, but she found no evidence of any tax exemption. The book, which began as a PhD project in the 1990s, also involves accounts of oral histories about the wreck passed down through generations of Caymanians. The tales vary in detail and accuracy but contain the broad strokes of the true story. There is an element of national pride, too, as they tell how Cayman’s small population, reeling from the impact of a hurricane itself, came to the aid of a British convoy. Leshikar-Denton believes the story is an important part of the islands’ heritage and identity. “This was meaningful to the local population. They remembered it for hundreds of years and told stories about it. “It is the most famous of Cayman’s many wrecks.” The real story of Cayman’s most famous shipwreck Late night shopping and book launch Where: Cayman Islands National Museum When: Wednesday, 11 Dec., 5-8pm What: Author Peggy Leshikar-Denton will sign copies of her book on the Wreck of the Ten Sail A white-crowned pigeon on a branch in the aviary. Jennifer Chatmon with her father Floyd Chatmon before releasing the white-crowned pigeon. Over 100 The number of white- crowned pigeons released in Grand Cayman by the Cayman Turtle Centre since 2008.CAROLINA LOPEZ clopez@compassmedia.ky The Health Services Authority has made 14 of its security guards redundant, the HSA has confirmed. The HSA said it was outsourcing its entire security team to the private sector, adding the move was in line with recommendations made in an Ernst & Young report, released in 2014. In its statement responding to questions from the Cayman Compass, the HSA said, “In keeping with the broad goals of our strategic plan, the HSA has been exploring opportunities to collaborate with the private sector to improve efficiencies, reduce cost and improve our operations, and concentrate more of our resources on our core business to deliver high quality patient care.” The HSA board took the decision to make the guards redundant, the statement said. The board had previously outsourced the collection of the authority’s bad debts to the private sector, as the EY report had recommended. The security guards were offered a separation package as part of the redundancy process, the HSA said. In its statement to the Compass, the authority said it is helping the redundant staffers find new employment either within or outside the HSA, and assisting them with resume writing and professional services, This is not the HSA’s first brush with controversy connected to its security staff, with earlier issues concerning overime hours. In September this year, the Compass reported that two men were charged with various corruption offences in connection with alleged abuse of overtime by HSA security staff, and in February 2018, about a dozen security staff were placed on required leave during an internal audit investigation into overtime irregularities. George Town Central MLA Kenneth Bryan told the Compass that the redundancies are signs of a “hammer slowly tapping at a house with an already weak foundation”. He added, “I am really disappointed the Cabinet has tried to distance themselves from this most disturbing decision, suggesting it was a board decision, but let’s be clear about the realities; the board is appointed by the current government members and they were well aware of the plan. If they didn’t want this to happen, it wouldn’t happen.” Bryan said he is worried about the effects the redundancies could have on Caymanian employment. “I strongly believe this a dangerous precedent to allow. This can have knock-on effects on other authorities. Which authority will be next to do this in the effort to save money?” Bryan asked. The HSA addressed this issue in its statement. “As part of any arrangement with a contracted security firm, the Authority will mandate certain requirements, as part of the public tendering process, to ensure opportunities are created for Caymanians,” the authority said. 14 security guards lose jobs at HSA The HSA said it was outsourcing security guard positions to the private sector, in line with recommendations made in an Ernst & Young report, released in 2014 . The entire of the Health Services Authority security team is being outsourced to the private sector. cayman compass 7 WEDNESDAY, 11 DECEMBER 2019cayman compass 8 WEDNESDAY, 11 DECEMBER 2019cayman compass 9 WEDNESDAY, 11 DECEMBER 2019 Today’s the anniversary Of the day that we lost you 8 years ago, And for a time it felt as though Our lives had ended too. But loss has taught us many things And now we face each day, With hope and happy memories To help us on the way. And though we are full of sadness today That you are no longer here, Your influence still guides us And remain near What you shared will never die, It lives within our hearts And bring strength and comfort. Until we meet again Dad. Missing you: Your Children, Wife & the rest of the family In Loving Memory of Holroy ‘Roy’ Walton Sunrise: August, 13, 1936 Sunset: December 11, 2011 ANDREL HARRIS aharris@comapssmedia.ky A former police officer accused of manipulating an elderly lady into signing over her property to him appeared in Grand Court Tuesday. Daniel Ezra Meeks, 34, pleaded not guilty to a charge of misconduct in a public office. Acting Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Candia James- Malcolm who is serving as Crown counsel in the trial, told Justice Linda Dobbs that Meeks’ actions were deliberate, and he tried to take advantage of the complainant because she was vulnerable. “PC Meeks was called out to a domestic incident at complainant Vernice Johnson-Carter’s home on 10 November 2017,” said James- Malcolm. “Within a week after meeting Johnson, Meeks had convinced her to add him to her property. She did so because she could not read very well.” James-Malcolm told Justice Dobbs that Meeks was tasked with investigating the domestic incident. However, during that time he made multiple unannounced and uninvited visits to the home in a civilian capacity. Johnson told the court that she did not want to add Meeks to her land deed, nor did she want to sign the property over to him. “After he came to the house to deal with the incident, he came back the next day in normal clothes [dressed as a civilian],” said Johnson. “He brought me a phone because my daughter had destroyed mine. He started to tell me he was looking for someone like me to help him get his home.” “He told me he had two sick children, and that the house that he was living in was too small,” she said. “He said that he needed me to put him on my property to help him get a loan from the bank and that he would only need to be on it for about three years. But I told him I couldn’t do that. He brought me gifts and sent someone to paint my house, but I told the man I didn’t need anybody to paint my home.” At the time of the alleged incident, Johnson was a 71-year- old unemployed pensioner. She told the courts that she paid off her mortgage in 1995. Johnson said she told Meeks she wanted to leave the $275,000 property to her grandson. “He told me I had to sign a piece of paper, so I signed it,” said Johnson as she broke down in tears in the witness box. “I signed it because I was alone, afraid and overwhelmed. I can’t read that well, and I didn’t know what I was signing.” She told the court that days after she signed the document, Meeks returned and took her to a Justice of the Peace to sign additional documents. “No one read me my rights, no one told me what my rights were,” said Johnson-Carter. “I was taken to the office and in five minutes it was all over.” During the time the alleged misconduct occurred, Meeks was investigating the domestic incident at Johnson’s house, involving the complainant’s daughter. James- Malcolm said, “He returned to her [Johnson’s] house the day after as a civilian. This was while Johnson’s daughter was still in custody.” The court heard that on 17 Nov. 2017, Meeks submitted an application to have his name attached to the deed of the property. The application was approved pending a payment of $20,625 in stamp duty. “After signing the document, I couldn’t sleep because I felt like I had messed up myself,” said Johnson. “So, I called the police and reported it.” The court heard that a few days after Johnson made the police report, Meeks cancelled the application to add bis name to the property. “The record shows that on 27 November 2017, the Department of Lands and Registry received a letter from Meeks cancelling the application,” said James-Malcolm. “The department also received a letter from Johnson requesting that the application be cancelled.” James-Malcolm told the court that even if Johnson had gifted the property to Meeks, he could not have accepted it. “The RCIPS Code of Conduct, as well as the Public Servants Code of Conduct, prevents a person from receiving a gift that could question their personal judgement in carrying out the role of their office,” she said. “Because Meeks was the investigation officer, he could not accept such a gift. Furthermore, even if he accepted it, the codes of conduct required him to declare any gift valued more that CI$25. So, the question is why didn’t he declare it?” At the time of the alleged incident, Meeks had been serving as a police constable for six years. Following the police report, an internal investigation was initiated into the officer; however, no charges were filed by the department. His request for renewal of his contract was declined in December 2017. Meeks denies the allegations and the trial continues. Former police officer on trial for misconduct in public office Johnson told the court that she did not want to add Meeks to her land deed, nor did she want to sign the property over to him . RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Local leaders tasked with oversight of Cayman’s public finances and governance structure joined international counterparts this week in the UK to discuss effective strategies to scrutinise expenditures from government coffers. Public Accounts Committee chairman Ezzard Miller, Auditor General Sue Winspear and Internal Audit Unit director Andy Bonner are attending the UK forum on the oversight of public finance and governance, which started Monday in London. The meeting is the third in a series of annual forums that will culminate next year. According to a statement from Miller, the conference commenced with a contribution from Baroness Frances D’Souza, a British scientist, life peer, and former Lord Speaker of the House of Lords in the UK Parliament. She stressed the importance of accountability as the bedrock of all societies, organisers reported. The statement said the baroness also highlighted the role that networks, such as the UK Overseas Territories Project, the umbrella agency organising the forum, play in helping create regional standards of excellence. Miller said he was delighted to see the positive outcomes from the project. “The OTs have demonstrated a strong commitment to working together to strengthen their public financial oversight and scrutiny functions,” he said. “With the latest phase of the project scheduled to come to an end in 2020, the London Forum is an opportunity to cement the learning and good practice that has been developed to ensure that effective public financial oversight continues beyond the life of the project.” The project is a joint UK and British Overseas Territories initiative aimed at strengthening public finance oversight and governance in the overseas territories. The three-day conference, which ends Wednesday, is being attended by chairs of public accounts committees, parliamentary clerks, and heads of internal and external audit, from Anguilla, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, St Helena, Turks and Caicos Islands, the UK, and the British Virgin Islands. Miller said Tuesday that delegates discussed preparations for public hearings and what makes a good public accounts committee, including succession planning. On Wednesday, the delegates are expected to update the ‘Good Practice Guide’ to which Cayman is a signatory. Cayman joins public finance discussions Public Accounts Commitee Chairman Ezzard Miller, left, with the other two Cayman Islands representatives, Andy Bonner, director of the Internal Audit Unit, and Auditor General Susan Winspear, at the Overseas Territories Project forum on the strengthening of public finance and governance in the overseas territories.Next >