Archive for August, 2009
Miss Venezuela takes pageant crown for sixth time
(CNS): Stefania Fernandez was crowned Miss Universe 2009 on Sunday night, giving her country its sixth ‘tiara’ in the international beauty pageant. Fernandez, an 18-year-old brunette, became the 58th winner of the title in a show broadcast live around the world from the Atlantis, Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas. It was the second consecutive year that a contestant from the South American country, which is famous for its beauty queens, won the Miss Universe title. Venezuela has produced five previous winners the most of any country. Fernandez was selected out of five finalists chosen from the total field of 83 contestants. The first runner-up this year was Miss Dominican Republic, Ada Aimee de la Cruz.
Miss Australia, the bookie’s favourite, Miss Puerto Rico and Miss Kosovo completed the final line up.
Fernandez received the Miss Universe Crown from last year’s winner, also a Venezuelan, Dayana Mendoza. The beauty pageant saw entries from all over Europe, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, which also faired well with two contestants in the top five. Asia dominated the side shows with Miss China, Wang Jingyao, named Miss Congeniality and Miss Thailand, Chutima Durongdej, won Miss Photogenic.
Dressed in a flowing red gown, Fernandez embraced the runner-up as the announcement was made and received the sparkling tiara, which fell to the floor at one point as Fernandez danced in joy. During a question-and-answer segment with the five top finalists, Fernandez said she believed women have overcome obstacles such as hitting the proverbial glass ceiling. "I feel we have reached the level that men are at," she said.
Following pageant tradition, the top 15 finalists appeared in bathing suits before the final 10 were chosen for the evening gown segment. Pageant co-owner Donald Trump told reporters, "I think this is the most beautiful group of women I’ve ever seen."
Despite being in front of her home crowd, Miss Bahamas, Kiara Sherman failed to make the top fifteen. Nicosia Lawson, Miss Cayman Islands was also excluded from the finalists. However, the Caribbean region was widely represented and Miss Dominican Republic and Miss Puerto Rico made it all the way to the final five.
Costs to soar on Levers case
(CNS): The referral to the Privy Council of the Justice Priya Levers case could add as much as $2 million to the overall total cost, estimated already be in the region of $3 million, all of which will come from the cash strapped Cayman purse. CNS understands from legal experts that although the Privy Council will not hear from witnesses when they take up the case, it will hear from both Justice Levers’ legal team and the legal representatives of the tribunal. So far all of Justice Levers’ costs and those incurred by the tribunal itself, as well as the various other legal teams provided for the judicial services, the prosecution services and the chief justice, have been paid for by the CI government.
Justice Levers has also remained on full pay since she was suspended from the Grand Court bench in September 2008. The next round could see the legal costs involved soar even further as both legal teams will be able to present their entire cases again to the UK’s highest court when the Privy Council considers the case in London.
CNS contacted Justice Levers for comment on the tribunal’s recommendation and the forthcoming Privy Council hearing but the judge was unavailable. It is understood, however, that her lead counsel Stanley Brodie QC will be representing her in London.
On Thursday, 20 August, the Governor’s Office announced that it had received the report from the tribunal, which was chaired by Sir Andrew Leggatt and heard Justice Levers’ case in May of this year. The governor stated that, as the case was going on to the Privy Council, the report would not be made public.
However, CNS understands that the tribunal did not find against Justice Levers in regards to the majority of the complaints, so it is by no means certain that the Grand Court Judge will be taken off the bench. Her legal team will be given the opportunity to present their case to the Privy Council with regards to the recommendations made by the tribunal in its report.
During the tribunal it was revealed that the inquiry against Justice Levers was triggered when it was suspected by the chief justice that she had written letters under a pseudonym to the local press, that she had instigated a petition in the Court House and had criticised the CJ as well as other members of the local judiciary. The purpose of the tribunal was to discover if, together with other allegations relating to her behaviour towards legal counsel and witnesses, these issues amounted to misconduct sufficient to recommend her removal.
It could be as much as nine months before the top UK court examines the tribunal’s findings and the judge who is contracted until 2011 will remain on full pay until the Privy Council makes its decision.
Following the Special Police Investigation, which has already cost the CI government well over $6.5 million and counting, including the $1.275 million damages given to Justice Alex Henderson for his unlawful arrest, the announcement that the Levers case will be incurring further costs came following the confirmation that Lyndon Martin’s two week trial for making allegations against a senior police officer would begin on 31 August and is also expected to run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. The trial against Rudolph Dixon, the deputy commissioner of police, for misconduct in a public office, who has also been on full pay since March 2008, is due to start mid September and will also add to the growing legal bill which will be met by the Cayman tax paper.
There are still two legal actions pending against the Special Police Investigation Team and the police commissioner regarding the arrest of Burman Scott in connection with the Dixon case and the suspension and subsequent dismissal of the former Commissioner Stuart Kernohan, which have yet to be settled.
DoE warns of hefty penalties
(CNS): The recent appearance of pictures on the social networking site ‘Facebook’ of guides lifting stingrays from the water at the sandbar has prompted the Department of Environment to remind people that mishandling these creatures could see them incurring fines ofup to CI$½ million and even a year’s prison sentence. The marine conservation law prohibits anyone from taking the stingrays out of the water and there is now a dedicated enforcement officer from the DoE stationed at Stingray City and the Sandbar to keep an eye on the welfare of the marine creatures.
Tim Austin for the DoE told CNS that lifting the rays from the water (as shown above) is not only very stressful for the creatures but can put people at risk as the rays are more likely to sting when they are under that kind of stress.
“Although they would have to be out of the water for significant period for their lives to be at risk, researchers have said that continually lifting the rays, even for a short period, causes them immunological stress,” he said. “We are also very concerned about the danger it poses to humans as the rays can sting. While the guides know how to handle the rays when they do this they could encourage people who don’t know how to handle them to try, which can be very dangerous.”
Austin warned that they DoE will seek to prosecute people who put people and the rays at risk and said that since July a dedicated officer has been allocated to the popular tourist attraction and he will be making sure that people refrain from taking the creatures out of the water.
“There is no need for guides to do this type of thing. No one gains from it,” Austin added. “Stingray City already offers visitors a unique experience swimming with the rays in the water where they belong.”
The Southern Atlantic Stingrays which populate the sandbar and Stingray City take their name from the barbed spine(s) at the base of their long, whip-like tail which protects them from danger. They are not aggressive creatures and when swimming they are unable to direct their tails so they rarely attack while they are in perpetual motion in the water.
Prince Harry goes incognito as Rasta
(Telegraph): Prince Harry has been taken to wearing a Rastafarian disguise in an effort to go out in public without being recognised, it has been claimed. The Prince is understood to have developed an alter-ego named Winston in a "light-hearted" attempt to disguise his identity. However, his choice of dress could be seen as controversial. Four years ago he was heavily criticised for wearing a Nazi uniform to a fancy dress party, and in January this year he was caught on camera calling a fellow Army officer a "Paki". The Prince has been seen wearing the "Winston" outfit on a night out at a warehouse party in East London.
Former spook escapes from Dubai wearing burka
(Daily Mail): A former spy convicted of fraud in the United Arab Emirates has told how he made a bid for freedom by donning a wetsuit disguised under a burka before diving into the ocean. Frenchman Herve Jaugbert, an ex-naval officer, alleges the Dubai secret police had threatened to insert needles up his nose and that he was about to be thrown in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. The 53-year-old explained how on the night of his escape last summer he stepped into a full-length diving suit, complete with breathing equipment, before adding padding to cover the shape of the kit. Jaubert, who designs and builds leisure submarines, then disguised himself in a burka and walked down to the water’s edge.
Pinochet’s lost millions
(Independent): Two-and-a-half years after the death of General Augusto Pinochet, a report by the Chilean police task force charged with investigating money-laundering, has claimed that British authorities were complicit in hiding his massive ill-gotten fortune. The cover-up of Pinochet’s fortune took place in British colonies which were ultimately controlled by Whitehall. They range from Gibraltar, the Caribbean tax havens of the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands (BVI), to former colonies such as the Bahamas and Hong Kong.
Man dies suddenly after swimming in ocean
(CNS): Police said on Saturday (22 August) that they have begun an investigation into the death of 62-year-old man on Friday afternoon. According to the RCIPS the 911 Emergency Communications Centre received a call at 12pm stating that an ambulance was required for man who had collapsed at Eden Rock Diving Centre, George Town after swimming in the sea. Medics responded to the scene where CPR was being conducted by dive staff and the man was then taken to hospital but was unfortunately pronounced dead.
Officers said that they had learnt that the man had been in the sea with his son and was about to go a on a dive when he got into difficulty and returned to shore.
The man, who was from America, had been visiting his son who lives in Grand Cayman. Police sent their condolences to his family and friends.
Chamber launches Cayman leadership initiative
(CNS): People over the age of 25 are being given the opportunity to take part in wide ranging and intense six month leadership programme run by the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce. The industry body said the course is designed to promote and enhance community leadership through a series of in-depth seminars and retreats that will focus on social, economic, business and political issues in the Cayman Islands. (Left Jeff Brandes the driving force behind Leadership Cayman.)
Speaking at the launch of the initiative, Stuart Bostock, the Chamber President, said it was intended to help the men and women in the gain a greater understanding of the society in which they work and live. “This new initiative will help to develop the next generation of leaders in all areas of business and government,” Bostock said, adding that he himself hope to apply and be considered.
Jeff Brandes, the grandson of well known Caymanian businessman, Linton Tibbetts, and the driving force behind the project, said it would provide an opportunity for people to learn about areas in society outside of their own working arenas from leaders in different fields. He explained that each of the eleven specialist seminars would cover different aspects of society from government and diversity to diversity and financial services.
Brandes said that each seminar would be held at a different and relevant location, some of which people who have lived here all their lives may never have visited, such as Northward prison for the seminar on criminal justice or the studios of CITN for the media seminar. Local leaders and experts will host the seminars in a conversational format and give students the benefit of their specialised knowledge.
“It is really about connecting people, growing understanding of the different aspects that make up the community and inspiring them. All of our lives run parallel; this is about interconnection” he added, saying it would also offer great orientation for people who are new to the community. “It’s essentially Cayman 101.”
The course costs $1,950 for Chamber members and $2,250 for others. The application is an essay format and application forms are now available. The deadline is 16 October and Brandes said 20 of the most suitable applicants will be selected for the first course which will run from January 2010 for six months. Other than the minimum age of 25 the programme has no other restrictions and people of any nationality or age in any profession from the private or public sector are encouraged to apply. Seminars will typically take place on Thursday and applicants will need to attend nine of the eleven in order to pass the course. The opening retreat is the only mandatory event which will take place between 14-17 January with guest speaker Peter Hammerschmidt, a professor of Economics at Eckard College and expert in leadership issues.
The Chamber said it was seeking title sponsors for the project but as yet there were no scholarships for the course and it hopes that those who join the programme will be subsidised by their employers.
Workers back on school site
(CNS): Following a dispute between General Contractor Tom Jones International and labour sub-contractor East End Steel at the Clifton Hunter school site in which Caymanian workers were caught in the middle, the two parties said today (Friday 21 August) that they have resolved their disagreements. TJI and East End Steel said they had both met with members of government and reached an agreement in principle with regards to the provision of labour for the site and that Caymanians would be keeping their jobs.
According to workers who were protesting on the site earlier this week, TJI was trying to push out Caymanian labourers to replace them with cheaper overseas labour. The sub-contractors told NEWS27 earlier this week that TJI had told them that they wanted to lower the rate for their workers and had then sent an email terminating the contract accusing them of not paying health insurance and pensions. Some labourers also said that they had been offered jobs directly by TJI cutting out their employer, East End Steel.
In a statement following the meeting, which was believed to have taken place at the Department of Employment Relations, between the two sides and government, Tom Jones International said that all Caymanian workers would remain employed at the Clifton Hunter site and that they had returned to work on 20 August.
With accusations flying back and forth before the mediation after the meeting, East End Steel issued a separate statement saying that it had since discovered that the accusations made against TJI that it was trying to replace Caymanians with ex-pats was not true. “There have been a number of allegations made with respect to Tom Jones International,” the statement read. “After reviewing the matter and meeting with Tom Jones International we have learned that these statements are not true and are unfounded. We are pleased to further confirm that having resolved our differences we will continue our relationship with Tom Jones International, who we believe to bean important and upstanding member of the Caymanian community.””
However, this is by no means the first time that TJI has faced such accusations. Almost since the work started on the Clifton Hunter Schools there have been accusations that Caymanians were not being employed and ex-pat labour was being shipped in. In April this year, North Side MLA Ezzard Miller, who was at the time campaigning for the seat he was to win as an Independent candidate, took up the cause of a number of Caymanian workers who were similarly caught in the middle of a dispute between TJI and another sub-contractor, Moises.
On that occasion TJI accused Moises of over-charging on sub-contracted hours and then stopped paying the firm, who were then in turn unable to pay their workers. On that occasion, TJI re-hired some of the Caymanian workers and at the time the DER requested that the Immigration Department halt the issuance of any new work permits to TJI until a complete investigation into the rehiring of all those workers was investigated. It is understood that all those who wanted to work on the site were eventually either re-hired directly or through other contractors. TJI has always insisted that it is employing a majority of Caymanian workers on the site.
Police burn millions of dollars worth of drugs
(CNS): Drugs with a potential collective street value of over $3.5 million were destroyed by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service this morning (Friday, 21 August). Around 1000 pounds of ganja, 11.5 pounds of cocaine and 110 drug utensils were burned at the Cayman Islands Landfill site.The substances had been seized from locations across the Cayman Islands in various operations but were no longer required for evidence, police said. Drugs are required to be destroyed when they are no longer needed by the courts.
The drug burning took place under the watch of an independent Justice of the Peace, who checked the drugs as they left the storage location and re-checked them when they reached the burn site. Security is of the utmost importance during the burn, police stated, and a variety of officers from the Marine Unit, Drugs Task Force, Uniformed Support Group and the Exhibits Office were present. All material was destroyed in the burning, including the packaging or casing in which the substances were held.
The RCIPS works hard to tackle drug related crime and welcomes any information relating to the use or supply of illegal substances. Anyone with information can contact the Drugs Task Force directly on 949-7710 or 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.