Webb remains in Swiss jail, bail unlikely
Jeff Webb, currently fighting extradition to the US from a Swiss jail cell (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
(CNS): The Swiss authorities have confirmed that Jeffrey Webb and his co-defendants held in Zürich are unlikely to get bail, though some of the older members of the group arrested this week have requested their release on health grounds. The law enforcement officials have also stated that the men will not receive any special treatment while they remain in jail throughout the extradition process, which could take months as all of the men held in Zürich are fighting the request by the US authorities.
The Swiss media is reporting that several of the seven FIFA officials arrested Wednesday facing corruption charges have said they are too old and not fit enough to be held in jail. Both Eugenio Figueredo, FIFA vice president and CONMEBOL president from Uruguay, and the former president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), José Maria Marin, are both 83 years old.
The authorities there have not revealed exactly where Webb, who is the youngest of the group at 50 years old, and the six other men are being held in Zürich.
The Swiss justice department has confirmed that bail for those waiting extradition is exceptionally unlikely. As a result, Webb, who is still the president of the Cayman Islands Football Association, could be in the Swiss detention centre for several months, given his decision to contest the US request.
While the state of Swiss prison facilities may be more conducive than HMP Northward, Webb will be locked down in his cell for some 23 hours per day — a sharp contrast to the $4,000 per night hotel where Webb was staying when he arrived in Zürich for the FIFA annual congress.
Eugenio Figueredo, former Vice President of CONMEBOL
Webb will have no access to phones or the internet and no contact with anyone other than his lawyer and spouse. It is not clear if Webb’s wife has traveled to the jurisdiction and whether Cayman’s football boss has secured legal representation. It is understood that representatives from Cayman’s office of Maples and Calder may have been in Zürich for the FIFA congress with Webb. That legal firm is understood to be involved in the proposal to create a football arbitration centre here in Cayman.
Swiss justice officials said the suspects won’t be treated any differently from any inmates held there.
“It’s a rude awakening,” said Folco Galli, spokesman for the Swiss Federal Office of Justice in Bern, told the international media. “They have no privileges and they won’t be allowed to get takeout deliveries from the hotel.”
The men have until 8 June to appeal against their incarceration but the chances of them getting bail have been described as extremely slim. “Release on bail is possible, but it’s very, very rare. The law says that the person has to stay in detention for the duration of the extradition procedure,” said Galli. “If we let someone out, and they make a run for it, then Switzerland risks breaching its treaty obligations.”
The next deadline that Webb and the other six will be looking at is 3 July, the 40-day time limit within which the United States has to submit its formal extradition requests, now that the men are contesting them.
“The case against them needs to be laid out in detail,” said Galli. “The main condition is that the alleged crime that happened in the United States has to be punishable if it had happened in Switzerland.”
Historically it is rare for the Swiss courts to deny extradition, a process that averages six months but can take as long as a year.
Webb is not the first person in Cayman to be extradited from the European tax haven. Hassan Syed, who disappeared from Cayman after he was accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the University College of the Cayman Islands, was arrested in Switzerland in November 2013. Cayman requested extradition and after several months of negotiation Syed did not fight it and was returned to Grand Cayman last year. Bailed because of ill-health, the former UCCI president is due to stand trial in September.
However, Webb is facing transfer to the United States, where, if he loses his battle to stop the extradition, the football boss may also struggle to secure bail, given the details of the indictment, the possible jail term and the fact that he is an overseas national.
Alongside Webb, Figueredo and Marin, Costa Rican soccer federation president Eduardo Li; Venezuela FA chief Rafael Esquivel; Costas Takkas, Webb’s attache; and FIFA development officer, Julio Rocha of Nicaragua, were arrested this week in connection with a massive US justice department, FI and IRS corruption probe into FIFA, and in particular the regional federations of CONCACAF and CONMEBOL, over a 25 year period. A second investigation is also underway in Switzerland regarding the controversial awarding of the next two World Cup tournaments to Russia and Qatar.
Other Cayman football officials, including CIFA First Vice President Bruce Blake and CIFA official Mark Scotland, the former Cayman sports minister, and are understood to have traveled with Webb as part of the delegation. It is not clear if the men have remained in Switzerland or if either of them have been questioned in relation to either of the FIFA probes.
Aaron Davidson (left) and Jeff Webb
Meanwhile, one of the sports marketing executives involve in the corruption scandal, who was arrested in New York, has already pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and other charges. Aaron Davidson, the chairperson of the North American Soccer League (NASL) and president of soccer sports management company, Traffic Sports USA, was suspended by the league on Wednesday and entered the plea through his lawyer on Friday.
According to the indictment, Davidson is accused of paying a number of bribes, including several million dollars to Webb to secure the rights for various football tournaments and World Cup qualifiers. US officials claim to have Davidson on tape talking about the bribes and admitting the illegality of the payments.
Category: Crime, World News
I am in no way rejoicing at JW’s arrest but for those who was of the view that corruption or gun violence was brought into Cayman by Jamaicans, i would like to hear what is on y’all minds now.
If Jeff is convicted it will only look bad for Jeff. Not Cayman,USA or Jamaica.
Poor Little Jeffy…
I wonder what they are going to do with him now…
How strange that news outlets are reporting that another Caymanian has bought a house just along from Webb in the U.S. And, he is also facing separate charges of corruption in public office, go figure.
How many more Cayman?
Strange how Caymanian news media seems to be in a hurry to bury this topic or sanitize it. Strange how I can get more information in Europe from the Malay Mail than is available in caymans media.
Yaaaa ta na Cayman prison, nor legal
Wasn’t there some other guy at CIFA who was found a while back to have taken a $40K bribe? What ever happened to that? Did he just resign from his post and ride into the sunset with the $40K tucked away or were there actually some criminal charges pressed? Wasn’t that when Jeff Webb announced he would stamp out this sort of stuff within CIFA etc?
….but instead of people paying close attention, they just allow themselves to be blinded by the next fool who comes along.
I should think RCIPS are probably very relieved about this because it saves them from having to conduct politically sensitive investigations into several high budget CIFA projects.
Oh no it hasn’t.
Announce a full Financial Audit of CIFA before this does any more damage to the reputation of Cayman! What are you waiting for Mr. Scotland?
He’s waiting to get back and supervise shredding is my guess. Hey! only kidding!
One more??
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/05/31/sports/soccer/fifa-soccer-sepp-blatter-cayman-islands.html?referrer=
Interesting how so many have managed to twist every news story or weblink regarding Webb and FIFA into a Cayman issue.
However, we know how certain people flex by now.
In the meantime, I’m wondering how we should interpret and twist this other football scandal currently hitting the headlines?;
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3104458/Leicester-players-filmed-taking-racist-orgy-post-season-tour-Thailand.html
Any advice?
(Seriously, what kind of a society, family and culture produces such utter scum??)
Webb is a high profile Caymanian (probably the highest), long-time president of the Cayman FA, President of CONCACAF. I’d say that makes it a Cayman issue.
As for your other remark, this is a Cayman-based news blog, not a UK based one. If you have anything to say about the Leicester City affair, I suggest you vent on a UK news blog of which there are many.
Surely you aren’t going to answer every criticism of Cayman on this blog by trawling the web for an unsavoury news story from the UK and saying (and I quote) “Seriously, what kind of a society, family and culture produces such utter scum??). That really would be a new low even from you.
If the British people can stick 2 fingers up to the ICC and not only protect its democratically elected war criminals from rightful prosecution, but even reelect them to highest political office, then we as ordinary Caymanians clearly have a right to regard the issues surrounding Webb and CIFA as unrelated to the rest of us.
Obviously you won’t agree – but we have grown to expect that from your kind.
Anyway, is it a British custom to scream racist insults to Asian prostitutes as she rim-jobs you and your 2 naked mates in a bed?
War crimes, abuse of impoverished 3rd world prostitutes, racism … what a classy bunch you are.
As the old people say; “Always consider the source of your condemnation and judge accordingly.”
🙂
Oh dear, your prejudice shines front and center yet again.
“War crimes, abuse of impoverished 3rd world prostitutes, racism … what a classy bunch you are.” So all 65m British citizens painted with 1 brush and you know how many of them personally?
Precisely my point. Please see follow up post.
Just thought I’d give you a chance to go back on your earlier insults. But in classic Whodatis style, you got worse. So, the British are a bunch of people who carry out “War crimes, abuse of impoverished 3rd world prostitutes, racism” according to you.
That’s about all we need to know about you I think.
Please see follow up post.
You really are the most hate filled, bigoted racist on this blog aren’t you.
You maybe interested to know that the Iraq inquiry has not concluded yet so it’s results aren’t yet known, even by you moron.
Plus, at least we are members of the ICC, unlike the U.S. or Cayman for that matter.
So your case against 65,000,000 British is that three soccer players acted ‘inappropriately’ whilst indulging in foursome at a whorehouse in Thailand. Well that’s definitely newsworthy and so indicative of the entire British people who all go to Thailand and indulge on a regular basis.
So whilst we’re throwing rocks. What about the Caymanian junkie whores who hang around BT public beach waiting for a truck driver to stop by so they can have her daily fix. Or the home grown gangsters who shoot and stab each other for ‘respect’ and more drugs. What about the hundreds of work permits that are held by Caymanians without ever knowing or actually employing the holder in person?
You are pathetic, as is the notion that Caymanians are some kind of moral super race when the world already knows that you have tolerated corruption and the proceeds of criminality for decades. The world views this place as a joke, it’s a shame you don’t get it.
Still, one things for sure, you’ll never get arrested for war crimes, you don’t have the balls to publish your identity, let alone serve in the military.
Thank you for proving my point.
(See follow up post.)
Please bear in mind in the future as you and your colleagues lambast the Cayman Islands and its people … Mr. Identity 😉
P.S. Many more people in the world now view the UK as joke when compared to Cayman – just sayin’.
Thank you – to each and every one that replied and voted on my previous post!!
Hopefully the point has been driven home that painting entire countries or nationalities with a brush dipped in the actions, or allegations, of a few individuals is an utterly ridiculous notion.
With any luck we will all think before spouting such vitriol in the future.
TBH I think you meant it, but now realise you went too far. So now “it was only a test to see what reaction I would get – honest”.
You are a pathetic attention-seeker (at best).
Apparently your hypocrisy know no bounds.
How someone who makes a hobby of routinely ” spouting … vitriol” about the entire population of the UK can write the above comment is beyond me.
If you don’t believe me, try reading your initial post on this thread. Apart from the last, every other sentence includes a generalisation about the British absolutely dripping with prejudice.
One good thing – at least you made me laugh and that’s something the Webb affair is certainly not doing.
Jeffrey Webb…bringing undue shame on the Cayman Islands…Lord help us!
Roman Polanski. Rich, white, famous. Convicted of raping 13 yr old girl. Fled US in 1979 and lived happily in Europe until apprehended in Switzerland in 2009 at request of the US. Granted bail and ultimately released. Never extradited.
Jeff Webb. Not near as rich, black, largely unknown. Accused of taking bribes. Let’s see how this ends.
Oh dear, the black sympathy vote has started. And you think the colour of your skin excuses criminal behaviour, isn’t that what you whinge about when wanting money for historical slavery reparations. You really haven’t learnt anything at all, have you.
Not whinging or justifying. Just observing that justice is often blinded by the shade.
And closet racists are blinded by their own ignorance. Why is it that when a white guy is charged with criminality he is a scumbag, and when colour is a factor suddenly it’s a race issue and the accused is being disadvantaged?
No, your name says it all. You just can’t get over the past and move on, so yes you are whining and whinging, and obviously blinded by your shade.
No my dear, I never said or implied any of that. I simply observed that a white man of privilege who was convicted of raping a minor was treated with utmost respect by the Swiss. The question is whether such treatment is afforded to all. But then again we are talking about a nation that once happily accepted gold teeth as deposits.
It is clear that central to your original point is that Polanski is white and Webb is black.
You seem to have missed the point that Webb was only one of many arrested, who between them cover just about all racial groupings. Now if you can demonstrate that the white gentlemen arrested with Webb are being treated differently, you maybe onto something.
Otherwise you are a closet racist with no capacity for objective self-assessment.
As for Webb being ” largely unknown” and Polanski “famous”, presumably meaning more famous than Webb, if only this was true!
“white gentlemen”. Your bias is clear. Emancipation has evidently caused you much lingering distress. Did your family lose everything (or everyone)?
Oh dear, an emotional response, devoid of any factual content, but full of racist content – pretty much in line with your other posts.
You are at least consistent.
I’d love to continue but I keep getting a CNS pop up about posting too quickly. It has been a good troll though and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did……….
racist bigot
Heaven forbid it might end up as a case where justice is served.
“They (i.e. Offshore Havens) may have a veneer of light-touch ‘regulation’, but secrecy is hardwired into their DNA and it can be almost impossible to get information out of these islands.”
“It (i.e. U.K.) should start by ensuring that they make public the owners of the hundreds of thousands of companies they host. This would help remove the opportunity for those tempted to engage in corruption and tax evasion.”
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/may/30/british-offshore-tax-havens-investigation-world-cup-fifa
2:50 pm at 31/05: you are actually helping to further the ignorance of the Guardian — I don’t know if it is one of the notorious yellow tabloids that is so common (in every sense of the word) in that part of the world, but it is entirely false that Cayman has a “veneer of light-touch regulation” and that it “can be almost impossible to get information out of these islands.” Anyone who knows about what has taken place in compliance with international regulations knows this is simply not true. Our compliance is on par with London, New York, Paris — in some cases even more so. And we daily cooperate in sharing information under very well established international treaties and laws.
You do realize, of course, that this is a way of tarnishing the competition? Fortunately, the people who matter — the international financiers and high net worth investors — know what Cayman is about and don’t really look to the tabloids for their information. Thank God for that.
And, by the way, again, be careful of the sources you quote to try to bolster your spurious argument — when you rely on a rubbish sources, your argument similarly suffers.
That may be so, but UK politicians do and they could make life very awkward indeed, perhaps even taking a second look at the Labour party’s election proposals.
Never say never in politics, especially if the U.S requests further controls from London.
@9:52am, you seen to be opposed to the Guardians news release on offshore tax havens and offshore companies registries.
This same information has been shared in other printed publications, not just today, but for years now. What caution does one have to exercise when it is public information referenced in various media releases. Do not believe that people don’t read and/or cite excerpts of importance?
If you have a problem with what’s been published in the media, then use your best efforts to enforce a court ordered gag or have them shuttered for their so call “propaganda” bites.
Please remember your financiers, legal counsel, regulators, and wealthy investors, etc. read the same news as we do, whether you like it or not!
Why are you so fearful of a globally run article, that much the world have already seen and probably read in it entirety — and formed their own opinions?
Oh, did you see the Financial Times articles with similar content. Maybe you might want to blog your sentiments of the Caymans’ compliance on there as well. CNS is hardly the right forum for pouting to masses.
Besides, if the competition isn’t worried about the (international) tabloids, then, why are you?
It’s News; and it’s not your job to verify whether its true or not!
Wha’ya say, the Guardian is like Fox News. Pure Rubbish. Ha-ha 🙂
Hey stupid, Fox is clearly right wing, The Guardian isn’t anything of the sort. Read Tuesday’s copy and indulge in your normal double standards when you see the headlines. I bet you don’t call it rubbish now.
I bet you change your tune about The Guardians veracity when you read the headlines for 2nd June 2015. Something tells me there’ll be a touch of double standards in your argument.
Bribes & Business: The Cayman Islands, a nominal feature as a result of officials with political smarts and a drive for concealed cash.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/31/sports/soccer/fifa-soccer-sepp-blatter-cayman-islands.html?_r=1
If any of them have any sense at all they will give up Blatter and the others to save themselves a few years. Coincidence that JW hasn’t been back home since Canovers arrest? I think not.
I was reading in one of many bad news about FIFA this morning and the news said about 2 million US dollars was sent to the Cayman Islands to build Cifa headquarters. Also saying that 3 football field, one hotel facility and an office supposed to be ready. The only thing that I see when I pass by Cifa next to Prospect Primary School is an office which maybe the cost was 20% of the 2 million US dollars. Also I don’t see any construction going by Truman Bodden stadium to increase the number of the seats. In few days we(in the Cayman Islands) and the world should find where the funds went to.
Why is he avoiding expedition? There’s no easy escape.
Just go to the U.S. and plea his way as close to freedom as he possibly can.
In the end, he will learn that “every man is for themselves and God for them all.”
Corruption is never a one-man show; it involves a network (with some weak links).
Typo? I believe you meant “Extradition”, not “expedition”. Nevertheless, he should give himself up and plea
They are fighting extradition to lawyer up, and to delay commencement of US jail segment (which could be lengthy).
See Comedy Central’s segment at http://www.bustle.com/articles/86360-jon-stewart-reenacts-the-fifa-sting-that-took-24-years-to-complete-his-impersonation. Hilarious!
Isn’t it amazing that despite the fact that Takkas came here in the 80’s, runs Cayman Island registered companies and was obviously influential on the boards of CIFA and CONCACAF, that he is referred to by Cayman 27 as a British national. Surely, as Cayman is a British Territory and its citizens are entitled to hold a British passport, the highlighting of Takkas’s immigration status is a deliberate ploy to distance his criminality from Cayman.
But here’s the thing, you can’t, he acted on behalf of this country and its representative. He utilised Cayman companies, (and possibly banks) to hide criminal gain and probably knows many more on this island who are complicit in this corruption.
I don’t know if Takkas holds a Caymanian passport or has any form of enhanced immigration status, it would appear likely that he must. But I care more that he is allegedly a thieving SOB who will possibly never see Cayman, Cyprus or the UK ever again.
Those are the sort of people Caymanians like to get in tow with. The ones the can propel them to greater heights at all costs. This behavior is rampant in Cayman…just listening to them speak so highly of their business associates. The kind of business associates that have them so mangled in unscrupulous business(es) that the day anything happens entire Caymanian Families are ruined – just like Jeff Webb’s.
Caymanian need to think means to the end, NOT the end to the means; that is, is to analyze the business process and make smart choices, NOT CLEVER ones.
Clever people seek to by-pass the legality and general accepted protocals (i.e. to out-smart people), while the SMART man seeks to follow rules and regulations within the scope of the business and laws.
The rules & regulations (i.e. laws) that Jeff Webb missed was the U.S. Laws and International (Treaty) Laws that applied to FIFA’s business transactions.
The moral of the story is…do not partner with people who are CLEVER, partner with those who are SMART (i.e. law abiding). Mr. Latter is a very clever man who used his political smarts and money to secure his re-election while every other executive member that he gloated about was terminated, with indictments & legal proceedings now hanging over their heads.
Be SMART people. You won’t get it right all the time; but, when you know better, you do better.
Got no sympathy with the 83-year-olds. Old saying – If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.
CIFA needs to appoint a new leader stat! I nominate mackeeva bush.
Aww, no Swiss Miss hot chocolate and nice comfy crisp white sheets. I wonder how bad he has to rough it now during lock down? Sorry your Cayman connections can’t help you now bobo.
Wahh.. Jeffy is in the real Big House Now! (but no Cayman pool).
That musta hit him like a 40-foot container!
Who was the other Caymanian to be extradited?
New News!
Extradicted from Switzerland?
The ‘FIFA Corruption Scandal’ is World News; so, why is the Cayman Islands Government so tight lipped?
Other Caymanian?
No way. This can’t be right.
What? Please say “it ain’t so”.
$4000 per night? What a disgracefully greedy body FIFA is. That’s even worse than Sister Julianna O Connor-Connolly’s sucking at the teet in Doha during a conference that was utterly unimportant to the Cayman Islands and totally unnecessary for a Minister to attend.
It appears to be the way we do things around here. So sorry poor people… Ha ha ha
Jeff and his generation of caymanians was raised and exposed to a culture of vanity and materialism and their value system is based on it’s how much money you acquire to suffice their materialistic appetites and egocentric personalities. And will go to any extreme to sustain that life style and entertain that false sense of power that man given titles allow you to have control over your fellow man .What Profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul.
Please don’t generalize, the majority of us are honest hard working Caymanians taking care of our family and contributing to society in a positive way. Then again maybe you are speaking about yourself.
People are ALWAYS speaking about themselves.
No just talking about the baby boomers! The older generation if Caymanians were and are honorable people. You are right though, its difficult though to hold on to your thought in the face of experiences.
I stand to be corrected. But we cannot deny the facts that this entitlement and selfgrandizment culture is very prevelant in cayman today and many of our people are affected in various ways by it. Unfortunately for us caymanians Jeff alleged behavior currently is the standard we ar going to be judged by due to his global visibility. We honest hard working caymanians saw him as someone who also came from humble beginnings who raised the bar of what we as a people can achieve. Unfortunately like some of our fellow man he became a victim of his own success. For those that don’t know already, may we all learn and teach our children that in the face of success we must not compromise our principles and integrity for short time advantages in whatever form they maybe.
I don’t judge everyone by the actions of a few. If I did that, my view on immigration would be a lot different.
I belong to “his generation of Caymanians”. Do NOT lump me in with the “culture” you describe. I am sure there are many others like me as well. There are some who subscribe to this “culture” but you should NOT make generalised statements. If you want proof. State you name and contact details, I will get in touch and we can meet for a coffee/soda to compare personal cultures, materialisms, life styles, etc.
Such a holier than thou attitude! I wonder about people who are so ready to condemn — wonder about the skeletons in them there closets!
A whole lot of us don’t have 150 million dollar skeletons.
Yes, safe to say we are very ready to condemn a man mentioned >75 times in a 150 page federal grand jury criminal indictment, and would add, have no regret in doing so.
I really think that you Mr/Ms nobody 1:36 pm you must be really talking about yourself when you say Webb generation, why don’t you sign your name when saying stupid words like that . I am in Webb generation , I have money, and honesty , and integrity, and would not have done what Webb is involved in . So please shut your mouth and go back to exactly where you came from .
I come from here!
No way, I’m not back to West Bay for you or anyone else.
That “go back to where you came from” crap is so overplayed and only makes you look bad. News flash, you are in this country because someone came here. Should your ancestors have been subjected to this kind of bullying I’m sure you would not be pleased. How they any different then the expats today? We are all just people, trying to make it in this world, sometimes in our country of birth, or sometimes we travel to a country with better opportunities. Why should those people be subject to abuse by the local people? Oh and another news flash for you, we are all human, all equal. I’m sure if the your children sough out opportunities in other emerging markets you would wish them well and hope that they are treated with respect wherever they go. What if someone told them to leave and go back to their country? treat your fellow man how you’d want your children to be treated.
Bravo!!!
Now they are the words of a true Caymanian. Non judgemental, kind, sincere and said with true love in their heart.
What happened Cayman, why are you so bitter towards those who came to build your country and add considerably to your wealth?
I hope you walk the walk and not just talk the talk. Easy to teach someone a lesson but do you practice what you preach? I hope you are true to your word.
I suspect your comments are based on how your own that are the age of Jeff live because my sister is his classmate and she doesn’t believe or live in any expectations of rights or priviledges!
She’s worked all her life for everything she owns!
But may I suggest meeting at IOCA tomorrow @ 10am for an in-depth discussion! I’ll be wearing a black pants with a navy and black-striped top!
I figure we can have a wonderful discussion of ALL generations including yours and pick of those you speak of!
In case you haven’t bothered to read the article says two are 83 yrs old…….that’s a whopping 31 yrs difference and they’re the age of his now deceased dad!!
So then I guess your statement is wrecked with false assumptions!
Plz READ before writing and plz active brain before opening mouth!
Indeed I beg you please look in the mirror and recall the many offences you committed and haven’t asked forgiveness for as the Bible says:- those without sin cast the first stone and that statement is for ALL making comments!
Don’t judge because every day we read of how others have fallen and one day it will be your turn as Karma take a visit to you Mr and Mrs Perfect commenting here!
The USA jails are already full of INNOCENT ppl many who have been compensated for the years languished in prison!
Happy Sunday…….now go and aid some poor soul in need instead of praying for Jeff to be convicted!
Idiot.
Well, the Anglo Saxon way is the right way. Corruption and greed.
Just a shame Africans and Afro Caribbeans didn’t learn that lesson and instead made it into an art form.
racist bigot
One things for certain, the black man needs no lesson from the Anglo Saxon man when it comes to corruption and shafting his own people. Africans have been doing it for centuries and continue to this day. The list of despots on that continent grows year on year. Killing, displacing, abusing and starving their own people to fund their vain glorious egos and sycophantic followers. They steal everything to maintain power over the poor and uneducated, they kill anyone who challenges their authority.
Is that racist or is it fact expressed in free speech in a free country? Whatever. But you can’t deny its happening, unless your own racism blinds you to the evidence.
I also notice that you failed to criticise the comment at 5:49am, even though it is a clearly racist observation based on opinion. Or is it an ironic comment? Hard one eh?
I hear its cool in Switzerland this time of year…
Once down the rabbit hole you can’t get back out.
Surely FIFA must have been concerned with high level officers coming from places as notorious as the Caymans?
It is so annoying to see rubbish comments like these being published. This is what prompts people to say — why are you here? Isn’t it time u go back home to the haven you tore yourself away from? Please feel free to pack up and return. And good riddance.
Imma smack him on the way out.
Why do you expect every person that comments on here, lives in the Cayman Islands?
This is a news story that is running internationally and due to the level of corruption, it has generated a great deal of international interest and investigation.
Throughout this, the Cayman Islands are involved in several ways and feature highly, I expect there may be more involvement once the financial side is revealed further and more links to the caymans emerge.
Therefore, you have persons in Europe, accessing all news sites, like I am, for further information. Not every person has a desire to live in the Caymans and with the small island mentality shown by your post and the associated corruption, I expect the number who do wish to live there to diminish daily.
Sorry to burst your bubble but paradise remains paradise until you put people in it. I would probably look elsewhere if I felt the desire.
To 12:29 am at 1/05
How do I know the post originates here? Because I recognise the same anti-Cayman refrain that emanates from those among us who want work permits, permanent residence, the money they can earn here that they can’t at home yet insist on their anti-Cayman diatribe. Be warned, however, the seeds you sow have a way of eventually growing — particularly when the nettles are so frequently lowed and watered. One day you might actually get your wish. Unfortunately, we will have to pick upme pieces.
A better option might be to work to improve life here and to build a positive environment in which we can all thrive. Even those who make make mistakes must pay the price, pick up the pieces, carry on. There but for the grace of God go I.
I shudder to think of the undiscovered and unchallenged crimes that were committed by those white collar employees that came here over the years — you got away with it, but time longer than rope.
No, what you recognise is the language of experience. Someone who came here and did indeed built a society for all, but was nevertheless treated like some modern day slave who should be thankful for the meagre crumbs you throw from your plate.
The vast majority of work permit holders on this island live on barely survival wages doing the jobs that you are either to bone idle to do yourself or which offer pay that doesnt suit your over inflated opinion of yourselves.
Clearly there are people all over the world who have left these islands with a bitter taste, so don’t be surprised when they take the opportunity to deal some back at those who treated them so badly.
Your problem is that you are too stupid to realise what you have done and too lazy to do anything about it.
I would be more worried about your current home grown problems right now than any white collar crimes that may have happened years ago.
At some point, someone will want to know where the FIFA money went!
I think you probably want to look inwards, clear your own yard, build a positive environment as you say, and then the nasty visitors that you so despise may not be encouraged to come and participate.
No, we don’t despise the “nasty visitors” as you call them. We welcome all — but we don’t appreciate those who are constantly tearing down Cayman. And, by the way, the only reason that the white collar crime may not be taking place is because those criminals know that they will be caught. They are not actually reformed — just too scared — so they remain no better than any other greedy, avaricious supporters of criminal enterprise.
Those who have done wrong in the FIFA debacle will have to pay the price. no Caymanian condones wrong doing by anyone, Caymanian or not.
But don’t kid yourself — the commission of this type of crime has not been limited to any nationality here in paceman — and if you think about it, how ridiculous would it be to imply that. But the only reason it may have ceased in the private sector is because the laws, regulations, and the sharing of information among international law enforcement agencies make it very risky — not because of any change in moral standards or character. And, what is more, this case shows money moving from international bank to bank to conceal ownership of funds.
So who knows how much of it continues undetected — some people think they are more clever than the law. And who controls most of the institutions where that thievery, skulduggery was/may still be possible? Not the Caymanians!
Well said 6:43
The living is too good to leave. Only when this island is no more the economic magnet it currently is, will the haters leave.
Its not that good, you need to travel more bobo. Now the BVI’s, Maldives, Mauritius, Bora Bora, Thailand or Australia, now that’s really good.
Sending you a postcard, see ya!
A true statement.
The only thing we are notorious for. Is being on the receiving end of stupid comments like that. FIFA was I am sure corrupt long before Jeff Webb got there and perhaps if that were otherwise he might not under arrest today.
Looking in from the outside, it appers that the caymans beat Fifa by years in the corruption game!
Maybe thats why he got the job in the first place.
Are you serious, they love it, just like they love having all those African defenders of honesty and integrity voting Blatter back in.
GAOLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!
GAOL? HAHAHAHA
Check your spelling BEFORE posting….
Not good to rejoice over other persons when they fall BoBo
Not very becoming because since we ALL, yes you and everyone of your family included, got skeletons in closets and oh Ms KARMA has a funny way of opening the door and exposing exactly that minute when you’re not looking and can’t shove it shut!!
So go and check out yah family history and see who did what and didn’t get exposed YET…..
You are wicked to be laughing at Jeff!
Go and ask yah Granma what “Time longer than rope” means!
Karma bit Jeff because he asked for it. But, hey, if you want to defend the indefensible you go for it Bobo.
Gaol = Jail in old English, and many state prisons in the UK carry their original local name. An example from history: Reading Gaol or Dartmoor Gaol.
So the spelling wasn’t wrong, it was ironic, therefore make sure you understand exactly what you’re ranting about before correcting others.
And just for good measure, Webb has bought this down on himself so why should anyone feel in the remotest bit sorry for him. And yes,Karma is a bitch when you get caught taking money that should be used for the benefit of all. It’s called theft, and your granny definitely wouldn’t approve.
(lol) “…and my granny definitely wouldn’t approve.”
@8:24am, A smashing conclusion.
It was a deliberate spelling error – its a play on words; Webb is in jail (archaic spelling gaol), whereas football commentators have a habit of shouting GOOOAAALLL. You may not find it funny, but telling the poster to check his spelling is both pointless and rather indicates you didn’t get the joke.
Gaol = jail. Check your understanding of the English language BEFORE posting. But I am miffed, miffed, that you missed my little play on words.
“Gaol” is the original/historical spelling of what is now “jail” hence the pun on “goal” which was cleverly posted by Andres Cantor. Check your history BEFORE posting Anon 12:23
You have just made a fool of yourself…GAOL is in fact an alternative spelling for Jail…now be a good boy and say you’re sorry.
Congratulations to the referee.
It’s nice that the Cayman “sub judice” rules don’t apply to al this! We’ll actually get to hear a little about what’s going on.
And nice that the authorities actually hold suspects with significant evidence against them in prison so they cannot make a run for the border or go out and commit more crimes, as is too often the case in Cayman.
Now just waiting for him to blame the governor chief of police and the UK government for this conspiracy….isn’t that how it goes Mac…?
think he had a fan doing that on FB
It is actually the British sub juice rule. The rule is part of British jurisprudence and its aim is to secure Justice for defendants awaiting jury trials. The rule is based on the premise that avoiding contaminating jury pools with biased public debate will secure a better chance at Justice for defendants — who by the way should be regarded as innocent until proven guilty — another irksome inheritance from British system of justice.
The Cayman Islands Law Reform Commission disagrees with you. Their paper indicates that in Cayman the subject is governed by the old common law rules while in the UK it is a matter of statute. In both cases the assumption is that judges are less influenced by public opinion than are juries, an arguable proposition. Fortunately, none of this applies to the trial of public figures in the court of public opinion.
To 31/05 at 11:10 am: I don’t actually see the disagreement with what you say and the post you are reacting to. Both cases — Cayman’s common law and the British statute are British in origin and conception, obviously. And the poster made clear that it was speaking to trial by jury. And you’re into is?
Correction: the end of the post above should have been “And your point is?” The it gremlin struck again.
Point is that the rules are different, and there have been many complaints that the Cayman rules are burdensome and ambiguous.
Ah yes, but he’s not facing British justice, (unfortunately for him). No 5 year sentences in the states for him, he’ll simply be offered a plea bargain of 20 years to life and/or a multi million dollar fine or the alternative of rolling over on his partners in crime at CIFA, CONCACAF and FIFA. You can also guarantee that he will be questioned in regard to any other public official who may have knowledge of his alleged crimes.
And if he does manage to slither his way out of a jail term, he should immediately face charges here on Cayman for bringing the country, his professional federation and his public office into disrepute.
No mercy.
He ahould but wont because he can bring others down with him here too.
I have just finished reading Monday’s editorial by a rival publication, and I don’t think it is just my reading of it: why do I continuingly detect a tone of exultation over this FIFA mess? And this continuing anti-Cayman refrain?
And they are such hypocrites — why are they here in Cayman? For the money! The money dries up, and to a man they will be on the first plane put of here.
I suggest that rather than constantly dragging down Cayman, we all do our best to understand what we can do to strengthen Cayman’s image on the world stage and our achievements and values here at home.
I am not saying that we don’t have problems; neither amd I saying they should not be brought to the public’s attention, but can we do it in a tone that communicates that we have a love for these islands and the people of this territory and that we share in the pain and regret when one of us falls.
Even in the face of all this evidence, Webb is STILL President of CIFA. A week later, our Premier and other officials STILL have not denounced his actions or demanded that CIFA directors remove him. That’s the lingering stench in the air.
PPM are in denial on many issues impacting Cayman
I too read the editorial, a task that I sometimes can’t always complete, and was wondering if someone had hacked their website and decided to call a spade a spade. They just appear to be arriving a bit late to the party.
This new tack is completely different from their approach to McKeeva’s case where they found nothing wrong with his abuse of the government credit card, and chose to focus fully on whether any laws were broken.
Now it appears as if they want to focus heavily on the individuals and their alleged crimes, and what logical conclusion can be made from strong evidence. Perhaps this is to steer readers away from remembering who the close political and business associates of the indicted parties were at the time this was all taking place.
Ah, 12:23 at 1/6, you see when it comes to MCkeeva that is a different kettle of fish — that is the holy grail of Dart Kingdom! Remember we are not dealing here with a newspaper that plays by the normal journalistic rules — they are not predictable at all on that basis. It all depends on the financial puppeteers or the special interests or the forged, behind the scenes alliances. Now that is a scandal that the overseas media should have delved into when they visited last week — but of course, they know nothing at all about Cayman — they just dig into the out of date or inaccurate information that pops up on the web and they grab on to it. And then they fill in the blanks with the help of the biased, unprofessional journalists that wash up on our shores.
Don’t be so damn naive. Those overseas journalists know more about Cayman than you credit them with. For a start they have financial experts who know the offshore industry inside out, and probably worked here at some stage. They have professional investigators who dig deep into the background of many of the main figures and use informants to produce vital evidence.
If your opinion is to hold water, how do you explain the huge FIFA corruption stories that appeared last year in the UK’s Sunday Times. Was that compiled by unprofessional journalists, did they get their story wrong, or is it more likely that you have no clue what you’re ranting about and just want to bury your head in Cayman’s well worn sand?
I think most of us would prefer not to be sharing any pain at all with Cayman’s fraudsters and con men. Unfortunately we have no choice.
The exultation was because it was widely known that FIFA was corrupt to the core. No one is trying to bring Cayman down but dirty money flows through it core. Its what made it a top financial centre even though latterly we have been trying to clean up our image. Webb has ensured that much of the good work to clean up our image on the international stage is in tatters.
50 years of tacit approval for corruption and criminality is always going to come back and bite your ass at some stage.
These islands have only themselves to blame. You saw the riches, grabbed them, spent them and now the world will come calling.
Now watch as the worlds financial institutions retreat to a less notorious haven and the UK starts to insist on more external monitoring of finance going through Cayman.
I hope to god that you’ve got a cast iron plan for tourism.
I see that today’s editorial in a local publication is joining US journalists in wondering “what is going on in this country”.
First, I would answer that Cayman can never arrive at the level of corruption that is manifested every day in the US — where much of it originates, in fact.
Second, it must be obvious that the government, as are people everywhere, is just learning through the media the emerging allegations — and that is all they can be at the moment — allegations. True, were the government media better organized and developed someone could have taken the reins and advised on a statement to be issued in response to media queries, but can anyone blame the governemnt for avoiding being interviewed right now?
While the allegations may seem pretty damning, we might wish to take a page out of the Caledonian Bank matter. Right beside the Webb story a judge in the US is blasting lawyers and the SEC for the Caledonian Bank affair. Obviously, a case involving a rush to judgment that is now unravelling.
The governemnt obviously has to be sure of what it says.
Here is what is going on — an understandable reticence in making comments in the face of no direct knowledge and perhaps limited sophistication in media handling. I am sure that must have occurred to the insightful editors and publisher of our dearly beloved daily. But perhaps it was too good of an opportunity to yet again to tarnish and tear down.