(CNS): The police commissioner made it clear in the wake of the acquittal of Devon Anglin on Wednesday that he believed a guilty man had walked free, despite the findings of Justice Howard Cooke. Anglin was found not guilty of the murder of 4-year-old Jeremiah Barnes after a judge alone trial. The child was killed by a masked gunman at a West Bay gas station while sitting in the family car last year and both his parents had identified Anglin as the killer. However, in his ruling Justice Cooke rejected their visual evidence. Immediately after the verdict Baines said that he had asked the director of public prosecutions to look at the case and launch an urgent appeal, citing the need for the criminal justice system to support the work of the police.

(CNS): Local marine artist and conservationist Guy Harvey has teamed up with award-winning filmmaker George Schellenger to convince the environment minister to keep the current grouper fishing ban at the spawning hole, via celluloid.  “The Mystery of the Grouper Moon” -- shot entirely in the Cayman Islands and supported by REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation) and the Cayman Islands Department of Environment the 45-minute documentary which covers what scientists call one of earth’s “great migrations” is scheduled to premiere on September 13 at the Harquail theatre.

(CNS): Following the recently lauded decision by a local judge regarding free-standing injunctive relief in the Cayman Islands, another judge from the financial court has said the decision was wrong but that the law needs to be changed. In the recent Gillies Smith v Smith case in the Grand Court Justice Charles Quin granted a free standing Mareva injunction, freezing assets in Cayman despite there being no action in the local courts. Last week, however, Justice Peter Cresswell concluded that the decision was wrong but nevertheless granted a free-standing freezing injunction against Cayman companies, despite there being no action here, and pointed out that Cayman legislation was outdated.

(CNS): Although not normally considered an unusual achievement, finance bosses in the public sector were lauded by the premier this week for getting their financial statements to the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) by the 31 August deadline as prescribed in the Public Management and Finance Law. It was, however, unusual as it was the first time since the law was implemented some seven years ago that all of government ministries, portfolios, statutory authorities and companies actually managed to get documentation to the public audit office within two months of the financial year end.

(CNS): Cabinet ministers, UDP back-benchers and top civil servants will be convening on Cayman Brac today (Thursday) for a strategy meeting, CNS has learned. Coinciding with a public meeting being hosted by the Department of Tourism, where the premier will be speaking about tourism in the Sister Islands, McKeeva Bush will also be holding a retreat with his ministers, MLAs and senior officers to discuss government policy. The weekend getaway comes at a time when the premier, in particular, is coming under increasing political pressure from a variety of sources and not just the opposition.

(Gleaner): Christopher 'Dudus' Coke is facing a maximum 23 years behind bars following a guilty plea in New York Wednesday. The 42-year-old pleaded guilty before US District judge Robert P. Patterson. Coke, who was extradited to the US on June 24, last year to answer drug and firearm charges, will be sentenced on 8 December.  Court documents released by a United States press office stated that the former Tivoli Gardens don confessed to racketeering conspiracy in the US and conspiracy to commit assault in aid of racketeering. "The defendant hereby acknowledges that he has accepted this agreement and decided to plead guilty because he is in fact guilty," the plea document signed by Coke states.

(CNS): Devon Anglin was found not guilty of the murder of four-year-old Jeremiah Barnes, Wednesday afternoon, when Justice Howard Cooke said there was "disturbing, unexplained inconsistencies" in the evidence of Andy Barnes, the crown's key witness and the child's father. Jeremiah was shot and killed at the Hell Gas Station, West Bay, while sitting in the Barnes family car in February last year by a masked gunman, whom his parents had both identified as Anglin. However, following a judge alone trial Justice Howard Cooke acquitted the defendant as he said Barnes' visual evidence and that of Dorlisa Ebanks, Jeremiah’s mother, was of no “probative value.”

(CNS): The auditor general said today that there has been some slow progress on thegovernment's accountability to the public, as he presented an updated report on financial reporting. On the deadline day for government entities to submit their accounts for the last financial year, Alistair Swarbrick said there was hope that the government may finally manage to produce some form of timely consolidated report for the most recent financial year, but added that it would not be easy. Changes in the public finance law, the pragmatic approach, some lines in the sand from the audit office and leadership from the deputy governor had all helped to improve the situation, but he warned that there would still likely be issues with the quality of the reporting, which could go on for several more years.

(CNS): Richard Coles, who currently has a duel role in the Cayman Islands, has defended the middle classes in a short article for Cayman Finance, one of the two bodies he chairs. Coles, who took over the leadership of the offshore financial services industry organization after Anthony Travers stepped down, is also chair of the Human Rights Commission. In an article answering a UK newspaper comment that says there is "no moral case for tax havens", Cole says that taxes punish the “sub millionaire, middle classes with two cars in the garage and three children heading for college,” and suggests if this section of the community is stifled there will soon be no community.

(CNS): The police have arrested an eighteen-year-old man for attempted murder in connection with a shooting at a jerk stand in Red Bay in June. The teen is accused of trying to kill 28-year-old Kemar Golding, who was shot through the eye by a masked gunman during a failed robbery but miraculously survived. The man was arrested, police revealed, during an operation in George Town on Tuesday and currently remains in custody. Golding, who is an assistant brewer at the Cayman Islands Brewery and still recovering from his ordeal, lost his left eye in a senseless act of violence that, despite the rising violent crime levels, still shocked the community.

(CNS): The opposition leader has described the premier’s attack on the auditor general and his staff as shocking. In a national radio broadcast on Tuesday, Alden McLaughlin said the bitter, verbal attack which led to the governor publicly chastising McKeeva Bush was unwarranted and a deplorable example of intimidation. The PPM leader said the premier had abused his power in an effort to try and reduce the credibility of the public auditor, who holds a critically important office.  McLaughlin called on Bush to stop criticizing the AG and take note of his reports, and in particular the need to cease political interference in the awarding of government contracts.

(CNS): The president of the Cayman Islands Civil Service Association says the management council has received no official word yet regarding the reinstatement of the 3.2% cost of living allowance (COLA) for public sector workers. James Watler said there had been numerous queries from the membership regarding the proposed reintroduction by the premier but he said he was still waiting to hear from the deputy governor. “We have not yet received any official communication confirming reintroduction, but acknowledge that the premier has indicated he intends to hold discussion with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office,” Watler said Tuesday in the wake of the public announcement by McKeeva Bush on Friday. 

(CNS): Following a weekend of violence in which there was a shooting, a stabbing and two armed robberies police have brought charges against one of the suspects. Following an operation in East End the police arrested a 25 year old man on Sunday and charged him Tuesday morning for attempted murder. The man is accused of repeatedly stabbing another 25 year old man in the neck and upper body during an incident at the Cayman Islander Hotel on West Bay Road in the early hours of Saturday morning following the Wet-fete party. The suspect who has not yet been named was due to appear in court Tuesday. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)

(CNS): A West Bay woman who has made at least a dozen court appearances since she was charged with attempted murder was finally able to speak to the court last Friday when an interpreter was present. 32 year old Laverne Gould who is deaf pleaded guilty via a sign language interpreter to wounding with intent in connection with the incident which took place on Finch Road in West Bay earlier this year. With the assistance of the interpreter Gould apologised to the court for her crime. The woman had stabbed her 63 year old mother, Leanna Ebanks, in the neck while she was sleeping but her parent has written to the court making it clear that she has forgiven her daughter for the attack which was made in a fit of temper.

(CNS): The Cayman Islands auditor general has promised more scrutiny of government procurement as it happens rather than waiting until bids are complete, in light of his recent findings. Alastair Swarbrick told the media last week that his office would be looking more closely at all bids going through the competitive tendering processes to ensure that the rules are being followed correctly. The country’s public auditor and watchdog of the public finances said he would be publishing more reports on the subject and keeping a close eye on how public funds are being spent and how the process improves.