Archive for May 15th, 2009
Political rival “threatened to kill my wife”
(CNS): Despite the cease and desist letter sent to him from Bodden Town rival candidate Sandra Catron, UDP hopeful Mark Scotland has publicly defended statements made on a radio call-in show last week by his campaign colleague Dwayne Seymour, who said on air that Catron had threatened to kill a woman and had stalked her former boss’s children. While the United Democratic Party has said it will not comment on the matter at this time, Scotland has sent a statement to CNS that Catron once threatened to kill his wife.
Scotland said, “The proof I have that Sandra Catron did in fact threaten to kill my wife is an extract from the Police Incident Logging System (IRB no. 196631) dated 17th June 2003. It states that our housekeeper received a call on May 24th, 2002 from a female who advised her that she was going to kill my wife. It further states that, following investigations by the police Sandra Catron was warned of her actions in the incident and accepted the warning. She also stated ‘I will be moving on with my life and have now put the incident behind me’. The question for Sandra is – if she did not make the threatening call why would she accept the warning and ‘put the incident behind her’?”
Responding to the UDP candidate’s comments, Catron said, “Mark Scotland has demonstrated how desperate he is by pulling out of his archives a police report from almost 8 years ago. The police report stated that his Filipino helper had relayed a message to Cindy Scotland that a threat had been made against her. No one denies that a call was made; but that was NOT the message left. In fact, the police were so dumbfounded with this case that when they spoke to me in 2002 they simply asked me to leave the matter alone at which point I stated that I had already moved past all of that.”
She went on, “It is quite clear that by releasing a barely legible police report and not providing the full details Mr Scotland is being deceptive at best. He has gone about maliciously outright distorting the facts in this matter. For example, in his statement given to CNS he does not divulge that the helper conveyed this message and I never admitted to such a threat. He also does not divulge that neither he nor his wife is in a position to say that I have ever said anything as there was no communication with them.”
Catron said, “In Dwayne Seymour’s on air comments he accused me of stalking Mark’s children – there’s no mention of that in the police report because it never occurred and they did not have “children” at the time. So they continue to add on to the story as it suits them to do so and only strengthen my defamation case even further. What this report states is that a helper received a phone called, incorrectly conveyed a message and Cindy filed a report. The police spoke to me about thematter for about 5 minutes at my residence and that was the end of the matter.”
She added, “Mark’s question about why did I accept the warning – I’m not sure there’s any other response that one can give to a police warning. It’s not an admission of culpability and it’s not a trial or hearing. I thank the officer for her time and that was the extent of it.”
See: Legal action threatened between candidates
Northward escapee charged with two offenses
(CNS): While the prisoner who escaped from HMP Northward last week has been charged and appeared in court today, police said the two prison officers who have been suspended in connection to the escape are being investigated internally. A police spokesperson said that only if the Prison Service found indications of criminal activity would the investigation of the prison officers be turned over to the RCIPS. James Orville Ebanks, who spent four days on the run, has been charged with escaping lawful custody and damage to property. The 47-year-old appeared before the courts today, Friday 15 May.
Ebanks was found to be missing sometime Friday morning 8 May, but was caught and returned to custody Monday evening, 11 May, after being apprehended by prison officers. A full internal prison investigation into the facts surrounding the escape is proceeding as quickly as possible, the Prison Service has said.
The aim of the investigation is to determine what the exact circumstances of the escape were, what disciplinary actions may be warranted as a result, and what new security measures may be required to prevent any repetition of this incident.
Analysis and Review: 2009 draft Constitution
As part of the HRC’s ongoing obligation to advise the people of the Cayman Islands in relation to our human rights obligations, the HRC makes the following comments on the draft Constitution, which is being put forward for approval by referendum on 20 May 2009.
Positive proposals for human rights under the draft Constitution:
Introduction of constitutional human rights and responsibilities: The existing 1972 Constitution does not include any human rights at all. The new draft Constitution includes a Bill of Rights for all people in the Cayman Islands, which protects certain basic human rights, such as the right to life, freedom of religion and conscience, privacy.
Enshrined Bill of Rights: By having the Bill of Rights directly included in the draft Constitution, it gives the best level of protection for human rights to our people (rather than having the Bill of Rights as an ordinary law which can be more easily changed).
Scope of human rights: The HRC is pleased to have been able to successfully negotiate for the inclusion of definitive rights for the protection of children (section 17) and an aspirational right of environment (section 18) in the Bill of Rights.
Children’s rights: The draft Bill of Rights now recognizes the right of all children in the Cayman Islands to important matters necessary for their healthy development, including rights to basic nutrition and health care, to be protected from abuse and neglect and the right not to be detained except as a matter of last resort. This is particularly relevant to Cayman, which currently incarcerates minors in adult prisons, in breach of various international human rights treaties extended to Cayman.
Environmental rights: The draft Bill of Rights also importantly establishes an aspirational right to protection of the environment. Our Islands’ natural resources, wildlife and sea biodiversity are critical to our heritage as well as our economy. Although an aspirational right does not create a binding obligation, the inclusion of such a right of environment in the Bill of Rights signifies a pledge by government to always consider the environmental impact of all government decisions or actions.
Human Rights Commission established: The draft Constitution also usefully establishes several institutions which will serve to promote democracy, including a Human Rights Commission (section 116). The new Human Rights Commission will be charged with “promoting understanding and observance of human rights in the Cayman Islands.” In this regard, the new Commission will have a similar mandate and role as the existing HRC, which it will replace. The Commission will receive and investigate complaints and human rights issues and may issue reports but will not have any quasi-judicial powers of enforcement. The Commission will also work to educate the public on human rights.
Areas where the protection of human rights could have been improved under the draft Constitution:
Language and drafting: The first and perhaps most important difficulty with the draft Constitution is the overly complicated language and the lawyer-like way in which it says everything. It is difficult for all of us to understand exactly what the Bill of Rights covers, what it leaves out and what our rights actually are.
Delay in relation to youth offenders: The draft Constitution regrettably, will still allow ongoing human rights abuses of children to continue indefinitely, in particular those in conflict with the law. The HRC is concerned about the agreement to delay the implementation of section 6(3) for four years after the Constitution comes into effect. This section requires the Government to separate children in custody from adult prisoners and to treat the juveniles in a manner appropriate to their age and legal status. The current practice in Cayman of incarcerating youth offenders (including girls as young as 13) at adult prisons, violates Cayman’s international human rights obligations.
The right to silence reduced: The Bill of Rights has removed a person’s right to be told of their right to remain silent on arrest under section 5(3). This is a significant inroad to the presumption of innocence after a person has been arrested and will allow the courts to assume that you are guilty if you remain silent after being arrested. Consequently, the draft Constitution no longer includes a right for a person to be informed of their right to silent when arrested. There is now greater scope for abuse by police in seeking improper confessions. In most instances, the accused will not have legal representation during questioning – but by remaining silent, the court can assume they are guilty of a crime in certain circumstances.
Right of non-discrimination limited: Section 16(1) of draft Constitution proposes only a limited right of non-discrimination for everyone in Cayman. The HRC has previously outlined its grave concerns in relation to the approach taken in respect of section 16(1) of the draft Constitution. The draft provides that everyone should have the right not be discriminated against by the Government in a limited way i.e. the Bill of Rights will be applied without discrimination. However, it was not agreed that the right not to be discriminated against would apply to any other area where behaviour of the Government could affect citizens and residents. The reason put forward for refusing to agree this was that, because it was felt that some groups should not have this protection, it could not therefore be offered to anyone at all.
This leaves no constitutional remedy for unjustifiable discrimination by the Government against anyone in a number of important areas of everyday life. Accordingly, the Government could discriminate against anyone in any matter not listed in the Bill of Rights, including: Healthcare; Access to public spaces for disabled persons; Employment with government; Government housing; And many others.
Parental rights to children limited to spouses: While the draft Constitution sets out the parental rights to married couples under section 14(4), there is no mention of the rights of unmarried parents. Unmarried parents’ rights will continue to be set out in local legislation and/or the common law, both of which are less than satisfactory for various reasons.
Aspirational Rights: Throughout the constitutional negotiations, the HRC advocated for the inclusion of a number of important aspirational social rights, which the country will strive to give all of its people. Although aspirational rights of education and environment were included, the draft Constitution unfortunately does not include aspirational rights of healthcare or housing, which are particularly relevant to Cayman.
This statement was issued on behalf of the Human Rights Committee. Although appointed by Cabinet, we function as an independent body. Our terms of reference and more information on the work of the HRC can be viewed at www.humanrights.ky.
Priest publishes sex guide
(BBC): A Polish Catholic priest has published a book which provides married couples with a theological and practical guide to spicing up their sex lives. In his book, Sex as you don’t know it: for married couples who love God, Father Ksawery Knotz aims to sweep away the strait-laced attitudes many hold. Sex in marriage, the Franciscan friar explains, should not be boring but "saucy, surprising and fantasy packed". The book, which has the backing of the Polish Catholic Church, has been a hit. The Sw. Pawel publishing house has ordered a reprint after Poles snapped up the first 5,000 copies within weeks of them going on sale.
Final effort to query Constitution
(CNS): Following the rejection of the Equality Cayman’s petition asking the government for a choice in the referendum, the group has now shifted gears and in the final run-up to Election Day on 20 May, it is now focusing on the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ choice on the Referendum on the Draft Constitution. The grassroots organization opposes the proposed Constitution because it says the Bill of Rights included does not protect the people from discrimination. Members of the group will be at various locations around the island over the next few days and will take part in a special edition of “Talk Today” on Radio Cayman the day before elections.
Equality Cayman (EQCI) volunteers will be at Hurley’s Supermarket on Saturday, 16 May, from 8am to 1pm, where they will be encouraging the public to submit questions for the talk show next Tuesday, 19 May. The group will also be on hand at Kirk’s supermarket on Tuesday, from 5pm until 8pm, to encourage voters to voice their views by voting on the referendum when casting their votes for the general election.
In a release, the group says that while its initial objective was to draw attention to the lack of human rights protections included in the new constitution’s Bill of Rights and to ask the government to include the choice for more widespread protection against discrimination in the current draft, it has now taken on the primary focus of helping voters understand the pros and cons of voting yes or no on the referendum ballot on 20 May.
Equality Cayman collected approximately 700 signatures over the course of the three and a half weeks, which it presented to the leader of government business prior to the closing of the Legislative Assembly on 24 March. As they gathered signatures, the group says their volunteers were overwhelmed by the number of petitioners who also voiced concern over their lack of understanding of the document and apprehension over other sections beyond section 16 on non-discrimination.
“The outpouring of support and requests for assistance and information received by the group made it clear that it was necessary to define long term goals to ensure that we could achieve the desire on the part of many Caymanians and residents of our country to ensure that we have a society built on the ideals of fairness and equality,” explains EQCI spokesperson Katrina Jurn.
Those goals will be announced following the referendum given that the outcome of the votes cast is necessary to determine that the organization’s goals resonate with the people’s needs.
Until then, Equality Cayman urges the people of the Cayman Islands to visit their table at Hurley’s Supermarket on Saturday, 16 May, between 8am and 1pm, send their questions to equalitycayman@gmail.com, log on to www.equalitycayman.ky, and tune into Radio Cayman on Tuesday, 19 May, starting at noon to listen to the “Talk Today” discussion on the new draft constitution.
Local lawyer tells UN Cayman remains a colony
(CNS): Speaking at the UN Decolonization Committee’s Caribbean Regional Seminar in Saint Kitts this week, local attorney Sophia Harris said that despite the UK’s attempts to have the Cayman Islands removed from the list of non-self-governing territories (NSGT) the islands’ governance system is still that of an administering power to a colony. “The Cayman Islands has not achieved self-determination, but at best, if the current 2009 draft ‘constitution’ is approved by the electorate in a referendum," she said.
Harris continued, "All we will have is a revised administrative document between the UK and a colony, as opposed to a constitutional document of the people and by the people,” she said.
There has been no education or discussion in the Cayman Islands on the options outlined by the UN for achieving self determination, Harris said. “To date the only surveys conducted that vaguely address any of the options available have focused on the question of independence,” she said, adding that they confirmed that there is no support for that.
She describe the UK’s push for constitutional modernization as increasingly murky waters, but what had become very clear from the latest developments was that every Overseas Territory needed the power to draft their own constitution reflecting the wishes of the people of that jurisdiction, a level playing field and she said that the constitutional revision process must be totally open and transparent.
“It would seem that if, at the very least, these parameters are not set then it will be difficult for the people of the Overseas Territory to have a free hand in drafting a constitution of their own making,” Harris said. She went on to say that Cayman had failed to have any kind of meaningful, unfiltered education on all issues of constitutional governance but instead there was a series of what can best be described as public hearings.
Shesaid that the Cayman NGO Working Group for the constitutional reform had asked the government for information on how it came to make the decisions they made in drafting their proposals for the draft Constitution, but had still not received a response.
“The negotiations with the UK started in October 2008 and concluded in February 2009. The government extended an invitation to the opposition to participate in the negotiation, as was a representative from the Chamber of Commerce, a representative from the association of the churches (the Cayman Islands Ministers Association hereinafter ‘CIMA’), the Seventh-Day Adventist Church (as they are not members of CIMA) and a representative from the Human Rights Committee,” she explained, noting that the NGO Working Group was not invited to participate nor were any submissions sought on their behalf.
Despite calls for open negotiations it did not happen on the orders of the UK, and Harris went on to say that in the end, the 2009 Draft Cayman Islands Constitution is still in fact only a revised administrative document. She also criticised the forced inclusion of a Bill of Rights, saying that if it is passed it could prove to be the most costly experiment the Cayman Islands have ever engaged in.
“There were certain issues that were bound to be controversial including the rights of homosexuals and same sex marriages. The Churches and some NGO’s memberships were clear that they could not support a Bill of Rights that did not protect against same sex marriage. The final round of talks held in the UK seemed to have resulted in a battle of wills between the church and the government on one hand and the Human Rights Committee on the other,” she said, adding this spilled out to the public unaware and regretfully uninformed of the subtleties of the language in dispute.
“Of greater concern for the Cayman Islands is that this episode demonstrated the potential for other problematic issues left unexamined and unexposed in the absence of a major and unbiased education campaign,” she said, adding this was contrary to many relevant UN resolutions on the self-determination process.
“This situation lacks the full debate and information that a complete education campaign would bring in the open to truly enable a final constitutional product reflecting the wishes of the people,” Harris added and said the divide over the bill of rights has resulted in an identification of the constitution with the government of the day.
Criticising the fundamental lack of education on constitutional matters, she described the relationship between the UK and the Cayman Islands as mostly dysfunctional.
“Suffice it to say, however, that we continue to have faith that this committee will be able to make progress in achieving the UN objectives and it is hoped the recommendations made herein might be considered,” she said. “In this day and age, in this new century, it is ever increasingly clear that the people of the Overseas Territories must be provided with assistance to accomplish that right of self-determination which, if it is an inalienable right should, nay must, be attainable albeit ever increasingly elusive,” Harris concluded
Net metering to boost alternative energy
(McCook Daiky Gazette): Look around your house. If you’re interested in "going green," Gov. Dave Heineman just gave you an extra room. Heineman and the Legislature just approved "net metering" for Nebraska, meaning people who generate their own electricity get full credit for the extra power they pump into the electrical grid. The "current" system — pardon the pun — involves some fees and provides only partial credit for power sold to utilities. Now, if you have your own wind turbine or solar panel, the power grid serves as your storage system, taking power you produce when you don’t need it, and giving it back when you do.
Levers grilled over allegations
(CNS): Facing Timothy Otty QC acting on behalf of the tribunal, Justice Priya Levers was grilled for some six hours yesterday (14 May) over the language and gestures she had used in her court room, as well as her criticisms of the Chief Justice and her other colleagues. Denying she had fallen short of the high standards expected of a judge, she admitted that in some cases she may have been over zealous. As Otty quizzed her word by word on the sample transcripts that he said had caused the chief justice concern, Levers sought to explain the circumstances and her choice of words in each case.
During the day’s questioning Levers revealed that she first became aware of the complaints when Chief Justice Anthony Smellie called her on 24 May 2008 to tell her he was sending over some material which he wanted her to calmly consider over the weekend. She said that he did not tell her what it was and they did not discuss it until the following Monday, but when she opened it and saw what it was she was very upset and afraid. She said it appeared that he believed she had a mindset of bias based on the allegations, without having discussed any of them with her.
Otty began his examination of the case against Levers by drawing her attention to the concerns that Smellie had outlined in that memo. He suggested that the transcript revealed she was biased against Jamaicans, hostile to women and may have influenced juries in favour of defendants through various means, including inappropriate comments or gestures, by making crown counsel look incompetent or by guiding them in her summing up against the victims.
He began by questioning her about comments she made about other judges during a trial at which the difficulty of listings had arisen and the pressures in the court house were given as the reason. Levers had, according to the transcripts, said that she did not understand the pressures given that half the judges were walking around the court drinking coffee. Otty suggested that it was an inappropriate remark to make about judicial colleagues in open court.
However, Levers, denied that it was and explained the remark. At the time, she said, she was upset, having just asked another judge to sit for her one afternoon while she took dialysis but that judge had said no as he was going scuba diving. She said she thought the chief justice had accepted her apology for saying those words and had understood it was a reaction to her being upset after she had been looking for assistance from her colleague who had refused.
Citing another example, Otty said she had made comment that had been perceived to be rude about judges not liking to sit on Friday afternoons, although she did not mind. Levers explained it was a universal observation about all judges, and because it was one of the afternoons where she did not have dialysis she was happy to sit. He then moved to complaints about the language she used in court during criminal cases, as recorded in the transcripts taken to the chief justice by the stenographer Karen Myren.
Otty took Levers through seven cases where the chief justice had suggested she used inappropriate language or behaviour. In one sentencing hearing, Otty suggested the transcript demonstrated a bias on her part against Jamaicans based on the fact she had asked irrelevant questions about the nationalities of the witnesses as well as the defendants. Levers said she was trying to get a full picture of the circumstances of everyone involved as the victim had been in a relationship with the defendant. When asked if she felt her questions could give rise to perceptions of bias against Jamaicans, Levers said, “…it would not cross my mind. I am Jamaican, my husband is Jamaican and my children are Jamaican.”
Otty then suggested the CJ had been very disturbed by her asking about the pending Caymanian status applicationand the moral character of the victim, and pressed her as to why she asked the questions. Levers said again she was trying to establish a full picture of a dysfunctional situation and she felt she had already reassured the CJ that she would no longer ask those kinds of questions. On reflection she should not have asked them, she said, but she did not believe they showed bias.
Levers was then questioned on the case where crown counsel had complained that the judge had gone to the scene of the crime before consulting with the attorneys involved and then raised a defence of planting that the defence itself had not. Levers explained her reasons for going there and the possible defence that was overlooked and denied that it was unconventional . “I visited the house as I did not know the area and the house had been described as being on stilts. I wanted to see it for myself before deciding to take the jury there.” Otty said she had been accused of inferring to the jury later in her summing up that a gun could have been planted. Although it was established she had not used the word "plant" in her description of the search, it was claimed by crown counsel that she alluded to a plant thereby influencing the jury, which she denied.
In another criminal case she was also accused of failing to present a balanced case in the summing up, saying the only way a jury could find the defendant guilty was if they were very, very sure of a point, and she admitted it was a possible misdirection.
Otty moved to another case where the judge had made comment on the lifestyle of a young victim in a defilement case and said the chief justice was concerned that it was irrelevant, but Levers insisted it was regarding context.
He then pointed to three other cases where she had given a more lenient sentence to a man than to two women accused of the same crime. Levers explained that in the case of the man there were mitigating circumstances.
Pressing her further on her exact wording and her intention, Otty took her through other cases where the chief justice had been concerned about her rolling her eyes or gesturing inappropriately, making jurors laugh or being disparaging to female victims, all of which she denied.
She also denied having said that she could not have done any more to help one defendant to court reporter Carol Rouse, who had accused her of a very biased summing up and then bragging about it. When it came to accusations from the same reporter made against her about gestures, she denied those too and said she could not think of any reason why she would say these things but that there had been other witness statements stating she did not. “All I can do is present the facts and call as many corroborating witness as I can,” she said. “I can not imagine why other people recall things differently from her.”
Moving through the complaints regarding the family courts, Levers denied the allegations in all cases, and as Otty went through complaints line by line about gestures or exact words that she had used, the judge sought to place the accusations in context or explain misperceptions. It had, however, been revealed earlier in the week that each of the four complaints from family court had come from litigants dissatisfied with the outcome of their cases.
As the day drew to a close, Otty raised her alleged criticisms of the chief justice recorded by her former secretary Elizabeth Webb. The tribunal’s QC questioned her about private correspondence including her last wishes in which, he said, she had been less than complimentary about another judge. She revealed that she did believe that Justice Dale Sanderson was hostile to her but not the chief justice. She noted that when it came to her funeral she was able to decide who she liked. She went on to say that it was unreasonable to use her private correspondence to friends, written when she was upset about the chief justice’s memo, as an example of criticism.
Answering accusations made in Webb’s statement about her speaking critically of her judicial colleagues, she asked Otty to be more specific about what she had supposedly said as it was difficult for her to answer such a general question. “It is very difficult unless I know what I am supposed to have said,” Levers added. “Such carte blanche allegations are so easy to make and so difficult for me to respond to.”
Justice Levers also categorically denied consulting a phsychic or a card reader or believing in them.
Otty is scheduled to continue his questioning tomorrow before Levers own QC, Stanley Brodie cross examines. The summing up statements on behalf of both the tribunal and Levers will be made on Monday before the fact finding element of the tribunal closes.
Cayman remains in grey area
(CNS):Cayman has not made the OECD’s White List following a key meeting yesterday. The introduction of the government’s Unilateral Tax Exchange Mechanism which was hoped would ensure removal from the greylist doesn’t appear to have found favour with the international organization’s Technical Committee. The decision has been greeted with dismay throughout the financial industry and particularly in the light of assurances received. CIFSA said it reaffirmed its advice to government that multiple bilateral or multilateral tax information exchange treaties be signed without delay.
In a letter to government last month the new Chair of the Cayman Islands Financial Service Authority (CIFSA) Anthony Travers told the Leader of Government Business that the unilateral mechanism would not be enough to move Cayman to the white list. “Those with experience of dealing with the OECD recognise that the principles of the 1997 OECD Harmful Tax Competition Initiative are being applied to Cayman albeit the process is described as procedural,” said Travers “CIFSA remains of the view that the OECD regardless of their political imperative are obliged to recognise bilateral and multi lateral exchange of information treaties. Accordingly CIFSA reaffirms its advice to government that multiple bilateral or multilateral tax information exchange treaties be signed without delay.”
He explained that it is all about the number and said CIFSA believes that the OECD will next apply a qualitative assessment of the treaty parties and so Cayman will need to have in place in excess of 12 bilateral or multilateral treaties with major G 20 Countries.
The government which issued a release yesterday offering a slightly more positive note regarding the meeting, said that progress had been made stating that the unilateral mechanism was “cleared to go forward,” by the Harmful Tax Practices Sub-committee for review by the Committee on Fiscal Affairs of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) which will review it next month.
The government said in the meantime Cayman’s bilateral negotiations were moving forward as the negotiating team is in Paris preparing for discussions today (15 May) with the Netherlands. Other countries in the negotiation programme include Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Spain and the UK.
Alden McLaughlin, Minister for International Financial Services Policy said the government continues to make solid progress on key initiatives to implement international standards in tax information exchange and said it would be providing details in the coming weeks.
“We have also been made aware of new proposals put forward by the OECD and the UK for Cayman to consider involving multilateral instruments and are seeking details, as OECD staffers are in meetings today until late evening Paris time. We must consider any and all opportunities to further our strategy of employing the most effective and efficient means of getting the result we need,” he added.
Meanwhile the London based Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has come out in support of jurisdictions such as Cayman and placed the blame for the global financial crisis on the shoulders of world governments and central bankers. In an open letter the IEA experts write: “No significant changes are needed to the regulatory environment surrounding hedge funds, short selling, offshore banks, private equity or tax havens.”
Travers said that hopefully the message was getting through that the Cayman Islands has a full and effective network of tax transparency treaties and is a totally transparent tax regime which has co-operated fully with the UK, EU and US Governments.
“We are astonished at the ill founded comparisons with the opaque regimes still made by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Lord Wallace of Saltaire and Senator Levin. The truth of the matter is that the real reason for the unwarranted attacks on the Cayman Islands can have nothing whatsoever to do with tax evasion,” he said. “The concern of those politicians and the OECD can only relate to the increasingly high levels of tax in their respective countries, especially the 50% proposal in the UK. They know that there will be a stampede of individuals and companies attempting to escape their punitive taxes.”
Travers said that President Barack Obama would be better advised to focus his attention nearer to home in the Vice Presidents State, Delaware, where an office at 1209 North Orange Street, Wilmington, houses the grand total of 217,000 companies.
Obama has called out Ugland House on numerous occasions for having 18,000 companies registered there saying it must either be the biggest building in the world or the biggest tax scam.
See letter here: www.iea.org.uk