Archive for August 5th, 2008
Coins and rings stolen inBodden Town
(CNS): Detectives are calling on residents to be on the look out for a selection of stolen coins and rings taken from Watches and Coins on Bodden Town Road o Monday, 4 August. The owner of the store was told that the rear door of his premises was wide open, and found the lock had been broken and a number of items missing. Scenes of Crime Officers processed the crime scene and detectives from Bodden Town Criminal Investigation Department (CID) are conducting enquiries.
It is thought the break-in occurred sometime between 9:00 am and 1:15 pm. Anyone who saw anything suspicious at the location between these times is asked to contact Bodden Town police station on 947-2220 and ask for Detective Constable Cyril Gordon. Anyone who is offered rings or coins for sale is asked to contact police immediately.
This latest break-in follows a number of others that have taken place at residential properties in the Eastern Districts over the last couple of weeks. Items taken include jewellery, computer equipment, stereo equipment and a cell phone. Residents are reminded to ensure their homes are always secure and report any suspicious activity they see in their neighbourhood to police immediately.
“We are working hard to identify those responsible for these break-ins and have a number of leads which we are following up,” said Inspector Ian Yearwood, second in charge of policing in the Eastern Districts.
Anyone with information about crime taking place in the Cayman Islands should contact their local police station or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS). All persons calling crime stoppers remain anonymous, and are eligible for a reward of up to $1000, should their information lead to an arrest or recovery of property/drugs.
Police name road victim
(CNS): Police have now named the young woman who died following a motorbike crash on Sunday evening, 3 August, as Tabia Sharisa Henriques-Bodden, 31, of George Town. A man who was also riding the motorbike remains in hospital. A police investigation is underway to identify the cause of the crash which took place on South Church Street in the vicinity of Palm Springs at 11.50 pm.
Anyone who saw the Kawasaki motorbike or the victims prior to the crash is asked to contact Sergeant Ivan Wedderburn at the the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) Traffic Management Unit on 946-6254.
Anyone with information about crime taking place in the Cayman Islands should contact their local police station or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS). All persons calling Crime Stoppers remain anonymous, and are eligible for a reward of up to $1000, should their information lead to an arrest or recovery of property/drugs.
The RCIPS sends condolences to the family and friends of Ms Henriques-Bodden.
Butterfield Fund Services to merge with Fulcrum Group
(CNS): Subject to regulatory and governmental approvals, Butterfield Fund Services will be merging with the Fulcrum Group to create Butterfield Fulcrum Group (BFG). Headquartered in Bermuda, BFG will have approximately 400 employees in ten locations across nine countries, with close to $100 billion in assets under administration from nearly 1,000 hedge funds, fund of funds, private equity and institutional investment management clients. The new firm is expected to rank amongst the top ten independent alternative asset fund administration companies in the world.
“This is an enormous win-win for both companies that will leverage sales and operational capabilities of Fulcrum Group, and the tremendous customer relationships and global reputation of Butterfield Bank Group.” said Akshaya Bhargava, Chief Executive Officer of Fulcrum Group. “Our vision is to create the best fund administration company in the world.”
Alan Thompson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Butterfield said the merger will result in significant business growth, more services for fund administration customers and career opportunities for employees. “In BFG, Butterfield and Fulcrum are creating a company that will have a powerful presence in fund administration globally,” he added.
Bhargava will become the Chief Executive Officer of BFG and Jill Considine, current Chairman of the Fulcrum Group, will be Chair of the BFG Board. Thompson and Graham Brooks, Executive Vice President, International at Butterfield will also join the BFG Board.
“This merger brings together two highly complementary fund administrators to offer a full-service platform of significant scale that has a business model and operational structure to achieve industry leadership,” said Considine. “BFG will be able to leverage the market reputation of one of the world’s premier banks, a very efficient operating platform and a highly talented and motivated management team.”
In a statement released Tuesday, 5 August the two firms said they shared common corporate values and a customer centric, personalised service approach. BFG’s global operations model and use of many industry best practices is expected to significantly enhance the company’s ability to meet increasingly complex demands from its customers. Representatives of both Fulcrum and Butterfield added that the seamless delivery of client services during the integration is a top priority.
“Clients will continue to receive the same high levels of service and from the same relationship centres while the two companies are being integrated,” said Bhargava.
Merrill Lynch acted as a third-party adviser to Fulcrum Group on the agreement, while UBS Investment Bank advised Butterfield. Fulcrum group is a global administrator for hedge funds and the alternative asset management industry, backed by global private equity firm, 3i, and Butterfield Fund Services (BFS), provides administration services for investment and pension funds and part of The Bank of N. T. Butterfield & Son Limited (Butterfield). Under the merger Butterfield will retain a substantial equity stake and 3i, an existing shareholder in Fulcrum Group, will own a majority interest in Butterfield Fulcrum Group.
Delta to add Cayman flight
(CNS): Despite fuel costs and the falling profits in the industry Delta Air Lines has announced its intention to increase frequencies to its current seven Caribbean destinations to satisfy what it described as the rising demand for sunshine vacations, the airline said. From 20 December it will add nonstop service from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Aruba, George Town, Montego Bay Providenciales, Punta Cana and St. Maarten.
Delta also will add four weekly flights between Atlanta and St. Thomas starting on the 18 December. The extra flight to Grand Cayman will be on Saturdays.
"The Caribbean is a perennial favourite spot for tourists during the winter months, and Delta is making it easier and more convenient for customers to reach their preferred beach destination," said Miguel Lopez, regional director of Sales for Central America and the Caribbean for Delta.
The airline also said it intended to inaugurate new year-round nonstop service between some Caribbean destinations and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
Delta Air Lines currently operates 393 weekly flights to 47 destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
HSA warns of Actavis drug recall
(CNS): According to an HSA release, Actavis Totowa LLC, one of the five largest generic pharmaceuticals companies in the world has announced a voluntary recall, to the retail level, of all drug products manufactured at its Little Falls, New Jersey facility. The company said the move is a precautionary, voluntary action following an inspection conducted by the Food and Drug Administration earlier this year. The inspection at Little Falls revealed operations which did not meet the FDA’s or Actavis’ standards for good manufacturing practices.
Actavis Totowa LLC said the action is not prompted by product complaints or health hazards associated with the products, which are all prescription medications and is advising patients who may have these medicines in their possession should continue to take them in accordance with their prescriptions, as the risk of suddenly stopping needed medication may place patients at risk. However, Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kiran Kumar is advising patients who have such medication to consult their physician or the pharmacy where they purchased the medication for alternatives as soon as possible and to continue current medication until such time.
Below is a full list of all products being recalled by Actavis Totowa LLC at their Little Falls, New Jersey facility. Actavis products manufactured in other facilities are not affected by this recall.
Amantadine 100mg capsules
Amibid DM ER tablets
Amibid DM tablets
Amidrine capsules
Amigesic 500 mg caplets and 750 mg caplets
Amitex PSE tablets
Bellamine S tablets
Betaxolol 10 mg and 20 mg tablets USP
Buspirone HCL 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg and 30mg tablets
Carisoprodol & Aspirin tablets
Carisoprodol, Aspirin & Codeine tablets
Carisoprodol 350mg tablets
Chlordiazepoxide w/ Clidinium Bromide capsules
Chlorzoxazone 250mg
Cilostazol tablets 100mg
Choline Magnesium Trisalicylate 500 mg, 750 mg and 1000 mg tablets
Cyclobenzaprine HCL 5 mg and 10 mg
Dexchlorpheniramine Maleate 4 mg and 6 mg tablets
Dipyridamole 25 mg, 50mg, and 75 mg tablets
Glyburide 1.5 mg, 3.0 mg and 6.0 mg tablets
Guaifenesin & Codeine Phosphate tablets
Guaifenesin & Phenylephrine tablets
Guanfacine 1.0 mg and 2.0 mg HCl tablets
Hydrocodone & Homatropine tablets
Hydromorphone HCl tablets
Hydroxyzine 10 mg, 25 mg and 50 mg tablets
Hyoscyamine Sulfate 0.125 mg SL
Hyoscyamine Sulfate 0.375mg SR tablets
Hyoscyamine Sulfate 0.125 mg (oral) tablets
Isradipine 2.5 mg and 5 mg capsules
Loxapine 5 mg, 10 mg, 25 mg, and 50 mg capsules
Meclizine Chewable 25 mg tablets
Meloxicam 7.5 mg and 15 mg tablets
Meperidine & Promethazine capsules
Meperidine HCl 100 mg and 50 mg tablets
Methenamine Mandelate 0.5 g and 1.0 g tablets
Mirtazapine 15 mg, 30 mg, and 45 mg tablets
Mirtazapine OD tablets, 15 mg, 30 mg and 45 mg
Multi-ret Folic 500 mg tablets
Multi-vita-bets 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg FL & FE tablets
Multi-vita-bets 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1 mg FL tablets
Naltrexone 50mg tablets
Oxycodone & Acetaminophen 5/500mg capsules
Oxycodone HCl 5 mg, 15 mg and 30 mg tablets
Oxycodone HCl 5 mg capsules
Pentazocine & Acetaminophen tablets
Pentazocine & Naloxone tablets
Phenazopyridine HCl 100 mg and 200 mg tablets
Phendimetrazine Tartrate 35mg tablets
Phentermine HCl 37.5 mg tablets
Phentermine HCl 15 mg, 30 mg and 37.5 mg capsules
Prenatal Formula 3 tablets
Prenatal Plus 27 mg FE tablets
Prenatal Rx tablets
Quinaretic 10mg/12.5mg, 20 mg/12.5 mg and 20 mg/25 mg tablets
Rifampin 300mg capsules
Sodium FL 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg tablets
Tizanidine HCl 2 mg and 4 mg tablets
Trimethobenzamide 300mg capsules
Trimipramine Maleate 25mg, 50mg, 100mgcapsules
Trivita 1 mg FL tablets
Ursodiol capsules, 300mg
Vitacon Forte capsules
Vitaplex Plus tablets
Vitaplex tablets (FC)
Yohimbine HCl 5.4 mg tablets
Indentured labour
Article 23, Clause 1. Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against employment.
As always in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, readers are left to decide who "everyone" is meant to be. Common sense tells us it means everyone in a nation, and not everyone in just some small part of it – some island, territory, suburb or parish; but where is the line to be drawn between citizens and visitors?
When national governments allow the entry of migrant workers, what protection are those workers entitled to? Well, in some degree it depends on what restrictions are placed on their initial employment. All nations have the right, and the duty, to protect their citizens from predatory pricing in respect of wages and conditions by low-paid migrants. No independent nation is obliged to allow migrants to come in and take work away from its citizens.
Sometimes, as a condition of their entry, migrants must agree to work for specified employers, and a state authority issues the appropriate licences (indentures) to the lucky employers.
The law in Cayman, as administered under the supervision of the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO), doesn’t recognise any migrant worker’s right to free choice of employment. A master is allowed to release a migrant from his indentured service — or not, as the master chooses. A master also has the power to expel a worker from Cayman without compensation, and the FCO tacitly approves of that practice.
It is a matter of some indignation among legitimate human-rights advocates.
(Whether it is or isn’t legal under the UK Human Rights Act or the European Convention on Human Rights or the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is a matter for lawyers to argue, and does not concern us here. The Universal Declaration was written for non-lawyers to read and be inspired by, and it is the basis of this series of essays.)
The FCO’s position on the rights of migrant workers has changed radically over the past fifty years. In 1955 the FCO persuaded Canada to take some indentured domestic servants from the Caribbean colonies. After some false starts, both the FCO and Canada agreed that indentured service was offensive to the human-rights standards of the day, and all the servants were released from their bondage and allowed to change employers and occupations at their own initiative.
Today, the FCO offers no protection of, or means of defence to, Cayman’s indentured domestic servants. Abuse by masters is acceptable to the FCO. When free choice of employment is not an option, and just and favourable conditions of work are at the complete discretion of the masters, Article 23 of the Declaration is a dead letter.
Finally, we must remind ourselves that Cayman is not a nation, and doesn’t have citizens. It is part of the United Kingdom, and it is the UK Government’s responsibility to give protection against unemployment to all UK subjects living here. That requires givingthose subjects priority over everyone else.
Despite regular cries for autonomy from an extremist minority, Cayman remains legally a part of Britain. Our Legislative Assembly is not the equivalent of the UK Parliament; it is more like the equivalent of the Luton Town Council. Any and all of our local by-laws can be cancelled with the stroke of a London pencil.
So, according to the principles of the Universal Declaration, the rights of all British citizens are equal in Cayman. Our Immigration Law defies Article 23 when it excludes UK citizens from equal protection with Caymanians.
RAHN: Global political hypocrisy
(Washington Times): Two of the following three news stories are true and one is not. Which ones do you think are true? Story No. 1: "A new commission appointed by Norway will investigate ways of putting a stop to the huge flows of money into tax havens. Tax evasion and corruption are believed to cost poor countries at least $50 billion a year (according to an estimate by Oxfam International). The commission, launched last week, includes Eva Joly, a special adviser on corruption for the Norwegian development agency Norad. Go to article
Financial Secretary looking into report
In the wake of the Auditor General’s damning report, The State of Financial Accountability Reporting, the Portfolio of Finance and Economics said yesterday, 4 August, that it was addressing the concerns raised in it.
The concerns included serious delinquency in financial accountability in just about every government department, agency, entity and portfolio, going back in some cases as far as 2004 leaving some $1.5 billion of government budgets officially unaccounted for. In short, most government entities have fallen short in some way of the legal acounting requirements for reporting government spending as set out in the Public Management and Finance Law (PMFL).
Financial Secretary Kenneth Jefferson’s office said that, although it continues to consult with all stakeholders in respect of the matters raised in the report, it had nothing to add to its press release issued on 18 July.
In that release Jefferson criticised Auditor General Dan Duguay for discussing the contents of the report to the media before it was officially made public anddenied that there were $1.5 billion in outstanding government reports.
However, the report indicates that the figure may in fact have been a conservative estimate and also lays the blame for the final delay in the report making its way to the Legislative Assembly at the Financial Secretary’s door.
In his 18 July release Jefferson, observed that Duguay’s early disclosure of details from the report was premature release and resulted in an, “unbalanced article of unwarranted gloom and doom.” However, the content of the report confirms details revealed in a Cayman Net News article that the Financial Secretary has yet to defend.
Speaking to CNS Monday, 4 August, Dan Duguay once again emphasised that the important thing now is to address the accounting problems in government offices.
“I’m looking forward to working with the Financial Secretary to address the problems as outlined in the report,” he said. “I am pleased that the report is receiving wide coverage and that the Public Accounts Committee has agreed to have a look at the situation. I’m happy to work with all parties to get this issue resolved.”
The Legislative Assembly is currently in August recess and the Leader of the Public Accounts Committee Osbourne Bodden, MLA for Bodden Town has reportedly said that it will be five weeks before the committee will convene a hearing to question Chief Officers and Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) from the various ministries, portfolios, statutory authorities and government entities on the failures raised by Duguay’s report.
Dixon in court Wednesday
(CNS): Deputy Police Commissioner Rudolph Dixon has been charged with two counts of misconduct in a public office and two counts of doing an act tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice. Senior Investigating OfficerMartin Bridger said in a statement Monday, 4 August, that Dixon will appear in court on Wednesday, 6 August. He also said that Burmon Scott, who was arrested at the same time as Dixon concerning the same investigation, would not face charges.
Bridger is heading up an internal police investigation that began this March when the Governor Stuart Jack placed three senior Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) officers on ‘required leave’ after undercover officers from Scotland Yard discovered undisclosed information following an investigation into false allegations made by Lyndon Martin, a former Cayman Net News Journalist, against Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ennis who remains in post.
Bridger said that Police Commissioner Stuart Kernohan and Chief Superintendent John Jones were still under investigation and the Metropolitan Police Team from London was making progress. “It is, however, important to note that this investigation remains totally separate from the case against Mr Dixon and as such it has a completely different timeline,” said Bridger. He also said that Lyndon Martin would appear in court again on Thursday, 21 August, for a Preliminary Inquiry hearing.
He said that the various elements of the investigation with respect to integrity issues within the RCIPS continued. “Experience has shown in numerous police forces throughout the world that it is thosefew officers who behave inappropriately that undermines a police service’s credibility and erodes the community’s trust. In this regard, the RCIPS is no different,” Bridger noted. “I know and do understand that these are difficult times for the RCIPS and the community. However, I believe there is an increasing appetite to collectively change things for an even better police service.”
He thanked the community for its support and applauded the courage of those who had offered information. “That information is currently being assessed, at the end of which decisions will be taken as how to take matters forward,” said Bridger. “Dealing with these issues will enable others to address the community’s concerns and will allow for a process of sustainable improvement to commence.”
He said that anyone else wanting to share information could rest assured that it would be handled with the utmost confidentiality. “All intelligence or evidence we gather will remain strictly within the possession of the independent investigating team,” Bridger added. “I encourage anyone who has information on integrity issues within the RCIPS to come forward and report it.”
Offering his own number (927-2981) he said all matters would be dealt with in the strictest of confidence and that his team remains independent from the RCIPS and government. Bridger reports directly to the Governor and his work is overseen by Metropolitan Police Service Assistant Commissioner John Yates. “This ensures total independence and accountability,” he said, and further explained that it was still impossible to offer a timeline on the various investigations.
“I appreciate the fact that it is hard to stay patient in these matters, especially when one cannot see the daily results. These are complex investigations and they do take time. It is also unfortunate that the nature of what we do prevents us from sharing all the details of our work.
But what I can say is that my team is committed and will work meticulously to establish where the truth lies within the different investigations. We will follow the facts – and only the facts – and at all times do our very best to ensure that all people are treated fairly,” Bridger added.