24-03-2012

Issue 225 iLocal Inter-Prinmary Sports Day Page 6

iLocal One Man One Vote Page 7

iLocal 3,000 names already on petition Page 7

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CAYMAN Ethics and rule of law Page 4 OUR EYE, YOUR NEWS

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SAT-MON | 24-26 MAR 2012

Kerran suspect released Family say RCIPS briefings fruitless

Photo by Christopher Tobutt

Page 9 Island Heritage staff gives back Page 12 Maples and Calder assists young Caymanians

Tad Stoner tad.stoner@ieyenews.com

The suspect in the summertime murder of still-missing Kerran Baker has been released from police bail, following RCIPS briefings in Kingston with the Jamaican government and the missing woman’s family.

Arrested on 17 November, the unnamed man was freed from bail on Thursday, police said yesterday, because of “insufficient evidence to proceed to a charge”.

RCIPS Detective Superintendent Marlon Bodden told iNews Cayman yesterday the move was routine in such cases, but that police continued to watch the suspect.

“Absolutely, we continue to keep an eye on him. The investigation is continuing,” Mr Bodden said. “This is not the first time for something like this. We sent the investigative file to the prosecutor’s office”, which, he said, had concluded the evidence

Rename Big Ben?

Page 13

Muamba faces long recovery

Rooster Shootout tournament begins One of the 33 boats, at the ‘Bimini’ start of the Rooster Shootout – Cayman’s biggest, annual fishing tournament. And with more than $20,000 worth of prizes, and more

was not sufficiently compelling to warrant an arrest.

Meanwhile Ms Baker’s Kingstonbased family said Monday briefings by visiting RCIPS officers had proved largely fruitless, leaving “everybody still feeling down”, according to stepfather Wilmot Anthony.

“They came on Monday, and, no, we don’t know why they released him [the suspect]. It’s painful and

than 100 anglers, angling to get a prize for the heaviest fish in each category, the Shootout is something to shout about.

Full story page 3

Page 18 Cayman tie with Grace (Ind) Page 24

we don’t really know anything more, don’t really have anything to make us feel better. Everybody is still feeling down, still feeling restless,” he said.

Ms Baker, 25, a George Town nursing assistant, vanished from her Bodden Town home on 30 July last year immediately following a 7pm visit to the Foster’s Food Fair near the airport.

Continued on page 5

TODAY’S WEATHER MAINLY SUNNY HIGH LOW 83°F 73°F

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

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iLocal

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

NEWS

Rooster Shootout fishing tournament Christopher Tobutt christopher.tobutt@ieyenews.com

Thirty-three super, highpowered boats got off to a roaring start at the ninth annual Rooster shootout – officially known as the “Bimini” start.

Just in case you haven’t heard about it, The Rooster Shootout has absolutely nothing to do with shooting roosters. Instead, it’s Cayman’s premier annual fishing event with more than $20,000 in total cash and prizes for the biggest and best fish.

This year the Harbour House

Marina was the centre of the Shootout’s activities, and every evening over the three days of the event, more than 100 anglers will be weighing their catch there.

“We’ve got the top weight fish in each category - tuna wahoo and dolphin,” said Cheryl Birch, Sales Manager of Hurley’s Entertainment who are organizing the tournament.

“The heaviest fish of each category will each win $4,000.

Then we’ve got First, Second and Third Prizes in each of those categories, as well as a category

for highest combined weight for all three. That’s called the Grand Slam Whopper Prize, and its being sponsored by Burger King.This year we also have the District Cup won by the district with the top three scoring boats,” Ms Birch added.

The prizes will be awarded at Margaritaville on Tuesday evening, starting at six ‘O’ clock.

Caption for all photos: Boats got off to a flying start – known as the Bimini Start, at the Rooster Shootout.

Photo by Christopher Tobutt

“It feels like I’m in a dream!”

“Cancer knows no barrier, no age, no class, no color. It changes your life you know. It comes with a lot of pain; physical pain for the patient but it’s heart breaking pain for the family. Cancer breaks you emotionally and financially.

Cancer drains you, it’s really hard. You never know what dealing with this disease does to someone until the shoe is on your foot.

The Cancer Society has been there for me and my husband and they have been a tower of strength in every way possible.” ~Wife of cancer patient

114 Maple Road George Town P.O. Box 10565 Grand Cayman KY1-1005 Cayman Islands

T. 345-949-7618 F. 345-949-8694 www.cics.ky to blog visit www.ieyenews.com

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iLocal

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

NEWS

Ethics and rule of law Georgina Wilcox georgina.wilcox@ieyenews.com

Michael Todd QC, Chairman of the Bar Council of England & Wales, gave a speech last Thursday (22) in Grand Court No.1 – but not his first time in this court after appearing as an advocate over 20 years ago from instructions by Cayman Islands Justice Charles Quin.

“Since my first appearance before these Courts,” Mr. Todd said, “I have never looked back, and have never wanted to do so. I have now appeared before a number of Judges of this Court, including Harre CJ, and the present Chief Justice. And it has always been a privilege, and, often, a pleasure.”

Mr. Todd chose to speak on the topic of the “Rule of Law” with its relevance in a modern and sophisticated society, and the essential role of the advocate in promoting the Rule of Law. The lawyer started by saying he had been “instructed by, appeared with, and against, many different attorneys, in these Islands. Their professionalism, their integrity, their values, their ethical standards, their adherence to the principles of access to justice, and to the Rule of Law have never been, and should never be, in doubt.”

“But there are worrying trends which we, and particularly we as lawyers, must all guard against, not just here, but in England & Wales, and in the rest of the common law world. Those concerns derive from both economic and political expediency.”

The worrying trends he outlined concerned cost, especially dispute resolution, that have “soared first, as business, commerce, finance and industry now operate in globalised markets, second with the advent of e communications and technology, and third as a result of the rods which we have made for our own backs with our procedural reforms and innovations. Justice is too often sacrificed on the altar of price competition, as a matter of political dogma, and if not on that altar, then as a sacrifice to populist opinion.

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Justice does not, after all, come at any price and we must always be wary of Governments which, as Oscar Wilde said of the cynic, “[know] the price of everything and the value of nothing”.”

Mr. Todd wondered if the Rule of Law, its ethical standards, the public’s faith in, and support for, the integrity of its legal system, may, at times, seem a little lofty to, and a little remote from, us for whose benefit, in part, it exists. He mentioned Professor AV Dicey’s “An introduction to the study of the Law of the Constitution” published in 1885 and Tom Bingham’s “The Rule of Law”, published in 2010, as core elements of the Rule and the “essential role” the advocate has to play in “ensuring fairness”.

“But that can amount to nought unless the independence of the judicial decision makers is constitutionally guaranteed,” he pointed out. “The independence of the Judiciary from Ministers and of Government, from vested interests of any kind, from public and parliamentary opinion, from the media, from political parties and from pressure groups, is fundamental to the Rule of Law. That is to say, Judges must be independent of anybody or anything, which might lead them to decide issues coming before them on anything other than the legal and factual merits of the case.

“Too often these days, decisions made by the Courts are held up to political or public obloquy.

Often undue criticism is made by lawyers outside of the Judicial process; decisions that is, involving a determination of legal right and liability by application of the law, that is, according to the Rule of Law. The Rule of Law and the effective administration of Justice require, and demand, that support and respect be given to the Judiciary and to the Judicial Process, and that effect be given to them.”

He quoted many judges and landmark works, castigating the

inappropriateness of politicians who publicly criticise decisions of Judges or, “even worse, Judges themselves in connection with the performance of the Judicial function.”

“By the same token,” he pointed out, “we must ensure that the decision maker is impartial.

Whilst a decision maker who is truly independent of all influences extraneous to the case to be decided is likely to be impartial, he may nonetheless be subject to personal predilections or prejudices, which may pervert his judgment.”

He quoted from a judgment by Lord Denning in which he said, “[The barrister] must accept the brief and do all he honourably can on behalf of his client. I say “all he honourably can” because his duty is not only to his client.

He has a duty to the court, which is paramount.”

He then read the Code of Conduct of the Bar of England and Wales in which this is enshrined. He particularly stressed that the public must have confidence in the law and quoted Lord Steyn that this was his principal concern.

“The integrity of Judges,” Mr.Todd insisted, “is essential in maintaining confidence in the Judicial system. But so too is the integrity of practitioners before the Courts.

“Fearlessly, advocates will defend a person’s human rights, however egregious the crime of which he is charged, however unpopular the cause, however distasteful the client, or his views.

However, their ability to do so necessarily depends on ‘accessibility’.”

He touched on the necessity of improving the speed in delivering dispute resolutions.

“Justice delayed, is justice denied.”

In conclusion, he said our islands are not immune from challenges of their own, and the legal profession here must be willing to face them head on.

Visiting Dermatologist

Dr. Michael Fitz Henley 30th March & 31st March

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iLocal

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

NEWS

Family say no reason given for murder suspect’s release Tad Stoner tad.stoner@ieyenews.com

Continued from front page Friends reported her absence the next morning, while a subsequent police search of her Arrow Drive apartment turned up a handbag and groceries in the kitchen, indicating a sudden departure.

On 1 August, her white Honda Civic was found near Pedro Castle, but both a public and police search of the area, including nearby waters, turned up no more than a clutch of papers.

After probing her cell phone and other contacts, police in midNovember arrested a 35-yearold man in connection with the disappearance, subsequently reclassified as a murder. The suspect was released on police bail while the investigation continued.

Yesterday’s police statement said RCIPS officers this week had “also met with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Jamaica Constabulary Force”.

A spokesman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday

that the RCIPS visit “was only a debriefing of the situation,” while the George Town consulate said police told officials “they were putting out a release and that the investigation was still very active.

They wanted to bring the family and others up to date.

“They were really just providing information and kindly kept our office informed of developments.

They wanted to be very thorough and extended an invitation to those individuals they want to keep ‘in the loop’ about the case,” a spokesman said.

Mr Bodden said yesterday that police “spoke to the parents and siblings, and in any matter involving a foreign national, it’s a protocol. We have to keep them updated.”

While Ms Baker’s mother, Sandra Anthony, declined to comment, younger sister ToneyAnn said the situation remained difficult for the family.

“Basically, they said there was no further update. There was nothing new,” she said. ”It’s really hard on everyone, but you really have to have faith. It’s tough on mom,”

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Ms Anthony said. “She keeps hanging on in there. I was just saying to my older sister that it was difficult because I used to look up to her [Kerran], but it’s almost like it’s nothing now,” she said, nearly eight months since her disappearance.

“Kerran’s family have been made aware of the development and remain extremely supportive of the RCIPS,” yesterdays RCIPS statement said, “and the determination of the enquiry team to bring this case to a successful conclusion.”

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iLocal

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

NEWS

Inter Primary School Sports 2012 Christopher Tobutt christopher.tobutt@ieyenews.com

It was the highlight of the sports calendar for younger kids as moms, dads, as well as brothers, sisters and friends, all came to cheer on participants in the Inter Primary School Sports day, at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex.

There was high jump, long jump, shot put, as well as 60m, 80m, 100m, 150m and 200m races with kids doing their very best to be the best they can be.

Things got going with a ceremonial “march past” involving all the young athletes – looking very smart, from all the primary schools.

Minister of Education, Training & Employment, Rolston Anglin gave some opening remarks, and Pastor Felix Manzanares led

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Kids from many different primary schools across the Cayman Islands came together to compete during the Inter Primary School Sports day, 2012.

Photos by Christopher Tobutt

everyone in the opening prayer.

Mrs. Shirley Wahler, Chief Education Officer was also present to offer some words of encouragement, before Mark Scotland, Minister of Health, Youth, Sports and Culture announced the official opening.

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iLocal

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

NEWS

3,000 names already on petition Georgina Wilcox

georgina.wilcox@ieyenews.com

Al Suckoo, Jr. one of the leaders of the campaign backing the petition for “One Man, One Vote” launched

by MLAs Ezzard Miller and Arden McLean said they are about to make history with their efforts to collect signatures from registered voters.

They now have more than 3000 names on the official petition and anticipate that they will easily reach the 3,800 names required to trigger the national ballot well before the end of April “I am extremely pleased with the response to the petition so far,” said Suckoo. “We are currently witnessing history in the making and I have no doubt that the end result will be the adoption of a political system that guarantees greater equality, accountability and voter participation. We still have a target to make and I encourage everyone to make sure they do not miss the opportunity to sign the petition.

This petition is helping to preserve d e m o c r a c y and proper representation

for all of our people.

“Aside from going door to door volunteers have also been collecting signatures at key public locations such as the local supermarkets and outside the post office in downtown George town several shops also have copies of petition books and there are dozens of people ready and able to go out and meet people who want to sign.”

Once they have the 3,800 signatures the petition will be handed over to Governor, H.E. Duncan Taylor. This magic number is needed under the constitution to trigger a people’s referendum.

Although Premier McKeeva Bush has already stated publicly that he will hold a referendum on the topic at the same time as the general election next year it will not be in November as is requested in the petition.

T h e

organisers have said they will continue collecting signatures even when the 3,800 target has been reached and are hoping they will be able to persuade the premier to introduce the one man, one vote system without the need for a referendum in time for the May 2013 elections.

Suckoo along with Marco Archer have been circulating a document outlining arguments for and against the one man, one vote that states:

Arguments against one man, one vote: (a) will encourage our representatives to become even more myopic; (b)further entrench the rivalry between communities for the allocation of scarce national resources in providing public services; (c) will destroy the party system; and (d) the cost to implement is unaffordable.

Arguments for one man, one vote:

(a)it provides opportunities for a

higher level of voter satisfaction and better representation of a constituency; (b)he single representative would have a much smaller number of constituents to represent and allow for closer attention to the concerns of constituents; (c) the representative, their needs, and better able to advocate on their behalf in the Legislative Assembly; (d) the single representative would be more accountable than under the current system of multiple representatives where each one is able to shift responsibility to another (the ‘blame game’); (e) it has the potential to raise the calibre of representatives in the LA; and (f)representatives will be elected based on their individual attributes, not the popularity of running mates.

The document concludes with what it says is “Fact”: “It is not the electoral system that destroys a country and erodes investor confidence, rather, it is crime, corruption, social unrest and mismanagement of the economy.”

“One Man, One Vote: Now, Later or Never?”

Local think tank Generation NOW will be hosting a panel discussion on the topic “One Man, One Vote: Now, Later or Never?”issue next Thursday (29), at 7:00pm at the Harquail Theatre and will be moderated by Crosstalk’s Austin Harris.

Premier McKeeva Bush will be going publicly head to head with Opposition Leader Alden McLaughlin and independent member, Ezzard Miller, next week over the question of the introduction of one man, one vote in Cayman that will also feature Adrianne Webb, who was one of the Electoral Boundaries Commission members, along with UDP supporter and

election commentator, Dick Arch.

Olivaire Watler, one of the directors of the activist group that seeks to promote higher education and opportunities for young Caymanians said, “We believe that we have selected a panel of persons who have been outspoken on this issue from a variety of perspectives that reflects a cross-section of our community as a whole,” The non-governmental organisation has hosted several round table discussions on a number of thorny subjects that have encouraged the local community to begin openly debating some of the country’s more controversial issues,

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from gambling to taxation.

“Along with Mr Ezzard Miller, who has initiated the petition to introduce one man, one vote, the premier and the leader of the opposition will weigh in on the issue,” Watler added. “We will also have a valuable resource in Ms Adriannie Webb, attorney and member of the Electoral Boundaries Commission, which considered the pros and cons of single-member and multi-member constituencies, and Mr Dick Arch as an informed member of the public who is well known for, amongst other things, his long experience as a general elections radio commentator and

his considered contributions on the subject.”

I can already see the sparks flying and this is a date I will not miss.

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iWorld

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

NEWS

Syrian President Bashar Assad casts his ballot BEIRUT (AP) -- As Syria’s bloodshed deepens, the Britishborn first lady has become an object of contempt for many, a Marie Antoinette figure who shopped online for crystal-encrusted Christian Louboutin stilettos while her country burned.

The European Union slapped sanctions Friday on Asma Assad, the 36-year-old wife of the president who for the past decade offered a veneer of respectability to one of the world’s most opaque and ruthless dictatorships.

The Syrian government’s ferocious crackdown on a year-old uprising has shattered the image of her as a glamorous, reform-minded woman who could help bring progressive values to a country that has been ruled by the Assad family dynasty for more than 40 years.

The European action - the latest punishment imposed by world leaders on Syria for its crackdown - bans her from traveling to EU countries and freezing any assets she may have there.

“She is one of the regime’s deceptions,” said Amer Mattar, a 26-year-old Syrian who recently fled the country because of the violence that has killed 8,000 people in the past year. “She is definitely part of this ugly formula in Syria.”

A trove of emails - purported to be from the private accounts of Bashar and Asma Assad and published last month by London’s Guardian newspaper - have helped unmask that deception.

They appear to capture the first lady splurging on luxury goods as violence sweeps her country, placing orders for expensive jewelry, bespoke furniture, and a 2,650-pound ($4,200) vase from Harrods department store in London.

Born Asma Akhras to a prominent Syrian family living in the U.K., the future first lady grew up in the west London suburbs, a generally affluent, quiet part of the city with comfortable houses, treelined streets and large parks.

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In a haunting twist, her family is originally from Homs, a city in central Syria that regime forces have besieged with tanks, snipers and relentless shelling to crush the resistance there. The bloodied city is now a symbol of the uprising.

Known among childhood friends as “Emma,” Asma studied at King’s College London, graduating in 1996 with a degree in computer science and a diploma in French literature.

She was working at JP Morgan in London when she met Bashar Assad, who was then the son of the Syrian president, reportedly during a family vacation to the country.

Despite their divergent upbringings, the two could trade stories about life in London.

Bashar had studied opthamology in London before returning to Syria to prepare for a life in politics. He was groomed for the presidency after his older brother, Basil, widely regarded as his father’s chosen heir, died in a 1994 car crash.

The couple married in 2000 - the same year Bashar inherited power from his father - and Asma quickly became a glamorous face of the new regime. With her honey-colored hair and designer clothes, Asma provided a charming counterpoint to Bashar’s gawky, somewhat awkward demeanor.

She was outspoken about humanitarian issues, a fact that many Syrian now point to as a sign of deep hypocrisy. In 2009, she decried an Israeli siege in Gaza as “barbaric,” telling CNN that the world was “working against the clock” to save lives there.

“This is the 21st century,” she said in the interview. “Where in the world could this happen? ... As a mother and as a human being, we need to make sure that these atrocities stop.”

Before the Syrian uprising began in March 2011, the Assads often were spotted driving around town, even photographed in Damascus riding bicycles with their three children: Hafez, who is 10; Zein, 8, and Kareem, 7. They live in an apartment in the upscale Abu

Syrian President Bashar Assad casts his ballot next to his wife Asma at a polling station during a referendum on the new constitution, in Damascus, SyriaQueen Silvia at Stockholm Royal Palace

Rummaneh district of Damascus, as opposed to a palatial mansion like other Arab leaders.

In the years after her husband ascended to the presidency, Asma played a key role in shoring up the image of the regime, gathering fawning headlines from feature writers and fluffy profiles in fashion magazines.

“Du chic, du chic et encore du chic,” gushed France’s Elle magazine in 2008, which went on to name her the world’s most stylish woman. In 2009, Britain’s top-selling tabloid The Sun introduced its readers to the “sexy Brit” who was “bringing Syria in from the cold.”

One profile in particular, a deluxe spread in Vogue magazine, has come back to haunt her.

Published only a month before the start of Syria’s crackdown, the article rehashed the main staples of the Asma legend: Her “killer IQ”; her charity work; and the notion that, like Disney’s Princess Jasmine, Asma liked to slip out into the country incognito to meet her people.

But the article - which has since been pulled from Vogue’s website

- has been ridiculed as sinister in retrospect.

The Assad household, the article says, is run on “wildly democratic principles” and is equipped with a blackboard which tracks when anyone raises their voice. In the article, Bashar explains why he studied opthamology as his chosen field of medicine. The reason, he says, is “there is very little blood.”

Asma has been mostly out of sight in the year since her husband’s regime came under fire. Although she has been largely silent, she appears to be standing by her man.

She showed up briefly at a proregime rally in January, smiling with her children as her husband said the “conspiracy” against Syria was in its final stage. On Feb. 26, dressed in a conservative black dress, she accompanied her husband to a polling station during a referendum on a new constitution..

In one of the emails obtained by the Guardian, she describes herself as “the real dictator” in the family, a tacit acknowledgment that her husband is seen in the wider world as a despot leading a suffocating regime. to blog visit www.ieyenews.com

iWorld

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

NEWS

Air Canada ground crews stage strike in Toronto TORONTO (AP) -- Air Canada baggage handlers staged a walkout at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport early Friday, causing some flights to be delayed.

Hundreds of passengers were left in limbo after they had to get off several flights that were already on the tarmac. They were forced to return to the terminal.

Some passengers began to reboard planes after management took over some of the baggage handling duties and some delayed flights were able to leave the airport.

But many passengers on connecting flights had decided to leave the airport, choosing to stay in local hotels for the night.

Some passengers had said they had no idea where their luggage was, or how they were going to get to their destinations. One passenger described the situation at the airport as “a zoo.”

The Canadian government recently passed legislation banning strikes or lockouts at Air Canada, arguing the move was needed to protect the economy.

Air Canada spokeswoman Isabelle Arthur said that there had been an “illegal job action” by a small number of ground crew workers.

Various media reports say about 150 workers are involved in the walkout.

Another Air Canada spokesman, Peter Fitzpatrick, said the job action did not result in any cancellations, although the airport website had displayed seven Air Canada flight delays. Six were to

Canadian destinations - St. John’s, Newfoundland; Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Winnipeg, Manitoba; and Vancouver, British Columbia and one international flight to Frankfurt, Germany.

The sudden work stoppage caused confusion and anger among passengers.

Aaron Huizing was heading back to his home in Ottawa, Ontario, from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, when the walkout began.

Gate crews told him and other connecting passengers they would be given hotel rooms for the night, but that was cold comfort when they discovered hundreds of other people vying for a place to sleep.

“There’s a three-hour lineup to get a hotel,” said Huizing.

“There’ll surely be just as long a wait once we get to the hotel.

At this rate we won’t get to sleep until morning anyway.”

Other passengers were worried about what the job action will mean for their families.

“We’ve got people taking care of our kids back home who have to go to work in the morning,” said Ryan Tuck, who was also on a connecting flight from Los Angeles bound for Ottawa.

There was no immediate sign that federal Labor Minister Lisa Raitt would intervene in the dispute.

Earlier Thursday, angry Air Canada workers rallied in front of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s constituency office in Calgary to send him what they called a symbolic message.

Air Canada has been plagued with labour troubles over the last year.

The airline and its pilots and mechanics have been in a bitter contract feud that prompted the government to step in earlier this month.

Raitt insisted the government had to act to protect the national economy.

The government also had to intervene in contract disputes involving the airline’s flight attendants and its customer service agents.

UK proposal to rename tower housing Big Ben LONDON (AP) -- British lawmakers are calling for the tower housing Big Ben - the beloved London bell that chimes the quarter hour - to be renamed in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.

Twenty-three members of Parliament have signed a motion

urging the House of Commons Commission to consider renaming the east tower at the Palace of Westminster - currently called the Clock Tower - as the Elizabeth Tower to recognize the queen’s 60 years of service.

The motion was proposed by

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Conservative Tobias Ellwood and has the backing of lawmakers from Britain’s three main parties.

It notes that when the Palace of Westminster was rebuilt in 1860 the west tower was renamed the Victoria Tower to commemorate Queen Victoria’s reign.

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iEditorial

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

OPINION

The Editor speaks

Fine speech by the Chief Justice

Colin Wilson colin.wilson@ieyenews.com

Chief Justice Hon. Anthony Smellie gave a passionate speech at the UCCI conference last Thursday (22) when he warned of emerging threats to the independence of the regional judiciary.

He said there was a trend towards extra-judicial bodies overseeing judges, such as Cayman’s Judicial Legal Services Commission (JLSC), had the potential to encroach on their autonomy and to have a negative influence on their impartiality. In a presentation that emphasised the importance of an independent judiciary to modern democracies, Smellie warned against complacency as he pointed to other encroachments, including the removal of the local legal aid budget under the edict of ‘nation building’ here in Cayman.

“There is an immediate and apparent danger which was a new kind of judicial control that had the potential to intrude upon judicial insularity from external influences,” he said and pointed to Cayman’s own JLSC, which he said was “in the midst of trying to unravel the Gordian knot” of disciplinary control of judges.

“If the disciplinary regime is to be imposed from outside, the public was likely to question the ability of judges to remain impartial if it

were to have a legal case regarding the external regulator,” he added.

“The judiciary already has more oversight and checks and balances, because of the appellant system, than any other public office.

Judges sit in the open glare of public scrutiny - scrutiny by the immediate parties involved and by the media on behalf of the public.

“It is no doubt also due to the fact that judges are amenable to having their decisions immediately reviewed by way of appeal.”

Smellie questioned, “if the trend of disciplinary control of judges was likely to be for the public good when it was weighed against the dangers to judicial independence and there are already dissenting voices in other jurisdictions. There are extraordinary dangers in small jurisdictions of the erosion of impartiality since it could invite dissatisfied litigants to harass judges who rule against them. And while the authorities may dismiss complaints based only on the merits of a decision, a review would still be required which may incline a judge to avoid rendering controversial decisions while the investigation ran its course. Any disciplinary system that allows or encourages interested parties to strike out at judges is too great an interference with judicial impartiality to be tolerable under the doctrine of separation of powers.”

The Chief Justice also warned of the fundamental importance of an independent judiciary to uphold the law, the people’s rights and to facilitate business and economic stability. “An independent judiciary is able to ensure that powerful individuals must conform to the law,” he said.

“No one is either above or below the law.”

He pointed to the budget constraints that the judiciary faced around the region saying, “While Cayman is luckier than some jurisdictions where judges had to go to judicial ministers for approval of every penny they spent, its vulnerability to political control was illustrated by the recent diversion of the entire legal aid budget away from the courts by way of ministerial edict for nation building purposes”.

Smellie was making reference to the move by the premier during the budget process in October 2009 in which he took control of the legal aid budget under his ministry. Mr. Bush had said the courts should not be spending money on expensive lawyers ‘to get criminals off the hook’ but the Chief Justice pointed out that: “the delivery of legal aid is an essential part of that since most criminal defendants cannot afford to pay their own lawyers.”

Although the money for legal aid has “since been restored to the status quo ante” Smellie warned, “the episode certainly gave the impression that the political directorate did not regard the administration of justice as an important priority and did not understand the need for institutional independence of the judiciary as a vital aspect of its ability to administer justice.”

Although Commissioner David Baines remarked that the acquittal of Devon Anglin “was a desperate day for justice for the Cayman Islands” I am very proud of our Justice system here. In fact that decision, although unpopular, reinforced my opinion. I quote from our most respected member of our legal profession, Ramon Alberga QC who said Mr. Baines remarks were unwarranted and inappropriate. Alberga in a letter to iNews Cayman said that a review of Justice Howard Cooke’s judgment reveals that he understood the issues and applied the proper principles and was obliged as a matter of law to acquit the defendant. Had he not, Alberga says, then it would have been a “desperate day for justice in the Cayman Islands”.

I applaud Chief Justice Anthony Smellie’s speech and I hope the appropriate people take note.

Have your say on our website www.ieyenews.com If you have any news, views or comments you wish to share with iNews please get in touch either on Facebook, Twitter or email us at: info@ieyenews.com

iThought You should not be continually in need of entertainment, nor should you be persuaded by it, lest perhaps you may perish by its effectiveness Ecclesiasticus 9:4

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iOpinion

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

OUR EYE

In the Face (Book) of Death Ian Hornby ian.hornby@ieyenews.com

Any of you FaceBook members?

Maybe it was because today is my 63rd birthday, but when I logged in today up popped an advert saying, “”Nearing your 65th birthday? Then don’t delay. £10,000 life insurance from £1.16 a week. Cover your funeral and leave your family a cash gift...”

Great.

Another birthday reached, with plenty of FaceBook wishes for many happy returns and there’s some creep pops up and reminds me that another year gone by is another year nearer meeting my maker. Cheerful.

Thanks buddy.

But what about that? “Cover my funeral”? I won’t be there.

Well, I will, by definition, but only the chemicals that were once this handsome, rugged hunk of a man. I won’t know about it. At least I hope I won’t. So put me in a waste plastic bag and consign me to land fill. Feed the vultures.

Give me a burial at sea, or, since we’re a long way from the coast, weighed down with a few bricks in the local canal. Don’t waste money on a funeral. If you want

to follow the cliche of celebrating my life, do it before I pop off; do it when I can get something out of the experience.

Moving on to the other bit, they want me to leave my family a gift? What!? They already took everything I had when I was alive, and they want more when I’m dead? Sheesh! The only pleasure I can get from the idea of dying is imagining my kids arguing over who inherits my collection of ketchup bottles and cream cheese labels. Don’t worry, it’s a growing trend; they’ll be worth a fortune soon, take my word for it. The more of you that start to collect them, the higher the value will rise, so get in early. My prize possession is a 1965 Heinz “medium” bottle I got in a store in Cairo, totally unspoiled and still sealed with original content. I call it “The Sauce of the Nile”. Must be worth several times what I paid for it.

Anyway, back to my funeral, if I must. Will my ex wife turn up to gloat? That would annoy me, if I was there. I’d like to think I could leap out of the obligatory wood box (“brass carved handles only $3 million extra, sir”) and say, “Hard

luck, the joke’s on you,” but, to be honest, I don’t think that’s likely to happen.

How long will it be, I wonder, when someone takes the above advert and really goes commercial?

Maybe I’ll start a little business.

Ahem... “Organise your own funeral. A choice of finger buffet or four course meal. We recommend a selection of wines from our cellars...” (I have to get the underthe-ground jokes in) “... and we can provide a full entertainment’s package.” I’ll call it “From Grave to Rave” or something like that.

So my mind turns back to this gift. A cash gift, did they say? Forget it, buddy. That lot squandered most of my cash when I was alive so I’m not going to let them do it when I cease. They’ll only fight over whose banknotes are newer than others’. No, not cash. Something to make them really think of me each time they see or use it. Maybe a big brass Buddha. No, I’m not religious (could you tell?) but it would remind them of my physique.

Maybe instead of a cash gift I should create the concept of anti-cash. You’ve heard talk of

anti-matter, the direct opposite to matter? Well this is the fiscal version; the opposite of cash. Like a monetary black hole it seeks out any cash and makes it disappear.

Nah, that’s no good, they already did all that years ago. Anyway, they all earn more than I do now.

So I want to die as I hand over my last few quid to a very attractive lady who promises more than my failing body could ever live up to.

No, you misunderstand - not for what you’re thinking; she doesn’t have to do that for the money. All she has to do is tell my kids and friend that she did. That I did.

Not gonna work, is it? Oh, hang it all, I refuse to go.

Beauty and Mythology Georgina Wilcox

georgina.wilcox@ieyenews.com

Beauty is a universal concept that is hard to define but is understood by all. For instance, we may struggle to explain ourselves when asked what is beautiful to us. But if we are asked to point out a beautiful woman in a group, men do it easily and naturally. As the saying goes, when it comes to great beauty, we know it when we see it.

In ancient times, people were so enamoured with the concept of beauty that they actually deified beauty by identifying and worshipping female goddesses.

Aphrodite is the goddess of love to blog visit www.ieyenews.com

and beauty in Greek mythology.

Her legend says that she was born of the sea foam (“foamarisen”) after a monumental crash between the titan Cronus and the god Uranus. According to writings, Cronus cut off the genitals of Uranus and cast these into the sea, “and white foam arose from immortal flesh; with it a girl grew.”

Freya is the goddess of fertility as well as of love, sex, war, beauty, prophecies and attraction in Norse mythology. Like the modern-day woman, Freya was crazy about jewellery. She named her daughter “Hnoss,” meaning “jewel”.

Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, light, wisdom and fortune, as well as (secondarily) luck, beauty and fertility in Hindu mythology. She is the goddess who conforms the least to our conventional view of beauty. Lakshmi is often portrayed as a fair lady with four arms who sat on a lotus projecting a benign countenance.

Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, is the most famous of all the goddesses of beauty.

When painting and sculpture dominated the Renaissance period of Europe, Venus was often portrayed in a state of nudity.

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iLocal

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

NEWS

Island Heritage staff give back through fundraising and volunteering During the month of February, the staff of Island Heritage Insurance Company, Ltd. embarked on a company-wide internal initiative, Service Month. The goal of Service Month was to give back to the community by raising funds for and volunteering with six different local charities: The Cayman Islands Humane Society; The National Council of Voluntary Organisations (N.C.V.O); The Cayman Islands Cancer Society; The Pines; The Department of Children and Family Services and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Cayman Islands.

To facilitate this, the staff were divided into six groups and each group given $100 in start-up cash to donate to the charity of their choice. To add a twist to the traditional model of charitable giving, they were challenged to find innovative and creative ways to “Pay It Forward” by turning their start-up cash into something greater. To help with this challenge, the teams reached out to several businesses in the community who generously donated goods or services to help each team meet the charities’ most pressing needs.

The Cayman Islands Humane Society’s office and shelter area was in desperate need of a new coat of paint and with the help of A.L. Thompson’s Home Depot who supplied the group with paint and painting supplies, Island Heritage’s volunteers were able to leave a lasting impression on the walls of the shelter. The $100 start up cash was used to buy a care package for the shelter, which included pet food, treats for the animals, cleaning supplies and scented candles.

Island Heritage volunteers at the N.C.V.O chose to help out in the “New to You: Bargain Shop”, rearranging items such as clothes, shoes and books for sale in the store. The volunteers also wanted to work with kids so they used their $100 to buy pots, plants and potting supplies and participated

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One of the Island Heritage teams who volunteered during Service Month

in a tree-planting exercise with the students at Miss Nadine’s Pre School to teach them about the environment. With the help of Animal House pet store who kindly donated a rabbit to the school, the volunteers were also able to teach the students about responsibility by teaching them to take care of their very own pet.

Island Heritage volunteers were on hand to help with registration, direct traffic and man water stops for one of the Cayman Cancer Society’s largest annual fundraising events, Stride Against Cancer. In addition to volunteering for Stride, they also held an inoffice raffle, with prizes provided

by Icoa Fine Foods and A La Kebab.

This raffle enabled the volunteers to double their $100 start-up cash and donate it directly to the Cancer Society who used the money to print flyers. With the support of A.L. Thompson’s Home Depot who graciously donated paint and Lalev Construction who donated man-power, Island Heritage was also able to cross an important item off the Cancer Society’s wish list and give their office walls a much needed makeover.

The Pines is home to many

creative residents who love to paint and draw so they are always in need of Arts and Crafts supplies. With the help of Kirk Office Equipment and Super Stitch, Island Heritage volunteers were able to give the residents a large care package of paints, brushes, markers and canvas. The volunteers used their $100 to buy gift bags full of sweet treats for the residents, but the sweetest thing of all for the volunteers was being able to spend a Saturday morning interacting with the residents.

The Department of Children and Family Services works with vulnerable individuals in the community to help them realise their potential through various social programs. With a firm belief that children and families need safe recreational spaces, Island Heritage volunteers decided to give back to the community by cleaning up the beach in the Barkers area of West Bay. The organisation expressed a need for school supplies, so Island Heritage’s volunteers turned once again to Kirk Office equipment and they came to the rescue by agreeing to match the team’s initial $100, which enabled them

to buy enough items to make gift baskets to donate to members of the Wesleyan Church’s afterschool program.

Island Heritage staff volunteered at Big Brothers, Big Sisters’ annual “Soup-erBowl” fundraiser and culinary competition.

They helped to set up the event; by tabulating votes, greeting guests and selling tickets among many other jobs.

The majority of Big Brothers, Big Sisters funds go toward providing cultural and social opportunities to enrich the lives of the programme’s participants so the team thought that the best way to help the organisation was to contribute to these cultural opportunities. To facilitate this, the Island Heritage volunteers created an in-office snack shop and thanks to the generosity of their hungry colleagues they were able to buy a book of movie tickets to donate to the organisation.

The staff of Island Heritage would like to thank the charities for participating in service month as they look forward to making a positive impact on the community through ongoing charitable initiatives. to blog visit www.ieyenews.com

iLocal

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

NEWS

Maples and Calder assists young Caymanians at conference Maples and Calder is pleased to announce its support of two promising young Caymanians, who will attend the Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC) in Summer 2012.

Jossannah Smith and Adrian Stewart each received a contribution of US$1,000 toward their registration and related attendance costs for the conference.

Adrian, a student of the John Gray High School (JGHS), will attend the GYLC in Washington DC and New York at the end of July.

Adrian, a Prefect and Head Boy of JGHS, boasts several scholastic and community based achievements. He is a member of several concert bands and has participated in the Key Club, as a member and President and served as Vice President of his Junior Achievement company.

Jossannah boasts an equally impressive list of achievements, which include being the recipient

L-R: Paul Lumsden (Managing Partner at Maples and Calder), Jossannah Smith, Adrian Stewart

of two Duke of Edinburgh Awards and the Rotary Youth Leadership Award. She was the Vice President of Human Resources for her Junior Achievement company, a member of the Junior Girls National Volleyball Team and a volunteer with the Cayman Islands Red Cross and Cayman Islands Humane Society.

Jossannah is a Prefect at Cayman Prep & High School and will be attending the GYLC in China.

“Jossannah and Adrian have demonstrated a positive example to the youth of our country and we are pleased to support them as they seek to gain further knowledge and enhance their leadership abilities,”

said Paul Lumsden, Managing Partner of Maples and Calder.

“We expect to see great things as they pursue their careers and continue their contributions to our community with the added skills they will gain from this thoughtprovoking conference.”

The GYLC is a unique leadership development program that brings together outstanding young people from around the world to build critical leadership skills in a global context. Offered annually, participants can attend sessions in the United States, Europe or China where they will analyse concepts surrounding communications, diplomacy, law, human rights, peace, security, economics and the role of the United Nations.

Students return home from GYLC with a greater understanding of their roles and responsibilities as citizens and future leaders in an international community.

Youth Therapy Steps Up The week starting Monday, 26 March, GIS Spotlight breaks ground for youth rehabilitation, celebrates women entrepreneurs and gets high school athletes moving for a track meet round the corner.

For a long time, Cayman has sought to address youth issues with robust solutions. Now join us to witness the exciting new beginning for youth rehabilitation at the ground breaking for the specially designed CI Youth Centre in Fairbanks.

Hear principals explain the therapeutic emphasis behind the new programme featuring the successful Missouri Model for at-risk youth with emphasis on rehabilitation instead of punishment and imprisonment.

Next, come with us to a hall full of energy where women entrepreneurs and business owners pick up tips, advice and ideas for success and advancement.

Hear from the organisers and

sponsors how this emerging area of business development gets an annual boost from the Department of Commerce and Investment’s Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs conference. Visit local sponsors at their booths to view how they are helping.

Lastly, GIS Spotlight follows athletes in training for local events like the Inter Secondary Track and Field Championships at the Ground is broken for a new Youth Centre which, when completed, will help put the Missouri Model of youth rehabilitation into practice in the Cayman Islands.

Truman Bodden Sports Complex on 2 and 3 April.

See what is on offer for athletic highlights government’s services Spotlight can also be found on the children to improve their game and and solutions regarding issues that GIS Marketing and Communications what coaches can provide those less concern and affect you. The weekly website: www.gis.ky.

Comments and suggestions about athletic to shed their lethargy and programme airs on Cayman27 at 8 p.m. on Mondays and 6 p.m. on the programme are always welcome. get active.

Viewers can provide feedback by Produced by GIS Marketing and Saturdays.

All stories seen in the week’s GIS e-mailing Spotlight@gov.ky. (GIS) Communications, GIS Spotlight

to blog visit www.ieyenews.com

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iHealth

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

LIFESTYLE

There are alternatives to coffee

Georgina Wilcox

georgina.wilcox@ieyenews.com

I have written a number of articles on coffee by request and this sparked my friends at Care2 (www. care2.com) to send me this written

by Starre Vartan, MNN.com

Starre Vartan, MNN.com I have no desire to quit drinking coffee, and since I don’t have any contraindications for quaffing java, I enjoy a cup most days each week. But I’m a big believer in moderation and of carefully monitoring personal habits. And so after a winter of drinking coffee most days, I decided to enjoy my coffee — just not every day. These are my favorite drinks for those days when I’m taking a break.

1. Hot chocolate: My favorite sub for coffee is a hot chocolate. If you want to mitigate the extra calories from the sweetness, cut down on the fat level of the milk. For instance, I always drink full-fat (but small) eightounce cappuccino, which only contains six ounces of milk.

My stomach is happier and the caffeine doesn’t hit my system as fast when combined with full-fat milk — and it tastes so wonderful. But when I get a hot chocolate, I go for 2 percent or low-fat milk (or unsweetened soy, if available) instead. Hot

chocolate will give you a bit of a lift, and the warm, cozy feeling you get from coffee sans the jolt.

And an iced chocolate on a warm day is almost as lovely a treat as an iced coffee.

2. Teeccino is the commercial name for a wonderful caffeinefree coffee substitute that seems to be everywhere in Los Angeles but is harder to find elsewhere.

A mix of carob, barley, chicory nuts and other flavours (there are all kinds of varieties) it is truly tasty, can be brewed like coffee (in a French press, via tea bags or in an espresso machine), and mixes nicely with milk, soy milk or just plain honey if you’re more of a black coffee/milk-free

person.

3. Green tea: If you are really in need of some caffeine but are trying to cut back, green tea is a great happy medium. With a pleasant taste (I always go for jasmine green teas, which have tremendous flavour but no additional

calories), it serves up a subtle, but noticeable caffeine buzz.

And, as you’ve probably heard, green tea contains plenty of antioxidants, which likely protect against free radicals and cancer.

4. Dandelion root tea is made from the root of the common dandelion, and like the rest of the plant has plenty of medicinal and health-promoting benefits.

Slightly bitter (but with a

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delicious earthy undertone) with a dark brown color, it mixes with milks, sugar or honey well and is also great for liver support — so especially great after a couple of nights out drinking, or just for general health. I started drinking dandelion root tea after a bout with adult mono, which, for the duration of the illness, brings your liver’s ability to process down to almost nothing.

I drank plenty of this tea when I was recovering from mono, and my doctor told me my liver was back to full capacity in a lot less time than it normally takes, so there’s some anecdotal evidence that it works.

5. Rooibos is another full-flavored tea that can be mixed with any kind of milk and has plenty of flavour all on its own as well.

It’s widely available (Starbucks’

offering is particularly tasty) at good restaurants and coffee shops throughout the U.S., although its roots are in Africa — the leaves come from the African red bush and it has been drunk in Africa for thousands of years.

Some health experts say it has immune-boosting properties.

Read more: http://www.care2. com/greenliving/5-alternativesto-coffee.html#ixzz1pmD9zVMi to blog visit www.ieyenews.com

Our Eye

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

OPINION

How safe is it to live in South Africa?

Georgina Wilcox

georgina.wilcox@ieyenews.com

This article was sent to me for publication and was said to be written by Ronel Pretorius, a lady living now in Auckland, New Zealand, who left South Africa in January 2007 when she was 29.

However, the same article appeared in the same publication as Ronel’s a year later under a different title and a different author (Bronwyn Minnie who says she is 32 and lives in South Africa. She says she “grew up on farms, loves animals and started writing when she was 14”).

This article has also appeared in two other online publications with no author’s name appended. I make no apology for republishing it here on iNews Cayman and I let you judge its authenticity.

In 1986 my parents moved us to a farm just outside of a small little God forsaken town, about 60 kilometers outside of Johannesburg called, Delmas. As a young child, I had grown up with the apartheid era, and being white in those days had put you automatically on the “good” side of the fence.

As a child of 10, racism and apartheid had no meaning to me.

We had a good life. We had enough money to live. We could play outside until late; sometimes our parents didn’t even know what we were up to, or where we were doing it. As long as we were home by the time it got dark, they were not worried about us.

The maid, who worked in the house, looked after us during the day, because my parents had to work. The gardener was also semiin charge of us kids. My parents had brought us up to be strong people, to back up what we believe in, and had taught us that no human being is greater than another.

The house we moved into was a huge old farmhouse. It had no security, no burglar bars, and certainly no alarm system. Everybody had a dog or two, especially when you had the space to keep them. So we grew up with Rottweiler’s and ducks

in the back yard.

All the time we had black people in and around our house. Either working in the house, garden or for the business my parents had started there. We employed more than 60 people at one time. Some of the people that worked for my parents prior to the moving were still with us when we decided to start a new life. Those people are like family and have been around much longer than most of my parents’ friends.

As the years progressed, the house received somewhat of a makeover. Bare windows were closed up with burglar bars, because of an attempted break in of what how to tie their shoelaces, were we had concluded to be a bunch of blamed for the horrible things our kids fooling around. Then, came so-called “leaders” of the day had 1993-1994. The big revolution had implemented. Luckily for us, Mr. been flung into action. As a child, I Mandela is a wonderful person. He didn’t even know about the riots had not once taken the stance of and the bombings, until my mother tyrant, and had treated each and and brother narrowly escaped every person as an equal individual. death at a restaurant bombing Black, white, coloureds and Indians, in Benoni, a town much closer to alike. We were all just people to him, Johannesburg. They had been into and I’m sure that is true to this day.

Back on the farm, things had a fast food restaurant. My mom had bought them some lunch, and changed even more. Electrical gates they had just sat down, when she were put up, and a six-foot monster caught a glimpse of a black man, of a fence had replaced the stringy sitting very uneasy at a table in the little fence that stood there for years. middle of the restaurant. He had no People were cutting up the fences food with him, and he was clearly on to get into the yard, so they could edge. Thank God, my mother had steal the electrical wiring we used the sense to listen to her instincts, inside the greenhouses for lighting. and grabbed my brother up, and So, later, up came the electrical left. As they got to the car, they fence! But before that, a real break heard a loud BANG! The restaurant in. Money stolen, straight out of had gone up in flames, and people the vault, with no effort, no cutting all around, black and white were machines, they knew exactly where yelling and screaming. That was the the keys were, and the safe. Only day I realised that things aren’t just money was stolen. That same day the maid had wanted to know from as nice as they seem.

As the years grew on, apartheid my mother if I would be home that became a thing of the past. I can night, or if I would be going out still remember watching Mr. with my friends. The maid was the Mandela getting out of jail, the culprit, and her boyfriend, who had inauguration and his first day in masterminded the whole thing. He parliament. We were all stuck to was in the Police Service, and even the television, waiting for the end of “investigated the case”. So there goes the world to strike at any moment. your trust in humanity, right out the Suddenly, every white person had window!

The maid was fired, a security become the anti-Christ! Even little children, who didn’t even know system was put in, and everything

to blog visit www.ieyenews.com

was now locked at night. My parents had also put a slide security gate in the house, to section off the house from the bedrooms, and that was locked too. So here we are in our huge old farmhouse, trapped like rats in a cage! Lovely!

And what is happening now? Black people are being discriminated on by black people. Whites by whites.

It’s an endless vicious circle, and all the while, the word ‘racism’ is swung around like a toy in the air. Friends have been hi-jacked, assaulted, stolen from, shot and killed. Not just because someone else is hungry and needs the money, but because they are white, they owe the world. One farmer in the community had been terrorised by the people living in the townships, because he refused to sell his land to the municipality for more housing. He was tortured, his children tortured and beaten. He had been shot in the face and left to die, and with only the grace of God still lives.

For the people living in the townships the story is the same, except, they don’t have police protection. Justice is left up to the people. They cannot go out of their houses when the sun goes down.

Their children are being raped and abused by “Tsotsi’s” while they are at work. There is no difference in treatment for white or black people.

How safe is it to live in South Africa? It’s not.

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iWorld

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

NEWS

Gunman didn’t plan school attack THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE PARIS (AP) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s spy chief says a gunman who killed three young children and a rabbi at a Jewish school only attacked the school after missing his original target - a French soldier.

Ange Mancini, Sarkozy’s intelligence adviser, said on French TV that Mohamed Merah had wanted to kill a soldier he had targeted Monday in Toulouse, but arrived too late and instead besieged a nearby Jewish school.

Mancini told France-24 TV on Friday that “it wasn’t the school that he wanted to attack,” calling school shooting “opportunistic.”

Merah, a 23-year-old Frenchman of Algerian descent, was killed Thursday in a shootout after police raided the Toulouse apartment where he had been holed up for 32 hours in a standoff with authorities.

AP’s earlier story is below.

PARIS (AP) - French authorities have no evidence that al-Qaida commissioned a French gunman to go on a killing spree that left seven people dead, or that he had any contact with terrorist groups, a senior official said Friday.

France’s prime minister and other senior figures have been fending off suggestions that anti-terrorism authorities fell down on the job in monitoring 23-year-old Mohamed Merah, who had been known to them for years.

The senior official who is close to the investigation into Merah’s attacks told The Associated Press there was no sign he had “trained or been in contact with organised groups or jihadists.”

Merah was killed in a dramatic gunfight with police Thursday after a 32-hour standoff with police.

Prosecutors said he filmed himself carrying out three attacks beginning March 11, killing three Jewish schoolchildren, a rabbi and three French paratroopers with closerange shots to the head. Another Jewish student and another paratrooper were wounded.

He had traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and prosecutors said

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he had claimed contacts with alQaida and to have trained in the Pakistan militant stronghold of Waziristan. He had been on a U.S. no-fly list since 2010.

The official said Merah might have made the claim because al-Qaida is a well-known “brand.” The official said authorities have “absolutely no element allowing us to believe that he was commissioned by al-Qaida to carry out these attacks.”

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation.

A little-known jihadist group claimed responsibility for one of the killings. The SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors Internet messages, said Jund al-Khilafah, based in Kazakhstan, issued a statement saying “Yusuf of France” led an attack Monday, the day of the Jewish school shootings.

The French official said the claim appeared opportunistic and that authorities think Merah had never heard of the group.

Investigators looking for possible accomplices decided Friday to keep Merah’s older brother, his mother and the brother’s girlfriend in custody for another day for further questioning, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.

The head of the DCRI intelligence agency was quoted in the Le Monde newspaper as saying there was little sign that Merah’s family was involved. Bernard Squarcini said Merah told police that he didn’t trust his brother or mother.

Police also said his mother declined to get involved in police negotiations Wednesday with her son, saying she had no influence over him.

Merah was questioned by French intelligence officers last November after his second trip to Afghanistan, and was cooperative and provided a USB key with tourist-like photos of his trip, the senior official said.

The official said when Merah was under surveillance last year, he was not seen contacting any radicals and went to nightclubs, not mosques.

Merah told negotiators during the police standoff this week that he was able to buy an impressive arsenal of

TAG People gather to pay their respects to the shooting victims of Mohamed Merah in Toulouse, France, Friday March 23, 2012

weapons thanks to years of being involved in petty theft, the official said.

The picture painted by the official and the chief of the DCRI intelligence agency was of a selfradicalised young man with signs of a split personality.

For years, intelligence services have worried most of all about lone-wolf terrorists who radicalise alone and operate below the radar.

Merah told police during this week’s standoff that he was trained “by a single person” when he was in Waziristan, Squarcini was quoted as saying in Le Monde.

“Not in training centers, where he could have been singled out because he spoke French,” Squarcini was quoted as saying.

According to prosecutors, Merah had told negotiators he went on his rampage to avenge the deaths of Palestinian children and protest the French army’s involvement in Afghanistan as well as France’s law against the Islamic face veil.

Some politicians, French media and Toulouse residents questioned why authorities didn’t stop Merah before he started his killing spree.

Socialist presidential candidate Francois Hollande said questions need to be asked about a “failure” in counterterrorist monitoring.

Other candidates did the same, and even French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said “clarity” was needed on why he wasn’t arrested earlier.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon told RTL radio Friday that authorities “at no moment” suspected Merah would be dangerous despite his long record of crime and his time in prison.

“The fact of belonging to a Salafist (ultraconservative Muslim) organisation is not unto itself a crime. We must not mix religious fundamentalism and terrorism,

even if naturally we well know the links that unite the two,” Fillon said.

In response to the slayings, Fillon said President Nicolas Sarkozy’s conservative government is working on new anti-terrorism legislation that would be drafted within two weeks.

Families of the victims expressed frustration that Merah was not taken alive.

“Imad’s parents feel that the justice they were expecting was stolen from them,” said lawyer Mehana Mouhou, lawyer for the family of the first paratrooper killed, Imad Ibn-Ziaten. “His mother wanted an answer to the question, ‘why did he kill my son?’”

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iSports

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

WORLD

Man Utd bring back Paul Scholes Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed criticism from Manchester City over his decision to bring Paul Scholes out of retirement.

Ex-City midfielder Patrick Vieira said the move showed “weakness”.

But Ferguson warned he “had plenty of ammunition” if United’s title rivals wanted to engage in mind games.

“If it’s desperation bringing back the best midfielder in Britain for the last 20 years then I think we can accept that,” said Ferguson.

Vieira, City’s football development executive, told the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday: “For him [Scholes] to come back just shows a little bit of weakness in United, because they had to bring a player back who was 37.”

United have won nine Premier League games and drawn one with Scholes in the team, and Ferguson responded in the week when City boss Roberto Mancini controversially recalled striker Carlos Tevez.

“I think he [Vieira] was programmed for that,” said Ferguson.

“Roberto had a wee dig a couple of weeks back. We’re all going to play our hand that way. There will be plenty of ammunition for that.

“If you talk about desperation, they played a player the other night who refused to go on the pitch. The manager said he’d never play again and he takes a five-month holiday in Argentina. What is that? Could that come under the description of desperation?”

Tevez denied that he refused to come on as a substitute in a Champions League game against Bayern Munich in September, blaming “confusion on the bench” for the “misunderstanding” which led to a major falling-out with Mancini.

The Argentine returned for

the first time in six months in Wednesday’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea which leaves City one point behind leaders United with nine games of the season remaining.

Ferguson also rejected Vieira’s assertion that a further sign of United struggling was their inability to keep Ravel Morrison, who joined West Ham during the January transfer window, and their ongoing fight to retain fellow midfielder Paul Pogba.

“The point he made about Ravel Morrison and losing our young players - we wanted to sell him (Morrison) let’s be clear about that, for obvious reasons,” said Ferguson.

“But we want Pogba to stay because we think he’s going to be a fantastic Manchester United player and hopefully that’s the case.”

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Since moving to London, Morrison has been fined £7,000 by the FA and warned about his future conduct after a homophobic post on social networking site Twitter.

Ferguson’s comments come after United defender Rio Ferdinand suggested City fans are only more

visible now the club is tasting success.

“Walking around in town, you see more and more blue shirts than you probably ever would have seen over the last 10 years,” the defender said.

“Success sometimes brings people out of the woodwork.”

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iSports

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

WORLD

Muamba faces long recovery

LONDON (AP) -Fabrice Muamba still faces “a long period of recovery” after his onfield cardiac arrest despite a surprisingly strong improvement since his collapse, his family said Friday.

Muamba’s father and fiancee released a statement thanking fans, soccer players and medical staff for their support. Muamba collapsed last Saturday just before halftime of Bolton’s FA Cup quarterfinal at Tottenham.

The former England under-21 international remains in intensive care at London Chest Hospital.

Medics worked on him for 78 minutes to get his heart beating on its own. On Monday, he was talking to doctors.

“Even though Fabrice has made great progress over the last couple of days, he is still in intensive care and still has a long period of recovery ahead,” Marcel Muamba and Shauna Magunda said. “He has asked that you please keep him in your prayers.”

Players across Europe have worn T-shirts expressing their support for Muamba, which read “Get Well Soon Fabrice.”

European champion Barcelona is among the clubs making the gesture, while FIFA President Sepp Blatter has spoken with Bolton’s chairman and asked to be kept informed of Muamba’s progress.

“We have been overwhelmed by all the kind messages we have received,” the statement said.

“The support we have had from

18

the fans - not just from Bolton but football supporters around the world - has given us so much strength.

“We have been particularly touched by the support from the football community globally.”

Medics tried to revive Muamba for 48 minutes before he arrived at the east London hospital. Bolton team doctor Jonathan Tobin said

it took another 30 minutes, after 15 shocks from a defibrillator, before the player’s heart started beating again on its own.

The cause of the cardiac arrest has not been discovered. Doctors said that Muamba had undergone a routine screening for heart defects in August. He was checked again Sunday, with the test producing a normal result.

Swiss federal court keeps FIFA-ISL document secret LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -Switzerland’s supreme court says a document revealing which FIFA officials took kickbacks from World Cup marketing agency ISL can remain blocked from publication while the court studies the case.

The Swiss Federal Tribunal has granted a “suspensive effect” to parties identified only as “B2” and “B3” who appealed to stop publication.

The court says FIFA was “B1”

but is no longer in the case.

The document details a May 2010 deal in which two soccer officials admitted taking kickbacks in the 1990s. They repaid the then $6.1 million on condition their identities would remain secret.

Five Swiss and British media organisations seeking access to the document won a state court ruling in December.

The federal court verdict is expected in several months.

Panathinaikos punished for fans’ rampage ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- The Greek soccer club Panathinaikos has been docked points and fined for fan violence last weekend that left 20 policemen injured and stopped a game against rival Olympiakos.

The Greek league said Friday it fined Panathinaikos $334,360 and deducted three points. The club will also play four home games without spectators and will start next season two points down. Panathinaikos remains second in the standings, 10

points behind Olympiakos.

Last weekend’s game was abandoned in the 82nd minute with Panathinaikos trailing 1-0.

Olympiakos was awarded the victory.

Panathinaikos fans attacked officers with gasoline bombs and lit fires, damaging the scoreboard.

Police made 20 arrests. Visiting fans had been banned from the game in a bid to prevent trouble. to blog visit www.ieyenews.com

iSports

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

LOCAL

2011-12 CIFA UNDER 13 BOYS GOLD LEAGUE - REMAINING MATCHES WEEK FA SF FA SF 10 10 10 3 9 FA FIN

DAY DATE MON 26-Mar-12 MON 02-Apr-12 MON 16-Apr-12 MON 16-Apr-12 MON 16-Apr-12 THU 19-Apr-12 SAT 21-Apr-12 MON 23-Apr-12

MATCH # FA13G-3 FA13G-4 U13BG-28 U13BG-30 U13BG-29 U13BG-8 U13BG-27 FA13G-5

KICK OFF 4:30PM 4:00PM 4:00PM 4:00PM 4:30PM 4:00PM 9:30AM 4:00PM

VENUE ED BUSH ANNEX ACADEMY ANNEX BT ANNEX BT ANNEX

HOME ELITE SC SUNSET FC A SUNSET FC A CASC BTFC CASC BTFC WIN FA13-3

AWAY BTFC CASC TIGERS FC ELITE SC ACADEMY SC A ACADEMY SC A CASC WIN FA13-4

2011-12 CIFA UNDER 13 BOYS SILVER LEAGUE - REMAINING MATCHES WEEK DAY FA R1 SAT 9 SAT FA SF TUE FA SF TUE 1 TUE 1 TUE 6 SAT 10 MON 10 TUE 5 THU 10 SAT FA FIN TUE

DATE 24-Mar-12 24-Mar-12 27-Mar-12 27-Mar-12 3-Apr-12 3-Apr-12 14-Apr-12 16-Apr-12 17-Apr-12 19-Apr-12 21-Apr-12 24-Apr-12

MATCH # FA13S-1 U13BS-27 FA13S-3 FA13S-4 U13BS-1 U13BS-2 U13BS-17 U13BS-28 U13BS-29 U13BS-15 U13BS-30 FA13S-5

KICK OFF 9:30AM 9:30AM 4:00PM 4:30PM 4:00PM 4:30PM 9:30AM 4:30PM 4:00PM 4:30PM 9:30AM 4:00PM

VENUE ED BUSH ACADEMY ACADEMY ED BUSH ACADEMY ED BUSH ACADEMY ED BUSH ACADEMY ED BUSH ED BUSH ANNEX

HOME Future SC GTSC Academy SC B Sunset FC B Roma UFC Scholars Int'l Sunset FC B Scholars Int'l GTSC Future SC Sunset FC B WIN FA13-3

AWAY Roma UFC Sunset FC B WIN FA13-1 Scholars Int'l GTSC Sunset FC B Scholars Int'l Roma UFC Academy SC B Sunset FC B Future SC WIN FA13-4

2011-12 CIFA UNDER 15 BOYS LEAGUE - REMAINING MATCHES WEEK 12 12 13 13 5 14 14 FA FIN

DAY THU THU THU THU THU THU THU THU

DATE 22-Mar-12 22-Mar-12 29-Mar-12 29-Mar-12 29-Mar-12 26-Apr-12 26-Apr-12 3-May-12

MATCH # U15B-35 U15B-34 U15B-38 U15B-37 U15B-14 U15B-40 U15B-41 FA15B-6

KICK OFF 4:00PM 4:30PM 4:00PM 4:30PM 4:30PM 4:00PM 4:30PM 4:00PM

VENUE ACADEMY ED BUSH ACADEMY ED BUSH BT ANNEX ED BUSH ANNEX

HOME ACADEMY FUTURE SUNSET ELITE BTFC CASC ELITE ACADEMY

AWAY BTFC CASC FUTURE CASC ACADEMY ACADEMY FUTURE CASC

2011-12 UNDER 17 BOYS ADMIRAL'S LEAGUE - REMAINING MATCHES WEEK 14 14 14 14 13 2 7 7 8 1 FA FIN

DAY WED WED WED WED WED SAT WED WED WED SAT WED

DATE 28-Mar-12 28-Mar-12 28-Mar-12 28-Mar-12 4-Apr-12 14-Apr-12 18-Apr-12 18-Apr-12 18-Apr-12 21-Apr-12 25-Apr-12

MATCH # U17B-54 U17B-55 U17B-53 U17B-56 U17B-51 U17B-8 U17B-26 U17B-27 U17B-32 U17B-4 FA17B-7

KICK OFF 4:00PM 4:00PM 4:30PM 4:30PM 4:30PM 9:30AM 4:00PM 4:30PM 4:30PM 5:00PM 4:00PM

VENUE ANNEX ACADEMY ED BUSH BT ED BUSH BT ANNEX ED BUSH BT BT ANNEX

HOME CASC ACADEMY ELITE EEUFC FUTURE EEUFC SUNSET FUTURE BTFC EEUFC ACADEMY

AWAY SUNSET FUTURE BTFC TIGERS TIGERS FUTURE CASC ACADEMY EEUFC BTFC CASC

2011-12 CIFA UNDER 17 GIRLS LEAGUE - REMAINING MATCHES WEEK 2 5 5 4 6 6 FC F

DAY DATE TUE 3-Apr-12 TUE 17-Apr-12 TUE 17-Apr-12 THU 19-Apr-12 TUE 24-Apr-12 TUE 24-Apr-12 TUE 1-May-12

MATCH # U-17G-4 U-17G-9 U-17G-10 U-17G-8 U-17G-11 U-17G-12 U17GFA-3

to blog visit www.ieyenews.com

KICK OFF VENUE 4:30PM BT 4:30PM Ed Bush 4:30PM BT 4:30PM BT 4:30PM BT 4:30PM Ed Bush 4:30PM Ed Bush

HOME Future Elite Bodden Town Bodden Town Bodden Town Elite Elite

AWAY Bodden Town Scholars Future Elite Scholars Future Future

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iSports

24-26 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com

LOCAL

Cayman Islands U20 WNT tie with Grace (Ind)

Grace’s women’s soccer team got its first international match experience with a 2-2 tie of the Cayman Islands U20 Women’s National Team at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex on Thursday (22).

The Lady Lancers, in the midst of their missions trip to the Cayman Islands, controlled the pace and possession for much of the first half. Grace rattled off a handful of shots in the opening period and was especially dangerous inside 30 minutes.

Kaitlan Wiles had two goalscoring opportunities that were denied, and Jackie Seal sliced a brilliant pass to Lauren Becker, but her shot narrowly missed high from eight yards.

Grace fell behind 2-0 after allowing a low 22-yard shot in the 40th minute and a high bouncing ball in the 60th minute that was misplayed and headed over goalkeeper Carmen Barnhill.

But Grace’s comeback was quick in response. Two minutes after conceding their second goal, Wiles was taken down in the penalty area allowing Jocelyn Evans to finish a penalty kick.

In the 89th minute, Becker attempted to chest a ball in

the box, but a defender clearly handled the chip for the second penalty of the evening. This time, Kelsey Christner hammered home the game-leveling goal.

Grace nearly won the game in extra time, but Wiles’s header over the goalkeeper was cleared off the goal line by a Cayman Island defender.Overall, Grace finished the match with an 80/20 advantage in time of possession.

“The women brought a precise, technical game tonight. I was concerned they would come out

a little wobbly from the heat and playing in this environment, but they showed none of that,” said Grace head coach Michael Voss.

“The [Cayman Islands] U20’s are a quality side and play hard. They have a ton of international match experience under their belt and are an impressive young group. We are very fortunate to be involved with the Cayman Islands Football Association and have been truly blessed by the hospitality of the Women’s National Team and the island.”

Publisher Joan E Wilson Editor In Chief Colin G Wilson MCIM Tel: (345) 323 0300 Printed and Published By: iNews Cayman Ltd. 342 Dorcy Dr., CAC Building, GT, Grand Cayman P.O. Box 10211 Grand Cayman KY1-1002

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