Archive for September, 2013
Complaint made to cops over NB fund recipient
(CNS): The RCIPS has confirmed that it received a complaint from the Ministry of Education earlier this month regarding the misuse of money allocated by the controversial Nation Building Fund to an individual for training courses. Although the police said an investigation was now underway and it would be “inappropriate for the RCIPS to identify the individual”, CNS can confirm that it is local activist Sandra Catron. On hearing that she was the subject of yet another police probe, Catron said she was extremely surprised to find herself at the heart of another ill-founded enquiry, especially when the money for the courses remains outstanding. She added that this latest investigation was harassment and she was considering her own legal action.
Ironically, Catron said that several of the students who applied for nation building grants in order to take paralegal courses with Micro Matrix, Catron’s training firm, are still waiting for the cash to cover the cost of their studies.
"For the better half of a year now I have been chasing the Cayman Islands Government for final payment of these funds,” Catron told CNS. “None of the emails have been responded to since April 2013, and when they did respond they asked for information that had already been provided. The initial payment was done in installments because the government complained of their financial situation. However, chasing them for payment has proven to be difficult and we could not extend that arrangement to a second group of individuals.”
Catron explained that a partial payment was made for that group but she continues to wait on the remainder. “We have numerous emails to demonstrate our efforts to resolve this with three different offices of the premier,” she said, pointing to a chain of emails shown to CNS to the various government officials.
“If the CIG is interested in resolving this matter, they simply have to pay for the services to be rendered in full,” she said, adding that she hoped that those in charge of the NBF would now support the public-private partnership, which was meant to benefit Caymanians and had demonstrated that it had done so by the testimonials sent by students to the ministry.
Catron took aim at the police, however, pointing out that once again the RCIPS had found time to indulge in an investigation that centred around private contractual matters.
“At the end of the day, it’s no coincidence that the RCIPS continues to find time to launch their personal vendettas against me, often going as far as involving themselves in matters that the courts eventually deemed as civil,” Catron said, as she pointed to the cases she won over the alleged theft of a dog and arguments between herself and her landlord.
“I’ve had numerous professional development contracts over the years from both government and private sector and have never experienced anything like this before,” she said after hearing that she was the subject of yet another odd investigation.
Catron is currently defending herself in a criminal case against her in connection with alleged harassment on an ICT network. However, in a recent judicial review the warrant used to search Catron’s office, home, computer and car and to seize personal possessions was thrown out after she successfully challenged its legality.
Although Catron has completed a law degree and the professional practice certificate, she has not been able to secure articles and so, as yet, she has not qualified as an attorney. However, her ongoing successful battles with the local authorities, in what can only be described as bizarre cases, continue to give her plenty of hands-on practice.
Recently, the police also began an investigation into a Facebook page with which Catron is directly associated, although it is now hosted in the US, which is naming convicted local sex offenders.
As Catron continues to find herself the centre of controversy, the Nation Building Fund, which was created by former premier McKeeva Bush, also continues to attract controversy. The new education minister said recently that the ministry staff discovered many irregularities with the scholarships awarded under it when they were taken over by the education department and the regular scholarship council.
The money given to churches caused even more controversy earlier this year when several gave back grants and even led to bust-ups among the recipients at the Wesleyan Holiness Church in West Bay, when the congregation differed over how the money had been used.
Local fighter tipped to make it big
(CNS): One young local boxer could be looking at a career in the sport after his great performance at the weekend battling it out against a more experienced opponent from Cuba, when the Cayman Islands Boxing Association hosted the Dalmain Ebanks Champions Invitational boxing extravaganza at Pedro St James on Saturday. The final bout of the evening involved Cayman’s young star Tafari Ebanks against Norlan Yera Diaz, a world champion boxer. Ebanks demonstrated real courage and skill, received cuts and bruises in the process, but fought to the end and beat his more experienced opponent on a points decision, catching the eye of Cuba’s boxing coach.
Professor Jesus Dominguez, who is also here to review the Cayman Islands Boxing programme, is a Cuban boxing legend, a famed boxing technical instructor and chief adviser to AIBA. He said that he had been watching Ebanks for some time.
“At the rate that that young man is improving, he will be one of the greatest Olympic Champions the world will ever see,” he declared after the bout Saturday night.
Professor Dominguez is also in Cayman to provide an audit of CIBA’s training programme and assist in its development towards the next Olympic Games. The next competition for the Cayman national team will be the World Championships hosted by AIBA in October in Kazakhstan. The Cuban team has also stayed to take part in the training with the local team until they depart on Thursday.
Coming from a country known for their boxing prowess, the visitors helped to put on a great boxing event at the weekend, which began with two bouts from the Extended After School boxing programme.
12-year-olds Finn Millward and Callum Smith demonstrated the skills and determination that they have learned through participating in the programme, with Millward getting the better of Smith after two rounds.
Then Bruce Lee Coulson fought Shawn Rankine, both from Cayman, with Coulson winning on points. The third bout involved two Cuban heavyweights, Emmanuel Reyes Platt and national champion Frank Sanchez. Reyes started faster, but Sanchez paced himself better to win on points.
Light-welterweight, Cuba’s multi-medaled Luis Oliva Gener showed why he is one of the world’s best in his division with a points victory over Cayman’s Kendall Ebanks, who pressed throughout the bout but just lacked that little extra to beat a more experienced opponent.
Cuban boxing has a long and rich history and is globally renowned for the quality of their amateur boxing programme. Organizers said it was an honor for four of their top fighters to display their skills here but they were equally pleased with the performance of the local young fighters.
“We are so proud of the event and how far our fighters have come,” said a spokesperson for the CIBA. ”To be able to hold their own against world-class Olympic boxers really demonstrates just how much progress they have made in the last eighteen months. We are also honoured to host the Cuban boxing delegation, who are very excited to be on island and have demonstrated great enthusiasm for the beauty of Cayman.”
Members of the Boxing Association took the Cubans to Cayman Cabana after the bout for a taste of Cayman-style dinner and dancing, as well as a trip to Stingray City on Sunday, which Frank Sanchez said was the best time he ever had in his life.
The Cayman Islands Boxing Association thanked everyone who came out to watch the event and everyone who assisted with the eventand our sponsors, who made the event possible. Long-term sponsors are the Ministry of Sports, Dart Foundation, Cayman Airways and Paramount Media. Event sponsors were Elite Marble and Granite, Scott Security, Cayman Cabana and One Tree Four Five.
TCI corruption case drags on into 2014
(CNS): Officials from the governor’s office in the Turks and Caicos Islands have revealed that the corruption case headed by the special prosecutor Helen Garlick (left) will be dragging well into next year after a trial date for the case against McAllister Hanchell, Lilian Boyce, Floyd Hall, Jeffrey Hall and others was set for July 2014. While officials said the delays were on the part of the defence, recent media reports have pointed to some difficulties for the prosecutors as well after money laundering charges were dropped against lawyer Norman Saunders Jnr as a result of a major legal stumbling block in the 2012 constitution which implies the Special Prosecutor doesn’t have the authority to prosecute anyone.
On 6 September, Chief Justice Edwin Goldsbrough ordered that the charges against Saunders be "vacated" after Garlick and the prosecuting team’s top lawyer Queen's Counsel Andrew Mitchell admitted that under the present 2012 Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution, the Special Prosecutor did not have the legal power or authority to prosecute anyone.
Saunders' lawyers, submitted to the court that under the new law, the authority to prosecute and charge persons is vested in the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) who would have had to delegate those powers to Garlick in order for the charges to be valid. They argued that Garlick is nothing more than a contracted legal worker with no Constitutional powers though the DPP is understood to have delegated powers to Garlick.
Garlick was accused of being on a “witch hunt” and had been quick to rush to judgment and press charges for the wrong reasons.
However, it appears that most of the others in the case were arraigned under the old constitution which means the prosecutions will go ahead with a firm date for the trial to start. The first charges in this case were brought in November 2011 as a result of an investigation following concerns of systemic corruption revealed by a commission of enquiry headed by Sir Robin Auld.
The prosecution claims it has been ready since July 2012 to begin the trial but the delay has reportedly been caused by issues relating to legal aid for some of those charged.
The TCI governor’s office also noted this week that Michael Misick remains in custody in Brazil awaiting extradition which the former TCI premier is contesting.
Cruisers kick off the new sailing season
(CISC): As always, September heralds the beginning of the new sailing season after the long summer break and it was the Cruisers who went out on North Sound to do battle in Race 6 of the Harbour House Marina Cruiser series. Sunday September 7th saw seven boats with full crew jostling for position on a spinnaker start. Light inconsistent winds getting increasingly lighter brought the sensible decision of race committee to shorten the course for the first time this season, allowing all to enjoy a wonderful BBQ and America's cup live action at the club afterwards.
Tactics on the upwind leg determined finishing places with the youth team crew and head coach Raph on board “Shanti” rounding the 1st mark in 5th position staying the furthest south and taking advantage of the shifts to almost catch the eventual winner “Blue Runner”. “Cheers” powered her way into third place from its Cuba bound course to make a clean podium sweep for the three J boats. Mark Lewis paraded his new 44 foot Jeanneau for the first time and left the fleet wondering how she will perform in stronger winds.
Race Officer, Peta Adams, summed up the racing.
“The conditions were not those favoured by most cruisers but it meant strategy was the key. Picking the best course to sail, looking for the slight advantage in wind shifts makes all the difference. The start of the race was the most keenly contested we have seen in the series so far," he said.
The next cruiser race is scheduled for October 13th.
US health expert returns to Cayman for conference
(CNS): Dr James Merlino, Chief Experience Officer and Associate Chief of Staff of the Cleveland Clinic Health System will be delivering the opening speech at the fourth annual Cayman Islands Healthcare Conference, organisers said following his great reception at last year’s event. Themed ‘Taking Care of Business: A Shared Approach to Workplace Wellness’ the conference will take place from 17 to 19 October at The Ritz-Carlton, Speaking on the topic ‘Sickness to Wellness: How we must redefine our approach to Patient Care’ Dr Merlino is a practicing staff colorectal surgeon in the Digestive Disease Institute and is also the founderand current president of the Association for Patient Experience.
As a member of the Clinic’s executive team, he leads initiatives to improve the patient experience across the Cleveland Clinic Health System.
Giving some background to his topic this year, Dr Merlino said that transforming society’s approach to the care of its citizens requires “a shift from sick care to well care”. “Well care is the promotion of wellness,” he explains, “and, within our collective healthcare delivery ecosystem, the approach must include a paradigm shift focused on developing several key themes.”
These themes include the need to develop a sustainable system to reign in healthcare costs, a redefinition of focus where healthy habits, personal responsibility and prevention drive the care continuum and put patients first. Dr Merlino will talk about the need for being holistic in the approach to care and the need to partner to align the ecosystem of care.
In addition, he will discuss the challenges of moving to a culture of wellness focussing on national and international trends in healthcare and highlighting innovations that Cleveland Clinic has developed and implemented to help facilitate this paradigm shift.
Osbourne Bodden, the Cayman Islands Government’s Minister of Health, said he was grateful to Dr Merlino for agreeing to participate in our national Healthcare Conference once again. He is a recognised world leader in the emerging field of patient experience and we anticipate that delegates will learn a great deal from his presentation this year,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dr Ebi Awosika, President of Pinnacle Occupational Health Consulting and Subject Matter Expert, Employee Health Promotion Disease Prevention, is another expert in her field who will be presenting at the Healthcare Conference. Dr Awosika directs Employee Health Promotion Disease and Impairment Prevention in the Veterans Health Administration, a large healthcare system with 270,000 employees and she also serves as an Occupational Health and Wellness consultant to companies in the United States and Canada.
Dr Awosika completed her residency in internal medicine at the Harlem hospital, New York and her Occupational Medicine residency at Emory University, Atlanta. She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota.
Her conference presentation is entitled ‘Achieving Comprehensive Worker Health: A springboard for enhanced National Health’ and she will be providing ways of promoting health, safety and productivity and preventing disease in the workforce.
“It will energise your readiness to take action,” she said. “The time to act is now. Your nations’ health depends on it.”
Bodden added that this year focuses on improving health and wellness in the workplace and Dr Awosika’s presentation speaks to the very heart of what we are attempting to achieve. “We …urge everyone to attend and enjoy what is set to be another first class Healthcare Conference,” the minister said.
The conference is free for delegates to attend and open to the public. Registration is now open online www.healthcareconference.ky
Family resource centre encourages peace making
(CNS): With the approach of the 32nd anniversary of the International Day of Peace at the weekend, the local family resource centre is making plans to promote peace making under the annual celebration theme for this year of Who will you make peace with? For the second year, the Cayman Islands will join millions of people across the world to observe a day during which people put their differences aside to promote peace and abstain from any form of violence on Saturday. As part of the day-long celebration, the Family Resource Centre (FRC) has two major events lined up.
From 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday at an event titled Cultivate Peace, persons will build a Peace Garden at Airport Park. Voluntary service clubs such as Rotary Sunrise, Rotary Club of Grand Cayman, Rotary Central and Rotaract Blue have all agreed to unite for peace and help with funds, volunteers and dancers.
Inmates from HMP Northward are working to create six park benches that will help create a nice area for parents to sit while their kids play. Department of Agriculture will be donating the plants and trees.
On the day, children are also welcome to attend and paint rocks that will make up the perimeter around the park. The event will also feature live musical performances by One World Entertainment. Families, individuals and other organisations are encouraged to take part.
The United Nations has called for One Day. One Dance and challenged countries around the world to take part. Since dance has been identified as a powerful vehicle for peace, in the midst of all the celebration at Airport Park at 12:00 p.m, participants will gather for a flash mob dance choreographed by Mariela Alvarado from Life Extension. From this, a video will be created by Ben Hudson. A preview of the dance can be found on Youtube.
Encouraging public participation, FRC Programme Coordinator Miriam Foster said, “Music and dancing are fun ways to bring people together. So as we work to beautify the park, we will also be able to enjoy added entertainment.”
To encourage student participation, each school has been given a piece of a large puzzle in the shape of the Cayman Islands designed by Randy Chollette and Luelan Bodden. During the event, one student from each school will join the puzzle pieces together. The final look of the puzzle will be on display permanently at Airport Park – to show that every school is a representation for peace. A mosaic section will also allow art lovers to develop a unique visual representation of peace.
Commenting on the inspiration behind Cultivate Peace, Foster said: “Education about non-violence should start at home. But it is every single community member’s responsibility to model how we treat each other with tolerance and respect and work toward peace. It has been amazing to see so many people and organisations come together to work for peace and we hope the public will take part.”
For more information on Peace Day, contact the Family Resource Centre at 949-0006 or visit www.facebook.com/familyresourcecentre.
Literacy event raises $1000 for reading initiative
(CNS): A special sale of second hand books as well as locally-produced art and jewellery raised over CI$ 1000 on International Literacy Day at the Public Library on Saturday, 7 September for a local literacy organization. LIFE offers a number of reading programmes for students and adults to emphasise the importance of reading. Visitors to the library were also able to take part in book readings and view a live thatch braiding demonstration. Budding authors even had an opportunity to express an interest in creative writing programmes. In keeping with the emphasis on literacy, families with young children received reading fun packs that included library membership forms as they entered the new library building.
Other organisations in attendance at the fair included: the Cayman Islands Humane Society, Pennies for Polio, the Red Cross, Cayman Islands Information Professionals (CIIP), the Chess Club, and Baraud Recruitment in addition to Sunrise and Central Rotary Clubs.
Webb continues fight against racism in football
(CNS): The FIFA Task Force Against Racism and Discrimination, chaired by FIFA Vice-President and CONCACAF President, Cayman's own Jeffrey Webb held another meeting at the home of FIFA in Zurich last week to discuss its education platform and measures. During the session deliberations focused on actions to be implemented following the landmark Resolution on the fight against racism and discrimination approved on 31 May at the 63rd FIFA Congress following an address from Webb. “This is not a battle of football but of human kind,” said Webb during his opening remarks. “We are grateful to have the support of all these experts who have joined the task force.”
He said, “It’s not s not only up to FIFA to implement the key decisions adopted by the Congress with regard to the fight against discrimination and racism. The implementation process needs to be fully supported by all member associations and society as a whole.” The Task Force analyzed prevention and education measures to further enhance the fight against discrimination, as well as the enforcement of sanctions to punish offences.
Headed by Webb, the group identified a number of key priorities such as the allocation of specific resources for the fight against racism and discrimination as well as the development of an anti-discrimination handbook to be provided to all Member Associations for best practice and training.
In addition the identification, recruitment and training of anti-discrimination officers, high-risk games and the engagement of anti-discrimination ambassadors has also been proposed along with a special award for achievements in the area of anti-discrimination.
The creation of the Task Force was announced by FIFA President Joseph Blatter in early March 2013, following a meeting of the FIFA Strategic Committee, as part of a series of measures to tackle the pressing issue of racism and discrimination in football.
Dart and CIG still talking
(CNS): The new government remains locked in talks with the islands’ biggest developer several weeks after Planning Minister Kurt Tibbetts said he hoped to be able to release information to the public about the state of the controversial negotiations. In a short response to CNS questions about the state of the talks with the Dart Group, Cayman officials indicated Monday that until there was some agreement between the two parties, there was little that the administration was able to say. The PPM government has made it clear it has concerns about the lack of a through route now that a section of the West Bay Road has been closed, and that it could not accept the 50% tax gift contained in the agreement signed in December 2011.
Tibbetts told the party’s national council in early August that he would have news shortly about the talks. He also said that the part of the agreement which gives Dart a rebate on all accommodation taxes for ten years on properties it already owns, acquires or renovates for the next three decades was unacceptable. But more than a month later there is still no indication of where the talks are following the break-down just ahead of the elections in May.
“Discussions between government and Dart are ongoing and there is an understanding that until discussions are at a mutually satisfactory point, there is little more that can be said publicly at this juncture,” the premier’s press secretary stated on Monday. “Government and Dart want the best outcome for the people of the Cayman Islands and are working toward that end,” the official added.
While the second phase of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway officially opened on Monday and work continues on the proposed new resort on the site of the former Courtyard Marriott, the details of the ongoing negotiations and whether or not the government will be able to re-balance the deal with better value for the public purse remains unclear.
The PPM government has made it a campaign promise to revisit the deal and that it would not agree to the relocation of the landfill, which was the second part of the overall proposed investment plan known as the ForCayman Investment Alliance. While, Osbourne Bodden, the minister with responsibility for the landfill, has made it clear the dump must be addressed on site, in its recent report on its first 99 days in office the PPM administration said it had entered into discussions with Dart about Grand Cayman’s ever growing dump and the best solutions for waste management at the existing site.
McLaughlin compares notes with Jersey counterparts
(CNS): The new premier and leader of the PPM, Alden McLaughlin, said his trip to Jersey to compare notes on how that crown dependency has remained debt free was very worthwhile. With travel by leaders a touchy subject with the electorate at present, McLaughlin, accompanied by Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton and backbencher Roy McTaggart, had added the Jersey visit on to his trip to Gibraltar and London for Joint Ministerial Council meetings with other overseas territories ahead of the main meeting in London in November. “Cayman, like Jersey, is a top-tier Financial Services Centre and we face common challenges and threats," the premier said on his return.
“We are looking at ways to work more closely together to deal with the issues of navigating the difficult waters of being international Financial Centres,” he added.
McLaughlin is not the first premier to visit the island; McKeeva Bush, as premier at the time, also went on a fact finding mission to the island in 2011 to discuss their public management and finance law and accounting procedures.
While in Jersey, thelatest Cayman delegation also reviewed that government’s procurement process, as the localgovernment is still in the process of implementing new procurement legislation. The politicians also discussed the topical issue of immigration.
“Immigration, for them, as for Cayman, is a key issue and concern,” McLaughlin added.
High on the list of items to discuss was budgeting. Jersey’s government sits for three-year terms and recently introduced the concept of a budget that covers the full three years.
“We looked at how that benefits planning and reduces time and energy instead of every year having to go through the full budgeting process,” he said. “It is something to consider.”
The idea for the meeting came in June when the premier met with Jersey Chief Minister Ian Gorst and Minister for Treasury and Resources Sen. Philip Ozouf. Prior to that, Minister Ozouf had been in the Cayman Islands in May as part of the UN Elections Observers Mission.
“He had a chance to see what Cayman did and he was hugely impressed by the state of Cayman’s financial industry,” said McLaughlin. “We share the vision with Jersey being recognised internationally as a high quality, properly regulated jurisdiction that we are. The trip was a very useful exercise and I look forward to hosting Jersey for a reciprocal visit next year,” he added.
Jersey’s parliament is the States of Jersey, which consists of 51 elected members, far more than the 18 that comprise Cayman’s Legislative Assembly. The island is home to almost 100,000 people on a land mass of 45 square miles and is a leading offshore centre and one of the UK’s crown dependencies.