Archive for April, 2013
Brac MLA calls on RCIPS to step up after burglaries
(CNS): Updated 2:07pm – On Saturday night Kirkconnell's Market became the latest business on Cayman Brac to be robbed in a string of burglaries on the island, including one at the Brac Reef Beach Resort two weeks ago. First elected member for the district, Moses Kirkconnell, who is managing director of the supermarket in Stake Bay, said that he has voiced his concern to the police after each incident in a rash of robberies this year but is now calling on the police commissioner to publicly assure the people of Cayman Brac that the RCIPS is doing everything it can to protect them from the thieves. Seven businesses and two homes on Cayman Brac have been burgled since the beginning of 2013.
Kirkconnell's Market was broken into between 10:00 on Saturday night (20 April) and 8:30 Sunday morning. The thieves smashed the front glass and metal door with an object and made off with a 300-400lb safe containing a substantial amount of cash belonging to the supermarket and Kirkconnell Investment and Development Company (KIDCO), which is managed from the Kirkconnell Ltd office within the store.
Officers from the Cayman Brac Police Station attended the scene, where forensic analysis was carried out.
"I am extremely concerned with the hardship inflicted on the burglary victims and the harm these burglaries cause to undermine Cayman Brac’s reputation as a safe place to live and work," Kirkconnell stated. "After each of the incidents, I have spoken with police to voice my concerns and ask for their commitment to do everything possible to stop these break-ins. Today, I ask the commissioner to publicly reassure our community that law enforcement is doing everything they can to solve these burglaries and to provide protection for our citizens, our homes, and our small businesses. Cayman Brac is a struggling community and these thoughtless, selfish thieves must be found and prosecuted."
On Saturday, 6 April, burglars broke into the Brac Reef hotel. Police said they were alerted to the burglary around 4:30am. They found that the front entrance door had been forced open and entry gained to the cashier section, where a safe was forced open and a quantity of cash was stolen, police said.
The RCIP is appealing to anyone who may have information that can assist with these investigations to please call any of the police stations or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS)
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Airport board in conflicts
(CNS): Although the chairman and other directors of the Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA) have always said that they have removed themselves from discussions relating to their own businesses at the airport when the need arises, documents given to CNS, which include minutes of board meetings and a letter written by the current chair in 2010 when he was a director, indicate otherwise. Between January 2010 and May 2011 on at least nine occasions issues which directly relate to ground handling agents were discussed in the presence of directors with direct business interests. In addition, Dick Arch, who was later to become chair, complained about competition for his business in a confidential memo to the board. (Photo: right Dick Arch, left Jeremy Jackson on Cayman Brac)
The question of conflicts of interests at the airport has been an issue throughout the last four years because at least two members of the board during that time have direct business interests at the airport. Director Frank Flowers is the owner of FADS and Arch, a board director who became chair after Norman Bodden resigned, co-owns Air Agencies with his wife.
Questions regarding various issues to ground handling came up at several meetings where the two parties did not always recuse themselves, despite claims that they did.
Arch also appears to have had very direct involvement with some of the issues relating to companies in competition with his business interests, as illustrated by a memo he sent to the board in July 2010 where he says that Cayman Dispatch Services (CDS) was being allowed to operate at the airport without a proper contract and was in direct competition to his and other authorized companies, causing losses to those businesses.
The memo states that former premier McKeeva Bush had set out the policy of having two unrestricted agents at Owen Roberts International – Cayman Airways and Air Agencies – and the third restricted handlers, Island Air, which deals with private planes. However, in the memo Arch complains that the CIAA chief executive officer, Jeremy Jackson, had allowed another local agency to supply unrestricted services as well as American Airlines, in direct competition with his business.
In the letter Arch demands that the CEO remove an item from the agenda of the July board meeting regarding CDS, as he makes it clear he does not support the CEO’s decision.
In addition, the minutes reveal that questions regarding other handling agents had been raised and discussed at the board meetings throughout 2010 and 2011. In the board minutes from January 2010 Universal Ground Handling Service gave a presentation to all board members, including Arch and Flowers, about offering its services to the airport. And in May 2010, while both Arch and Flowers remained in the meeting, Jackson, who has since been dismissed as CEO of the airport, raised the issue that there were no policies and regulations in place regarding handling services.
In July the subject came to the fore and was discussed at two July meetings but Flowers and Arch only removed themselves on one occasion. In a September Jackson also revealed that the only licences in place for any of the agencies at the airport was Island Air, despite the claims Arch made in his July memo.
In March 2011 at another board meeting, despite their declared interests, Arch and Flowers were both present and voted on new policies to regulate ground handling agencies, which directly affected their businesses.
It was recently revealed in a report by the board that Jackson had been accused of mismanagement and was suspended from his job. Shortly after the report was leaked to the press the airport boss was fired. The latest revelations show that the board chair had been displeased with the CEO, not just because of allegation over boozy lunches but because he was allowing companies in direct competition with his business to operate at the George Town Airport.
See memo from Arch to board below.
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Trial halted as defendant sacks attorney
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CNS): Garry Hurlston, who was on trial for theattempted murder of Wesley Clarke, has been remanded back in custody to HMP Northward while he awaits a new trial date after sacking his attorney. Hurlston (41) is accused of stabbing Clarke in the neck at a party last June. Following a catalogue of problems regarding his defence and several switches of counsel, Hurlstone once again finds himself unrepresented as he faces serious charges. Clarke, who slipped into a coma shortly after he was stabbed, has remained in a vegetative state since the incident. He is the only witness against Hurlston.
Acting Justice Nova Hall was presiding over the judge alone trial which stated last week but the case has now been suspended until the defendant, who has been on remand since his arrest a few days after the incident, can secure a new attorney and a new trial date will then be fixed.
Jack’s culpability becomes focus of ex top cops
(CNS): Former RCIPS police commissioner Stuart Kernohan has joined with the lead investigator of Operation Tempura, Martin Bridger, calling for all of the facts surrounding the bungled police corruption investigation to be revealed. Kernohan, who was sacked by the previous Cayman Islands governor, Stuart Jack, and is still attempting to get some form of legal redress, has said there needs to be a full and open investigation into the controversial 2007-2009 probe and the role of Jack in particular, who, Kernohan claims, lied about a critical piece of information. Bridger has also stated in a complaint to Scotland Yard that, had the truth been told to him by Jack at the onset, Operation Tempura would have lasted no more than a few weeks.
Kernohan said theformer governor lied about authorizing the out of hours late night search by reporters at the Cayman Net News offices, where they worked, looking for evidence to support suspicions that a senior police officer was leaking information to the late Desmond Seales, Net News editor in chief at the time.
Following Bridger’s recent official complaint to the UK police, as reported in the British media last week, Kernohan has said he is fully supportive of a thorough Metropolitan Police investigation into the complaint of alleged criminal conduct during that period in the Cayman Islands. Bridger has made a direct allegation of criminality on the part of UK officials to the London police, as he was employed directly by Scotland Yard when he first came to Cayman undercover, posing as a real estate developer along with just one other UK officer.
Kernohan, who was once on the opposite side of the investigation to Bridger but is now backing the ex-Tempura boss in his calls for complete public exposure of the probe, said he has always been keen to see a full investigation and in particular the conduct of Jack.
“From the outset, and continuing until this day, I have called for a full investigation into the conduct of the Governor and member of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Stuart Jack, Samuel Bulgin the Attorney General, the Chief Secretary George McCarthy, and others involved in this fiasco,” Kernohan said in a statement released on Friday. “I continue to call for a full investigation to ensure all of the facts and documents are made public into the operations and circumstances surrounding Operation Tempura. At nearly every juncture, these probes have been resisted or, in some instances, significant reports concealed and covered up by those with the power to release them. This leads to the inevitable question: What are they hiding?” the former top cop asked rhetorically.
Kernohan said his position on the issues was simple and straightforward: “Let’s have a comprehensive investigation to expose the facts, as I am not seeing it at the moment. Open up the memos, reports, emails and documents so all the information relating to the original investigation, Operation Tempura, can be made public. Show us the truth, the whole truth, I have nothing to hide,” he added.
Kernohan has already submitted a statement to the metropolitan police in connection with Bridger’s official complaint.
After he was removed from the investigation it continued for almost two years but did not result in a single conviction for corruption – merely a very big tab for the Cayman tax payer of some CI$10 million, including a significant damage payment to a judge for a wrongful arrest. However , Bridger has slowly been raising complaints about the FCO authorities and their role in the controversial enquiry.
In his complaint to Scotland Yard Bridger says he was never told that the governor had given the nod to Kernohan to allow staff members to enter the Net News office and look for evidence and, as a result, he treated that as an illegal break-in and his investigation focused on that, which is why Kernohan and his chief superintendent, John Jones, were suspended and Net News reporter and former MLA, Lyndon Martin, was arrested for burglary.
In his redacted statement, Bridger says that his investigation proceeded on the basis “that Kernohan and Jones had gone on a ‘frolic of their own’ and had behaved unlawfully,” referring to both the commissioner and CS Jones, who coordinated the search of the office.
Although his statement released to the press has been redacted, it is clear that Bridger is referring to Stuart Jack when he states that he now has direct evidence in the form of witness statements that, despite what he was told by the governor at the time, not only was Jack fully aware of the search but had, in fact, authorised it.
“Had I had known this at the time the investigation would never have proceeded in the way which it did and all of the unfortunate events which have occurred since would not have taken place,” Bridger tells the Met in his complaint.
In his statement, Kernohan also says that the governor lied not only to Bridger but to the press as well when the news came out that he and two other senior police officers had been suspended and that a team of Scotland Yard officers were in Cayman conducting a police corruption investigation.
“I set up a meeting with Stuart Jack and the attorney general, Samuel Bulgin specifically to brief them on the allegations and to discuss the use of a witness/member of staff of the Cayman Net News to recover the evidence who had full access,” Kernohan writes in the statement. “I held three meetings with Stuart Jack on 27th, 28th and 29th August 2007. The purpose of these meetings was to fully brief him on all the available information and discuss how to protect evidence prior to the arrival of an outside team.”
Kernohan documented the meetings in his police book and notes that Jack later denied any knowledge of the entry, despite the well documented meetings.
“There can be no doubt that Governor Stuart Jack was fully briefed, authorised the operation and was fully aware of all the details. These details included the type of operation, whom it involved, when and where it as going totake place. His authorisation and direct knowledge derived from the meetings with myself on three occasions over three days and the meetings with Chief Superintendent John Jones in the presence of witness Simon Tonge on at least two occasions.”
Kernohan then states that David Legge, editor of Grand Caymanian Magazine, had asked the governor at a press briefing in March 2008 if he had any knowledge of the police operation to enter the Net News on 3 September 2007.
“Mr Jack in front of many witnesses stated that he had only become aware of the operation on being briefed on it by Chief Superintendent Bridger after his arrival on the island. Mr Jack’s answer gave the clear impression that he was without knowledge of the entry either prior to 3rd September 2007, or afterwards until the arrival of Chief Superintendent Bridger. This was clearly not the case.”
As documents regarding operation Tempura remain under wraps and the full story is still secret, Bridger’s complaint is now in the hands of the Metropolitan Police in London, as he has alleged criminality on the part of the former governor as well as various other officials involved.
See Kernohan and Bridger’s statements to the Metropolitan Police below.
Churches get $600K in 2013
(CNS): Although the government faced with one of its toughest budgets ever and had to increase taxes to produce a surplus budget under significant pressure, more than CI$604,000 was given to 11 churches during this financial year from the controversial Nation Building Fund. Despite the return of $50,000 from Hillside Chapel in Cayman Brac and the promised return of $100,000 from Red Bay Church of God, more than $450,000 was still given out for various programmes and projects to local churches, some of which have received previous grants in dramatically different amounts and all of which were directly approved by the premier.
The list of churches benefitting from the fund this year was released after a freedom of information request by CNS, made following an announcement by the current premier, Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, during election season about a donation from the fund for the church she attends. According to the list, at least one church has had a second donation this year.
The Church of God in Frank Sound received $100,000 in this financial year, having already received $50,000 in the previous hand-out from the fund during 2011/12 for construction work at the church site. The grant amounts vary greatly, with some receiving less than $10,000 while others have received multiple grants since the fund was created, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The reasons for the grants are also diverse, from the cost of repairs for property damaged in hurricanes to the purchase of buses, while the First Assembly of God received cash for its Singing Christmas Tree during this year’s annual holiday celebrations.
Since the controversial fund was established by former premier McKeeva Bush in the 2010 budget, some $10 million has been handed out to a variety of churches, charities, community projects and to students unable to get scholarships through the education ministry. In this financial year alone more than $0.4million has been handed out at what appears to be the sole discretion of the UDP leader. According to the current PNA Cabinet members, no committee was ever established to hand out the funds and each application was considered directly by Bush.
See the latest list of church grants below, and the list of previous NBF recipients.
R&B singer to perform at Cayman Fashion Week
(CNS): American R&B grammy award winner Chrisette Michele will take the stage at the 3rd annual Cayman Islands Fashion Week Gala Runway Show on 27 April at the Island Air Hangar. Cayman Islands Fashion Week, (previously Cayman Fashion Solstice) has been renamed for 2013. The event aims to promote the Cayman Islands as a fashion and lifestyle destination. The event showcases international and Caribbean trend setting fashion designers and models from top agencies, including Ford, Major, DNA, RED, Muse, Next, IMG and Elite. Since its 2010 launch, the event has attracted a diverse audience of professionals and influencers from around the globe, including celebrities, designers, and buyers.
Sessilee Lopez, Georgie Badiel, Kacie Schaffer and Bobby Roache are amongst the list of models that have appeared at the event.
The three day event will feature the Culture & Style Welcome Party, the “MyStyle” Soiree and the 2013 Runway Fashion Show, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday April 27th at the Island Air Hangar. 12 designers are planned to feature this year from London, New York, Africa, Dubai, the Caribbean, as well as the Cayman Islands. Tickets can be purchased at NKY Collections, Sand Angels, Silhouette in Camana Bay and Arabus Boutique in George Town.
Chrisette Michele launched her career with her 2007 debit album ‘I AM’ and has produced two more since, with her fourth, ‘Better’, set for release in June 2013.
New committee to develop national statistics system
(CNS): The Economics and Statistics Office (ESO) recently launched the National Statistical Coordination Committee (NSCC), whose goal isto better “coordinate the development of the country’s statistical system.” The official launch event took place at the George Town Hospital on 18 April. In her welcome address, ESO Director Maria Zingapan stated that the vision of the NSCC is to have an “information system of a democratic society, serving the Government and the public with data about the situation of the Cayman Islands in four areas – one, economic; two, demographic; three social, and four, environmental.”
Attendees at the launch heard how the NSCC will be comprised of a mix of voluntary public and private sector agencies who together will comprise a system which is intended to “serve the Government and the public with data that are compliant to fundamental principles of statistics” and that, “will lead to the socio-economic development of all residents.” Zingpan said that, “Key users of statistics in the private and public sectors may also be invited, such as business associations and schools.” She said that the ESO hoped “the NSCC will be embraced by all data-producing agencies.”
Providing historical context for the launch, Acting Financial Secretary, Sonia McLaughlin, explained how the NSCC fulfils recommendations made following a ‘statistical assessment mission’ conducted by the Caribbean Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC) in 2005. She said that the mission found that there are “no means of setting priorities in the statistics area,” and therefore recommended the creation of a ‘national statistical coordinating committee’ to advise the chief statistician on “planning and prioritisation in the statistical programme” as well as advising the government on “needed resources to initiate statistical programs, setting the stage for budgetary approval.”
Addressing the question of why only now the government is responding to recommendations from an assessment mission made 8 years ago, McLaughlin said, “The ESO had to put its own house “in order” first before it can have the credibility to coordinate with other departments and ministries in developing the national statistical system.” She explained that a number of reforms at the ESO have been carried out in the interim as a result of the CARTAC findings, although “much remains to be done.”
McLaughlin said that the success of NSCC “will not rest on ESO alone.” She called upon attendees at the event to “think of official statistics beyond the ESO to include all departments and other public sector authorities who will volunteer as part of the NSCC.” She also said she hoped that the NSCC would succeed in its endeavours, “preferably without additional budget from the CIG.”
In her keynote address, premier, Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, spoke about the importance of shifting from ‘silo thinking’ to ‘system thinking’ in government. She said, “Government structures are often associated with the so-called "silo effect,” explaining that this “refers to a palpable lack of the spirit of building each other for the common good.” She added, “This phenomenon has many symptoms, foremost of which is the lack of communication and understanding of a common vision and shared goals and objectives.”
O’Connor-Connolly said that she thought that the NSCC was “a good model of system-wide thinking”. She continued, “It is high time to have a NSCC in the Cayman Islands Government.” Citing anofficial handbook, she said, “A national statistical system is the “ensemble of statistical organizations and units within a country that jointly collect, process and disseminate official statistics on behalf of national government.”
Talking about its intended benefits, the premier called on all government agencies to join the NSCC. “I note that membership is voluntary, dependent on the willingness of the agencies and subject to their primary mandates. Your membership and active participation will be your great contribution to the cause of reducing the ill effects of silo thinking in government in general and to statistical development in particular,” she said.
The speeches delivered at the event by the premier, ESO Director and the acting financial secretary are attached.
Environmental concerns running high
(CNS): Concerns are running high about Cayman’s environment and its lack of protection according to a survey recently conducted by the National Trust among its membership. Of the 155 respondents surveyed in March, 99% said they felt it is important to preserve the history and environment of the Cayman Islands, while only a meager 3% of respondents said they felt that Cayman’s environment is adequately protected by current legislation. 97% of respondents said they believe the Cayman Islands needs more legislation to protect its environment, and 86% said they believe the Cayman Islands needs a law to protect places of historic importance.
“This survey confirms a substantial level of concern about the state of environmental and historic protection here in the Cayman Islands,” said National Trust Executive Director, Christina McTaggart.
McTaggart noted that 88% of respondents stated it was “very important” that the next Government enacts legislation protecting the history and environment of the Cayman Islands, and a further 11% felt that it was “important”.
“We believe this information sends a clear message to the next Government that our citizens are concerned about the loss of our natural and built heritage, and we hope it will be the catalyst to ensure the creation of good conservation policy, and legislation beyond what already exists in the Animals Law,” said McTaggart.
She continued, “As the only non-governmental, not for profit organization charged with conserving our history and environment, The National Trust’s work is vital to ensuring the protection of significant historic and environmental sites on all three islands. In fact, the Cayman Islands is only able to meet its obligations related to a number of international treaties thanks to the work of the National Trust. However, our efforts can only extend as far as we are able to raise the funds to purchase and subsequently protect these sites.”
She also added, “We have been urging our lawmakers to release funds to the Trust from the Environmental Protection Fund, which was set up in the 1990s specifically to help protect Cayman’s environment. We hope the next government will take heed. Those funds would go a long way toward supporting our efforts to establish a system of protected areas that will ensure the long-term survival of Cayman’s unique plants, animals and habitats, some of which are not found anywhere else on earth.”
Swimming association gets free ECG testing
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Health Services Authority (HSA) donated free ECG testing to swimmers who competed in the CARIFTA (Caribbean Free Trade Association) Swim Championships held in Kingston, Jamaica at the end of March. These tests are used to screen for underlying cardiac problems in athletes, part of a medical screening procedure required for all CARIFTA team members in which each individual’s physical and physiological state is assessed prior to the competition. Peter MacKay, President of the Cayman Islands Amateur Swimming Association (CIASA) said that Cayman made great strides at this year’s CARIFTA Swim Championships.
“CIASA saw 18 of our members participate in this year’s CARIFTA Swim Championships and they enjoyed stellar success, with Cayman winning a total of 14 medals, including three gold, to finish 10th overall in this year’s CARIFTA championships,” he confirmed.
MacKay explained the importance of strict health checks for participants before the CARIFTA Swim Championships, saying, “The CIASA has a requirement to maintain records with regards to medications its athletes have taken, including those for allergies, so that the team managers and coaches have the full medical picture with regard to each participant. This is particularly crucial because strict anti-doping procedures must be adopted for swimmers over the age of 14 years.”
Lizzette Yearwood, Chief Executive Officer at the HSA said, “The Health Services Authority was very happy to support our swimmers by donating part of this compulsory medical screening test free of charge.” Ms. Yearwood said that this year three swimmers had already been screened as part of the Cardiac Risk Assessment Programme recently initiated by the Cayman Islands Government.
The ECG screenings were performed by Dr Nigel Boothe and Dr Sook Yin. Dr Boothe is a physician for Accident & Emergency at the HSA and is the father of two CARIFTA swimmers.
Peter MacKay said that as the sport of swimming develops in the Cayman Islands, CIASA continues to look for ways to ensure the physical and physiological well being of the Islands’ athletes as well as are use the information obtained from the medical screenings to enhance performance. “A donation such as the one our swimmers received from the HSA will help us greatly in our mission and for that reason we are extremely grateful to the Authority,” MacKay said.
Cops investigate early morning stabbing on Brac
(CNS): Police are currently investigating an incident on Cayman Brac in which a 28-year-old man was rushed to hospital Saturday morning after being stabbed. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has confirmed that officers received a report around 20 April that a man with stab wounds was in the Dantzler Crescent Road area but there are no details on where, when or how the victim received the wounds. Police and ambulance attended the scene and the victim was taken to Faith Hospital with what is believed to be non-life threatening injuries, a police spokesperson said. The victim remained in hospital Saturday. Police said no arrests have been made as the enquiry continues.