iNews Briefs
Canover Watson, FIFA member, charged with fraud in CarePay probe in Cayman Islands
Canover Watson (43), a Cayman Islands businessman, a past winner of the Young Caymanian Leadership Award and member of FIFA’s financial monitoring panel has been charged with five separate corruption, fraud, money laundering and breach of trust offenses, in a criminal investigation by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Anti-Corruption Unit, amid a probe into a 2010 public hospital contract for a swipe-card billing system known as CarePay.
Watson is the former chair of the Cayman Islands Health Authority Board. He issued a statement denying any wrongdoing after being questioned and arrested by investigators last August 28th. he has been on bail since.
Watson was temporarily suspended from FIFA’s eight-person audit and compliance committee in September pending the outcome of the Cayman case. The panel scrutinizes FIFA’s $1 billion-plus annual revenue and commercial contracts.
Watson is due to answer the charges in court on Tuesday November 25th.
Cayman Islands rated ‘Largely Compliant’ in latest OECD ratings
Article by Gonzalo Jalles From Cayman Finance Updated: 20 November 2014
28 November 2013 ” (George Town, Grand Cayman) The OECD has released the latest ratings against compliance with FATF recommendations rating the Cayman Islands “Largely Compliant”. The rating places the Cayman Islands only one level below the maximum rankings and places the jurisdiction in the same category as countries such as the US, UK, and Germany.
In this latest ranking by the OECD, jurisdictions are evaluated based on if they have been subject to Phase 2 reviews — a more rigorous peer inspection on the effective compliance with the recommendations. For a country to be subject to Phase 2 review it first has to achieve a certain level of compliance with the Phase 1 review, which is focused on the laws and regulations and their alignment with the recommendations.
“The fact that a country has been subject to Phase 2 review is an indication of its compliance with global standards, and only 50 jurisdictions have undergone Phase 2 reviews at this stage — Cayman being one of them,” explains Mr. Gonzalo Jalles, CEO of Cayman Finance. “We should be especially proud of that achievement.”
Of those 50 countries that have undergone Phase 2 reviews, four are rated Non-Compliant, two Partially Compliant, 26 Largely Compliant, and 18 Compliant.
Mr. Jalles said the Cayman Islands Government should be commended, and Cayman should continue to strive towards compliance with standards providing that such standards are globally accepted and implemented.
“While as a jurisdiction we want to ensure we attract the right business to our shores, we also need to ensure there is a level playing field with our competitors. Sometimes it may not be in our best interest to lead certain initiatives unless we can be assured these standards will be implemented across all jurisdictions,” he added.
US Feds collect $24.7b in penalties—mostly from big banks
By Andrew Ramonas, From Legal Times,
The U.S. Department of Justice in fiscal 2014 secured $24.7 billion from its cases, more than tripling its haul from fiscal 2013, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. announced Wednesday.
The money flows mostly from deals JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. reached to settle financial fraud claims stemming from the 2008 financial crisis. The settlements with the banks accounted for $20 billion of DOJ’s collection.
The Justice Department also pulled in millions of dollars from ATM maker Diebold Inc. in a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act case and auto parts manufacturer Bridgestone Corp. in a price-fixing case, among other matters.
Holder said in a statement:
Every day, the Justice Department’s federal prosecutors and trial attorneys work hard to protect our citizens, to safeguard precious taxpayer resources, and to provide a valuable return on investment to the American people. Their diligent efforts are enabling us to achieve justice and recoup losses in virtually every sector of the U.S. economy.
Holder in his statement urged “leaders from both parties to come together to increase investments in this critical work—so we can ensure that the Justice Department will continue to have the resources we need to build on these efforts.”
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Congress should support the Fighting Fraud to Protect Taxpayers Act, which he and Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on the panel, introduced to boost government efforts to combat fraud.
“Congress can and should do more to ensure that law enforcement can prosecute these crimes,” Leahy said in a written statement.
Of the $24.7 billion collected, $13.7 billion went to the Justice Department and $11 billion ended up outside the agency in the coffers of other agencies and entities.
DOJ collected about $8.1 billion in fiscal 2013. The department kept $5.5 billion, while the remaining $2.6 billion went to other recipients, including state governments.
Cayman Islands: Hedge Funds Care Cayman 10th annual gala fund raising event
When:
November 29, 2014 – 6:00 pm
Hedge Funds Care Cayman is excited to announce that its 10th annual gala fund raising event will be held on 29 November 2014 at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.
For further information, please contact: Geoff Ruddick ([email protected]) or Nicholas Butcher ([email protected])
Location:
Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman
West Bay Road, Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman
Caribbean Export launches publication, OUTLOOK
By Shanelle Weir From PanAmericanWorld
The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) launched its new flagship publication the Caribbean Export OUTLOOK on Wednesday 12th November, 2014 at the Hilton Barbados Resort on the final day of the 2-day high profile Exporters’ Colloquium.
The OUTLOOK publication fills a gap in the market where there are no other publications dedicated to providing market intelligence on trade and exports for the CARIFORUM region. As noted at the launch event by Head of the European Union Delegation to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean H.E. Amb. Mikael Barfod, trade and export data “serves as a critical input for economic indicators, analysis, and the development of national policy and macroeconomic management”.
“Through the OUTLOOK, the private sector will receive relevant information to equip them to enter new markets, gain a better understanding of the strategies used by successful exporters and empower them to understand trends in key export markets” stated Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director at Caribbean Export.
It is believed that this new publication, the first of its kind in the Caribbean is a step in the right direction to not only providing useful information on the key niche sectors that the region could capitalise on but also for the international market to get a greater insight in to trade opportunities in the Caribbean.
“The Caribbean Export OUTLOOK was conceptualised in such a way as to meet the varied needs of our constituents and is a versatile tool that we are proud to add to our Market Intelligence suite of services” expressed Coke-Hamilton.
Caribbean Export OUTLOOK is available free in print and electronically from the Agency’s website in both English and Spanish.
For more: http://www.panamericanworld.com/en/article/caribbean-export-launches-publication-outlook
Fundraiser for Cayman Islands Stingray Swim Club
Viva Espana!
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22ND BY THE SEA AT THE GRAND OLD HOUSE
Enjoy a modern European menu prepared by Grand Old House’s World-acclaimed chefs with Spanish wine pairings.
Reception begins at 7pm.
A 3 course dinner is provided which will include a vegetarian, chicken and fish option with complimentary 6 glasses of wine on the deck by the sea.
PRICE CI5125.00. All proceeds to benefit Stingray Swim Club.
See attached flyer
Turks and Caicos delegation visits Haiti to finalise MOU
From Caribbean News Now
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti — Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Governor Peter Beckingham, permanent secretary ministry of border control and labour Clara Gardiner, and deputy commander (marine division) Inspector Warrican visited Port au Prince, Haiti, on 13 and 14 November at the invitation of the Haitian ministry of foreign affairs. The working visit was to finalise a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Haiti and the TCI and to discuss with the Haitian government and other representatives in Port au Prince issues of common interest.
“I am pleased to say that the Haitian government has agreed the final text of an MOU,” Beckingham commented. “This will be signed by representatives of the two governments, after which we will release the text, and it will cover economic ties as well as illegal migration and people-to-people links.”
“The MOU will not suddenly change the relationship nor immediately reduce illegal migration,” the governor continued, “but it is an indication of the seriousness with which both governments view the growing relationship.”
As well as talks with the Haitian government, including the foreign minister and the minister of the Haitian Diaspora, the TCI delegation also held meetings with the EU, Bahamian, US and Canadian ambassadors, the heads of the UN mission in Haiti and the International Organization for Migration (IOM.)
“There are a number of other possible initiatives arising from our visit, including registration of Haitians in TCI, which I am sure will assist our country to work more closely and effectively with Haiti and the key regional players. Everyone we met recognizes the importance of TCI, despite our small population, in the nexus of opportunities and issues in the relationship with Haiti,” Beckingham added.
Cayman Islands government will not be bringing in multi-year budgets soon
The planned multi-year budget system or to switch the financial year until the beginning of the 2016/17 fiscal year will not happen soon.
CNS are reporting Finance Minister, Marco Archer, has told them he idea to introduce government budgets exceeding the current 12 month span will not come until the end of this term. Government will be delivering is strategic policy statement outlining the budget requirements for 2015/16 next month and the minister said plans to bring in multi-year budgeting have been deferred.
SOURCE: http://www.caymannewsservice.com/politics/2014/11/19/multi-year-budgets-deferred
Uber CEO says Exec’s threats to journalists “showed a lack of humanity” but doesn’t fire him
By Josh From Techcrunch
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has responded to the controversy caused by Uber Exec Emil Michael suggesting the company should dig up dirt on journalists who criticize it, including PandoDaily’s editor Sarah Lacy.
In a tweetstorm, he said that “Emil’s comments at the recent dinner party were terrible and do not represent the company…His remarks showed a lack of leadership, a lack of humanity, and a departure from our values and ideals” He went on to say how Uber needs to instead tell the story of progress and regain consumers’ trust. “I will do everything in my power towards the goal of earning that trust.”
Kalanick stopped short of firing Michael publicly, though, which might have gone a lot farther than just words to repair the situation.
Taste of Cayman to benefit Cayman ARK
The Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA) has announced Cayman’s Acts of Random Kindness (ARK) will be its charity of choice for their Taste of Cayman 2015 scheduled for Saturday February 7th.
Speaking on local television CITN/Cayman27 news last Wednesday (19) Taste of Cayman chairman Steve Hayes said, ““Part of the tourism association is to create those wow moments and create kindness to our guests. What a better way to partner with someone from a charitable organization than someone who creates kindness as well to the Cayman Islands community and for those people who are less fortunate and are needing help from that standpoint, so it was a perfect fit when we chose Cayman’s ARK.”
Haiti to open ID office in the Diaspora
By Nelson A. King From Caribbean Life
Haitians living in the Diaspora will no longer have to fly to Haiti to get a national identification card, a critical document to obtain a Haitian passport or the ability to vote in the country’s elections, according to reports.
Starting next month, the head of Haiti’s civil registry, the National Identification Office (ONI), will open an office in Haiti’s Miami consulate and other consulates in the Diaspora to register Haitians, according to the Miami Herald.
The paper said approved applicants will be issued a card, valid for 10 years, with an assigned number similar to a Social Security number.
With the registry key in determining who can vote in upcoming elections, ONI’s Executive Director Jean-Baptist Fils St. Cyr said demand at the consulates will also dictate where voting bureaus outside of Haiti will be installed to allow Haitians to vote, the Herald said.
Under Haiti’s revised constitution, nationals living in the Diaspora will now be allowed to vote in future elections.
The logistics of Diaspora voting remains a work in process in Haiti, where there is still no schedule for the country’s legislative and local elections now three years delayed, the Herald said.
“There is a motivation among some people in the Diaspora, when they come to [Haiti] for 15 or 22 days, they rush to our office to get a number,” St. Cyr told reporters at a press conference in Little Haiti Cultural Center, downtown Miami.
“Even though the process is long, they never hesitate,” he added. “So we decided that if you have this kind of determination, why not bring the services to the people living in the Diaspora?”
St. Cyr said that, given Haiti Diaspora’s critical role in the country’s economic development, it is not normal for them to stand outside of the political sphere.
“There are a lot of opportunities people lose because they don’t have any identification,” he said, adding that the expansion of the office out of Haiti has become “a matter of necessity.”
For more: http://www.caribbeanlifenews.com/stories/2014/11/2014-11-17-nk-haiti-cl_2014_11.html
Cayman Islands National Trust honours top conservationists
Last Wednesday (19) the Cayman Islands National Trust honoured Cayman’s top conservationists at Government House on West Bay Road
The Governor’s Conservation Awards were developed by the National Trust and endorsed by Her Excellency Governor Helen Kilpatrick.
The awards recognise outstanding achievement in the field of historic preservation and environmental conservation and include, Conservationist of the Year, Corporate Conservationist, Tourism Conservationist, Heritage Preservation and the Lois Blumenthal Youth Conservationist.
The three finalists for Conservationist of the Year were Geddes Hislop, Katrina Jurn and Neil van Niekerk that was won by Katrina Jurn.
All the winners follow:
Conservationist of the Year
Katrina Jurn
Corporate Conservation Award
Divetech Ltd.
Tourism Conservation Award
Compass Point Dive Resort
Heritage Preservation Award
Swanky Kitchen Band
Lois Blumenthal Youth Conservationist Award
Cody Panton
Paul Brock, Kaye Chong honored in Brooklyn
By Bevan Springer From New York Amsterdam Times
A pioneering media visionary who gave Black journalists a voice of their own was recognized for his vision and outstanding leadership at the Wells Fargo Home Mortgage-sponsored Evenings of Excellence and Caribbean Media Exchange leadership awards ceremony in Brooklyn last week.
Paul Brock, the founding executive director of the National Association of Black Journalists and recipient of the 2014 Caribbean Media Exchange Leadership Award, was recognized for giving journalists of color an organization that could speak for them and add to the truth of stories in the U.S. democracy.
“When the definitive history of journalism in the United States is written, Paul Brock will feature for his visionary and pioneering work,” said CMEx’s Lelei LeLaulu, who said Brock’s career, which began in the U.S. Virgin Islands, helped widen and deepen the reach of North American media.
Also receiving the CMEx Leadership Award was Kaye Chong of Caribbean Airlines, who has amassed awards, recognition and respect across the Caribbean Diaspora in the United States as a connector of people in the Caribbean as well as those in the Diaspora.
“Airlines connect countries, but Kaye Chong is recognized as a master connector, especially Caribbean nations, with their people living abroad,” said LeLaulu.
Chong currently serves as the U.S. focal point for special markets with Caribbean Airlines and has helped the airline cement solid relations with the Diaspora, the multicultural and the faith travel markets.
Zhivargo Laing, former minister of state for finance in the Bahamas, delivered a stirring motivational address on the topic of “Discovering the Power to Rise,” about the need to bounce back quickly from adversity in difficult times.
The series, which was also supported by the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, St. Lucia’s Anse Chastanet resort and Comfort Suites Paradise Island in the Bahamas, recognized travel industry veteran Horace Hord and Caribbean television producer Lukkee Chong at a ceremony in South Florida last month.
For more: http://amsterdamnews.com/news/2014/nov/20/paul-brock-kaye-chong-honored-brooklyn/
Scuba Diving Hall of Fame Members meet at Cayman Islands Pavilion at DEMA
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (20 November 2014) The most recent inductees to the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame met again at the Cayman Islands Pavilion at the Dive Equipment Manufacturers Association Show (DEMA) On hand to celebrate their awards were – name each in photo -. The ISDHF is a focal point of the pavilion at DEMA as people are able to walk the red carpet and have their photo taken with a cut out of fellow inductee Lloyd Bridges and others.
Caption) L-R – Chuck Nicklin, Dan Orr, Alese Pechter and Bill Acker. (missing is Neal Watson)
Cayman Islands National Museum celebrates
The Cayman Islands National Museum celebrated its 24th birthday last Wednesday (19) with an event called the “Big Ole Looky Ya”.
Situated in Goring Avenue, George Town, the museum came alive outside with local artists and vendors displaying and selling their wares that included thatch bags, hats, jewelry, aprons, worry dolls, sea beans, soaps, artwork and more.
Food stands served local dishes such as conch, whelk and turtle.
There was also entertainment on hand provided by the George Town Primary School quadrille dancers.
Upstairs in the museum building, “From the Collection” showcased Caymanian arts and crafts that included works by Wray Banker, Deal Ebanks, John Broad, Margaret Barwick, and Bendel Hydes.
Childhood Association to host conference
From Loop Cayman
The Cayman Islands Early Childhood Association will host its third Early Childhood Care and Education Professional Development Conference on Saturday, 22 November, 2014 at the Marriott Resort Grand Cayman.
The conference, sponsored the Ministry of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs, Dart Enterprises, Kiwanis Club, Consolidated Water Company Ltd will have Judy Harris Helm, an author, speaker, consultant as well as an expert in Project Work in Early Childhood. As theKeynote Speaker.
Harris has been assisting early childhood and elementary schools in “integrating research and new methods” through her consulting and training company, Best Practices, Inc. Dr Helm will be addressing about 150 local early childhood practitioners, teachers, caregivers and other stakeholders of Early Childhood Care and Education. She will share her expertise on such issues as the importance of investing in young children, and will provide research-based answers to questions such as “Can We Make Children Smarter?” The overall theme of the conference is “Investing in Young Children Benefits All.”
Other sponsors are Fosters Food Fair, Conyers Dill & Pearman, Cayman National Bank, Cayman Islands Civil Service Association, KPMG, Ritch and Conolly, LIFE (Literacy is for Everyone) and the National Building Society, as well as donations from individuals and the general public.
Attendees will also have opportunities to participate in various workshops that cover six different topics, and organized and presented by local experts in educational psychology, Bilingual education, Science and Math for young children, and meeting the needs of young children with disabilities.
Reina Jefferson, Hon President of the Cayman Islands Early Childhood Association has confirmed that the important goal of the Conference is to remind the publicthat, “all of our young children deserve excellent early care and education.” She also stated that more attention needs to be promoted throughout the society that “investing in high quality, developmentally appropriate early childhood programmes for young children will result in positive effects on children’s cognitive and social and emotional development.”
For more: http://loopcayman.com/2014/11/20/cayman-islands-early-childhood-association-to-host-conference/
Qunar Cayman Islands Ltd Earnings Call (Q3 2014)
Scheduled to start Mon, Dec 1, 2014, 8:00 pm Eastern
After the event has finished, the audio will be available until Tue, Dec 1, 2015 at: http://biz.yahoo.com/cc/4/146634.html
About Qunar Cayman Islands Ltd (NasdaqGM:QUNR)
Qunar Cayman Islands Limited operates online travel commerce platform for travel service providers (TSPs) and display advertisers in the People’s Republic of China. It enables people to find best-value deals through aggregating and processing travel product information from TSPs, into an organized and user-friendly display through its proprietary technology. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People’s Republic of China. Qunar Cayman Islands Limited is a subsidiary of Baidu Holdings Limited.
Just a friendly reminder that some wart removers can catch fire
By Chris Morran From Consumerist
You know those over-the-counter cryogenic wart removers for removing the unwanted clusters of tissue? The FDA says that since 2009, it knows of 14 incidents in which these products have caught fire, doing harm to people and or their property.
In an online Consumer Update posted earlier today, the FDA says it’s received multiple reports of people who “described singed hair, blisters, burns or skin redness,” or cases in which nearby items went up in flames. Only three of the 14 known incidents involved nearby sources of ignition.
“The labeling for these products clearly states that they are flammable and should be kept away from fire, flame, heat sources, and cigarettes,” writes FDA nurse consultant Karen Nast.
Nast says the numerous instances involving no immediate ignition source are “extremely concerning, especially because people may not be aware that everyday household items like curling irons and straight irons can be hot enough to be an ignition source for these products.”
She also believes that there are likely many more instances of wart removers going up in flames because it’s not something that everyone reports to the proper authorities.
FDA dermatologist Markham Luke writes that if you’re going to use one of these at-home cryogenic wart-removal products, that it should only be used as directed on the labeling, and that people should pay attention to the warning — “Extremely flammable. Do not pierce, burn or expose aerosol spray dispenser to excessive heat, even after use or when the dispenser is empty. This may cause dispenser to explode, causing serious injury.”
It also helps if you use the product in a well-ventilated room.
For more:
http://consumerist.com/2014/01/16/just-a-friendly-reminder-that-some-wart-removers-can-catch-fire/
