Archive for March 18th, 2009
Kennett is on murder team
(CNS): UPDATE Friday 7:15am: Questions regarding the absence of Chief Inspector Peter Kennett on the Sabrina Schirn murder case have been answered by Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ennis, who said the experienced murder detective was assigned to the case by him on Monday and he attended the crime scene shortly after the recovery of the body. “However, because DI Kim Evans had been extensively involved in the case from the outset, it was decided that he would remain as the lead SIO,” said Ennis.
He added that Kennett was adding value to the investigative team, including his lead on the forensic gathering and development. “I have been personally briefed by him on critical forensic findings and I must stress that this is a team effort with diverse skills and expertise drawn from various disciplines of the Service.”
Questions have also been raised about the whereabouts of Acting Police Commissioner James Smith, who is reportedly off island attending another conference.
Ennis was still tight lipped about the investigation so far yesterday and said the police were still trying to piece together Sabrina’s movements and would welcome any reports of her from the public but said none of those reported so far had yet been confirmed.
He also refused to commit to the question of whether he believed Sabrina knew her killer, as is the wide assumption in the community. “It is really too early for us to make any public statements about this. However, we are keeping an open mind and following all leads and information that is coming in. We appreciate the public’s assistance in this regard,” Ennis said.
At a media breifing on Wednesday, 18 March, police offered no new insights into the disappearance last week and subsequent murder of 21-year-old Sabrina Schirn. Asked whether police were following up on reports that the victim was threatened at work by a man armed with a crowbar, Deputy Police Commissioner Anthony Ennis responded, “I do not know,” adding, “I’ll have to get back to you on that.” While a TV crew said they remained with the family all Tuesday morning as they searched the area for Schirn, there did not appear to be any policeofficers assisting them.
Ennis confirmed that it took 15 minutes for police to reach the crime scene after family members found the body. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service was following all lines of enquiry, he told the media, but refused to be drawn on any questions as to the nature of those lines of enquiry, whether there were any suspects or if they thought Schirn’s murderer was known to her. However, he hinted that there may have been a different outcome if some facts had come to light earlier in the investigation.
In a release Wednesday afternoon, police said a major incident room has been established at Bodden Town police station, and although no formal identification has yet been made, police are working on the premise that it is that of Schirn.
“No formal identification has taken place and we cannot confirm any cause of death at this time,” said Detective Inspector Kim Evans, who is leading the enquiry. “However, through the evidence we have before us, we are working on the premise that it is that of Sabrina. This is a tragic thing that has happened and our condolences go out to her family and friends. We will do all we can to find out what happened to Sabrina and bring her killer or killers to justice.”
There are 15 CID Detectives working on the case who are supported by numerous officers from departments including Scenes of Crime, Family Support Unit and officers from the Financial Crime Unit who have certain technical expertise.
“We applaud the efforts of the family and the public in this case,” commented Inspector Evans. A number of positive lines of enquiry are being followed at this time, however, detectives continue to appeal for sightings of Sabrina since the time she was reported missing and the Honda Torneo that she was last known to be using.
“Tracing her last movements is crucial to this investigation,” said Inspector Evans. “Where did she go? Who was she with? Where was shelast seen alive?”
Anyone who can assist is asked to contact the Major Incident Room at Bodden Town police station on 947-2220 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.
Brain abnormality in boys with ADHD
(ScienceDaily): Researchers trying to uncover the mechanisms that causeattention deficit hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder have found an abnormality in the brains of adolescent boys suffering from the conditions, but not where they expected to find it. Boys with either or both of these disorders exhibited a different pattern of brain activity than normally developing boys when they played a simple game that sometimes gave them a monetary reward for correct answers, according to a new study by a University of Washington research team. The research focused on two brain areas, the striatum and anterior cingulate cortex.
Elevators now safer
(CNS): The risk of elevator accidents in the Cayman Islands has been greatly reduced following an investigation by the Office of the Complaints Comissioner (OCC) and the subsequent high level of compliance by the Building Control Unit (BCU) to his reccomendations concerning the building inspection of elevators and the approval process of new elevator equipment, Commissioner Dr John Epp has said.
In a release from the OCC, Epp said that a notable step in improvements to public safety was the installation of a key box in all elevators that had passed the new inspection requirements, which would allow consistent access by fire service professionals and improve response times in case of an emergency. In addition, officers from the Cayman Islands Fire Service have been trained in the new elevator equipment on the island.
A dated certificate, which will be reassessed annually, will be posted inside elevators so that members of the public can be assured that the elevator has passed inspection, the release said.
In regards to legal procedures and public notification, the Office of the Complaints Commissioner (OCC) found that statutory provisions already existed in the Cayman Islands Building Code (CIBC) which governs the approval of new equipment and the installation and inspection of elevators in the Cayman Islands, and that imposing these requirements and continued monitoring were within the power of the BCU.
However, the code sections pertaining to elevator inspections (as opposed to electrical connections for elevators) had not been enforced until June 2007.
Recently an elevator inspector was appointed, and he has met individually with industry stakeholders regarding the enforcement requirements and this dialogue will be ongoing. The BCU has also drafted guidelines for equipment approval which sets out the information required to make a determination on an application for equipment approval, Dr Epp said. Furthermore, new application forms will require that new equipment entering these islands henceforth must be outlined in detail on application forms, which will be inspected by the BCU.
The planning application forms should soon be avaible on the Planning Department’s website at www.planning.gov.ky and a flow chart to assist applicants through the process is currently being edited.
According to the Commissioner, industry stakeholders will also benefit following compliance of recommendations that the initial and ongoing costs of inspections will be borne by BCU, and with advance notice of any changes in the emphasis of enforcement. The OCC also found that the inspection process is now centrally organized, as recommended. Furthemore, installation inspections can now be scheduled two weeks in advance to ensure availability of an inspector and avoid timely delays, and the resulting inspection report will be delivered to the appropriate party within one week of the inspection.
“As a result of our recommendations for this case and the hard work of the BCU, the risk of elevator accidents has now been greatly reduced and I commend the BCU for its diligence in the great progress so far,” Dr Epp said. “We will continue to work with the BCU as it endevours to comply with the outstanding recommendations.”
These are that the elevator installation inspector trains others in the technical aspects of inspections so that more than one inspector will be on the staff of the BCU, and that the BCU consistently apply the elevator equipment approval and installation inspection requirements.
The OCC is located on the 2nd floor, 202 Piccadilly Centre, Georgetown, Grand Cayman, phone number (345) 943 2220. The website is www.occ.gov.ky.
LIME compensates customers
(CNS): LIME has announced that the telecommunications company will be giving free on-net calls this Saturday 21 March to all their customers who were affected by the mobile outage on Saturday 7 March. This means that all local calls from their LIME mobile phones to other LIME numbers will be free up to a value of $10. LIME apologises for the inconvenience and says they are committed to delivering a reliableservice and are grateful for customers’ continued support.
Turks and Caicos premier hits out at UK moves
(Financial Times): The beleaguered premier of the Turks and Caicos islands on Tuesday lashed out at the UK’s “draconian” plans to oust him and reimpose a colonial yoke on the Caribbean islands’ 32,000 “freedom loving” inhabitants. Britain is reportedly making preparations to seize control of the dependent territory after an official probe found signs of “political amorality” and a high probability of “systemic corruption”. The moves were denounced by Michael Misick, the first minister, who called on the international community to intervene against “the strong arm of modern day colonialism”.
Children dying in Sri Lanka
(BBC): The conflict in Sri Lanka has killed hundreds of children and left many more injured, the United Nations’ children’s agency, Unicef, has said. Moreover, thousands of children are at risk because of "a critical lack of food, water and medicines", the agency says. Intense fighting is going on between Sri Lankan troops and Tamil Tiger rebels in north-eastern Sri Lanka. The Tigers have been driven from most of the territory they held by the army. They are now cornered in a small patch of jungle and coastal area in Mullaitivu district.
Thompson declares intentions
(CNS): Following considerable speculation that the former president of the Chamber of Commerce would be running for office, Eddie Thompson officially declared himself an independent candidate for George Town on Tuesday 17 March. After what he described as much thought and soul searching, Thompson said the present governance of the Cayman Islands and the global financial climate drove him to the decision. “I felt it imperative that action be taken now. This is our time to speak up for the change that we want to see,” Thompson said in a written statement.
He added that he had left the Chamber in capable hands and could face his own campaign, which he said was not about ego or personal gain.
Thompson said there was a collective need to address the challenges faced in Cayman’s key industries of finance and tourism, the balance between development and environment, as well as with our youth and elderly. “We need to stand accountable and come together as one community, realizing that with the power of conviction as our tool we can empower our people, leading our islands toward prosperity in a global market, just as our forefathers were a shining example of some of the best seamen the world has ever known,” he said, adding that the government should have open lines of communication with the private sector to ensure a rapid response to the current financial and global crisis.
Thompson who is the Director of CAD Plus, Caribbean Sands and GCE Ltd, also represented the Chamber during the negotiations both here and in London on Cayman’s new constitution. He has however, yet to confirm his own position regarding the final document. CNS has sent questions regarding this and other key issues, such as his ideas for revenue raising or spending cuts and his position on topical issues, as yet no response has been received.
$500,000 to fight Henderson
(CNS): According to documentation released to CNS under the Freedom of Information Law by the Portfolio of Internal and External Affairs, Senior Investigating Officer of the Special Police Investigation Team (SPIT) Martin Bridger chalked up CI$534,405.29 on lawyers and legal advisers fighting the Justice Alex Henderson Judicial Review, which found that the search of Henderson’s office and home was illegal and ultimately his arrest unlawful.
The more than half million dollars was spent on the five-day hearing, which saw the presiding judge refer to the whole matter as the “gravest abuse of process”, and included invoices from Amicus Legal Consultants, Martin Polaine’s firm, totalling some CI$23,000. Polaine reportedly assisted Bridger in other parts of Operation Tempura and therefore the invoice covered work outside of the Henderson hearing. Although one of the lowest invoices, Polaine has since been revealed to be the person who advised Bridger that the arrest was lawfully despite Cayman Islands law stating otherwise.
The rest of the $500,000 plus sum was spent specifically on lawyers and legal support that took part in the five-day review and worked purely defending Bridger and his team against the claims made by Henderson, which were ultimately upheld.
Bridger, a former Metropolitan police officer but now employed directly by Governor Stuart Jack, engaged the services of leading solicitors and counsel in London as well as here in the Cayman Islands, all of which were paid for from the public purse. The Judicial Review itself, which awarded Henderson his costs and damages totalling CI$1,275,000, actually cost the Cayman tax payer considerably more because of the money spent by Bridger on more than three different law firms.
Locally, Bridger engaged the services of Nelson & Co. Attorneys-at-Law, whose invoices totalled almost CI$132,000, but he also engaged leading London-based lawyers Peters and Peters, who instructed Nicholas Purnell QC and whose combined invoicing reached in excess of CI$291,000.
Local attorneys Ogeir were also paid over $87,000 to defend the interests of Carson Ebanks, the Justice of the Peace who signed the warrant for the unlawful searches.
The costs do not cover the time or other costs incurred by the Attorney General’s Office for its role in closing the case and negotiating the settlement with Henderson’s team, or funds paid to the presiding judge, Sir Peter Cresswell.
Although SIO Bridger is leaving the Cayman Islands at the end of April, Acting Police Commissioner James Smith recently requested a further CI$917,000 to continue with the Operation Tempura investigation and the cases relating to it that are before the courts, including the trial of Lyndon Martin and Deputy Commissioner Rudolph Dixon, and for the new phase of the investigation – Operation Cealt. Cabinet agreed for that request to go before Finance Committee where Smith will have to justify further funding.
Meanwhile, the Auditor General’s Office is currently conducting a review of the entire SPIT spending and assessing if the public purse has received value for money since the team arrived in Cayman, reportedly in September 2007. Dan Duguay told CNS that he hopes to produce a first draft of the report before the end of this month. However, with the dissolution of parliament on 24 March he said the contents will not be made public until after the election and the swearing in of the new incumbents, when he will then be able to present his findings to the Legislative Assembly.
Athletes of the Year
(CNS): At the Cayman Islands Athletic Association’s (CIAA) annual awards dinner held on Saturday night, March 14) at the Mary Miller Hall, Grand Cayman, Cydonie Mothersill and Ronald Forbes won the female and male athletes of the year awards for their overall achievements last year, particularly at the Beijing Olympics. Cydonie made the finals in the 200 meter sprint and Ronald made the quarter finals in the 110m hurdles.
Other winners were: “Youth Female” Ashleigh Nalty, “Youth Male” Jamal Walton, “Junior Female” Alexandra Terry, “Junior Male” Travis Webb, “Senior Female” Cydonie Mothersill, and “Senior Male” Ronald Forbes.
According to a CIAA release, the event was well attended as many family members, friends and supporters came to honour the athletes who represented the Cayman Islands in 2008. Each national representative was presented with a certificate of appreciation for their representation. In addition, awards were also presented to team managers, chaperones, coaches, volunteers, immediate past executive members, North America Central America and the Caribbean (NACAC) President Neville ‘Teddy’ McCook, CIAA President Rayle Roberts, who gave his president’s address, and sponsors. McCook gave greetings and well wishes from the NACAC region and personal greetings from the IAAF President, Lamine Diack.
In his closing remarks Master of Ceremonies Harcourt Wason thanked everyone for attending and for making the occasion a success. He also thanked the sponsors Richard Hew of CUC, Truman Bodden, Donald McClean of the Cayman Islands Olympic Committee and Health Care Phamarcy, Cayman National Bank, Le Blue and the Cayman Islands government for their sponsorship and continued support of the CIAA.
Persons who would like to volunteer their time, become a member or donate to the CIAA can contact us at caymanathletics@gmail.com.
Bridger spent CI$500,000 on lawyers to fight Henderson
(CNS): According to documentation released to CNS under the Freedom of Information Law by the Portfolio of Internal and External Affairs, the Senior Investigating Officer of the Special Police Investigation Team (SPIT) Martin Bridger chalked up some CI$534,405.29 on lawyers and legal advisers fighting the Justice Alex Henderson Judicial Review which found that the search of Henderson’s office and home was illegal and ultimately his arrest unlawful.
The rest of the 500,000 plus sum was spent specifically on lawyers and legal support that took part in the five day review and undertook worked purely defending Bridger and his team against the claims made by
Bridger a former Metropolitan police officer but now employed directly by the Governor, Stuart Jack, engaged the services of leading solicitors and counsel in
Locally, Bridger engaged the servicesof Nelson & Co. Attorneys-at-Law whose invoices totalled almost CI$132,000, but he also engaged leading London based lawyers Peters and Peters who instructed Nicholas Purnell QC and whose combined invoicing reached in excess of CI$291,000.
Local attorneys Ogeir were also paid over $87,000 to defend the interests of Carson Ebanks the Justice of the Peace who signed the warrant for the unlawful searches.
The costs do not cover the time or other costs incurred by the Attorney General’s office for its role in closing the case and negotiating the settlement with
Although SIO Bridger is leaving the Cayman Islands at the end of April, Acting Police Commissioner, James Smith recently requested a further CI$917,000 to continue with the Operation Tempura investigation and the cases relating to it which are before the courts including the trial of Lyndon Martin and Deputy Commissioner Rudolph Dixon, and for the new phase of the investigation – Operation Cealt. Cabinet agreed for that request to go before Finance Committee where Smith will have to justify further funding.
Meanwhile, The Auditor General’s office is currently conducting a review of the entire SPIT spending and assessing if the public purse has received value for money since the team arrived in Cayman, reportedly in September 2007. Dan Duguay told CNS that he hopes to produce a first draft of the report before the end of this month, however with the dissolution of parliament on 24 March he said the contents will not be made public until after the election and the swearing in of the new incumbents when he will then be able to present his findings to the Legislative Assembly.