Archive for September, 2013
Premier taking Gibraltar trip
(CNS): Officials revealed this morning that the premier will be leaving the islands on another government overseas trip, this time to Europe. Alden McLaughlin will head to Gibraltar at the weekend for a pre-meeting of the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council (JMC), which coincides with that contested territory’s National Day, and then on to Jersey for a meeting in relationto the G8. Accompanying the premier to Gibralta will be the chief officer from the health ministry, Jennifer Ahearn, in the role of ‘Sherpa’ – or emissary – for Cayman, to work with others from the Overseas Territories and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to develop the agenda for the JMC meeting in London in November.
The news comes following the revelations on CNS yesterday that Speaker of the House Juliana O’Connor Connolly, the leader of the opposition and the education minister were all in South Africa for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association while the Legislative Assembly was in session here.
The premier's week long trip is reported to be laying the groundwork for the main JMC meeting in London later this year.
“The pre-meeting will be held from 8-11 September and is an opportunity for all Overseas Territory heads of government to exchange views on political and constitutional issues, especially as they relate to the United Kingdom and its relationship with the OTs,” officials from the premier’s office said.
JMC members last met in London in December. Since then the Council has identified issues to be worked on, which include economic growth and jobs; protecting the environment; harnessing international support; and delivering better government, better education and stronger, healthier and safer communities.
After that, McLaughlin is travelling to Jersey at the official invitation of the Jersey government, to meet with the country’s chief minister, Ian Gorst, as a follow-up to discussions relating to the pre-G8 meeting in London in June of this year and the action plans that were published by Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies.
The premier will be joined in Jersey by Financial Services, Commerce and Environment Minister Wayne Panton and his councillor, Roy McTaggart, while Ahearn will head to London for a Sherpa meeting. They will all return to the Cayman Islands on Saturday, 14 September.
According to details from the Gibraltar press, the Cayman Islands premier will be one of 8 OT leaders going to the island for the meeting; the others are from Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos and Pictairn.
“A full programme of activities and events has been prepared for them. This will include working meetings in advance of the Joint Ministerial Council between the Overseas Territories Governments and the United Kingdom Government which will take place at the end of the year,” an release from Gibraltan officials said.
UK parliamentary porn hits laid bare
(BBC): More than 300,000 attempts were made to access pornographic websites at the Houses of Parliament in the past year, official records suggest. It is unclear whether MPs, peers or other staff are responsible, House of Commons officials said. The figures were not all "purposeful requests" and may have been exaggerated by third-party software and websitesthat reload themselves, they added. About 5,000 people work on the parliamentary estate. The data was released following a Freedom of Information request by Huffington Post UK, which published the story with the headline Oh Yes, Minister!
However, the figures vary wildly: in November, there were 114,844 attempts to access websites classed as pornographic, but just 15 in February.
A Commons spokeswoman said: "We do not consider the data to provide an accurate representation of the number of purposeful requests made by network users."
This was because there was a "variety of ways in which websites can be designed to act, react and interact and due to the potential operation of third party software," she said.
Go to article
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23954447
Judge lenient on troubled teen mugger
(CNS): A seventeen-year-old boy who was arrested and charged for four different crimes in the space of four months but admitted them all immediately on arrest was given a total of 14 months behind bars by a Grand Court judge Tuesday. Although the teen had committed a robbery, attempted a street mugging, stolen a bicycle and handled stolen goods in the separate incidents, all of which were just months apart, Justice Charles Quin went easy on the young offender because he had cooperated fully with police when arrested, admitted his criminality and because it was clear the teen had been completely neglected by his parents, one of whom isalready a serving prisoner at HMP Northward.
Justice Quin gave the young man four different sentences, and while he ordered the two longer ones to run consecutively, he ran the two shorter sentences concurrently, as he said he had given consideration to the totality of time the teenage offender should spend behind bars.
Although the boy had committed a catalogue of offences in a short period prior to his first offence in January, the young man had no criminal record. It is not clear what started the period of offending but at the beginning of this year he was arrested when police found him in possession of a stolen Blackberry. The teenager confessed immediately to buying it from someone even though he knew it was stolen and cooperated with the police in their investigation into the original robbery on Sheddon Road in George Town.
After his arrest and charge, the teenager was bailed but then committed a much more serious crime. On the 23 March the young offender stole a woman’s handbag in what was a violent and frightening crime. The victim was sitting in her Jeep Wrangler, which has open sides, and was beginning to drive out of a car park off Dr Roy’s Drive in George Town when the teen grabbed her bag with such force he pulled her out of the moving car, which crashed into a wall as she threw the bag at mugger. His sunglasses were left at the scene, and although he ran away, he was soon arrested as he was wearing an electronic tag.
This was an unprovoked attack which also turned into a crash, and although the complainant was not injured, that was only by good fortune, but her car was damaged.
Having been released on bail again, the defendant then stole a bicycle that had been left unattended and unlocked outside the Brasserie Restaurant off Elgin Avenue. The judge described it as an opportunistic offence in broad daylight, but when the boy was later arrested he admitted to it. The bike was also recovered as the young offender left it at the scene of his final crime hours later and before he was taken back into custody.
This time the 17-year-old was charged with attempted theft after he tried to mug another woman as she headed to work at the Chrissie Tomlinson Hospital. Riding the bike he had just stolen in Caycourts, the teenager attempted to steal her handbag but the women held on to her bag and in the struggle both she and the defendant fell to the ground. Fortunately, a man driving by saw what was happening and he stopped and apprehended the defendant. The court commended the passer-by for his alertness and courage, and as a result of his intervention the teen was apprehended for the crime, when he once again gave a full confession.
The judge handed the young man a three month sentence for the charge of handling stolen goods and another one for the theft of the bicycle. However, he handed down eight months for the robbery and another six months for the attempted theft and ordered that both those sentences should run consecutively while the three month sentences could be served concurrently, with time served since April taken into account.
As he delivered his judgment, Justice Quin revealed some serious challenges faced by the young man, including the “complete absence of parental involvement in his upbringing”, which had a direct detrimental impact on the teen. He had been “tossed around from institution to institution" and had no love from either of his parents. His father is already serving a long sentence following a cocaine conviction, which had also deeply disturbed the young offender, and the judge urged the teenager not to follow his example. His mother was said to have played no part in his upbringing.
However, a social enquiry report described the young man as intelligent and very good at auto-mechanics and auto-body repairs, a skill the judge said was highly sought after and could take him away from a life of crime. “The lack of community resources and the blatant neglect by his parents have robbed the defendant of the necessary guidance and encouragement for him to succeed,” the judge observed.
Clearly needing help and with no love or support from his parents, Justice Quin said it was a very sad case. However, he pointed to the aggravating circumstances of some of his crimes
“I hope that whilst this young defendant is in custody he will think of the fear he caused and the physical and emotional harm endured by those he attacked,” Justice Quin stated, adding that the court recognized that things had not been easy for him.
However, as he was still young and “had the good sense to admit the offences”, he could bring the criminal activity to an end and change the course of his life by focusing on his skills.
“At the end of your period of incarceration you must put your skills to use and concentrate on obtaining a job … and never resort to criminal activity again,” the judge said. “You are the only one who can ensure that you lead a crime free and productive life and have the necessary ability and skills to do so,” Quin said, as he urged the teenager to be the best he could be and turn his life around.
Tropical storm disorganised, heads to Puerto Rico
(CNS): Tropical Storm Gabrielle, which formed South of Puerto Rico late last night, poses no threat to the Cayman Islands, weather officials have said, but the storm and other weather systems are being closely monitored. At 8am Thursday morning the centre of the storm was about 65 miles WSW of Ponce, Puerto Rico, moving northwest at near 8mph. Forecasters said a turn toward the north-northwest is expected on Friday, with a slight decrease in forward speed. On the forecast track the centre should pass near or over the southwestern portion of Puerto Rico this morning and across the Mona Passage later today. Gabrielle should then move east of the Turks And Caicos Islands on Friday.
With maximum sustained winds near 40 mph and higher gusts, weather experts described squalls to the northeast of the centre, in what they said was a poorly organized storm with little change in strength expected today, though some slight strengthening is possible tonight and Friday. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the centre.
Meanwhile, Cayman was expecting another showery day in association with the interaction between a slow moving tropical wave and a upper level low over our area. Radar images show widely scattered showers, mainly east of Cayman Brac and southeast of Grand Cayman moving west to northwest.
MLAs refuse PAC roles
(CNS): Captain Eugene Ebanks, the fourth elected member for West Bay and member of the United Democratic Party, was the last man standing on the opposition benches Wednesday when he was nominated by the premier and accepted a seat on the Public Accounts Committee. Premier Alden McLaughlin had attempted to nominate both independent members Arden McLean and Ezzard Miller but they refused. They said they had already been rejected when the LA was sworn in because government wanted to put the opposition leader on PAC instead, creating what they said was a dysfunctional committee because of his previous role as finance minister. Following their refusal, McLaughlin nominated Bernie Bush, who also declined, saying he did not yet have the necessary experience.
As a result, the only non-government member left in the House was Ebanks, who accepted the role after both McLean and Miller had taken aim at the new premier about his insistence that the opposition leader had a seat on PAC.
McLaughlin had said the committee would need to be re-balanced after Roy McTaggart, the PAC chair, crossed the floor from the opposition benches and joined government. During the opening of the new parliament the committee was appointed with two PPM backbench members, the two George Town C4C members and the opposition leader. Although McTaggart and Winston Connolly are Coalition for Cayman MLAs, their role in government weighted the committee in that direction. But strangely, it was Al Suckoo, a full PPM member, and not Connolly, who was the last man nominated on Swearing in Day, that resigned.
When the House met Wednesday morning, McLaughlin nominated East End member Arden Mclean, his former party colleague and now independent MLA, but he declined. Notonly was it too late, he said, but he had had no discussions with the premier since the government had refused his own offer during the earlier LA meeting in May.
“I accepted the nomination during the swearing in ceremony to assist government and avoid having the leader of the opposition, who is the former minister of finance,being on it," McLean explained. "I asked for this to avoid this quandary that we find ourselves in.” However, he said, “I was resoundingly rejected.”
McLean said it would have been common courtesy for the premier to ask him again if he wanted to serve before nominating him, but he had received no call or written request that he take the post from McLaughlin. He said the chair had called asking if he was mindful to do so but he had told him no.
“I put country before me, and the government of the day decided they didn’t want me on PAC and preferred leader of the opposition,” he said. McLean said he had to defend his position as the premier was trying to put him “on the spot”, but the very least he could have done is pick up phone. “It is wrong, unfair and disrespectful to not discuss this with me first and I decline the nomination,” he said
Miller, the member for North Side, said that he too had been nominated earlier but he did not wish to serve on a committee "that defies all parliamentary conventions”, as he pointed to the premier’s nomination of the former minister of finance to it. He said it was “going to be a dysfunctional committee”, as he suggested that the former premier would have considerable influence.
“We all know the capabilities and experience of the opposition leader in parliament as well as his tenacity," he said, and told the government it should not start its four years in office playing games, before he also declined the nomination.
As the proceedings continued, the back and forth between the government and opposition benches continued to be prickly, escalating after the premier urged Miller and McLean to put aside the bickering and work with government when they began debating the supplementary appropriations bill, described by Finance Minister Marco Archer as a “fiscal tidy up”.
The sitting of the parliament resumes tomorrow morning at 10am.
Check back to CNS in the morning for more from Wednesday's LA proceedings.
Civil servants reshuffled and promoted
(CNS): A number of public sector workers have been moved around and promoted as the newly formed ministries in this administration begin to take shape. Although government is trying to reduce headcount, at least one new civil servant has been taken on. In the new financial services environment and commerce ministry, Tamara Ebanks has been appointed deputy chief officer; Wendy Manzanares is the new chief financial officer, Troy Jacobs the senior policy adviser; and Carla Martin is now human resources assistant. Nancy Barnard has been appointed as deputy chief officer for the health ministry, while Dr Tasha Ebanks Garcia, formerly with ICCI, has joined the education and employment ministry as the new deputy chief officer there.
See government releases below for full details of the changes, promotions and appointments.
West Bay suspect gunman released by police
(CNS): The police have released the 23-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with shooting in the district of West Bay on Saturday 24 August. A police spokesperson also confirmed that the attempted killing was not gang related but no motive for the shooting has been revealed. The 22-year-old victim, who was shot at least three times when a gunman opened fire on the house in Powell Smith Drive off Town Hall Road, has been released from hospital, despite receiving serious injuries during the incident.
Following the shooting police patrols in the area have intensified and more armed officers had been deployed to the district. However, with the motive no longer believed to be gang related, it is not clear if the police are maintaining a heavier armed presence in West Bay.
If anyone has information they are asked to call 949-7777, or West Bay CID on 525-8303, or 800 TIPS to remain anonymous.
Mac at Jo’burg CPA too
(CNS): The opposition leader was absent from the Legislative Assembly meeting Wednesday, as well as the speaker and education minister, as they were all attending the CommonwealthParliamentary Association (CPA) annual meeting in South Africa. McKeeva Bush said he was in Johannesburg to chair a forum on taxation and he would be submitting a report when he gets back to Cayman. Bush confirmed that both he and MLA Winston Connolly had been chosen by the local CPA branch to represent the Cayman Island at the regular annual meeting but said Connolly did not attend. The UDP leader revealed, however, that Minister Tara Rivers was also at the event but the local CPA executive had not chosen her and he did not know who had.
Bush said that as a member of the CPA and one of its vice-presidents his attendance at the meeting is paid for by the Association, which is granted its funds by government.
“I was asked by the international CPA in London to chair the forum on taxation,” he told CNS via email on Wednesday. “I did that and will make a report on it when I'm back. Winston Connolly did not attend. And Tara Rivers came. But the ExCo of the CPA did not choose her. So I don't know who did,” he added. “At the time when I was chosen to attend no date had been set for the House of Assembly to meet.”
Bush explained that his arrangements were made and his costs paid before the government announced the House meeting. The opposition leader also said that his wife was also there but he had personally paid for her to travel with him.
Rivers had not intended to be a part of the delegation, which also includes the Speaker of the LA, Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, but Bush said he was told at a later point that she would be attending. He said that the executive of the local CPA, of which he is an officer, which is responsible for choosing the Cayman representatives at the meeting, did not choose her. “I don't know who did. But she is here attending the meetings here in Jo’burg with me,” he added.
Although CNS has contacted the premier’s office for clarification on whether Rivers has gone in an official capacity and what costs, if any, are being incurred by the local treasury as a result of the trip, but so far there has been no response.
See related story on CNS here.
Farm needs to measure real demand for meat
(CNS Business): The Cayman Turtle Farm’s decision to reduce the price of its meat without any real assessment of the true size of the local demand for the product is a bad business model, an international charity has noted, especially given the massive subsidy that the farm receives from the public purse. Dr Neil D’Cruze from the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), who is leading the campaign for the CTF to change its model from a butchery to a full conservation facility, said manipulating the price of the meat to stimulate demand without understanding where the demand comes from or how much of a demand there is from local people makes no sense. Read more and comment on CNS Business
Rivers in Africa as LA meets
(CNS): The education minister will be missing when the Legislative Assembly meets this morning, as well as the speaker, as the two women are both understood to be in South Africa at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meeting. Although government had revealed that Speaker of the House Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, Cayman's CPA representative, would be attending the annual meeting, which is in Johannesburg this year, there had been no indication that Tara Rivers would be joining her, as she was said to be on leave. The LA will be presided over this week by deputy speaker and backbench Progressive MLA, Anthony Eden, while Winston Connolly was sworn in last month to cover Rivers' work while she was absent.
CNS has submitted questions to the premier’s office to establish why Rivers is attending and whether she is doing so in an official capacity. While there has been no confirmationthat Rivers is attending the CPA or that she is in Africa on any government related business, sources close to government have confirmed she is in Johannesburg. We have also asked for details of costs, as the CPA foots the bill for some expenses but flights are usually paid for by the CPA representatives’ own governments. There has been no response as yet.
A press release was issued on 23 August about the resumption of the LA today, 4 September, which confirmed that the speaker would be absent and that Eden would fill in, but there was no mention of Rivers. On the 19 August, a release had been issued by the office indicating that history would be made the following day when two councillors would be sworn in as temporary ministers. This, the release indicated, was because Rivers would be on leave from 27 August until 8 September and Marco Archer would be absent from 16-26 August. Roy McTaggart and Winston Connolly have stood in for their respective ministers.
Archer has returned and will preside over the Finance Committee hearing being held today to regularize the extra appropriations made by the previous UDP administration over the last four years, but Rivers remains in Africa. It is not clear if she has gone as part of her own personal leave time or whether she is attending as a government representative.
Rivers, the Coalition for Cayman member for West Bay, caused considerable controversy when she took several days to accept the ministry position offered by the new PPM administration, and had at first engaged in closed door meetings with the other two C4C members and the two independent MLAs, as the five sought to negotiate a different shaped government.
With huge public support for her to accept the post, however, Rivers eventually took the job and negotiated for her C4C colleague, Winston Connolly, to be given a job as counsellor in the ministry. This eventually led to the recruitment of the third C4C member, Roy McTaggart, to the government benches.
Shortly after the government line-up was settled and ministries shaped, Rivers was embroiled in further controversy when a petition was filed on 12 June in the Grand Court challenging her election to office on the basis that she was not resident in Cayman for the required seven years prior to nomination and that she had a US passport which she continued to use. The challenge was filed by John Gordon Hewitt, the husband of the unsuccessful UDP candidate, Velma Hewitt.
The subsequent preparations for the trial and then the trial itself took Rivers away from her desk until the issue was resolved on 12 August by the chief justice, who found she was qualified. Having returned to her post for two weeks, the minister then began a vacation when news also broke that the election petitioner was appealing the court’s decision in the case on constitutional grounds, which is expected to drag the minister into more legal wrangling over the coming months.
The LA was scheduled to begin this morning at 10am and the proceedings were expected to be televised live on the government TV channel, CIGTV20.