Channel Islands law firm Collas Crill senior partner and head of the firm’s dispute resolution practice, Nuno Santos-Costa, was invited to discuss one of his landmark cases at a MLRO [money laundering reporting officers] masterclass in the Isle of Man.

Nuno was invited to the island by the head of regulatory and compliance services at law firm DQ Advocates, Sinead O’Connor, to address 200 delegates on the successful acquittal of the money laundering reporting officer from Jersey-based firm STM Fiduciaire Limited.

Nuno discussed the background of the proceedings, how the case was defended, what the court considered and the lessons learned from the case.

Held at the Sefton Hotel in Douglas, attendees included compliance professionals as well as members of the island’s law society. Nuno was joined by other speakers including Nicola Pitts from the Attorney General’s Office and members of the Financial Intelligence Unit.

Nuno said: ‘It was a great pleasure to be asked to speak at the island’s MLRO masterclass.

‘There are a lot of parallels between the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands so it’s important to share knowledge and showcase our practice.

‘For this specific case, it was the first time anyone has faced a criminal prosecution for failing to file a Suspicious Activity Report as opposed to facing civil regulatory sanctions.

‘As the requirements for due diligence continue to increase, it’s important for businesses to know, legally, where they stand when assessing risk and combatting cross-border crimes such as money-laundering.’

It’s unlikely that defendant Paul James Galbraith has often been compared to Michelangelo’s David, but that was the analagy drawn in court by his advocate.

Stephen Wood, representing the 21-year-old, charged with several drugs offences, told the court his client was constantly improving and prison should be avoided at all costs.

‘He’s a rough-hewn block of marble and the probation service is our Michelangelo, tap, tap, tapping away as David emerges,’ he said.

‘But whether he emerges quickly enough is a matter for the court to decide.’

Galbraith, of Cushag Road, Pulrose, was being sentenced for two offences of possessing cannabis with intent to supply, on April 1 and January 28, simple possession of cannabis on January 29 and being concerned in the production of cannabis at some time around January 28.

For the prosecution, James Robinson said a police raid on Galbraith’s then address at Kingswood Grove in Douglas on April 1 revealed various stashes of cannabis, including a quantity in a glass jar hidden behind the settee in the lounge, and more concealed in a coffee jar.

The defendant was absent during the search and drove off again when he arrived home and saw police, but was arrested later. Two telephones were seized from him which contained texts that appeared to relate to the supply of drugs.

The total haul for the April raid was 67.7 grammes, worth £1,354. The matter from January 28, related to 160 grammes of cannabis valued at £3,184 and the charge from January 29, referred to 0.9 grammes worth £10.

Mr Wood said it was clear the custody threshold had been passed but he said his client was keen to find work and he hoped to persuade the court that an existing probation order should be continued.

He told the court with the exception of a single breach, Galbraith had complied with the order which was working well. He said Galbraith had effectively addressed a 10-gramme-a-day cannabis habit.

‘He wants to change for the better and this could be damaged by immediate custody,’ he said.

Sentencing him, Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes noted the improvement in his behaviour and favourable references provided.

He received 11 months’ custody suspended for two years and a two-year suspended sentence supervision order. An order was made for forfeiture and destruction of the cannabis.

All schoolchildren in the island will be offered the chance to get involved in a new beach clean-up campaign by local charity Beach Buddies.

The award-winning charity has linked up with the Department of Education and Children for a new campaign starting in January to reduce the amount of rubbish on the island’s beaches and encourage recycling.

The charity will visit all the island’s schools with a presentation showing the history of the charity and its activities since beach cleaning sessions started in 2006. Each school will then be offered the chance to take part in a beach cleaning session.

The charity provides all the necessary equipment, such as litterpickers, gloves and bin bags, and has full public liability insurance and various levels of risk assessments which are currently provided for company events, or for groups like schools, scouts, guides and cubs.

Youngsters will also be shown how Beach Buddies recycles as much as possible of the materials collected on beaches, including plastic bottles, glass, tin cans and metals.

The charity’s founder Bill Dale said: ‘We have been visiting schools across the island for some time, but we wanted to organise something more structured.

‘Our experience over recent years shows that children who have joined us in beach cleaning sessions go away with a very strong message about the damage that is caused to wildlife and the environment by rubbish.

‘We have run sessions for probably more than 50 per cent of the island’s schools in recent years, but we wanted to spread the message to every single child in the Isle of Man, and we’re grateful to the DEC for giving its support.’

All schools in the island have been contacted and the first visits are planned for mid-January.

An advocate from Douglas-based law firm Cains has joined more than 100 delegates at a British Council conference in Tunisia to discuss possible solutions to problems affecting North Africa.

Andrew Newton attended the fifth annual Hammamet Conference last month, which represented views and insights from the worlds of politics, civil society, business, culture and the arts, media and academia.

Andrew said he has returned to the Isle of Man ‘inspired and enthused’ following the conference, and the opportunity to reflect upon the last five years and connect with the varied representatives of North African society had provided ‘positive and aspirational visions for the future of the region’.

He added: ‘The British Council hopes that the conference will provide the catalyst for a continued conversation within the North African region and also between the UK and North Africa.

‘I have made a diverse array of connections in Hammamet to follow up with and I hope this can generate yet further positives following a hugely successful conference.’

The theme for this year’s conference was ‘Visions of a better future’, with the aim of it enabling some of the most influential current and emerging leaders and opinion formers from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and the UK to discuss shared challenges, exchange ideas, and learn more about the latest research and innovative thinking on issues of common concern.

The Hammamet Conference 2016, which took place from November 24 to 26, represented five years of dialogue between leaders of North Africa and the UK.

Its purpose was to share ideas, to respond to challenges and develop innovative solutions to the challenges faced by these countries.

This significant milestone provides an opportunity for Hammamet Fellows to critically review the Arab Spring, chart roadmaps for the future and discuss solutions to the most pressing problems of the next five years.

Tynwald approved a 6.5 per cent increase in the sewerage rate - despite concerns over the impact that rising costs and charges are having on household incomes.

The move sparked a mini-rebellion from MHKs, including Health and Social Care Minister Kate Beecroft, who had campaigned against stealth taxes imposed by the last administration.

And there was concern that while the increase was inflation-only, this was the 6.5 per cent inflation as measured by the Retail Prices Index rather than the 1.0 per cent rate as measured by the consumer prices index.

The debate prompted the first contribution this parliament of Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse who said he was concerned at the size of increase on the ‘squeezed middle’ who he said are under increasing pressure.

‘This type of change will make their challenges even greater, ’ he said, adding this was more problematic when a single person household was expected to pay the same and potentially more than some large families.

Manx Utilities chairman Dr Alex Allinson said the increase in the sewerage rate from 92 to 98p in the pound would raise about £0.3m.

He said the board had original proposed an increase to 122p but the Council of Ministers had determined an inflation-only increase pending a further review of the authority’s financial position.

Based on an average domestic rateable value of £134, the increase will equate to an increase of £8 per year. He pointed out the average sewerage charge in the UK is about £200.

Dr Allinson said a larger increase is arguably required for sewerage infrastructure improvements. He said the debt level of the merged MUA remains at over half a billion pounds and the sewerage business continues to be loss-making. He warned it is likely charges for essential utility services will need to increase in the future.

David Ashford (Douglas North) pointed out that the sewerage rate had risen by 59.9 per cent in three years. ‘I don’t believe people can absorb this in one go,’ he said. Lawrie Hooper (LibVan, Ramsey) said: ‘We are asking the Manx public to pay more through an unfair tax system for an authority that makes a profit to pay for its past mistakes.’

Daphne Caine (Garff) said she could not support an increase at the highest measure of inflation of one of the stealth taxes introduced by the last administration. She said a fairer rating system with reductions for single occupants was needed.

Chris Robertshaw (Douglas East) said he would have accepted a 2 per cent inflationary increase but using the 6.5 RPI rate was a ‘sleight of hand’.

Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan accepted that any increase was going to be unpalatable. ‘We are not magicians,’ he pointed out. ‘This may not be entirely fair but it’s as fair as it can be in the circumstances.’

Tynwald approved the increase by 14 votes to eight in the Keys and five votes to two in LegCo.

Those who voted in support were MHKs Alex Allinson, Tim Baker, Clare Bettison, Geoffrey Boot, Alfred Cannan, Ann Corlett, Ray Harmer, Bill Malarkey, Ralph Peake, Howard Quayle, Bill Shimmins, Laurence Skelly, Speaker Juan Watterson and Chris Thomas, and MLCs David Anderson, Michael Coleman, Geoff Corkish, Tim Crookall and Bill Henderson.

Those who voted against were MHKs David Ashford, Kate Beecroft, Daphne Caine, Rob Callister, Lawrie Hooper, Jason Moorhouse, Martyn Perkins and Chris Robertshaw, and MLCs David Cretney and Juan Turner.

The children of Foxdale School have been given one of the best Christmas presents ever!

That’s according to head teacher Ann Jessopp, speaking to the Examiner after the official opening of new playground equipment last week.

A grant of £11,000 was given by the Manx Lottery Trust, as a delegated partner of the Big Lottery Fund.

And the Friends of Foxdale School are just a little short of the remaining £6,500 for the project.

Mrs Jessopp explained: ‘The old climbing frame was 25 years old and had started to rot.

‘Although we managed to make some repairs we knew it wouldn’t keep passing its safety inspections and as it no longer met current safety standards we decided to try to replace it rather than just have it removed, which was our other, cheaper, option.

‘The playing field and playground are very well used outside of school time so we were aware that this would benefit the whole community.’

The new equipment features a climbing frame and slife, a climbing pyramid and a see saw.

Mrs Jessopp said: ‘The school council chose this selection of equipment because they thought it would be liked and used by all ages and it would be able to be used by a lot of children at the same time.’

The school’s youngest and oldest pupils opened the equipment on Friday morning before all of the children then had the chance to play on it.

‘Even though they got a bit damp they all had a fantastic time,’ she said.

A wide range of fundraising events were organised by the Friends.

They included jumble sales, a summer fair, dress down days, bake sales, bingo nights and a Santa drive.

The project also received a significant boost from a well supported community ceilidh held at the school in October as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations.

Mrs Jessopp said: ‘As a small school of only 65 children I think we have done extremely well to raise the amount we have in just over a year.

‘I think we really have given them one of the best Christmas presents ever.

‘The Friends of Foxdale School knew that this was an ambitious project but we feel it has been worth all the effort.’

There is no evidence to support allegations of corruption at the highest level of government, a high court has ruled.

Isle of Man Enterprises Ltd, owners of Shoprite, claimed links between commercial rival EFB and former Chief Minister Allan Bell had resulted in special treatment over plans for a site at Ballafletcher.

And it accused then Environment Minister Richard Ronan of apparent bias in his decision to grant an extension of time to the planning approval.

Solicitor General Walter Wannenburgh, representing the Department of the Environment, Food and Agriculture, told the High Court that the claimant’s case involved allegations of corruption at the highest level of government.

Shoprite’s owner had lodged a doleance claim seeking the quashing of Minister Ronan’s decisions and a new appeal on two main grounds - the alleged special treatment and bias, or perception of bias, in favour of EFB shown in the planning process and the suggestion that the decisions were ‘unreasonable or irrational’.

The claimant argued: ‘The links between EFB and the Chief Minister resulted in special (i.e. more favourable) treatment for the application made by EFB, or that there is a perception of special treatment.’

Mr Wannenburgh said there were heavy burdens resting on those who made such serious allegations and in this case, the claimant had got nowhere near to proving them.

And Deemster Doyle agreed that case had failed to have been made out.

EFB Property Investments (IOM) Ltd won planning approval in principle in January 2013 for warehousing, office/retail accommodation and leisure facilities on government-owned land at Ballafletcher which it had an option to buy.

In July 2014, EFB applied to convert the former Isle of Man Newspapers printing warehouse on Peel Road into Oddbins wine warehouse and use of part-vacant office area for a cafe and raised cafe terrace (11/00836/B). Planning approval was granted in October that year.

But in January last year, a senior planning officer noted that EFB boss Raj Chatha was looking to extend the time limit on the Ballafletcher Road planning application which he had ‘put on hold at government’s request pending Central Douglas work which might bring forward alternative sites’.

Shoprite chief executive Andrew Thomas objected, saying the original planning approval was flawed and should be allowed to lapse. He said circumstances had changed with the permission granted to the extensive 900m² site for same purposes close by on Peel Road.

In December 2014 the retail liquor licence application for the Peel Road site was refused.

The following March, the planning committee rejected EFB’s development renewal for Ballafletcher. Mr Chatha appealed, that appeal supported by the then Policy and Reform Minister John Shimmin, writing in his capacity as MHK for Douglas West - although Ballaflethcer did not fall in that constituency.

The planning inspector concluded there would be no material harm in allowing the appellant an extra two years and that recommendation was approved by Minister Ronan in July last year.

In the doleance claim, Isle of Man Enterprises’ lawyer Charles Coleman claimed; ‘The Chief Minister and others had been taking an active interest and were publicly supporting the application being granted, but more invidiously, were also apparently influencing the process of the application internally.’

He added the a ‘fair minded and informed observer in these circumstances would conclude that there was a real possibility that the Minister was biased’.

To support their claim Shoprite pointed to Mr Bell’s comments to the media in May 2015 about planning policy not being fit for purpose and investment opportunities being lost as a result.

They also cited an email exchange between Mr Bell and then Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne after EFB’s extension was initially refused. Mr Bell said: ‘How was Shoprite, a commercial competitor with no immediate physical interest in the site allowed Party status? If the rules have been changed, when did this happen?’

Mr Gawne replied he had ‘borne the brunt’ of CoMin criticism at the cabinet meeting the previous Thursday.

But in his judgment, Deemster Doyle said he had not been persuaded that Minister Ronan’s decisions were ‘unreasonable or irrational’.

And he added: ‘Looking at the matter objectively, a real possibility that Minister Ronan was biased has not been demonstrated. The serious allegations of apparent bias made by the claimant cannot be objectively justified in the circumstances of this case.

‘Moreover, there is no evidence that Chief Minister Bell or any other Minister or any officer attempted to improperly influence the decision of the inspector or Minister Ronan.’

A young man who rode a motorcycle just a few yards on the public road with no helmet, licence or insurance has been heavily fined by Douglas magistrates.

John Booker, of Mona Street in Douglas, was in full view of police sitting in a marked police car nearby at the time.

Prosecutor Michael Jelski said the 25-year-old rode his Yamaha 125 from a parking spot on the car park of Elite Vehicles on Peel Road and re-parked it outside another building, also on Peel Road, at around 6.30pm on September 2.

The court heard the bike did have L-plates but Booker did not realise his provisional driving licence had lapsed.

Booker, who represented himself in court, said he lived close to work so if he were to receive a driving ban, it would not have a disastrous effect on him.

Magistrates’ chairman Gill Eaton fined Booker £50 for riding with no helmet and another £50 for not renewing his licence.

He was fined £300 and received four penalty points on his driving licence for riding without insurance, which was invalidated by his licence having lapsed.

However, magistrates decided he should be spared a driving ban. He was ordered to pay a contribution towards prosecution costs of £50

Counting procedures in House of Keys elections need to be standardised across constituencies.

That’s the view of a newly elected MHK who was giving evidence to a Tynwald select committee looking at the organisation and operation of September’s general election.

In the newly formed constituency of Ayre and Michael, it was discovered days later that 103 ballot papers had not been counted – fortunately this did not impact on the outcome of the election.

Tim Baker, who was elected along with Alfred Cannan, told Friday’s hearing that best practice needed to be identified and defined to returning officers: ‘The more standardisation you can do the more chance you’ve got of getting a consistent practice.

‘You’ve got to allow the returning officer a degree of independent thinking but actually make it easier, instead of having each one thinking: “What’s the best way of doing this”?’

He told the committee hearing, chaired by David Cretney MLC, that the problem in Ayre and Michael came because there was ‘no end reconciliation between the number of voting papers and the total numbers of votes cast’.

He added: ‘To me it all appeared to be very organised and slick through the evening.

‘There was never any suggestion anything was wrong until a couple of days after the count.’

His view was shared by Andrew Barton, an unsuccessful candidate in Garff.

At that election count, two ballot boxes, apparently unopened, were spotted after the preliminary election result had been reached.

Mr Barton said: ‘Returning officers need to present themselves in a much more professional manner.

‘This might be a bit harsh, but I was surprised from quite an early point how relaxed it all was.

‘I feel they have got to take into account candidates, successful or otherwise, have actually been taking it very seriously for a considerable amount of time.’

Peter Kelly, who has been captain of the parish of Onchan since 2011, told the committee that more should have been done by government to publicise requisition meetings.

In previous years, press notices were paid for but this year, press releases were issued to various media organisations instead.

‘People look for press notices and can refer back to them. Press releases can be hit and miss.’

Mr Baker said that in his constituency, most people had found out about requisition meetings through word of mouth.

Both Mr Baker and Mr Barton, along with Steve Crowther – a candidate in Arbory, Malew and Castletown – agreed that requisition meetings for voters to meet and question election candidates should be held automatically.

At present, a requisition meeting is called if the captain of the parish receives enough signatures requesting it.

Calls were also made for electronic votes to be introduced at polling stations to speed up the count as well as enabling online voting, if a robust and secure system could be ensured.

The committee also comprised of David Ashford MHK, Daphne Caine MHK, Martyn Perkins MHK and Clare Bettison MHK.

Its remit is to report back to Tynwald with recommendations by the April sitting of Tynwald.

Tynwald Mills has scooped a gold award for being disability smart in the Tiered Award Scheme.

Claire Britnell, store Manager said: ‘The judges’ recommendations from our bronze award last year provided us with a framework to embed disability awareness throughout the whole organisation through consultation, training and ‘‘reasonable adjustments’’. We are proud of our team’s commitment to continually improve customer service to all’.

Through collaborative working the Tiered Award Scheme helps businesses and organisations become disability smart. Reasonable adjustments are considered anticipatory measures which balance the needs of business and organisation with the needs of customers.

Crossroads Care offers online disability awareness training to local businesses and organisations through www.disabilityawarenessiom.co.im.

If you are interested in the Award or training and would like more information contact Crossroads Care on 673103 or email tas@crossroadsiom.org

Manx Telecom has signed an agreement with a Chinese business concern which is one of the world’s largest telecoms companies.

China Unicom Global Limited (CUG), is a subsidiary company owned by China United Network Communications Group Co. Ltd.

It is more commonly known as the China Unicom Group, understood to be the world’s fourth largest mobile service provider by subscriber base.

Manx Telecom will provide the connectivity to facilitate CUG’s ‘CUniq’ UK mobile and roaming product, following its launch in London earlier this month.

CUniq is an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) service that will provide both outbound travellers from China, diaspora communities living in the UK and enterprise customers with one SIM card that allows them to have a UK, China and Hong Kong local product along with global roaming across 45 countries and regions.

CUG chose to work with Manx Telecom because of its connectivity ‘solutions’ and strategic partnerships across the globe.

Manx Telecom is providing local UK connectivity via its relationship with Telefónica.

The China Unicom Group has 350 million mobile subscribers and is expecting to continue its growth plans in China and via its Hong Kong MVNO. There are more than one million China to UK visits every year and CUG expects to make major inroads into this market in the coming years.

In 2015, 269,631 Chinese residents visited the UK, a 45 per cent increase from the previous year and 12.5million visited a destination in Europe.

Gary Lamb, chief executive officer at Manx Telecom, said: ‘We are delighted to have signed a contract with China Unicom Global, one of the world’s largest telecoms companies.

‘This is a major coup for our Global Solutions division, and another indication of our growing reputation in the strongest signal SIMs sector where we are already the UK market leader. We look forward to working closely with China Unicom to make this new partnership a great success.’

Ms Zhou Lisong, executive vice-president of CUG, said: ‘The launch of CUniq is a key component of our international expansion strategy and the result of excellent co-operation between CUG and Manx Telecom. This agreement will allow us to provide customers who are travelling outside our home market with a convenient and reliable way to stay in touch with their family and friends.’

The annual Isle of Man Bank Santa Dash will take place around the streets of Douglas this lunchtime.

The one-mile event will get under way at 12.30pm.

It will start at the bank’s Prospect Hill branch with cash prizes up for grabs in the men’s and women’s categories, plus best dressed Santa Claus, Mrs Claus and team.

The winners will be announced in South Douglas Old Friends’ Association on Finch Road straight after the dash is completed.

Register online here: http://www.iombank.com/iom/personal-banking/santa-dash.ashx?intcam=santa_dash_2015

A 50-year-old Douglas man has pleaded guilty in a summary court to possessing diamorphine worth £56,360.

Liam Patrick Flanagan, of Drury Terrace, has been committed to the Court of General Gaol Delivery for sentencing and will appear there on Monday (December 19).

Flanagan pleaded guilty to three charges. One of being concerned in the production of a class A drug to the island, one of possession with intent to supply, and one of possession.

No application for bail was made and he was remanded in custody.

Applications are invited for a new Accountancy Apprenticeship starting in January.

Twelve placements are available for prospective applicants to work within Isle of Man companies and study towards a recognised qualification in bookkeeping and accountancy.

The scheme is the result of feedback from industry and a working partnership between the Department of Economic Development and Manx Professional and Educational Services (MPES).

Laurence Skelly MHK, Minister for the Department of Economic Development said: ‘This scheme provides a great opportunity for Isle of Man residents to work towards a career in the important financial and professional services sector.

‘The Accountancy Apprenticeship is yet another example of the work the Department is delivering to support industry sectors and develop the skills of the Island’s working population.

‘The response from industry to the introduction of this scheme has been tremendous. Companies including Manx Telecom, Bridgewaters and Kreston (Isle of Man) have all expressed their support for the Apprenticeship.’

Eddy Kewin of MPES said: ‘This is a marvellous new initiative backed by the Department of Economic Development, which will help and benefit local young people and employers alike.

‘MPES are pleased to work with Government to deliver this scheme and look forward to welcoming our first Accountancy Apprentices in the New Year.’

Christian Cowley of Kreston said: ‘We see the Accountancy Apprenticeship as an opportunity to recruit talented individuals right at the start of their career.’

Kelley Corlett of Manx Telecom said: ‘Manx Telecom is delighted to be part of the Apprenticeship scheme and to be investing in the future of the Island.’ Stephen Corran, director at Bridgewaters said: ‘We think this is an amazing opportunity for young people to be integrated into business whilst still being given the opportunity to continue their studies.’ The scheme is aimed at young people, however there is no age limit for applications.

https://www.gov.im/categories/education-training-and-careers/apprenticeships

A Bill that aims to ensure that treasure finds significant to the story of Mann are reported and preserved was unanimously given its second reading in the House of Keys.

The Treasure Bill 2016 will replace the Treasure Trove Act which is a bit of an antiquity in itself, dating back as far as 1586.

Treasury member Ralph Peake (Douglas North), leading the Bill through the Keys, said the lack of modern legislation had led to difficulties in deciding the reward to be paid in the case of the Glenfaba hoard of Viking silver discovered in 2003.

He said: ‘I do appreciate that some members may feel there are more urgent areas we should be looking at with regard to legislation, but nevertheless this Bill, although not seen as urgent, is an important one in terms of safeguarding the tangible heritage of the Isle of Man.’

Under current legislation, only objects made of gold or silver, which have been deliberately buried with the intention of recovery and of which the owner is unknown, can be declared treasure trove.

This affords no protection to the great majority of archaeological finds, even though they may be of great historical or cultural value.

The Treasure Bill broadens the categories of historic items to be protected and encourages the reporting and protection of discoveries of national significance.

Mr Peake explained that two separate consultation exercises had been carried out - the first on the policy behind the proposed new legislation and the second on the draft Bill and code.

The Antiquarian Society, Manx Detectorists and the British Museum had all provided detailed technical comment. Care had been taken both to recognise the important role of detectorist and archaeological discovery, he said, and the Bill contains no restrictions on metal detecting but simply clarifies what should and should not be reported.

A time limit of 300 years has been introduced to focus on ancient and historic objects and to lessen the possibility of an object having a known owner. The Bill requires finders of treasure to notify the Manx Museum and National Trust within 14 days or face a fine up to £5,000 or up to 12 months in jail.

Lawrie Hooper (LibVan, Ramsey) joked: ‘I appreciate there may be other Bills of higher priority, but I think 430 years is reasonably slow even by the standards of this House!’ He said he was not comfortable with principle that whoever finds an object believed to be treasure is responsible for any costs incurred: ‘I would not like to expose someone to the potential risk of significant costs in the highly unlikely event they do come across a substantial find.’

Police are appealing for witnesses following two attempted break-ins at homes in Kirk Michael.

Sergeant Andy Reed of the Western Neighbourhood Policing Team said there was nothing at this stage to link the offences in Kirk Michael to a burglary that took place last week in Andreas.

Police have stepped up patrols after intruders stole property from a house off the Andreas Road while an elderly couple - both in their 70s and with mobility problems - were at home watching TV. That incident took place at about 8pm on Thursday.

At tea-time on Monday, occupants of a house on Main Road, Kirk Michael, reported signs of an attempted break-in.

Suspicious activity was reported at another home on Main Road the following day, again between 4pm and 8pm.

Sergeant Reed said: ‘At this stage they don’t appear to be linked to the incident in Andreas.

‘We are appealing for anybody who has seen anything suspicious to please get in contact.’

You can contact police in Peel on 842208 or ring the Constabulary headquarters on 631212, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Kevin Spacey in House of Cards

Major Danby: ‘Ideals are good, but people are sometimes not so good. You must try to look up at the bigger picture’.

Yossarian: ‘When I look up, I see people cashing in. I don’t see heaven or saints or angels. I see people cashing in on every decent impulse and every human tragedy’.

(Catch 22, Joseph

Heller, 1961)

As a technophobe in the eyes of my children, I marvel at being able to order an entire drama series at the blink of an eye, downloaded to my Amazon ‘Fire Stick’ before the charge has even hit my credit card.

Happy Mary, happy Barclaycard. One such series was Showtime’s cutting-dialogue drama, Billions, allegedly based on the financial crimes crusader, ‘Preet’ Bharara, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, via his fictitious persona, Chuck Rhoades Jnr.

Pitched against him is genius hedge-fund trader, Bobby Axelrod (cue enormous injections of testosterone just for that name alone).

Even female characters seemed infused with male hormones in this gloriously over-the-top sparring match, with bags of conflicted interests and oodles of greed and fear, not to mention an absolute screamer of a short-squeeze (this is a financial term, should anyone think otherwise) thrown in for good measure.

While I largely enjoyed this capitalist romp and the superb acting of Paul Giamatti (Rhoades) and Damien Lewis (Axelrod), my husband, whose feet are more firmly planted in the realities of life than in the abstracts of finance, found the series entertaining, but also rather tiresome.

scheming

The same verdict followed the US version of ‘House of Cards’ starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright as the scheming Mr and Mrs Underwood.

In his summation, the words ‘selfish’, ‘cruel’, ‘greedy’ and ‘shallow’ featured heavily, and while I could not disagree, I found myself instantly regretting the pleasure attained from watching this riot of slander and blackmail.

After all (my argument went), this is only fiction. If this were reality, I would be ashamed of it. But is this reality? Would I thrive on it? Am I in denial?

In late August, the acclaimed FT columnist Martin Wolf suggested that ‘if the legitimacy of our democratic political system is to be maintained, economic policy must be oriented towards promoting the interest of the many, not the few’.

As entertaining as Bobby Axelrod was, on more than one occasion I heard myself saying indignantly: ‘but we’re not like that! We have the interest of the many at heart’.

Not long after our domestic debate, James Anderson, lead manager of the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, differentiated between investing in shares of a company for its long-term future (the primary tenet of capitalism) executed by traditional ‘long-only’ investment managers, and the jet-fuelled short-term speculative activity of short-trading, borrowing shares in a company to make a quick turn.

As Mr Anderson rightly defined, owning part of a company versus borrowing stock are two very different things. One is intentioned towards the creation of value and shareholder rights while the other is primarily designed to destroy capital value (but to make ‘billions’ for the Axelrods of the world). I can just hear the army of super-smart CFAs galloping towards me in an indignant herd (more horses) to protest or perhaps not: one of the benefits of living on a small island surrounded by rough seas.

On the US attorney’s team, another lawyer, Bryan Sacker, is warned by his father that ‘principle doesn’t go away all at once, it’s a creeping erosion’ referring to both civil servants and their hedgie prey.

justify

Here lies the rub: do we justify our actions as investment managers as being purely for the good of our clients, even if it might be to the detriment or disrespect of others?

Am I just another ‘money changer in the temple’, as I was once described by a friend?

It is not the first time I have considered this dilemma during my 23 years as an investment manager, my stomach turning over the cross examination of Wells Fargo CEO, John Stumpf, by senator Elizabeth Warren, concluding that he “squeezed…employees to the breaking point so they would cheat customers”, firing 5,300 “twelve-dollar-an-hour employees” with no detriment to management or the executive.

One of the biggest sticking points of ‘Billions’ was Bobby Axelrod’s decision to trade as the twin towers fell on 9/11.

Paul Crocker reminded me of the general ban we had on dealing at Standard Bank that day; able only to watch the nightmare unfold on our screens with disbelief.

Nevertheless, at another firm, when the 7/7 London terrorist attacks took place, my colleagues and I took advantage of unexpected market bargains, confident that prices would bounce back quickly.

At FIM last year, we sold down holdings in shares of BHP Billiton, the failure of Brazil’s Fundao Dam and the flooding of Billiton’s Samarco mine giving management a perfect excuse to cut an already strained dividend (which they subsequently did).

ashamed

Was the loss of 17 lives a secondary consideration? I am ashamed to say that it was not foremost in my thoughts as I executed those trades, listening to the sound of my principles creeping away.

Deal now, repent later; like a bad dieter on a binge.

For the most part, investment is a positive experience, which is why I have stuck at it all these years; I have the increasingly rare pleasure of actually enjoying my job.

Yet, there is always that ‘Catch 22’, where doing good for one party may ignore the tribulations of another, not dissimilar to the actions of those short traders I vilify.

Like Captain Yossarian, I too may be denied my angels and saints when the time comes.

A Douglas family are taking festive goodwill to a new level – by inviting complete strangers to join them on Christmas Day for afternoon tea.

The event is aimed at bringing people together who may be alone at Christmas .

Sue Cook and her family are inviting people to join them for afternoon tea at Onchan Parish Hall on Christmas Day.

Since putting an appeal on Facebook they have been overwhelmed with offers of food and volunteers.

Sue, who is chief executive of Junior Achievement Isle of Man, said: ‘People may be wondering why we have decided to organise this event.

‘There is no catch, no charge and no religion. All we want to do is bring people together who otherwise may be spending Christmas on their own. The very people I am trying to reach may be sat next to you at work, a single parent, a couple whose children have flown the nest, new to the island or an elderly neighbour.

‘We will be putting on afternoon tea with a few party games and the event is open to anyone of any age. Volunteers have also offered transport for people who may not be able to drive.’

If you would like to join the Cook family on Christmas Day please call Sue on 222999 for the details or email xmas@manx.net

Almost 200 Cub Scouts from around the island took to the ice at Tynwald Mills as part 100th anniversary celebrations of the youth section .

Mark Bentley, leader of 3rd Peel Cub Scouts, said both the children and leaders had a ‘thoroughly great time’ adding: ‘There were many trips spills and splits but also plenty of smiles.’

The evening sessions were offered free of charge by the venue and follows archery sessions being held there over the summer and autumn for Cubs, Scots and Explorers.

Mark said: ‘During 2016 Cub Scouts have been celebrating their 100 year anniversary and events like this are a great way of our island Cubs celebrating this anniversary and taking part in a memorable experience and providing an opportunity for many to take part in an activity that they may never have tried before.’

He said increasing numbers of young people were getting involved in Scouting and more adults were needed to ensure they can continue to provide these fun activities.

Sixth form students from five secondary schools used their powers of persuasion, negotiation and diplomacy as they took up a place on a United Nations Model Security Council.

The annual inter-school competition organised by the UN Association of the Isle of Man sees students represent the 15 nations of the UN Security Council and try to form a consensus to pass a resolution.

President of the Security Council was Lieutenant Governor Sir Richard Gozney, representing the UK, aided by UNA Isle of Man supporters representing the UN Secretariat.

Phil Craine, of the organising committee, said: ‘This year the topic under debate was the all too real Syrian conflict.

‘Each of the five participating schools represented three countries, reflecting the current make-up of the real UNSC, varying in size and power from permanent veto-carrying members such as the USA to small, two-year members such as Senegal.’

The event, partly funded by Trinity Methodist Church, took place at King William’s College on Friday.

Each nation, represented by an ambassador and a counsellor, outlined their country’s position before delegates dispersed into side rooms and corridors to seek alliances and offer compromises. After lunch, amendments were tabled to the draft resolution, voted on one by one.

Mr Craine said: ‘Nine votes in favour were required to carry a decision, so long as none of the five Permanent Members (USA, China, Russia, UK and France) exercised their veto.

‘Finally, the amended resolution was passed by 12 votes to three, calling for an extended ceasefire, humanitarian access and finance, punishment for war crimes, referral to the International Criminal Court, an arms embargo, and resettlement and aid for Syrian refugees.’

Prizes were awarded by Speaker of the House of Keys Juan Watterson. Russian ambassador Amber Young of St Ninian’s High School received the individual prize and the country prize went to China, represented by Castle Rushen students Daisy Moorcroft and Cameron Byrne.

His Excellency and former Deemster William Cain thanked students for their ‘committed participation and willingness to accept compromise, sometimes sacrificing national interest for the sake of reaching agreement’.