Archive for July, 2011
Taking the Profit from Corruption
Government decision making based on greed and corrupt deals destroys countries. It must not be ignored, swept under the carpet, or excused. Existing law can be used to prosecute come cases of corruption, but our law and the way it is enforced are not sufficient to deter corruption. If existing laws were sufficient, we would not have the problems we have.
A general outline of the law which we now have to combat corruption looks something like this. When a bribe of any kind is paid to a politician or a government employee in exchange for influencing any government decision, the common law crime of bribery is committed by those who give bribes and those who accept them. The common law offense of extortion is committed by politicians and other public officials who demand payment of any kind in exchange for securing a specific outcome in any government related matter. Our penal code also criminalises both fraud and breach of trust by public officials, and our less than perfect Anti-Corruption Law also makes certain corrupt acts criminal offenses.
Criminal law does not define the limits of what is already available in the fight against corruption. Those responsible for enforcing the law and ensuring good governance also have access to civil law. Civil law remedies can be used with considerable effect against corrupt politicians and other public officials as well as those that reward them for their corruption. Decisions by government bodies influenced by corruption can be undone by the courts. Those who use their offices to corruptly enrich themselves can be made to pay to the public treasury their unlawful gains. Asset freezing and other measures arealso available to facilitate the recovery of corrupt profits.
Civil law remedies typically have the advantage of being decided on the basis of whether one or more acts or omissions was more likely corrupt than not corrupt, rather than whether guilt in relation to a crime has been proved beyond reasonable doubt. This easier to prove standard has made civil remedies quite useful as part of the fight against corruption in other jurisdictions. However, like criminal law remedies, civil law anti-corruption measures only work when those investigating corruption and those responsible for good governance have access to expertise in civil law enforcement and act diligently, effectively and without fear or favour. How then can we make our anti-corruption regime more effective?
We need investigators and prosecutors with particular expertise in both criminal and civil anti-corruption law. We also need to ensure that our laws make available to our investigators and prosecutors the tools necessary for the task. Providing adequate tools requires specific changes to our laws that will not only deter corruption, but will also enhance the detection, prosecution and punishment of corruption. Specifically, we need to supplement our existing laws with at least one new legislated “carrot” and several legislated “sticks” in order to make corruption less attractive to both persons offering bribes and any politician or government employee (including in this context any civil servant and any employee or board member of any statutory authority or government owned corporation) tempted to act in a corrupt manner.
The Carrot – Incentives to Report Corruption — Any person who provides information which results in a conviction relating to any corrupt behaviour by any politician or government employee ought to be rewarded with up to one-half of any money or other benefit secured by the public treasury through forfeiture or fines. We, as a country, share the benefits derived from convicting criminals and seizing their assets when our enforcement authorities work with foreign governments. We should offer the same to our own people in the fight against corruption.
A person providing information regarding possible corruption must also have access to effective legislated guaranties that they will not be victimised or otherwise adversely affected as a result of reporting suspected corruption. There are many existing examples of legislation in other jurisdictions which provide models for effective anti-corruption “whistle-blower” legislation.
Stick 1 – Criminal Penalties for Corruption– The minimum penalty for corruption involving a politician or public employee ought to be five years in prison with the maximum being life, rather than the slap on the wrist provisions which currently exist. Why should a tiny fine be a permitted penalty for corruption?
Any disguising of or attempting to disguise any payment or benefit related to a corrupt act, whether by way of commission or omission, ought to be explicitly classified in legislation as money laundering. All reporting requirements and penalties relating to money laundering ought to apply in the context of corrupt acts. Any prison sentences relating to corruption and money laundering ought to be served consecutively without exception, a practice already permitted for other egregious acts.
Stick 2 – Criminal Penalties for Failure to Report Corruption – All politicians and government employees are in some sense stewards of public money. There are legal arguments to the effect that all politicians and government employees are already under an obligation to report any evidence of corruption, but to the best of my knowledge there has never been any politician or government employee disciplined for not reporting corruption in this country. Worse, there is a general perception in recent times that reporting corruption, or even being seen by the corrupt as unlikely to turn a blindeye to their corruption, is career destroying for honest politicians and honest government employees and their families. Therefore, in addition to the whistle-blower ”carrot” noted above, and the need to change civil service rules to ensure that corrupt and corruptible politicians are never allowed to influence the civil servants that they will work with, we need clear legislation that makes a failure to report corruption a criminal offense. Conviction for failure to report corruption that he or she is aware of at a minimum should cause an elected politician or government employee who chooses not to report any aspect of corruption to be banned from all government employment of any kind, permanently. A politician or government employee who chooses not to report corruption should also lose any benefits accrued whether in the form of pensions or otherwise. In the most overt, persistent or wilful cases of failure to report corruption, politicians and government employees who choose not to report corruption ought to face years in prison. It may seem harsh to impose such penalties on those who turn a blind eye to corruption, but we cannot afford to allow indifference to corruption or intimidation by the corrupt to determine the future of our country. We need to make the reporting of corruption the only choice.
Stick 3 – Civil Forfeiture and Fines for Corruption with No Time Limitation – We need legislation which would ensure that there is no time limitation on civil claims related to corruption in any public office. Why should a corrupt politician, government employee or crony benefit if they or their friends can stay in positions of power and able to hide their thievery for a few years?
We need legislation which will ensure that any property of any kind which relates to, or to any extent is derived from, any part of any corrupt transaction or the disguising or concealment of any such transaction, is forfeited to the public treasury. In addition, a fine of three times the value of the benefit gained or sought to be gained, or the loss avoided or sought to be avoided by the corrupt individuals, ought to be imposed on each of the persons (and in the case of a company the beneficial owners) who paid or offered to pay any bribe. Such a fine should also be paid by each and every politician or government employee or other person who knowingly benefited or sought to benefit from any corrupt transaction, whether directly or indirectly.
By way of hypothetical example, if it were to be proved according to a civil law standard that a property developer offered “special pricing and financing” on oneor more luxury condos, or an exclusive real estate deal, or money to a politician in exchange for planning approval, or changes to the rules relating to building height restrictions or zoning restrictions, then the relevant property and the bribe paid would be forfeited to the public treasury. In addition, each of the corrupt developer and the corrupt politician and any knowing intermediaries would be liable to pay fines equalling 3 times the increased value of the development. This would apply irrespective of whether the bribe was paid or was offered to be paid directly to the politician/government employee or to a relative or “associate” of the politician/government employee, or to a real estate or other company in which the politician/government employee or any person connected with them, is involved. As noted above, any person providing information regarding corruption which secured the conviction of the corrupt individuals would receive up to half the value of the property confiscated and the fines paid. Were such measures to be implemented and enforced retrospectively there is no telling how much of the government’s debt might be eliminated.
To make things more effective, the law should also be clarified to ensure that any corrupt individual’s liability to pay any forfeiture or fine would not be avoided by declaring bankruptcy, and that the tracing and seizing of benefits from corrupt transactions would be fully operative. These measures should go some way to limiting the appeal of big dollar corruption, but a further provision is necessary to minimise the low level corruption which corrupt politicians and government employees typically start with.
Stick 4 – Civil Employment-Related Penalties for Corruption – Any politician or public employee found to have committed any corrupt act no matter how small, including turning a blind eye to corruption as noted above, must lose any and all government-related employment and must be permanently banned from holding any office, position or employment related in any way to government. They should also lose any pension or other benefit entitlement and should be required to repay any and all money paid to them from the public purse at any time after their first corrupt act. The pension disqualification component described is particularly important in that pension entitlement typically increases with seniority and influence. It is important to ensure that deterrence is effective for those with the greatest ability to influence government decisions. Any person providing information leading to a conviction for corruption in this context should also receive up to half of the money recovered plus half the benefits which would have gone to the corrupt government employee or politician. This reporting “carrot” will make things much more difficult for the corrupt.
The combination of existing law and the enhanced penalties and rewards set out above, if enacted and enforced, would go a considerable way to limiting corruption in our country. Which person seeking a government concession is going to approach a politician or government employee offering a bribe if they know that they can lose their property, go to prison and pay a large fine just by making the offer? Which politician or government employee in a position to influence a government decision is going to even consider extorting a payment if they know that they might lose everything they have, plus everything they hope to have in the future, and they know that they could go to prison just for asking for payment, while the person they ask could potentially receive half of all they have for reporting their corruption?
There are increasing public demands for an end to corruption. The corrupt can be expected to oppose, to delay and to deny resources for stronger anti-corruption measures. Those that are not corrupt can be expected to welcome tougher anti-corruption measures. Ideally those politicians who even now claim that there is no corruption would be happy to prove that they genuinely believe this to be true by immediately introducing enhancements to our anti-corruption legislation at least as tough as those recommended above. After all, what could they possibly have to lose?
Lionfish threaten Sister Islands’ economies
(CNS): The infestation of lionfish on the Cayman Islands reefs, which has been described in the Legislative Assembly as “a national emergency”, is threatening the diving industry in Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, according to the Sister Islands Tourism Association (SITA). A removal programme for the lionfish within Bloody Bay Marine Park in Little Cayman has been in place since January this year, thanks to the assistance of volunteer divers from that island, but SITA members are now requesting funds from government for a formal and more aggressive culling policy. Meanwhile, scientists at the Little Cayman Research Centre (LCRC) are currently conducting the first formal assessment of the impact of lionfish culling.
In a letter to Mark Scotland, the minister with responsibility for the environment, SITA said that its members were deeply concerned that the lionfish invasion affecting Cayman Brac, Little Cayman and the rest of the Caribbean region “is destroying our marine life and therefore threatens our livelihoods and therefore our economic existence.” Noting that dive tourism constitutes 90% of overall tourism in the Sister Islands and that there was very little to be offered aside from that as a tourist draw, the letter stated that tourists were already noticing changes in Sister Islands reefs and negative comments about diving in Cayman Brac and Little Cayman had already been posted on travel websites such as TripAdvisor.com
The letter pointed to scientific studies which found that the invasive red lionfish (Pterois volitans) are voracious hunters that can eat anything up to 2/3 of their own body size and they have no natural predator in the Caribbean except humans. SITA also cited research in the Bahamas which found that "substantial reduction of adult abundance will require a long¬ term commitment and may be feasible only in small, localized areas where annual exploitation can be intense over multiple consecutive years."
Since January dive operations on Little Cayman have been sending out one dive boat per week at their own expense each Wednesday afternoon with several teams of volunteer divers to cull lionfish in the Bloody Bay Marine Park. However, SITA told the minister, "We believe that the only way to slow this problem down is for teams of divers to cull lionfish on a full time basis. Clearly, this cannot be done on a once per week basis by volunteers during their spare time. Action needs to be taken immediately by the Government, a private company, or a combination ofthe two.”
Estimating the start-up cost of a culling operation on each island at US$98,000 and annual operating costs to amount to US$136,900 for each operation, SITA said, “Our proposal would be an effective way of controlling lionfish populations at a much more extensive level than just a few localized areas. We are confident that the proposal would help control lionfish populations on all the reefs around the Sister Islands." Annual operating costs could be supplemented by the sale of lionfish fillets to Sister Islands restaurants, SITA noted.
In his contribution to the budget debate in June, First Elected Member for Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, Moses Kirkconnell, said that stakeholders in the Sister Islands considered the lionfish invasion a national emergency. “If something is not done soon to curtail this lionfish invasion, we will all expect the continued degradation of the reef itself, which will soon lead to permanent damage for the economy in both [Sister] islands,” he told MLAs.
Noting that there was a need to form a national policy, he said the Cayman Islands would be “the only country that has stepped up to the plate, made acommitment and put ourselves forward to keep our reefs pristine and ensure that part of our tourism industry continues to be vibrant and works for our local economy.”
In the Lionfish Removal Effort Assessment, researchers at the Little Cayman Research Centre, which is owned and operated by the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI), are looking at how many lionfish exist within the boundaries of Bloody Bay Marine Park, whether the culling programme is effectively reducing the number of lionfish in Bloody Bay Marine Park, how effective are divers at removing the lionfish with spears and/or nets and how much effort is needed to reduce lionfish numbers.
The lionfish have been present in Little Cayman since 2009 and CCMI says anecdotal reports indicate that their size and numbers have been increasing steadily over the past three years. The aim of CCMI researchers is to collect the necessary data to offer information on the actual impact the weekly culls are having on the lionfish population. Each week lionfish population density data will be collected at specific dive sites before they are culled, and there will also be a few control sites with no culling to establish baseline lionfish numbers. The data collected during this project will then be used to complete a formal assessment of the current management plan in place and inform management decisions in the future.
Joshua Dilbert, a 15-year-old CNS summer intern, contributed to this article.
Police admit losing guns
(CNS): The police have confirmed that at least two guns have gone missing from the RCIPS weapons inventory. Although one is said to have been lost during the chaos in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, another handgun has been lost within the last year. A police spokesperson said that this missing weapon was “causing greatest concern” to senior officers. The RCIPS said the discovery was made during a recent review of all of the RCIPS assets in which seven guns were written off as they were described as unserviceable and will be destroyed after this month’s public gun amnesty ends. However, an investigation is now underway into the disappearance of the handgun, which was last used some twelve months ago. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
Police said that when Commissioner of Police David Baines was informed he ordered “an immediate and thorough investigation” under the direction of Deputy Commissioner Stephen Brougham.
“That investigation has been ongoing for around a week,” a police spokesperson revealed on Monday. “As part of the enquiry all officers who had access to the weapon are being interviewed and RCIPS armouries, buildings, boats, etc are in the process of being searched. To date the weapon has not been traced.”
The spokesperson said that the RCIPS has “a rigid policy in place in relation to the issue and storage of police firearms,” but admitted that the policy in this case was not followed. “Until the investigation is complete it would be inappropriate to comment further,” the RCIPS said.
The police have also denied that the weapon discovered in the bushes in Red Bay recently by Boris, a police dog from the K-9 unit, was the missing weapon. The spokesperson said that the loaded Heckler and Koch pistol was not a police issue.
The police have not given any details of the type of weapons that have disappeared other than to say that the weapon was a handgun. Other sources have told CNS that the weapon which reportedly went missing in the wake of Ivan was a H&K G36 rifle and the handgun is believed to be a H&K pistol.
Although the RCIPS said the investigation was commenced over one week ago, it is not clear how long the police have known about the missing weapons.
Dennie Warren Jr, of the local pressure group People for Referendum, appears to be the person that raised the question of the missing policeguns in the public domain. Warren called into Radio Cayman’s afternoon talk-show Talk Today just over one week ago and asked the host Sterling Dwayne Ebanks if he or the government’s radio news team were aware of the missing weapons.
West Bay trio not guilty
(CNS): Full story — Three men were found not guilty Monday for the murder of Alrick Peddie, also known as 'Bling', in West Bay last year. Deward Bush and Jose Sanchez walked out of the courtroom, immediately free men, after Justice Harrison said the crown had failed to prove its case against the men in the trial which began last month. Aaron Crawford remained in custody in order to clear up other matters. The court room erupted with emotional scenes when the judge handed down the not guilty verdict, stating he did not find the crown's key witness Michael Ebanks credible. Peddie's widow, who was present for the verdict, was taken to George Town hospital after she collapsed outside the courthouse.
Peddie was gunned down in Michael Ebanks' family yard on Willie Farington Drive on the 24 March. Ebanks had been the crown's key witness against Bush, Sanchez and Crawford, who were charged with the murder as a joint enterprise.
In his ruling, the judge said the case had hung on the credibility of Ebanks' eyewitness account as the prosecution had very little forensic and circumstantial evidence. “Identity is the crucial issue in the trial, “ said Justice Harrison.
In his evidence, Ebanks said that he saw Bush, Sanchez and Crawford pull into the yard at a high speed in a red Honda Civic, which belonged to a friend of his. However, conflicting testimony from an earlier witness in the case presented by the defense suggested that Ebanks had previously stated that the men were masked.
The crown's case depended on the judge believing that Ebanks was telling the truth when he said he saw the three men very clearly. On the other hand, the defense had used the statement of this early witness, which indicated that on the evening of the murder Ebanks had said the gunmen were masked. The defense had also pointed to the evidence that all windows on the Honda Civic were heavily tinted.
The judge pointed out that he was faced with two irreconcilable positions in relation to the case. He revealed to the court his concerns over Ebanks' story.
“A doubt lingers in my mind over Ebanks' ability to have made the identification,” he said.
“ I reject his explanations … I am convinced this witness was making up the story as he went along to try and justify what he said he saw."
The judge explained that he could not be sure about his evidence which was compounded by the lies he told about his brother not being at the scene of the crime.
The judge was not convinced by the crown's other evidence, such as the DNA and the gunshot residue, and he also said that the telecommunications evidence contributed nothing to the case.
In his verdict, Justice Harrison said that in the absence of any supporting evidence and the fact that identification was made in difficult circumstances he could not be sure that the three men before him had committed the murder as a joint enterprise.
“The crown has not discharged the burden to satisfy me so that I feel sure that these defendants were there and killed Alrick Peddie,” he said as he handed down the not guilty verdict.
Friends and family of the defendants cheered as Bush and Sanchez were immediately released from custody. It is understood that Crawford is dealing with other issues and was remanded back in custody.
Meanwhile, Alrick Peddie's widow who had fled from the courtroom as the judge read the verdict collapsed on the pavement outside the George Town library nearby the courthouse. She was assisted by friends, family and emergency services before being taken to the George Town Hospital.
Six-year-old chef shares cook-off trophy
(CNS): In a surprising twist, two winners emerged from the 14th Annual Little Cayman Cook-Off this year, with one of the winners being under seven years of age. Little Cayman Beach Resort Head Chef Anthony Pizzarello and six-year-old Mathieu Pothier tied for the highest total points in the competition. After considerable deliberation among the judges, Pizzarello and Pothier both received a Cayman National Grand Champion trophy and the $250 cash prize. Photo: Tasting Judges Geussepe Gatta (far left) and Vico Testori (far right) with Grand Champions Mathieu Pothier and Andrew Pizzarello.
A fundraiser of the Sister Islands Tourism Association (SITA), the competition, held on 2 July at the Little Cayman Beach Resort (LCBR), received entrants from the professional and non-professional cooking arenas, who were judged this year by Vico Testori of Pappagallo Restaurant, Frederic Morineau of the Grand Cayman Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Geuseppe Gatta of the Lighthouse Restaurant at Breakers.
LCBR also played host to SICO's traditional Caribbean jerk chicken, with attendees being given the option of upgrading their dinner choices to sample the 46 dishes submitted in the competition. A raffle was held shortly after the competition with prizes donated by Cayman Airways and a host of other resorts, restaurants and businesses around the Cayman Islands.
“It is incredible that on an island with very limited resources and a sometimes weekly supply barge the quality and freshness of the food can be at this level,” said Testori.
Suzy Soto, who owns a guest cottage on the island, said that it was an event that merited international attention, out-performing even the vaunted Grand Cayman competition, while SICO host Peter Hillenbrand said it was the most successful SITA fundraiser in the 14 years of the competition and that he estimated US$7,500 was raised from the competition.
The results of the competition were:
Local (Non-Professional Cooks): Mathieu Pothier was awarded first place with Saucisson au Chocolat and Mirelda Massias was awarded second place with Land Crab Fritters.
Soup/Appetizer: Debbie Truchan of the Little Cayman Bahai' Communit was awarded first place with Conch Pate with Caribbean Herb Bread served with Plantain Coconut Relish and Sweet Chili Pepper Jelly. Diane Sherer of Pirates Point was awarded second place with Caribbean Seafood Corn Chowder.
Salad: Diane Sherer of Pirates Point was awarded first place with Ahi, Avocado, Heart of Palm with Wasabi Dressing and Team SCC of the Southern Cross Club was awarded second place with Tropical Sweet and Spicy Crab and Fruit Salad with Passion Fruit and Honey Vinaigrette.
Entree: Anthony Pizzarello of the Little Cayman Beach Resort was awarded first place with Braised Beef Short Ribs au jus with Corn Pudding and Team SCC of the Southen CrossClub was awarded with Yam Crusted Mahi Mahi with Trilogy of Vegetable Puree.
Dessert: Debbie Truchan of Little Cayman Bahai' Community was awarded first place with Cayman Triple Treat Tower (Papaya Heavy Cake Mango Mousse Almond Coconut Crunch garnished with Sugared Papaya Flower) and Team SCC of the Southern Cross Club was awarded second place with Little Cayman Naseberry and Mango Cheesecake.
This year's SICO was sponsored primarily by Cayman National Bank, along with Cayman Airways, Cayman Imports, Jacques Scott, Island Supply, Cayman Distributors, the Cayman Islands Brewery, Tortuga Rum andvarious others.
Residents urged to attend meeting on Emerald Sound
(CNS): Both the developer’s representative and those against the proposed development in South Sound are urging everyone to come out to a meeting being hosted by Burns Conolly on Thursday evening to discuss the issues surrounding Emerald Sound. There is considerable opposition in the area to the development because of the plans to move the road, dredge the sea bed and create canals which will bring the ocean into the inland part of the property. The meeting will take place on Thursday 28 July at the South Sound community centre when Conolly says he will be answering questions about the proposals.
Last year residents in the area submitted a petition to planning opposing the project and hoped that would be an end to the application to dredge the seabed and create the canals. The objectors say that they are not opposed to the landowner developing his land but have real concerns about the negative environmental impact that the canals and sea dredging will have.
The residents are also opposed to plans to move the road inland which they say will increase the value of the owner’s property without benefit to the community as the land belongs to the crown. Connolly has denied that moving the road is about financial gain but he says it is to create a footpath and a cycle lane.
Conolly has also denied any major environmental damage as a result of the canals and dredging however a report by the department of environment has noted may serious environmental problems with the plans to dredge and create the canals in a marine protection zone.
Last week more than 50 of those who oppose the development met to begin the full scale campaign in preparation for 3 August planning meeting when the application will be heard by the Central Planning Authority.
“We do not oppose the owner developing his land, however we do oppose the canals and bridge, the moving the road and dredging,” one of the objectors told CNS as she urged people to attend Thursday’s meeting at the South Sound Community Centre at 7pm.
The campaigners are also urging people to contact their elected representatives to demonstrate their opposition and concerns. They are also hoping people will write letters and commentary for the press to show their objections and why and to enlist as much public support for what is being described as a precedent setting development.
The campaigners are also taking a leaf out of the campaign against the East End Seaport and will be erecting large signs near the site this week about the opposition to the development and why, as well as garden signs for homes in the area.
Anyone wishing to donate to the campaign or who needs more information can contact katrinajurn@gmail.com
For more on the development see DoE queries Emerald Sound
To submit a viewpoint to CNS about the project email nickywatson@caymannewsservice.com
Business owner robbed 7 times in 18 months
(CNS): The owner of Reflections has reached the end of his patience when it comes to crime and has said that there is no point employing security guards when they can’t fire back. Prentice Panton’s (left) stores havebeen the victim of robberies seven times over the last year and a half and he said the CCTV footage during the last hit at the 24 hour store on Godfrey Nixon Way demonstrates that without a baton, cuffs, or even a bullet proof vest the guards can do nothing. In the CCTV of the robbery the guard at the store is shown running to the safety of the rear of the store when the robbers began shooting at the door. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
In an interview with Cayman 27, Panton and his operations manager, Cassidy Jackson, said guards should be able to properly protect the stores, staff and customers.
The latest robbery at Reflections happened on Tuesday night, 19 July, when two masked gunmen fired at the door, which was locked, and threw stones at the glass to break it before one of them rushed in and stole the cash pan. The unarmed security guard, who was by the counter at the time, retreated to the safety of the store’s back room.
Alden:‘Schools done by book’
(CNS): The opposition leader said Friday that he was never concerned about the premier and the education minister’s request to have a commission of enquiry into the high schools as the procurement process was transparent and done by the book. Speaking after the governor announced that there would be no commission of enquiry because of an anticipated review by the auditor general, Alden McLaughlin said the request by McKeeva Bush was never anything more than a distraction. The PPM leader said that government may want the national conversation to be about the schools but the people’s focus was on the economy and the rise in crime, “including crime in high places,” he added.
“The call by the premier and the minister for education for a commission of enquiry into the school projects was nothing more than a stunt to distract attention from the police investigation into allegations of financial impropriety by the premier,” he stated. “The entire process surrounding the procurement process of the contracts for the development of the new schools was done by the book. Every contract was fairly tendered then considered and awarded by the Central Tenders Committee and there was no political interference in the process.”
McLaughlin said he did not for one minute imagine he would escape criticism over the management of the projects when the audit was undertaken but he said that he was never concerned as there was no impropriety on the part of the PPM government and no breaking of the rules. The former education minister said that he would have expected an official audit to take place in terms of value for money because of the size of the project.
The former auditor general, Dan Duguay, had told CNS before his departure that if he was not leaving the islands he would have earmarked the schools for a value for money audit – not because of any indication there was anything untoward but simply because of the size of the project. Duguay noted that it was the role of a public auditor to review all large developments than involve considerable sums of public money.
On Thursday the governor revealed that he had told the premier that he would not consider a commission of enquiry until after a public audit on the school projectswas complete.
“The Auditor General has informed me that he has already put in place plans to carry out performance audits of the John Gray and Clifton Hunter High Schools this financial year. He has further told me that in the course of a programme of work this year he will also be reviewing the transactions around the Beulah Smith High School and the new George Town Primary School projects,” Duncan Taylor said.
He said he would be prepared to consider the matter again after the auditor general has submitted his reports to the Legislative Assembly should his findings indicate that there are any matters which might benefit from having such an enquiry.
Marine centre begins major climate change research
(CNS): The Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) in Little Cayman is about to undertake a critical research project regarding the direct relationship between climate change and coral reefs. Scientists at the institute say that laboratory experiments show that because of the increasing acidity of the ocean from global warming the capability of marine organisms to maintain and produce their skeletons is reduced. “These predictions need to be testedat a relatively healthy open ocean coral reef site,” the CCMI said. Little Cayman’s geology, location, reefs and low population make it the ideal place to do the work, the experts added.
CCMI is teaming up with the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd’s Ocean Fund, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and the Image Group to establish the unique reference site where the relationships between climate change and coral reef stress can be measured directly. The project is being headed up by CCMI’s Director of Research and Conservation Dr. Carrie Manfrino, Associate Professor of Oceanography at Kean University.
“The outcome of our work will be to improve the quality of information that is available about the risks that changing climate presents to communities that rely on healthy coral reefs,” Dr Manfrino said.
Scientific models indicate that rising temperatures and sea levels, increasing storm intensity and changes in the ocean’s chemistry will stress coral reefs beyond sustainability.
“In the shallowest most productive part of the ocean, measurable increases in the concentrationof carbon dioxide are expected to interrupt important biological processes that build the skeletons of myriad marine plants and animals. These chemical reactions are changing the pH of the water and the resulting ocean acidification is one of the greatest threats to marine life yet encountered in the history of our planet,” the CCMI revealed in a release about the new project.
The delicate skeletons of corals, plankton, and even marine algae are made of calcium carbonate. Corals provide the architectural structure for reefs and create the intricate labyrinth that is home to the highest biological diversity in the ocean. Just as it would be impossible to build a house without a framework, a reef relies on corals for it structure.
Laboratory and controlled experiments show that these changes in the ocean’s chemistry reduce the capability of marine organisms to maintain and produce their skeletons. The scientists explained that the predictions need to be tested at a relatively healthy open ocean coral reef site.
The Central Caribbean Marine Institute’s field station on Little Cayman maintains the region’s only permanently moored oceanographic monitoring station -the Coral Reef Early Warning System (CREWS), is an instrument conceived by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to continuously measure ocean conditions.
Newly designed instruments to measure ocean acidification will be installed on the CREWS and ecological experiments, designed to test whether corals are capable of regenerating, will be conducted. The flat, pure limestone nature of Little Cayman; the extraordinarily low human population (under 200); plus well-developed coral reefs surrounding this isolated oceanic island make this an exceptional site for this study.
This project will establish a much needed long-term record of the fluctuations in ocean chemistry at CCMI’s Little Cayman site.
Studies of the primary structural organisms on reefs including the juvenile coral community will evaluate the level of stress using such indicators as reduced growth rates, changes in the density of skeletons, coral bleaching and declines in recruitment and survival of juvenile corals.
The data collected will gain an insight into the immediate effects of the changes on coral and will help reef managers understand these threats so that they can more effectively conserve coral reefs and their associated flora and fauna.
“The communication of the findings of the studies to the general public and young students enrolled in CCMI’s many education programs is of paramount importance. By disseminating the information we will provide a wider understanding of this critical issue and how to manage it into the future,” the centre added.
OCG investigates JDIP contract with China Harbour
(Go Jamaica): It appears that a claim by the government that it had to hire a Chinese firm to execute the US$400M Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP) as part of a loan agreement maybe false. This was revealed in a release from the Office of the Contractor General (OCG) in which it announced it would be launching a special investigation into the award of the contract to China Harbour Engineering Company.The OCG says it decided to investigate the matter following permanent secretary in the transport and works ministry, Dr. Alwin Hales’ failure to substantiate claims that the loan from the China Exim Bank came with a precondition that a Chinese company had to be contracted to carry out the project.
The claim was made by transport and works minister, Mike Henry in a rebuttal of a media release by the OCG.The OCG had raised concerns that such a large contract had been awarded to one entity and without being put to tender. The OCG says its examination of the contractual and financing documentation between the China Exim Bank and Jamaica did not substantiate Henry’s claims.
The OCG says it therefore wrote to the permanent Secretary on June 28 asking that he provide evidence to substantiate the minister’s claim.