iNews Briefs
Diamonds International robbery – Third man appears in court
A 35-year-old man appeared in court earlier today in connection with the New Year’s Day robbery at Diamonds International.
The man, the third person to appear in court in connection with the crime, faced charges of robbery and possession of an unlicensed firearm.
He has been remanded in custody and it is anticipated that he will appear in Grand Court on 24 January, 2014.
Fatal road crash – George Town – Man charged and due in court
A man has been charged and is due to appear in court in connection with a fatal road crash, which occurred last May on South Church Street.
The crash, involving a Mitsubishi Lancer and a Ford Taurus, happened about 3.11 am on Saturday, 18 May 2013, near to Sand Cay Condos. The driver of the Taurus, 21-year-old Zac Quappe, was pronounced dead at the Cayman Islands Hospital following the crash, and the driver of the Mitsubishi was arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving.
A 23-year-old man has now been charged with causing death by dangerous driving. He is currently on police bail and it is anticipated that he will appear in court on 3 February 2014.
Chamber Pension Plan invites members to volunteer as a Trustee of the Board
The Chamber Pension Plan invites their members to volunteer as a Trustee of the Board for the following industry categories:
· Professional & Finance, Employers
· Professional & Finance, Employees
· Industry & Commerce, Employees
· Industry & Commerce, Employers
· Hospitality & Tourism, Employers
· Hospitality & Tourism, Employees
· Voluntary & Self-Employed
If you are interested in possibly participating in the governance of the Plan, please visit www.chamberpension.ky and return your completed form by:
· email to [email protected]
· fax to 745-7699, or
· mail to PO Box 609, KY1-1107
Please call 745-7630 for further information.
Miller says he has found jobs for some of his constituents
North Side Independent MLA Ezzard Miller has confirmed he has found jobs for some of his constituents since his jobs drive at the end of 2013 to place posts held by workers holding term limit exemption permits.
However, not all have found jobs and he said he would be organising a door to door assessment of his constituents’ employment needs and will press employers holding permits to take on local people.
He has called on government to reveal the results of the job drive efforts and partnerships with the private sector, such as CITA and local recruitment agencies that surrounded the immigration reforms last year.
Any Caymanian residing or from North Side seeking work can contact Ezzard Miller during his office hours at the district’s civic centre or email him at [email protected].
Prisoner serving life sentence cannot receive any extra time for another offence
When Kurt Fabian Ebanks (37) appeared in court on Tuesday (7) for possession of 0.903 gram of ganja on July 29, 2013 at HMP Northward, he told Magistrate Valdis Foldats he was already serving a life sentence for murder.
The magistrate, after explaining he could not give consecutive sentences to a life sentence, and after hearing Ebanks plea of guilty to the charge, he gave him a concurrent term of one month without even hearing the facts leading to the charge.
Government misses out on $6.2M duty following Ryan and Ritz deal
The Cayman Islands Government is owed $6.2M by Michael Ryan and his companies that previously owned the Ritz Carlton before it was acquired by Five Mile Capital Partners LLC, for deferred duty on the building.
However, they will not be getting it.
The former United Democratic Government allowed Ryan to freeze the payments being made to government in 2009 following the opening of the hotel in 2005. This was because of financial problems Ryan was experiencing and he had requested more time to pay off the debt. He had tied the debt to other possible development proposals that did not happen.
Even though Cesar Hotelco (Cayman) Ltd (one of the companies owned by Ryan) and Five Mile Capital Partners arrived at a settlement on the dispute between them and it did not include any arrangement to pay government its owed duty.
In a statement Five Mile Capital Partners LLC said:
“The obligation to pay the deferred duty to the Cayman Islands Government was solely the obligation of the former owner Cesar Hotelco (Cayman) Ltd.
“It is not an obligation which created any lien on or otherwise encumbered the hotel or associated properties. The role of the receivers was to act as agents for the companies over which they were appointed and to collect monies owed from debtors to those companies. If any recoveries were made by the receivers they would be used to defray the costs of the receivers and the debt owed to the lender as secured creditor. They had no responsibility for collecting any monies owed to the Cayman Islands Government.”
Finance Minister Marco Archer has said there is little recourse for the Cayman Island Government over the missing money. He said the Ritz deal did not appear to change anything for government.
WSPA back again to curb sales of turtle meat to tourists
The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) is back on Grand Cayman to continue it war on the Cayman Turtle Farm and to prevent it from selling turtle meat.
As a first step they are going to try and persuade government to ban the sale of turtle meat to visitors.
They are having meetings with government officials, including the Minister for Tourism and Deputy Premier, Moses Kirkconnell, and restaurant owners to see how much support they might get.
According to Dr Neil D’Cruze, Head of Wildlife Research & Policy at WSPA, he said there is evidence tourists do not come to the Cayman Islands to eat sea turtle meat.
Police Commissioner says it is right for him to be investigated
Commissioner of Police David Baines has said it is “correct and proper that I should be investigated”.
Speaking to CITN/Cayman27 he said “The use of force by any police officer has to be necessary, justified and proportionate, whatever the context and circumstances.”
The Commissioner was off duty when he saw three men flee the George Town jewellery store, Diamonds International, on New Years Day, and gave chase by driving his car at the getaway vehicle.
After the investigating officers have finalised their report it will be handed over to the Director of Public Prosecutions who will determined if Baines’ actions were warranted under the law or otherwise.
Health City advertising for staff
With Health City Cayman Islands scheduled to open its doors at the end of February they are advertising for staff for the new hospital ranging from administrative staff to specialised doctors.
There are 40 Caymanian-only jobs available and local recruits will be conducted this week.
Dissemination of a Voting Rights Announcement, transmitted by DGAP – a company of EQS Group AG
On January 8, 2014, Indaba Capital Fund, L.P., George Town, Cayman Islands, has informed us according to Article 21, Section 1 of the WpHG that via shares its Voting Rights on Balda AG, Bad Oeynhausen, Deutschland, have fallen below the 3% threshold of the Voting Rights on January 3, 2014 and on that day amounted to 2.79% (this corresponds to 1644591 Voting Rights).
