Watson and Rodriguez to face trial together

Canover Watson

(CNS): Local businessman and former chair of the hospital board, Canover Watson, will be tried in May alongside his former personal assistant, Miriam Rodriguez. Both are charged with a number of corruption and money laundering offences in relation to a hospital contract for a payment system. Watson, who faces a long list of offences, was charged in November but Rodriguez, who faces one count of fraud on government and two of money laundering, was not charged until last month.The crown applied to join the cases as the prosecutor said the charges relate to the same alleged offence and neither of the defendants objected. As a result, Justice Charles Quin ordered the joinder and bailed both Watson and Rodriguez to return for the trial on 25 May.

Watson faces ten counts, including six for money laundering in relation to around US$169,000 over an 18 month period between December 2010 and June 2012, when he was chair of the Health Services Authority (HSA) board. He is also charged with conflict of interest, failing to disclose a pecuniary interest, breach of trust and fraud.

Miriam Rodriguez

Watson and Rodriguez have denied the charges.

The crown alleges that Watson had a business interest in Advanced Integrated Systems (Cayman) Ltd, the firm which was awarded the HSA contract to implement a card paying system at the hospital for insurance cover. The prosecution claims that Watson received a US$50,000 payment when AIS got the contract.

Following his arrest in September, Watson, who was also member of FIFA’s audit and compliance committee, was suspended from the footballing body’s financial watchdog temporarily pending the outcome of the case.