HASTINGS, New Zealand: Hawke’s Bay Today, November 27, 2006 – Napier MP Chris Tremain has denied claims in the book Hollow Men that the Exclusive Brethren played a part in his election campaign in 2005.  The claims were highlighted by Napier’s Labour list MP Russell Fairbrother, who said the Nicky Hagar book claimed that for at least five months from May 25, 2005, until September 17, 2005 election day, the Exclusive Brethren members were involved in Mr Tremain’s election campaign.

Mr Fairbrother said Mr Tremain’s campaign manager was not on the Napier roll and had boasted of having his business interests located in the Cayman Islands, an international tax haven.

Cayman fund manager shot in Caracas

NEW YORK, USA: Investment News, November 27, 2006 – Florian Homm, the co-founder of fund and hedge funds manager Absolute Capital Management, was shot in Caracas, Venezuela on November 16.

“While in a car en route from the airport with a friend they were the victims of an armed theft. Mr Homm and his friend each received a pistol wound, none of which were life threatening,” said a statement from the Cayman Islands-based firm. Absolute Capital Management manages $2.3 billion in assets.

London doesn’t want to be a Cayman

LONDON, England: Hedge Week, November 27, 2006 – Not everyone believes that the UK need aspire to be a domicile for funds, whether traditional or alternative. Says Andrew Collins, a director at Fortis Prime Fund Solutions: “I don’t see the UK wanting to be a domicile for funds. It is a centre of excellence for fund management, whereas Luxembourg and Dublin are centres of excellence for the domiciling and servicing of offshore fund vehicles. London doesn’t want to be a Cayman and can’t be, from a taxation point of view, a domicile for these types of vehicles. What people want to do in London is run the money.”