ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Monday deceMber 7, 2015 Fallout from Jeffrey Webb’s guilty plea continues JaMes Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Sports Minister Osbourne Bodden led new calls for an independent inquiry into Cayman football’s governing body, following allegations that Jeffrey Webb embez- zled funds intended for youth soccer programs. Mr. Bodden said he feared more local figures would find themselves implicated before the FBI’s far-reaching inquiry into bribes and kickbacks at FIFA is over. He insisted that govern- ment, which pulled its $130,000 annual grant to the organiza- tion in August, would not pro- vide any further support to the Cayman Islands Football Ten airporT severance packages ToTaled $173,000 Ten Cayman Islands Airports Authority em- ployees received a total of $173,000 in ad hoc “sev- erance payments” upon their retirement from the authority, airports officials confirmed Friday. The severance payments were not condoned by the authority, and CIAA Chief Executive Officer Albert Anderson said he could not re- spond regarding why the practice of paying severances seemed to prevail prior to his tenure ‘Parade of Lights,’ parade of runners Vicki Wheaton vwheaton@pinnaclemedialtd.com Epic Divers and The Beachcomber condominiums were the winners of Cayman 27’s Parade of Lights, held in the Camana Bay harbor on Saturday night. Thousands of people lined The Crescent along to the Festival Green, jockeying for position to get the best view of the participating vessels. Epic Divers’ Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer- themed 36-foot Newton featured many of the main characters from the popular claymation tale, with some of the costumes and props con- structed from recycled wood, trash bags, cardboard and old clothing. It won the large boat category cash prize and trophy. More than 1,300 people took to the streets Sunday morning for the Intertrust Cayman Islands Marathon, half-marathon and relay. Pawel Kaszyca of Poland won the full mara- thon in 2 hours, 51 minutes and 14 seconds. Cayman’s Marius Acker won the half-mar- athon in 1:21:21. CUC-sponsored student team MDR Boat Builders won the relay in 2:51:29. Runners who have done the race in the past said this year was hotter than most along the course that wound from the George Town wa- terfront, along South Sound to Prospect Point and back again. Runners on the 13.1-mile half- marathon did one lap, while the full marathon runners did a second lap. For more coverage, see Sports section on page 16. 1,300 maraThoners hiT The road Thousands flock To annual floTilla PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 2 » Marathon winner Pawel Kaszyca from Poland crosses the finish line Sunday morning. - phoTo: Taneos ramsaY Mr. Bodden Fireworks light up the sky as gaily decorated boats delight spectators during the annual Parade of Lights at Camana Bay on Saturday night. - phoTo: sTephen clarke2 LOCAL NEWS Monday deceMber 7, 2015 • Cayman Compass www. REGmovies.com SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. © y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - MONDAY - $8.00 THE GOOD DINOSAUR 3D (PG) 12:30 | 1:30 2D | 3:00 | 4:00 2D | 5:30 | 7:00 2D | 8:00 | 9:30 2D HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 (PG13) 12:20 | 3:25 | 6:30 | 9:40 CREED (PG13) 1:10 | 4:10 | 7:05 | 10:00 LOVE THE COOPERS (PG13) 1:00 | 3:30 | 7:10 | 9:50 SPECTRE (PG13) 12:45 I 4:15 I 7:30 REOPENING OUR DOORS TO SERVE YOU THIS IS We’ve reopened Western Union® services at Foster’s Food Fair Island wide. For more information call (345) 943-4700 Thousands flock to annual flotilla It could be said that Epic won by a nose, as not only was it a close race, but “EPIC Journey” was led through the water by Rudolph himself on its bow, complete with glowing red nose. The Beachcomber’s Larson Bowrider went with a “Let it Snow” theme. The boat was festooned with “snowflakes” of various sizes; green lights cov- ering its hull, and “Let it Snow” in large red cursive letters over the bow. There were 12 boats in all, with seven entrants in the large boat category and four in the small boat competi- tion. There was also a showing from the Cayman Turtle Farm as a sponsor vessel, with bright green turtles from bow to stern. A number of the boats chose the story of the Grinch as their theme, yet there was still a nice variety of creative designs pre- sented to the crowd and judges. Everything from “The Polar Express” to “Bruce the friendly shark,” “Cinderella” and “Frozen Wonderland” were bought to life in multi-colored light dis- plays. After the winners were announced at around 8:15 p.m., the fireworks began. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Epic Divers’ Epic Journey won in the large boat category. – Photo: taneos Ramsay The Beachcomber condos’ Let It Snow design won the small boats category. – Photo: taneos Ramsay A spectacular fireworks display followed the parade of boats.– Photo: taneos Ramsay The crew and passengers of the Reel Deal, feeling a little Grinch-like. - Photo: stePhen CLaRKe Turtles were everywhere on the Cayman Turtle Farm’s entry. – Photo: taneos RamsayThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 Cayman Compass • Monday deceMber 7, 2015 The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” In irony almost beyond words (but not quite), the government’s “solution” to the George Town dump site is to make it permanent. Astonishingly, the government has limited even its own solid waste consultants to fashioning solutions to our decades-old dump problem by excluding any alter- native sites. Any elected member (especially those representing George Town) who supports this in situ approach needs to justify his position to the voters as the May 2017 elections approach. Consider the following statement: “It makes some- thing of a mockery of the idea of a 50-year plan if you don’t identify a site for landfill … There is no real scope to expand the George Town facility. Even with maximum recycling, they are delaying the inevitable and kicking the can down the road.” The above statement wasn’t written by the Compass Editorial Board. It was uttered by former Department of Environmental Health Director Walling Whittaker, who ought to know about such things. Now, consider this: “The decision to focus on the George Town site as the only disposal location for Grand Cayman contradicts all previous work done on this subject and is not conducive to establishing an environmentally sound, long-term and sustainable National Solid Waste Management Strategy.” Again, not the Compass. Those words were spoken by Martin Edelenbos, who is engineering coordi- nator of waste management for Dart Realty and a former assistant director of the Department of Environmental Health. While no one can legitimately question the profes- sional expertise of Mr. Whittaker and Mr. Edelenbos, some readers might point out that Mr. Whittaker ran as a candidate under the United Democratic Party banner in the last election and had also been hired by the Dart Group to assist with the proposal to close and cap the existing George Town Landfill and create a new landfill in the district of Bodden Town. Meanwhile, Mr. Edelenbos, of course, still works for Dart. We consider those entries on their CVs to be quali- fications, not disqualifications. Meanwhile, on the current government’s side, senior project manager for waste management Jim Schubert said, “A key focus will be extending the lifespan of the George Town Landfill for as long as is prudently and pragmatically possible, and options being examined include landfill mining and the potential for relocating non-landfill waste management activities and facilities on the site.” That’s what the people are saying. How about the numbers? Government consultants estimate that the landfill will reach maximum capacity in mid-2021. Mr. Schubert hopes the implementation of recycling, diversion and waste-to-energy can reduce the amount of garbage going to the dump by 85 percent – which would, in theory, extend the lifespan of the landfill by more than six times over. The key word in the previous sentence is “hopes.” Does anyone (with the exclusion of Gamblers Anony- mous members who are drawn to long shots) want to bet on Mr. Schubert’s numbers? According even to government consultants, the “quickest” projects, such as recycling, wouldn’t go into effect until 2016 or 2017, and the most impactful projects, such as waste-to-energy, wouldn’t come about until 2019 or 2020. In other words, even if things were to go exactly according to design, there wouldn’t be much lifespan at the dump left to extend. And, after spending tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars, Grand Cayman would still need a new landfill. The time has long passed to address seriously Cayman’s No. 1 environmental issue. Policy should not be guided by slogans (“No dump in Bodden Town”) but by courageous politicians with the fortitude to tell their constituents the truth. And the truth is that in all likelihood, the landfill cannot (and certainly should not) remain in its current location. Messrs. Whittaker and Edelenbos are correct. It’s time to identify and procure the land for the future home of our overflowing landfill. Landfill conundrum: ‘Location, location, location’ Monday deCeMber 7, 2015 • Cayman COmpass The empty case for progressive taxation WASHINGTON – Progressives are increasingly preoccupied with income inequality, and their current hero, Sen. Bernie Sanders, favors increasing the tax system’s progres- sivity. So, in this 103rd year of the income tax, it is timely to note that there still is no intellectually sturdy case for progressive taxation. Arguments for it are in- variably arguments for in- creased equality of social outcomes. Because individ- uals have different vocational desires and different apti- tudes for adding value to the economy, inequality is inev- itable. Because individuals have different social sensibili- ties, opinions will differ about what degrees of inequality are intolerably unlovely (more about this aesthetic metric in a moment). But inequality, even when unlovely to some, is unjust only when it arises from unjust social arrange- ments. So, the degree to which inequality is morally trou- bling depends on the degree to which the process that al- locates wealth does so ac- cording to merit and self-re- liance rather than political influence and rent-seeking. Society should prevent extreme privation, no matter how far the top earners are from those near the bottom. But who is to decide, and how are they to decide, the ideal spread between the top and the bottom of income distribution? The argument for progressive taxation must demonstrate this: such taxation does not do more harm by slowing economic growth than faster economic growth would do good by its distributive effects. Although the argument for progressive taxation usu- ally begins with a moral judgment about social con- ditions, it usually becomes a moral assertion about eq- uitable sacrifices. It asserts that money has declining marginal utility – that $1,000 subtracted from a wealthy person’s income diminishes that person’s happiness, or society’s sum of happiness, less than $1,000 subtracted from the income of a person with a modest income. But this ostensibly scien- tific, meaning empirical, gen- eralization about how people value money often conceals moral judgments about how people ought to value money, or – again, an essentially aes- thetic judgment – about the “social value” of expenditures by the wealthy and the non- wealthy. When these moral judgments are codified in tax policy, they conflict with this idea: “It is one of the virtues of a free society that, within the widest limits, men are free to maximize their satisfac- tions according to their own hierarchy of preferences.” So wrote two University of Chicago law professors, Walter J. Blum and Harry Kalven Jr., in a famous 1952 essay, “The Uneasy Case for Progressive Taxation.” Their understanding of a free society is shared by many conservatives who favor a “flat” or proportionate in- come tax: If taxpayer A earns 20 times more than taxpayer B earns, taxpayer A pays 20 times more dollars. Proportionate taxation al- ways is what progressive tax- ation never is: simple. What justifies progressive taxation, and characterizes progres- sivism, is confidence that at any moment in society’s end- less evolution, what is equi- table can be known and so- ciety can be fine-tuned to achieve it. Which is how we got our baroque tax code. As Blum and Kalven noted, “It is the very nature of ma- jority rule that the majority can vote distinctive bur- dens for the minority.” It is, however, the nature of re- ality that burdens imposed on the wealthy minority can injure the majority by im- pairing economic incentives, thereby suppressing growth. Progressive taxation reduces the rewards of investments, and the real rate of return on savings, thereby encouraging consumption over saving and hence over capital formation. When progressive taxation slows economic growth, it makes inequalities of wealth more durable by retarding the accumulation of new fortunes. And by encouraging constant tinkering with the tax code to perfect equity, progres- sive taxation gives a patina of altruism to rent-seeking by economic factions, whereby government enriches those so- phisticated at manipulating it. Because other arguments produce only an “uneasy” case for progressive taxation, this is the argument of last resort: All striving occurs in, and all success is condi- tioned by, a social context. Each individual’s achieve- ment, like each individual, is derivative of society, which is entitled to socialize – con- script – whatever portion of each individual’s acquisi- tion that society calculates is its rightful share. Because collective choices (provision of education, infrastructure and other public goods) fa- cilitate individuals’ strivings, the collectivity, represented by government, can take as much of created wealth as it decides it made possible. Being judge and jury in its own case, government will generously estimate its con- tributions and entitlements. The arguments for pro- gressive taxation range from the feeble to the sin- ister. The case for it is not uneasy, it is nonexistent. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2015, Washington Post Writers Group GEORGE F. WILL The argument for progressive taxation must demonstrate this: such taxation does not do more harm by slowing economic growth than faster economic growth would do good by its distributive effects.The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 Cayman Compass • Monday deceMber 7, 2015 $1.5 BILLION IT’S TOO BIG TO IGNORE. movingcaymanforward.kyMonday deceMber 7, 2015 • Cayman Compass 6 District Days District Days George Town Kids with Heart bring holiday cheer to Pines residents Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s schoolchildren joined elders at the Pines Retirement Home last week to decorate trees at the home. As part of the Kids With Heart community program, students from Cayman International School, Triple C and Cayman Prep, and home school kids helped res- idents decorate eight pre-lit Christmas trees, which were placed in residents’ rooms. They also put together gin- gerbread houses and trains, while hugging and laughing with residents. Kate Allenger played Christmas songs on her vi- olin, adding to the festive occasion. This year marks the eighth year that the Kids with Heart program has brought together school- children with residents at the home. “The Kids With Heart craft program brings children and seniors together to share youth and wisdom while al- ways enjoying time together,” said Kids with Heart orga- nizer Pamela Webster. Some of the children first started coming to the Pines seven years ago, so they are growing up with their fa- vorite resident, she said. The elders and children also sang Christmas carols. Pines resident Barbara Ebanks said her favorite Christmas song is “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” and Louise Kidd likes “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem.” National Hero Sybil McLaughlin was also present, spending time dec- orating a tree with resident Olive Miller and the children. Ms. Webster said this year the pre-lit Christmas trees and gingerbread house kits were donated by A.L. Thompson’s, Rotary Club of Grand Cayman and the Pink Ladies Volunteer Corp. Olive Miller gets help dressing a Christmas tree from young assistants, from left, Brooke Adair, Emily Walker and Charlotte Webster. Resident Brenda Quin poses by the Christmas tree. Crystal Corkish, right, and Pamela Webster help resident Naomi Oyog decorate a Christmas Tree. George Town’s Auto Spa on Godfrey Nixon Way has reopened after a six-month hiatus. The popular car wash business opened originally in 2004, then closed after Hurricane Ivan that same year, was back in business in January 2005 before closing in May this year after owner Joey Ebank’s HSBC bankers withdrew from the Cayman Islands. He reopened the business in his primary George Town location last month. auto spa is back in businessCayman Compass • Monday deceMber 7, 2015 7 District Days District Days George Town In the Dec. 8, 1965 edition of The Caymanian Weekly, a pre- cursor to the Cayman Compass, a front page story highlighted a notable arrival at the airport. “A single engine Cesena called in at Owen Roberts Airfield on the Dec. 6. It had four people on board, including Mrs. Jerrie Mock of Columbus, Ohio, who is a world famous aviatrix. “Mrs. Mock is one of the very few women who have flown round the world, solo, in a single- engined plane. This feat was per- formed last year when she took off from Columbus, Ohio, on March 19, went east, and arrived back there on April 17. Mrs. Mock, who died in September 2014, was in fact the first woman to fly solo around the world in any type of plane. The Cesena plane she used, The Spirit of Columbus, is now on display at the Stephen F. Udvar- Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum in Virginia. The 1965 article went on to state that on this trip – which began in Columbus and in- cluded stops in Texas, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Bahamas and Florida before returning to Columbus – Mrs. Mock was accompanied by her husband Russell, her sister Barbara Saar and a friend, Alfred Baumeister. Finding ways to get kids to eat food that’s good for them can be a daunting task in the best of times, but one group is doing what it can to entice young taste buds. As part of its commitment to get youngsters excited about nutritious food that is not only easy to pre- pare, but also affordable, Feed our Future, which funds nutritionally balanced, low-cost meals for chil- dren in need, held a fun, interactive session on Dec. 1 at George Town Primary. The “Test Your Taste Buds” edu- cational workshop led by volunteers chef Susan Conley Tuason and di- etitian Chad Collins, drew a lively crowd of children ready to learn about and taste healthy, wholesome food. “A lot of planning and time goes into ensuring these workshops are valuable for all who attend,” said Feed Our Future Chairwoman Stacey VanDevelde, who added that the dishes prepared and enjoyed by all contained a number of locally sourced fruits and vegetables. Organizers noted that when asked to rate this workshop, one young attendee declared it “double excellent.” Feed Our Future delivers up to two workshops annually as a part of the nonprofit food program’s support of needy children and fam- ilies in Cayman. The workshops depend on skilled volunteers and generous sponsors, and Feed Our Future expressed appreciation to Cayman Nutrition, Cost-U-Less and The Westin Grand Cayman, among other sponsors. George Town Primary has been the scene of a number of special events and educational presentations for students in past weeks. On Nov. 23, the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens and the Cayman Island Diabetes Association gave a nutritional talk on healthy eating habits. “The Cayman Islands is struggling from a major health issue and statistics shows bad eating habits contributed to most of the problems,” noted Lions Club of Tropical Gardens project coordinator Jasmine Minott. “Therefore, we think education goes a far way in helping the society to be aware of what is best for our health where nutrition is concerned.” Literacy skills were on the agenda that same week as George Town Primary stu- dents were paid a visit from Rotary mem- bers on November 26, who took part in some interactive reading. On the same day a number of volunteers from UBS came by along with the Kiwanis Book Mobile. 50 years ago Famous aviatrix visits An adventure in food for GT youngsters Healthy eating and reading skills on the menu for students Volunteer chef susan Conley Tuason was on hand to help youngsters learn about and prepare tasty, affordable food at Feed our Future’s Test your Taste Buds workshop held on Dec. 1. The Kiwanis on a visit with their Book Mobile to george Town Primary school.8 LOCAL NEWS Monday deceMber 7, 2015 • Cayman Compass Charles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Mourners gathered Saturday to mark the passing of Julia Almeria Hydes, known affec- tionately as Aunt Julia. She was 106, Cayman’s oldest resident. Family and friends of the West Bay native, including Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush and Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose, remembered Mrs. Hydes for her love of music, strong work ethic, and quick tongue. She passed away on Nov. 30. “She taught us how to live, and she taught us how to die,” Mr. Rose said, speaking from the podium at the Wesleyan Holiness Church in West Bay. Statements came in from government, the National Museum, National Archive and others, calling Mrs. Hydes a “national treasure” and praising her spirit. She was known as a drummer and songwriter. Many called her a cultural icon for her place in Cayman Islands folk music. Henry Muttoo, ar- tistic director for the Cayman National Cultural Foundation, said during the funeral ser- vice, “What a woman; what an artist; what a prime example of a Caymanian.” He said the foundation has many recordings of Mrs. Hydes and her music to make sure her work lives on for future generations. Reading a message from her 35 great-grandchildren and 21 great-great-grandchildren aloud at the service, Gideon Barnett said, “Seeing how ev- eryone speaks about you and how they hold you in such high regard makes us think of how we took for granted all the times we spent together. As kids, we did not realize that you were such a revered icon of the Cayman Islands.” Born Jan. 25, 1909, the youngest of 12 children, Mrs. Hydes raised her five children as a single mother. She lived for much of her life in Boatswain’s Bay, and worked over the de- cades weaving thatch rope, for a dry cleaner and later as a domestic, all the while playing music to supplement her income. “She loved playing Christmas events,” said Alston Ebanks, reading her obituary at the service. In fact, he said, she played those holiday events right up until her final years. ‘Aunt Julia’ laid to rest Longtime West Bay politician McKeeva Bush recollects fond memories of ‘Aunt Julia’ Hydes at her funeral Saturday. She was 106. - PHOTO: CHARLES DUNCAN Two men held a 55-year- old man at knifepoint and robbed him of $35 worth of groceries just before 10:30 p.m. Saturday, police said. According to a Royal Cayman Islands Police Service statement, the man was riding his bicycle on Birch Tree Hill Road when two men stopped him. One was carrying what appeared to be a 9-inch butcher’s knife. Officers searched the area and found some of the vic- tim’s groceries. A 4.3 magnitude under- water earthquake was recorded Saturday afternoon about 60 miles off Grand Cayman. The U.S. Geological Society reported that the earthquake was recorded at a depth of 4.3 miles at 3:20 p.m. Saturday. There were no reports of damage on Grand Cayman. West Bay robbers make off with groceries EARTHqUAkE REPORTED iN CAymAN REgiON Woman wounded at nightclub car park Police responded to a re- port early Saturday morning of multiple fights in the parking lot of Nectar night- club during which an 18-year-old woman suffered a cut to her hand. When police arrived, the woman had already been taken to hospital. Police said she was released following treatment. The fights were reported at 2:48 a.m. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service is appealing for anyone with information about the incident to con- tact the George Town Police Station at 949-4222 or Crime Stoppers at 800-8477 (TIPS).The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Monday deceMber 7, 2015 Dr. Wayne R. Porter MD F.A.A.D. Dermatologist call : 946-9020 between 9am to 5pm Dees Plaza #282 on Crewe Road, GT He will be in office from December 7th - 11th, 2015 Association until it demon- strated it had cleaned up its act and elected new leader- ship. He wants to see a full audit of the association’s books to determine exactly how its money, including FIFA grants, has been spent. Mr. Webb was suspended from football-related activity by FIFA after his arrest in Switzerland in May. He re- mains officially president of the Cayman Islands Football Association, though that is expected to change now that he has pleaded guilty to numerous charges, in- cluding racketeering, money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy. Bruce Blake, first vice president and acting head of CIFA, has called an executive committee meeting early this week to discuss the future of the organization. He de- clined to comment until that meeting takes place. Renard Moxam, whose efforts to challenge Mr. Blake for the leadership of CIFA were blocked earlier this year, said it is time for the clubs to demand change and called on Mr. Blake and others to step aside for the good of the game. “For the sport of football in our country to regain its popularity, transparency, in- tegrity and raise its on-field standards, there must be wholesale changes. Anyone who served under the pre- vious leadership must be removed or resign immedi- ately,” he said. “Elections must be held as soon as possible and a new administration of ca- pable people who have a genuine interest in the devel- opment of the game should take charge.” Mr. Moxam said national youth programs and club development programs had suffered through years of under-funding, while some of the game’s administrators had become rich. “A generation of local footballers, male and fe- male, have been robbed [of] the opportunity to enjoy and perhaps excel in the sport. These are the real victims of this system of corruption,” he said. In a new indict- ment made public Thursday, Webb and Trinidadian Jack Warner, his predecessor at CONCACAF, are accused of misappropriating cash in- tended for youth footballers and for disaster relief, to en- rich themselves. The indictment states, “The conspirators’ corrup- tion of the enterprise ex- tended beyond the payment and receipt of bribes and kickbacks. “FIFA’s provision of money – which totaled in the hundreds of millions of dol- lars – to its member asso- ciations in connection with the Goal Program, Financial Assistance Program (FAP), and other programs created opportunities for officials to embezzle or otherwise fraudulently appropriate funding intended to benefit FIFA’s member associations and their constituent orga- nizations, including youth leagues. Certain of the de- fendants and their co-con- spirators, including the de- fendants Jack Warner and Jeffrey Webb, took advan- tage of these opportunities and embezzled or otherwise personally appropriated funds provided by FIFA, in- cluding for disaster relief.” The reference to disaster relief is understood to relate to allegations that Warner diverted emergency funds intended for victims of the Haiti earthquake. The indictment does not go into detail on this or on exactly which funds Webb is alleged to have embez- zled from FIFA develop- ment programs, and it does not form part of the charges that he pleaded guilty to in November. FIFA has allocated US$2.2 million in GOAL program funding for a center of ex- cellence in Prospect, which currently comprises an of- fice building and a field. It has also allocated just over US$2 million in grants to CIFA through its Financial Assistance Program since 2011, according to publicly available accounts. Virgil Seymour, head coach of the Academy Sports Club, said if any funds in- tended for football develop- ment in Cayman were taken, it was a “slap in the face” to the hard-working coaches who volunteered their time for free to run youth pro- grams, with no financial support from CIFA. “An independent inquiry into CIFA should take place at this point to see where the money went or to re- assure people that nothing was done wrong on CIFA’s part. That would be the next step,” he said. Academy Sports Club was one of two clubs to sup- port Mr. Moxam’s nomina- tion for first vice president in August. Mr. Seymour be- lieves the clubs missed an opportunity at that time to bring change to the organization. “I think we now need to call for an extraordinary general meeting and give the clubs an opportunity to vote again for a new president. Before, some people were loyal because they believed Jeff [Webb] was innocent – they were hoping it was not true. Now that he has ad- mitted it, maybe people have a different perspective.” Both Mr. Bodden and Mr. Moxam backed that stance. Sports Minister Bodden said the only way for the or- ganization to regain credi- bility is through completely new leadership. “Now that Mr. Webb has pleaded guilty, there should be a new annual general meeting and an election for president. We want to see an open election for that role. We need to see proper ad- ministration and proper use of the funds. We can’t con- tribute to an organization that is mired in all this sus- picion,” he said. Mr. Seymour added that Academy Sports Club had never received any funding from CIFA for any of its youth programs. “Me and all the coaches give up our daily time, our vacation and our funds. We do everything to run our programs as professionally as possible. To think people may have utilized it for their own personal gain is a slap in the face.” Ernie Gillie Seymour, technical director of Cayman Athletic, said his program had once received a $5,000 grant from CIFA but it was immediately taken back to pay for player registration and other fees. He said. “If someone is doing work and giving up their time, I don’t mind them getting a little stipend as compensation. I don’t mind that, but not for people to be living la vida and the jet-set lifestyle.” He believes change has to start with new leadership and organization at the club level. He said many club presidents had been in posi- tion for too long and were in it for the wrong reasons. Though Cayman’s rep- utation is suffering now, Mr. Seymour believes, the U.S.-led inquiry may be a blessing if it brings change to the game. “I don’t see this as a bad thing, you know. When Ivan came in and destroyed Cayman, it didn’t destroy Cayman forever. We rebuilt a new Cayman. “Hopefully, we can re- build a new way in football. If that’s what happens, then this is a good thing,” he said. Fallout from Jeffrey Webb’s guilty plea continues CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Webb charges reference local attorney, ‘conspirators’ Sentencing in FIFA case set for June Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Unnamed individuals, in- cluding Caymanians, han- dled some of what U.S. prosecutors said was bribe money paid to Caymanian Jeffrey Webb between 2012 and 2014, according to fed- eral court records released last week. Meanwhile, multinational corporations argued over how to pay Webb millions in exchange for decisions to grant commercial rights for various football tourna- ments held in the Caribbean, Central and North America. Webb, 51, pleaded guilty last month to seven of the original 15 charges against him in U.S. federal court. The main charge in the in- dictment alleges Webb’s participation in a racke- teering scheme, along with a number of other former FIFA officials and executives in Western Hemisphere sports marketing companies. The racketeering charge, which is leveled against all FIFA officials allegedly in- volved in the bribery scheme, relates to making money through illegal activities. The other six charges Webb pleaded guilty to in- cluded three counts each of money laundering con- spiracy and wire fraud con- spiracy. Those charges were filed in May. Federal prosecutors re- vealed a superseding in- dictment on Dec. 3 in which Webb is no longer charged as a result of his guilty plea. The new charges reveal a number of details regarding the Cayman Islands busi- nessman’s activities, and those of his associates that were not previously public knowledge. Webb’s sentencing in con- nection with the guilty plea is scheduled for June 3, 2016 in the Eastern District fed- eral court of New York, pros- ecutors said. His attorney, Edward O’Callaghan, did not return calls seeking com- ment last week. $3 million ‘bribe’ Many of the charges in the former indictment are repeated in the papers pros- ecutors released on Dec. 3. For instance, details of a US$3 million bribe payment requested by Webb via inter- mediaries in 2012 was partly paid by U.S. sports mar- keting company, Traffic USA, the indictment alleges. However, Traffic USA paid only half of the bribe money, the indictment reveals. The other company involved, now named as Media World, also joined in the scheme to ob- tain the marketing rights to certain 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualifying matches – rights that were previously held by Caribbean Football Union member associations. The second portion of the bribe payment, which was promised in 2012 when a $23 million contract for the commercial rights was signed, had still not been paid as of April 2014, the new indictment alleges. It is alleged that Roger Huguet – the CEO of Media World – and Webb’s attaché Costas Takkas, who is also charged in the FIFA probe, met in South Florida to ar- range the payment for Webb. Eventually, some cash was transmitted to Takkas. In one instance dating from October 2014, US$80,000 was wired from a Panama bank account to a Bank of America account in New York City “for credit to an account held in the name of individual #3, a Caymanian attorney,” according to the indictment. The Caymanian attor- ney’s name is known to the U.S. grand jury reviewing charges in the FIFA case, prosecutors said. In December 2014, it is alleged that US$170,000 was wired from Panama to a Deutsche Bank Trust Company account in New York City and then for- warded to an account held by Takkas in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The payments stopped in early 2015, the indictment states, when Huguet was in- formed about the U.S. Justice Department’s ongoing in- vestigation and that Media World “should not make ad- ditional payments toward the US$1.5 million bribe it owed to Jeffrey Webb.” Co-conspirator #24 The indictment refers to another US$1.1 million Webb solicited through an inter- mediary, from Traffic USA, also in 2012. The contract sought by Traffic, according to U.S. fed- eral court indictments, was for the commercialization rights to the 2013 version of the Gold Cup tournament and the 2013/14 and 2014/15 CONCACAF Champions League competitions. The indictment alleges that the rights to those foot- ball games were sold to Traffic USA after then-CON- CACAF President Webb solic- ited US$1.1 million in bribe payments from the company, through an intermediary. CONCACAF is FIFA’s re- gional governing body for the Caribbean, Central and North America. It is alleged that Webb organized a “false invoice” to be sent to Traffic USA to disguise the nature of the payment. The invoice was sent from an unidentified “soccer” uniform company by former CONCACAF General- Secretary Enrique Sanz, prosecutors allege. The indictment alleges: “Co-conspirator #24, like the defendant Costas Takkas, a close associate of Webb, had a connection to ‘Soccer Uniform Company A.’” Co-conspirator #24 is not identified in the court records. Next >