100% Butte r Croissan t made with Mix n’ Match Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissan’wich® Bacon, Egg & Cheese Croissan’wich® 2 5 $ for * © 2021 Burger King Corporation. cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 7-13 October 2022 Bush resigns Plans to step down as Speaker on 30 Nov. Pages 5-6 In photos: Big Shave/ Breast Cancer Foundation Gala Pages 14-17 Photo: Taneos Ramsay Issues: Storms reshaping Cayman's coastline Pages 22-23Matinees (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $9.00 (Mon-Fri before 6pm) Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets 640-FILM (640-3456) Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 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. 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WINDS East to southeast at 10 to 15 knots. 90°F HIGH 76°F LOW cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2022 Beauty contest committee reports cyber-bullying and threats Following claims of cyber- bullying and alleged threats against members of the Miss Cayman Islands Universe committee, police have confirmed they are reviewing a complaint from the members “to determine whether it meets the threshold for criminal investigation”. The RCIPS, in response to queries from the Cayman Compass, did not go into further detail about the complaint that was lodged, only saying it was “currently” reviewing it. This news comes as three committee members – Cassandra Powell, Lynn Bodden and Dawn Mclean- Brady – resigned in the wake of mounting pressure after the crowning in August of Tiffany Conolly as Miss Cayman Islands Universe 2022. After the pageant winner was crowned, there followed an outcry on social media amid revelations Conolly was facing trial on assault charges. She has pleaded not guilty and the case is expected to be heard later this month. In their resignation letters, several reasons were cited for the decisions to step back from the committee. Two of the letters referred specifically to the challenge of facing consistent attacks on social media. One of the committee members, in a letter seen by the Compass, explained her decision to withdraw from the committee after serving for a number of years. She said, although she believed in the committee’s objective to empower the women of the Cayman Islands, she could no longer continue to serve. She referred to personal “bullying and retribution” and she wrote “I no longer feel it aligns with the stage I am at in my life”. Man accused of sex crimes on a minor to be extradited to US A Cayman Islands resident wanted in the US on charges of sexual assault against a minor has agreed to be extradited. Appearing before the Summary Court on Wednesday, 5 Oct., Jamaican national Oraine Anthony Duncan signed an irrevocable consent order, which will most likely see him turned over to US authorities within two weeks. Duncan, 39, is wanted by the state of Connecticut on a charge of sexual assault in the first degree on a victim under the age of 16; conspiracy to commit sexual assault; risk of injury to a minor; and conspiracy to commit risk of injury to a minor. Each of the four charges carries a maximum penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment upon conviction. It is not clear when the alleged incidents occurred; however, the provisional warrant for his arrest was issued on 27 May this year by a Connecticut court. After the signing of the consent order, the matter goes to the Governor’s Office, with a recommendation of extradition from Magistrate Vanessa Allard. If Governor Martyn Roper approves the extradition, local authorities will have up to 14 days to turn Duncan over to their US counterparts. Cayman’s invasive species under spotlight Cayman’s ongoing battles against invasive species, such as green iguanas, lionfish and feral cats, have been highlighted in the annual Virtual Island Summit, which addresses issues faced by island nations across the world. Some of Cayman’s top conservation experts were featured in the online event on 30 Sept., which discussed a variety of topics that are common to all islands, including biosecurity, food chain challenges, energy vulnerability, and affordable and sustainable travel. The session involving Cayman was hosted by the Ministry of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency, which is led by Premier Wayne Panton, who pointed out invasive species are not just a nuisance, but can cause “devastating environmental and economic harm”. In Cayman, culls are ongoing to try to keep the numbers of lionfish, green iguanas, rats and feral cats under control in areas where they are having major impacts on other species and eco-systems. 60 packets of cocaine found in dead man’s stomach The coroner’s court recently ruled that a double-amputee, who was found with five dozen packets of cocaine in his stomach, died in 2018 as a result of misadventure. According to a police report presented to the jury, Jill Jarry Ebanks-Dilbert was pronounced dead on 1 Oct. 2018 at the Cayman Islands Hospital. Police were called to the hospital after test results found that Ebanks-Dilbert, 44, died of acute cocaine toxicity. An X-ray of his stomach revealed several packets of what would later test positive for cocaine. “During the autopsy, 60 [packets] of digested substance wrapped in plastic were recovered from the deceased stomach,” read the police report. The discovery of the drugs prompted an investigation which later revealed that Ebanks- Dilbert had returned to Cayman from Honduras some five hours earlier that same day and was picked up by his wife, who took him to their Prospect home, where he complained about feeling unwell. According to medical evidence provided to the jury, Ebanks-Dilbert had both hands amputated as a child after having been electrocuted. “Several lines of enquiries were made both locally and in Honduras... However, no information as to who might have given the deceased the drugs to transport to [the] Cayman Islands was received,” stated the police report. A unanimous verdict of death by misadventure was returned by the jury. Flu vaccine arrives Flu vaccine clinics will be held across the Cayman Islands in the coming weeks following the arrival of the seasonal vaccinations. The vaccines will be available at the Cayman Islands Hospital, District Health Centres in Grand Cayman, Faith Hospital Cayman Brac and Little Cayman Clinic. “The flu vaccine remains as important during this flu season as is with the COVID-19 booster vaccine. Both vaccines can be given at the same time or 14 days apart,” Director of Primary Health Care Dr. Samuel Williams- Rodriguez said in a statement. He added, “All persons 6 months and older are encouraged to get the flu vaccine to protect themselves and others. It is especially important for people at high risk of severe flu- related complications and those who live with or care for them.” The flu vaccine is free to all residents. No appointments are necessary; however, people should indicate to the registration officer at the clinic that they need to have the flu shot, Public Health advised. For more on when and where the vaccine is available, visit caymancompass.com. The culling of green iguanas was one of the battles against invasive species highlighted by the recent Virtual Island Summit, which addresses issues faced by island nations across the world. – Photo: Taneos Ramsay news in briefIT'S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE FIN, THE FIN WE LIVE IN. Effortless luxury is defined by the little things, those that you don't see, that make every stay, meal, outing, and event, truly memorable. From the packed boat picnic to the inflated flamingo floatie, to the hard-to-find spice, the Fl N team ensures every need, must-have and even whim is not only met, but exceeded. For those seeking the extraordinary, there is only Fl N. 345.526.7777 fin@fingrandcayman.com @) fingrandcayman 0 fin.cayman cayman compass 3 FRIDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2022pic of the week After several postponements due to COVID and rough weather, the Cayman United Lionfish League held its 35th tournament 1-2 Oct. to help remove the invasive species from local waters. Overall, 142 lionfish were caught by culling teams, weighing a total of 84.2 pounds, after which they were cooked and eaten. Katie O’Neill took this shot of one lionfish that will no longer pose a threat to Cayman’s undersea residents. Eat ‘em to beat ‘em 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Insane (7) 5 Strike violently (5) 8 Leave in the lurch (4,3,2) 9 Talk garrulously (3) 10 Available space (4) 12 Capital of Chile (8) 14 Quick (6) 15 Cloyingly sweet (6) 17 Feeling of well-being (8) 18 Act (4) 21 Statute (3) 22 In charge (2,3,4) 24 Torment by frequent attack (5) 25 Messenger of Roman gods (7) DOWN 1 Haul down (5) 2 Nothing (3) 3 Implement (4) 4 Short sleep (6) 5 Interpret (8) 6 Make worse (9) 7 Study of past events (7) 11 Subdue (9) 13 Argument for a cause (8) 14 Slyness (7) 16 Prey (6) 19 Ventriloquist’s doll (5) 20 Sustain weight of (4) 23 Large flightless bird (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 17129 The numbers in the black cells are clues. Numbers above the slash are across clues. Number below the slash are down clues. The goal is to enter digits 1 - 9 in the white cells to add up to the number clues. You cannot enter any digit more than once when adding up to clue. TODAY'S SOLUTIONS Puzzle 17129 ACROSS: 1 Lunatic, 5 Crash, 8 Walk out on, 9 Gas, 10 Room, 12 Santiago, 14 Speedy, 15 Sugary, 17 Euphoria, 18 Deed, 21 Law, 22 At the helm, 24 Harry, 25 Mercury. DOWN: 1 Lower, 2 Nil, 3 Tool, 4 Catnap, 5 Construe, 6 Aggravate, 7 History, 11 Overpower, 13 Advocacy, 14 Stealth, 16 Victim, 19 Dummy, 20 Bear, 23 Emu. McKeeva Bush resigns as House Speaker So what is actually happening about the allegations? Is there an ongoing investigation? Is there any moral code in Cayman’s code for those in public office? This includes people with criminal records. Wouldn’t it be good to have something in place to prevent this from happening again. – Regina Ecclefield 2 months resignation notice! That should be immediate! – Dexter Rivers Dexter Rivers, enough time to have a change of mind. – Mary Rankine Wooohooooo! Now get those rules on how MPs are supposed to behave so he can not run ever again. – Dianne Parsons Hawcroft Big Shave raises more than US$300,000 for childhood cancer research This is amazing, but honest question – do any of the funds raised stay in Cayman? – Melanie Thomas Although these funds do not directly benefit Caymanian children with cancer, the research that is funded by these events helps all children, near and far. The Cayman Islands Cancer Society helps those in Cayman, directly. Congratulations all on a job well done. – Wanda Viscount Perfect storm for mosquito breeding after Ian’s passage They are crazy at the Yacht Club West Bay. – Verity Radford They are all over the island, not just Yacht Club. From morning you come out of your house, all day them-a eat you. They have to get them under control. East End, down Farm Road, they are crazy. – Neil Dixon Bouncing back: State of tourism across the Caribbean Let’s hope Cayman Islands keep up. – Robert H Darley Two young Caymanian pilots take to skies on Cayman Airways Express I am very proud of both of you. My husband, Peter, flew with Cayman Airways for 33 years, He flew planes about 40 years. I always admire any young person that makes something of themselves. I will continue to pray for you both and may God keep you safe. Congratulations to both of you. – Ronda S Schmid That’s our Miss World. What a role model for little girls. – Rose Alanna Wow! Congrats, Nathan, on the massive accomplishment! Way to go, Leanni! – Steph Nelson Congratulations! Fly safely and get yourself and passengers to the desired destinations on time, all the time, safe and good. Blessings. – Sharon Deleon Armed men rob car buyer They should put up the ad that he responded to so everyone can see it and also be aware if it. Really sorry to hear what has happened to him. Hope they catch the two of them as well. – Donna Richards People should be able to conduct legal business wherever they see fit. Whether it is through digital means or physical. This story and incident is an absolute shame, like some of the other crimes with illegal guns involved. But who cares until it is their own or themselves. There is still a handful of citizens I know and supporters that want these types of crimes gone. So any of you gassing up these criminals, your criminality is not welcomed, and righteous enforcement will find you. – Salim Mre If you’re meeting someone to buy something with a bag of money, meet them at the police station. – Jason Snyman Caymanian fears for family in Florida as Ian makes landfall Update: My brother was able to use his neighbour’s cellphone to make contact with us late last night (Thursday, 29 Sept.) after losing all communications at 1am yesterday during the back end of Ian. My brother and mom are safe. The neighbour’s home they stayed at and his home luckily had no damage. They have not been able to check on my mom’s house because the roads are either flooded or have fallen trees and debris. Our home town, much like many of the 67+ counties throughout Florida, is a complete disaster and looks like a war zone. Once communications are restored and roads cleared, we are planning on getting my elderly mom out of Florida so I can help my brother out and eventually get my mom here with me. – Lenny Verhoeven What they’re saying Online cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2022Panton: ‘This outcome is in the best interest of the people of the Cayman Islands’ RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compasmedia.ky West Bay West MP McKeeva Bush has tendered his resignation as House Speaker, but won’t be leaving the post until 30 Nov. Bush, in comments to the Compass, maintained he has done nothing wrong, but said he was resigning in the “best interests” of the jurisdiction, following allegations of inappropriate behaviour at a government- organised cocktail party last month. He said he would remain part of the government, as a backbench MP in Premier Wayne Panton’s administration. “I helped put PACT together and I think they have the best solutions for the country. They just need to get it done,” he said in a 5 Oct. interview with the Compass. Panton told the Compass the following day, “This outcome is in the best interest of the people of the Cayman Islands and the Speaker’s family. With this distraction now resolved, we can press on with building a stronger country and improving the quality of life for our people,” he said. Resignation letter Bush, in his letter of resignation to the parliamentary clerk, delivered on 5 Oct., said, “In recent weeks, there have been allegations made against me which have grown into a national distraction. I maintain that I did not assault anyone on the evening of Tuesday, September 6th, 2022, at the [Caribbean Tourism Organisation] event held at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman... [To] avoid further controversy and national distraction, I hereby resign as Speaker of the Parliament effective November 30, 2022, which will provide the Government appropriate time to select and facilitate an orderly change in Speakers,” he wrote. The allegations against Bush are the subject of a police investigation. Police Commissioner Derek Byrne, in a statement on 5 Oct. which did not name Bush but referred instead to a “senior Bush resigns as Speaker cayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2022 5 McKeeva Bush has been Speaker of the House under both the Progressives and PACT administrations. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6»politician”, noted that an investigation file on the matter “is nearing completion, and will be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions”. ‘Political nature’ Bush broke the news of his resignation through an audio statement on the 6pm news on Radio Cayman on 5 Oct., in which he said, “I’m very much fully aware of the political nature the matter has taken on and the negative impact and toll it takes and continues to take on my constituents, my colleagues, my family, the wider country and the diaspora... [causing] grief, mental anguish, and various damages to our well being.” Who will replace Bush is yet to be determined, as Members of Parliament have to vote to elect a new Speaker. The MPs can choose an elected member or select an individual from outside the House. West Bay Central MP Katherine Ebanks-Wilks is the Deputy Speaker. More active role Bush, in his resignation letter, said that, as a backbencher, he could be more active in Parliament and aims to tackle a wider range of issues, bringing private members’ motions and other matters to the floor of the House. As Speaker, Bush is unable to vote on matters before Parliament, unless there is a tie. He said he was committed to ensuring a national conversation about online media outlets, which he accused of smearing people before the facts are known. Bush said matters that are under investigation by police, such as the incident he was alleged to be involved with, were considered sub judice and should not be debated in public or reported in any detail prior to the conclusion of an investigation or court proceedings. He suggested that many others had been impacted and he would bring a motion to Parliament to deal with it. He will remain as Speaker for the new session of Parliament, which started 7 Oct. Opposition: Bush’s resignation ‘unacceptable’ Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart, in a statement responding to Bush’s declaration, said the fact that Bush’s resignation would not become effective until 30 Nov. was “unacceptable to the Opposition and should be unacceptable to all members of Parliament”, as well as to the majority of the public. The resignation comes after Deputy Speaker Ebanks-Wilks rejected the Opposition’s motion of no-confidence in the House Speaker earlier on Wednesday. McTaggart, in a statement after Bush announced he would be stepping down, contended that the Opposition’s motion was valid and there were no grounds for its refusal. Bush, in response to McTaggart’s statement, told the Compass, “My resignation was not to please the Opposition. Not one of them dealing with this matter has any ‘moral high ground’ to preach to any person, accuse any person, or show their face in their pomposity.” No confidence vs confidence At press time, the Opposition’s motion of no confidence in the PACT government was still set to be debated in Parlia- ment on 7 Oct., even though Bush, who was the catalyst for the Pro- gressives motion, has resigned. Government, through Bodden Town East MP Dwayne Seymour, however, had filed a counter-motion to endorse the sitting administration and stave off any notion of a break in the ranks. That motion, which was seconded by East End MP Isaac Rankine and Savannah MP Heather Bodden, states, “Be it resolved that Parliament does declare full confidence in the government”. It was filed after the meeting of Parliament, which was initially scheduled for 5 Oct., was pushed back two days without explanation. The new confidence motion is aimed at bolstering support for the government and neutralising the Opposition’s motion. Seymour declined to explain his decision for the motion, and instead issued a short message. “Thanks for showing interest in my political actions, but I do beg your patience and ask for your attendance at Parliament on [7 Oct.] to hear my explanation which I will only do once and won’t discuss a parliamentary motion outside parliament first, remember I’m only a parliamentary secretary,” he told the Compass in the message. McTaggart told the Compass that the no- confidence motion should not be affected by Seymour’s motion as “we filed first”. “We will see what they attempt to do with the confidence-in-government motion but we expect that our lack-of-confidence motion will be heard and debated before their motion. We do not, in fact, believe that their motion is needed,” he said. Parliament’s Business Committee, at press time, was meeting to determine the Order Paper for the 7 Oct. meeting of the House with a decision on the sequence of the motions yet to be finalised. Motion to oust Speaker rejected Hours before the announcement of Bush’s resignation, Deputy Speaker Ebanks-Wilks refused to approve the Opposition’s no-confidence motion in the Speaker to be debated in Parliament, but gave no reasoning for that decision. McTaggart reiterated he stands by the motion. “Despite calls for the resignation of the Speaker of House from various individuals in the Cayman Islands, including the Premier and the Governor, no reason was given for not allowing this important motion for debate. I, along with my colleagues, believe that this motion deals with a matter which is of grave concern to all those who are resident in the Cayman Islands, but also to those who do business here,” he said. After McTaggart wrote to Ebanks-Wilks asking why the motion was not approved, she responded on 6 Oct., saying the motion had not been submitted in time. She said notice of motions must be given “five clear days”, not including weekends, of a House sitting. She referred to a notice regarding the filing of motions, received from the parliamentary clerk, which “expressly excludes the weekends in the calculation of the 5 clear days”. However, the Opposition leader pointed out that the clerk had, in that notice, counted Saturday in her five- day calculation. He urged Ebanks-Wilks to reconsider her decision to not allow the ‘lack of confidence in the Speaker’ motion to proceed. “The role of the Speaker is an ancient and esteemed one,” he said. “It requires that party political biases be put aside, that fairness and objectivity be paramount, and that the interest of our democracy supersedes all other considerations.” Additional reporting by James Whittaker. December 2020: McKeeva Bush, then Speaker of the House under the Progressives-led administration, is convicted on three counts of common assault on a female bar manager, and is given a suspended sentence, placed under house arrest and ordered to pay $4,279 in compensation to the victim for medical expenses and emotional distress. January 2021: Then Opposition Leader Arden McLean, together with then North Side MP Ezzard Miller, files a no-confidence motion in a bid to remove Bush as Speaker. However, with no sitting of the House being called by then Premier Alden McLaughlin, the MPs sought to trigger a special meeting to force the debate. That attempt flopped as they could not get the necessary signatures to call the meeting. February 2021: McLaughlin calls an early election on 14 April, nearly six weeks earlier than scheduled. April 2021: Bush is re-elected and joins PACT, giving Wayne Panton and his team the numbers needed to form the government. He is once again elected Speaker of the House by the PACT members, the Progres- sives vote against him. September 2022: Allegations of inappropriate behaviour at a government cocktail reception at the Ritz-Carlton involving Bush surface. A police investigation is launched. Panton writes to Bush, giving him a 23 Sept. deadline to tender his resignation. 21 Sept: Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart and his team file a no-confidence motion in the PACT admin- istration, seeking to remove the sitting premier and form a ‘coalition of the capable’ to run the jurisdiction for the remainder of the current term. 23 Sept: The resignation deadline passes without Bush announcing he intends to step down. 29 Sept: Bodden Town East MP Dwayne Seymour files a motion of confidence in the government motion after a planning sitting of Parliament is pushed back from 5 Oct. to 7 Oct. 30 Sept: McTaggart files a motion of no confi- dence in Bush in Speaker. 5 Oct: Deputy Speaker Katherine Ebanks-Wilks rejects the Opposition’s no confidence motion, later stat- ing that it had not been filed in time. 5 Oct: Bush announces his resignation, effective 30 Nov. Timeline to Bush resignation Bush resigns as Speaker cayman compass 6 news N news FRIDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2022 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 “[To] avoid further controversy and national distraction, I hereby resign as Speaker of the Parliament effective November 30, 2022.” McKeeva Bush McKeeva Bush's resignation letter.www.deloitte.com/ky/ESG Our offices are closed today, as our staff spends the day giving back to our community and charities. From October 3rd to 7th, we are celebrating our fifth annual IMPACT Week, and Deloitte’s commitment to our local community. During this time, our people engage in daily drives to benefit local non-profit organizations. Today, for IMPACT Day, we are out of office volunteering our time and focusing our passion and skills towards making a tangible difference in our community. This year’s IMPACT Week projects and beneficiaries are: Beach Clean Ups • Blue Iguana Conservation • Cayman Islands Blood Bank • Cayman Islands Crisis Centre • Cayman Islands Humane Society • Cayman Islands Red Cross • East End Coral Nursery • Literacy is For Everyone (LIFE) • Mission House. Throughout the year, our firm and staff contribute to supporting local organizations that make an impact that matters in our community every day, with a focus on edu- cation, children’s and youth’s health and well-being, environmental sustainability and senior citizens, as well as health awareness and other community causes. We are closed today! Deloitte’s 19th Annual IMPACT Day cayman compass 7 FRIDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2022cayman compass 8 news N news FRIDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2022 MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@compassmedia.ky Former Cayman football administrator Canover Watson took to the stand over the past two weeks to deny any wrongdoing in his ongoing fraud trial. Prosecutors allege Watson was the architect of a complex scheme to scam more than $1 million from the regional sports governing body CONCACAF. He is accused of sending false invoices for sporting equipment that was never delivered and diverting the funds to a company he alone controlled. During his seven-day testimony, Watson went through the chronology of invoices and email correspondence presented as evidence in the case to demonstrate to the court that two Panama companies he established were, in fact, legitimate businesses. The companies used the same name as Pakistan-based Forward Sports, with Watson purporting they were the vendor companies for the football manufacturer. The former football executive said the genuine business ventures were carried out with the Pakistani company’s marketing and sales manager Shakeel Khawaja. Khawaja had testified earlier in the trial that he had no knowledge of the US$1.54 million worth of invoices filed in the company’s name. Khawaja acknowledged that he set up a distribution company with Watson for the Forward Sports brand in Panama under the name Forward Sports Inc., believing he was the 51% shareholder. However, he denied knowing at the time the purpose of a second Panama company, Forward Sports International Management Inc, controlled solely by Watson, which sent the alleged fake invoices and received the funds related to all Forward Sports Panama’s business dealings. The prosecution alleges this company was used to drain CONCACAF of funds with false or inflated invoices. Complex business structure Giving testimony, Watson explained that he initially supported Khawaja’s sales endeavours in his role as football executive of the Cayman Islands Football Association, the Caribbean Football Union and regional confederation CONCACAF, after they were introduced in May 2012. A few months later, this turned into a business partnership with Khawaja, when Watson first set up a Cayman company and then Panama companies under the Forward Sports name. Watson claimed they had the right to use the Forward Sports brand name based on a personal agreement between Khawaja and the equipment manufacturer as global sales and marketing manager. Despite almost 2,000 pages of documents and email correspondence, there is no evidence explaining the exact business arrangement between Watson and Khawaja, who earned a commission from Forward Sports on all the sales he generated. Watson said Khawaja had allowed him to function as Khawaja’s proxy. Khawaja testified that he did not even know what a proxy is. Watson explained the two Panama companies of almost the same name – Forward Sports Inc and Forward Sports International Management Inc – were needed to separate the business’s wholesale and retail activities. Watson said Forward Sports Panama had incurred large expenses by sponsoring national and regional football associations with both equipment and cash. He considered this “wholesale” part of the business an investment to generate interest in the brand. The plan was this expenditure would be recouped by selling national team football shirts and other branded apparel and equipment through retail outlets which were to be set up later. ‘Business partner’ unaware Khawaja had testified that certain orders of soccer equipment between CONCACAF and Forward Sports worth $625,000 were fulfilled and paid for, but that he had never seen three separate invoices for $750,000, $148,500 and $642,400, totalling $1.54 million, that form the basis of the charges against Watson. Khawaja further said he was not aware of Forward Sports having received the money. This was confirmed by the evidence in the case. A balance sheet for the period of 1 June 2013 to 31 Oct. 2014 of Forward Sports International Management Inc, which was later renamed Gol Sports International Management Inc., given to Khawaja by Watson did not reflect receipt of the three invoices. Watson told the court that was because the financial statements had been prepared on a percentage of completion accounting basis. This accounting method reflects revenues and expenses in terms of work completed to date and is typically used for long-term construction projects. A separate ledger showing several items totalling $205,000 as “due to shareholders” followed by the name Shakheel Khawaja, Watson claimed, was wrongly attributed, and not owed to his supposed business partner as a shareholder but to the manufacturing company in Pakistan for goods produced. Email correspondence between Watson and company formation agents in Panama, as well as organisational charts, show that only Watson’s company, controlled through an anonymous foundation named Green Day, had a bank account, that Watson alone controlled. Watson denies conflict of interest Watson denied that, as a member of the CONCACAF finance committee since December 2012 charged with overseeing the organisation’s financial affairs, he should have disclosed to the committee that his own personal business benefitted from a large share of CONCACAF’s equipment expenditures. Instead, he said, he had acted within the statutes for committee members and informed CONCACAF general secretary Enrique Sanz, as the organisation’s chief executive, of his beneficial interest in Forward Sports. CONCACAF officials testified in the trial that it was Sanz who instructed the payments for three invoices to be made but there was no evidence that any of the goods ordered were ever delivered. While the prosecution alleges the invoices were just a vehicle to syphon money from CONCACAF into Watson’s Panama bank account, Watson maintains that email correspondence showed that some equipment contained in the alleged false invoices was ordered and partially shipped. According to Watson, some of the changes in unit pricing and the number of goods ordered were simply due to senior management changing the orders. Gold Cup ushers’ vests The invoices included one order for 15,000 ushers’ vests for the Gold Cup football tournament, which the prosecution claims was bogus. Other than Watson’s testimony, there is no record of the vests having ever been ordered, produced, shipped, received or used. Watson said he had paid for the manufacturing of the vests at a cost of $25,000 and they had been delivered to Sanz in May 2013 at CONCACAF for $148,500. Khawaja testified he had never seen the order, nor commissioned production of the vests. CONCACAF officials testified that there was no evidence the vests were ever delivered and they were not used at the Gold Cup. In any event, they would have been delivered too late for the tournament, given that they were invoiced for pre-payment on 15 July, when the tournament had already started. Watson told the court the manufacturer Forward Sports in Pakistan had never invoiced his company Forward Sports in Panama for manufacturing the goods. Sanz had asked to be invoiced later and for the payment to be included in another cashflow cycle for the organisation, Watson claimed. Watson takes stand to deny charges Watson said Khawaja had allowed him to function as Khawaja’s proxy. Khawaja testified that he did not even know what a proxy is.Topics at the 13th annual Healthcare Conference will focus on non-communicable diseases (NCD) which are non- infectious health conditions that last for a long period of time and are also known as chronic diseases. From genomic sequencing, cardiovascular risk mitigation, tackling stroke and dementia to mental and dental health, the expert presenters will be covering a wide range of information about NCDs. LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS: Dr. Yuliya Linhares Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health Raquel Tobian Infinite Mindcare Dr. Delroy Jefferson Cayman Islands Health Services Authority Dr. Lisa Joels Integra Healthcare Ltd. Dr. Azad Esack Doctors Hospital Dr. Courtney Cummings Cayman Islands Health Services Authority Dr. Darley Solomon Doctors Hospital Jonathan Smellie Cayman Islands Health Services Authority Dr. Wilbert Veit Jr. Dr. Wolfe’s Dental Centre Professor Ian Cumming, OBE UK Ambassador for Healthcare to the Overseas Territories Dr. Chelsea Walton The Wellness Centre Dr. Vineetha Binoy Health City Cayman Islands Rachel Corbett Ministry of Health and Wellness Dr. Ravi Kishore Health City Cayman Islands Andrew Vincent Integra Healthcare Ltd. Derek L Oliver Infinite Mindcare Dr. Francisco Martinez Integra Healthcare Ltd. Professor Andrew Shaw Attomarker Ltd. Fiona McDougall Healthy Futures Ltd. Dr. Lundie Richards Cayman Islands Health Services Authority Visit www.healthcareconference.ky to view the agenda CME CREDITS AVAILABLE cayman compass 9 FRIDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2022Next >