CIMA boss isolated from FIFA-related probe
CIMA MD Cindy Scotland
(CNS): Updated: Government officials have clarified that the local regulator has set up an internal unit that will report to the non-executive board, and not the CIMA managing director, to investigate the allegations made about a local bank and other offshore entities registered here in the ongoing FIFA corruption scandal. But despite family connections, CIMA MD Cindy Scotland is remaining in charge at the regulator. Her husband, Mark Scotland, is a CIFA official who was in Zürich when Jeffrey Webb and others were arrested in the massive football probe.
In addition to the Scotland connection, Gloria Glidden currently serves as deputy head of CIMA’s banking division, which also puts her at the centre of CIMA’s investigation into Fidelity Bank. Glidden is married to former West Bay MLA Cline Glidden, who was also in Switzerland last week at the FIFA congress. Glidden, who is now working in corporate law following his 2013 election defeat, has been involved in the proposals by CONCACAF to establish a dispute resolution court here in Cayman.
However, neither Glidden nor Scotland have been implicated in the massive FIFA corruption scandal and there is, therefore, no perceived conflict with the MD of the authority, government sources told CNS.
Concerns had been raised about CIMA’s potential conflict of interest regarding the local regulatory investigation, primarily into Fidelity Bank, Webb’s former employers and the institution cited in the US Department of Justice Indictment as a place where some of the alleged bribes were transferred. But both Scotland and Glidden remain in their posts at CIMA.
CIMA’s Board of Directors said yesterday that Scotland had established “an internal group” headed up by Head of Banking Supervision Charles Ilako, supported by Head of Compliance Robert Berry and advised by Deputy General Counsel André Mon Désir, but other government sources have noted that Scotland will have no dealings with the work of this unit.
“The composition of this group was specifically structured with a view to avoiding any perceived conflicts of interest,” the board stated. “The group is responsible for investigating and reporting exclusively to the non-executive Board on these matters.”
Meanwhile, as Jack Warner, Webb’s predecessor as CONCACAF president, threatens to tell all he knows about FIFA, and Sepp Blatter in particular, the Transcript of Chuck Blazer’s indictment hearing in New York has been released into the public domain. While Blazer has admitted his own knee-deep involvement and exposed others to in the bribes and kickbacks in the scandal, Warner is still denying he has done anything wrong. Nevertheless, he is claiming that he has the dirt on everyone else and, as he fears for his life, the proof has been given to lawyers and other individuals.
During a public television broadcast in Trinidad Warner threatened “an avalanche” of revelations regarding everything he knows.
Transcript of Chuck Blazer’s indictment hearing in New York, November 2013
Category: Crime, World News
In the interest of transparency, if it was me I would propose that I have nothing whatsoever to do with any investigation and distance myself from any people involved.
Do we know who paid for Glidden and Scotland’s junket to Switzerland? And did their spouses go too? It does look lovely there at this time of year.
Just because Cline Glidden was in Switzerland with Jeff Webb when Jeff was arrested and just because Cline Glidden was advising the now discredited CONCACAF organisation at the time in connection with a Court of Arbitration and just because Cline Glidden was Tourism Minister under the McKeeva Bush UDP Government and just because Cline Glidden’s wife Gloria works at CIMA with Mark Scotland’s wife Cindy (referred to above) doesn’t mean that Cline Glidden has done anything untoward. But given the still unanswered questions concerning CIFA, FIFA, CONCACAF etc and the perception issues these questions raise, isn’t anyone with a pension concerned that the Government has just appointed Cline Glidden as the Deputy Chair of the National Pensions Board, tasked with administering the National Pensions Law and “the improvement of pension plans throughout the Islands” (see Extraordinary Gazette 47/2016 page 15)
I am feeling a little nostalgic for the Cayman I grew up in. when our men went to sea and they were proven to be the best seamen around they travelled the world working on ships and was hired over and over so they really must have been good people, hardworking, possessing integrity and of good character.. That was before the swarm of bees and driftwood started washing up. That was way back then when everyone knew everyone and a foreigner could be spotted a mile off. But once the formal introduction was made the foreigner and local became friends, they would be invited to each other’s home, they went out and had a beer together, played cricket, football and dominoes together. Their kids went to school together , went swimming together and had sleep overs at each other’s house. Those were the good old days. Fast foward 25/30 years when all the people in the world who thought they had all the answers, even when they were not asked a question, came on the scene, with their ugly attitudes. We allowed them to take a mile when they should only have been given an inch. We the locals were always taught that we should be hospitable to all and sundry. They prenteded to like us but all the time they were taking our place because we were to laid back to push back. Not everyone mind you, some are still genuinely kind but they are so few and far apart. Some would like to be different but of course they want to be accepted by their own- I can understand that. Is it too much to remind some of you that Cayman was your refuge, your place to run to for a better life, house on the water, boat fancy car and of course the top jobs. While you are all here lapping up the benefits can you all spare a moment to say “thank you Cayman for allowing us to live better than we could in our own country. Remember what comes around goes around and karma can be a bitch. Who the cap fits let him wear it. I remember when Cayman was a beautiful place to live even with all the Mosquitoes. I am not asking you to lie for us just when you are telling the truth show a little consideration and do not bite the hand that fed you. We are decent people for the most part, if we were not you would not be living so cushy.
Another patch job, she needs to go. She’s not much cop at her job anyway.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-33034191 This is what the BBC are putting out to the world about the Cayman Islands. I think Messers Baines and Panton doth protest too much, this article will only give credibility to Caymans already terrible reputation as the hide away of choice for the worlds corrupt money.
Baines might well be right in his loyal assessment of being on the white list, but millions of dollars are ‘lost’ here in property and development deals. Almost every property owned by expats are built with money that should have gone to their domestic tax authorities.
Its crooked money how ever you want to look at it, and everyone knows it.
9:34 am. I looked at the brief piece. Says nothing. I think you doth protest too much.
The Cayman Islands Magician’s Authority newly formed investigating board was setup to make this whole thing disappear. I don’t think Cindy’s board can make Jack Warner disappear before he starts singing. That’s going take real a hat trick to cover that one up.
I’m surprised that nobody remembered that Gloria Glidden also worked for Canover Watson at Admiral Administration before joining CIMA.
It’s one BIG network of questionable characters and associations.
7:55 am: don’t do this! So what if she worked with Canover? Guilt by association? younsure we can’t dig up some dirt on the people you work with? Maybe even you?
A lot of these comments make first class entertainment and I must congratulate the contributors for their sense of humour.
Seriously though I firmly believe Alden should bring in Jack Warner too head the Sports Dept as with his vast experience he will sniff out any corruption in no time.
‘no perceived conflict with the MD of the authority, government sources told CNS’
Doh….
of course there’s no conflict – idiot…
He who sleeps with dogs, wakes up with fleas…old proverb.
There are worse things you can sleep with and worse things you can catch in doing so.
Fantastic – love it – couldn’t put it any better myself.
If you can’t see the issue here, you never will
Good job it’s not expats involved…
Cindy Scotland is an honest upstanding Caymanian and as a Caymanian i have absolute faith that she will handle this matter with integrity and with the highest standard. I will not tolerate the few vampires who have come here to drain and destroy this country by painting it a corrupt society. They ignore all of the mug that come out of the UK and US but the once a Caymanian name is mentioned it the end of the world. Caymanians STANDUP!
To my fellow Caymanians and the PPM Government – many of you have missed the point. No one is accusing Cindy or Mark Scotland or Gloria or Cline Glidden of anything criminal or wrong. Investigators around the world will ultimate determine who did what, when and why and justice will be served in many jurisdictions. THIS IS A BIG GLOBAL CASE !!! But remember that in the case of CIMA it is about global perceptions and those people are not familiar with the local scene as we are. So when this type of third world move is made by our Government and CIMA to attempt to address the perception of conflicts of interests, it simply gives credence to the arguments of the enemies of our financial services industry. Is our Government really that naiive that they can’t see that they are setting the stage for an avalanche of attacks and initiatives again ??? The reality is, whether we accept it or not and if we don’t accept it we deny it to our detriment, that in the Governance of any country sacrificial lambs are necessary and inevitable at times. Our Government will have to accept, sooner rather than later, that there will have to be a sacrificial lamb or lambs at CIMA. At this stage it is about leadership and the greater good !!!
If that is what she really thinks someone else should be MD of CIMA.
Well… My wife investigates me all the time… But thankfully I have always managed to stay one step ahead of her…
And I have plans that if she ever catches me I will buy me some of that Viagra and have her eating out of my hand again in no time…
The rest of the world are falling over laughing at this. Do our politicians have ANY idea how corrupt this looks?
Don’t forget as MLA Bernie Bush keeps bragging, director of CIMA is his sister and he is UDP member and most of the persons in the head on CIFA and Mark, CG all former UDP members so at least PPM not throwing their fellow Caymanians under the bus, even if they’re the usual no-action group.
Bernie is a good guy
11:47
But the Caymanian people get angry when Legge told them so ! They now want to boycott his paper…including the CIG !
Wasn’t Andre Mon Desir the original legal advisor to Operation Tempura?
He from Trinidad too? Hope he nah related to Warner
Just saw another story and it seems hit and run is illegal here!!!??????
They’re joking, right. I thought it was a sport!
No one can deny that this is a very serious matter and I trust that all ‘foul’ dealings will be completely exposed regardless of who is involved. I believe we will be shocked when we find out the identity of all the players who had their hands in the cookie jar. On second thought, perhaps not.
After yesterday’s editorial comment in another media house this is just what the world’s press were praying would happen. Nothing makes a better story than a clear conflict of interests.
This is way beyond CIMA’s remit anyway so why are they even involved? They’re not an investigative body – that’s the job of RCIPS.
It’s a perfect storm in the waiting.
10:01 am: Bingo! Why is this being laid at the feet of CIMA? This is not their role. Someone needs to explain what the review team’s remit is. They are not criminal investigators. CIMA is a regulatory agency that reviews compliance with international requirements of banks. If there is an investigation to be done into criminal behaviour of person/s, that is the RCIPS’ or white collar crime unit’s role.
10: 01
That’s my take on it also. CIMA should never have the opportunity to investigate their own negligence. It’s like letting in the fox to guard the chickens.
10:18 pm: what negligence? I have heard nothing to suggest that CIMA has been in any way negligent, have you? Let us wait and see the outcome of all of this before we start to condemn.
What an old boys club. Good to see Cline managed to keep the free 5-star travel going after he left the LA.
Soo hard to take your snout out of the trough once you’ve sucked on that sweet free pie.
and that my friends is why the love of money is being illustrated as possible motive in all this fuss
Here we go again…….the PPM refusing to do what they have to do to remove the perception of conflicts of interest and opening the door for an onslaught of criticism from those who seek to destroy our financial services industry. Unfortunately the PPM Government, with this move, is providing all of the ammunition that our enemies need to destroy one of our main industries.
Let the local & international community speak load…Perhaps its necessary to unearth the true intentions of CIMAs so call “autonomous investigative committee”.
Sounds like another FIFA executive arrangement to me (ha-ha)
10:57 am : more rubbish.
Are the people who give thumbs up for this ignorant drivel at 10:57 am for real?
Now, do you all still think Leggie was putting down Caymanians? We just can’t handle the truth…can’t we?
You really think that the likes of Legge know anything about Caymanians and the true Cayman? This hobnobber of the rich and famous? His parasitic life does not in the least intersect with the ordinary Caymanian trying to live an honest, hardworking life. It is impossible for him to put me down — he does not have a clue.
What do you all really want-you have to make up your minds. some of you are cussing the PPM and saying they don’t like expats, then you are saying the PPm are hiring too many expats and taking away jobs from Caymanians, now you are calling for the PPM to get rid of Cindy Scotland!! What is it exactly that she has done? Heck you don’t even know if her husband has done anything wrong. she has recuse herself , there is nothing else she can do. You want her to give up her job so the PPM can give it to an expat so that you will have something else to complain about? Cayman has signed every transparency Agreement that ever existed but it will never be enough. In an island the size of Cayman there will always be the perception of conflict of interest- that is how it is in any small country, or island whatever you want to call us. Our enemies as you referred to has their own ammunition, they have the capability to manufacture it overnight and it is call the international press which of course is fed by the domestic press. We cannot please them so please stop trying- they will wear us all out if we continue to run around like a dog chasing his tail. The government can spend every penny they can get their hands on trying to change their minds but it will never be enough. Stop the panic’ each one should do their little bit to uphold the laws and do good and leave the rest to the real higher power and that certainly is not the international press or international community.
We like to moan, that’s what we do best. We hate it when there is no news to comment on annonomously, but when we get the chance watch us go!
Stupid move Cindy. The end is in sight if you continue this path.
I think the headline is misleading. If the investigation is conducted by the three people named, under the supervision of the non-executive board members, without Ms Scotland’s further involvement, what is there for her to recuse herself from? It seems to me the conflict is eliminated as far as possible,
This is pure nonsense!
9:25– I agree. She has removed herself from the handling of the review of this matter, and the team is not reporting to her in any way. That is what “recusing” means. When a judge recuses himself from a trial, he does not sit for that trial, but he continues to undertake his normal duties.
I saw another post that spoke to “a wrong move”. What is so wrong about that? What would you have her do? Go home? For how long? indefinitely? Who will carry out her duties in that case?
And why are we referring to these public officers by their first names? People who serve in these positions do so at some personal sacrifice, and at least we could give them some respect. Referring to her by her title would be much more respectful.
I have never heard of anything that would cast a shandow on the reputation of either the managing director of CIMA or of CIMA itself.
Don’t mae this harder than it already is.
And to the person who balked at “hand picking” — there are only so many eligible and I am sure those selected are the best of the best. If anyone has any reason to think otherwise, they should put up or shut up.
Yes there is nothing wrong with a boss picking the “independent” team of staff who will investigate her husband. Nothing wrong with that at all. No, sir.
Yes there’s something wrong, do I or my friend want to involve my husband. No .
Pathetic. Recuse. There is no point in Alden moaning on about the reputation of the jurisdiction when there is behaviour like this going on. “I specifically hand picked a team to investigated the body my husband was involved with” does not sound great does it?
Wot? Wot? Wot’s wrong wit dat??
A BBC News Extract: “It would be lovely to think that in the separation of powers that is one of the distinguishing features of liberal democracies, the judicial system operates entirely independently of the executive. But does it?…There is always a murky political consideration of what gets investigated and how…The laws hadn’t changed, just a change in the desire to implement them”.
Adds a nice touch to what is happening at CIMA, right now.
11:23 — what is the BBC saying? Who are they referring to? What laws haven’t changed? Picking up a bit of a piece of writing without giving any context whatsoever makes no sense.
I hope that this does not break down into damn if you do and damn if you don’t. I know you can’t please all of the people no matter what you do.
However, All of the persons selected for the review team are known locally for their integrity and have strong credibility. And the CIMA board approves, obviously. Let us exercise some faith and try to be fair. If any of this leads to the weakening of the financial industry, it will be to the detriment of all of us.
Fortunately, we will get through this, and move onto a strengthened position from the lessons learned.
I hope that the Managing Director will hold on to that and to the knowledge that there are persons in the population that are prepared to wait for the outcome and the facts that will be revealed, either way, in due course. In the meantime we hope for the best for her, CIMA, and the territory as a whole, and she continues to have our support.
“All of the persons selected for the review team are known locally for their integrity and have strong credibility. ”
I am inclined to believe this statement as I have worked with professional Caymanians who are intelligent, hard working, and ethical. I am a professional expat who spent some lovely years working in Cayman and who is now back in my birth country,
The tragedy of of this Webb business is that now many people will now translate the the positive sentence above to something like “All of the persons selected for the review team are known locally for being smart enough to not get caught.”
This is a sad period for Cayman and the all the Caymanians of integrity who are getting tarred unfairly with the corruption brush. Sad.
Thank you 6:26 am. Really appreciate your support. Unfortunately, you are right. Too many thoughtless, ignorant people, who know nothing about how our agencies operate. Can’t imagine why these people remain here amidst all this corruption. This is the sad aspect about Cayman — too many people just here for the money they can make and wish us no good at all. When they destroy us, we will have to pick up the pieces. Unfortunately, some of these comments may also be coming from mindless Caymanians who know not what they do. So very sad, indeed.
Anon 05/06/2015 12:08 pm, can you tell us what lesson you have learned from this .
Anon I agree with you 100 percent. I have worked in the financial sector all of my working life and fortunately I have never worked any place where the Authorities had to come in to close down the institution but many times I saw things that I would not have done in a particular, way ,not because it was wrong but it could be perceived as wrong. Sometimes I questioned it but at the end I had to do it the way the Manager said it should have been done. After all he was the one with all the university degrees, I only graduated from high school and done a few courses over the years so who am I to have an opinion? it is impossible for the Monetary Authority or any other regulatory body to spot everything that might be suspicious. Please bear in mind that if a General Manager or any other person in authority wants to accept a certain piece of business he/ she will have all the reasons why it is justified. Also while every Caymanian ‘s reputation is being place under the magnifying glass please bear in mind that very few of these General Managers are Caymanians. Corruption, lack of transparency, money laundering, stealing , placements, integration and layering was not invented by Caymanians. most of the “foreigners” who post on here is of the opinion that Caymanians are stupid, uneducated, do not have the experience, lack the exposure so pray tell me who taught us how to commit these crimes like corruption lack of transparency, money laundering, stealing, placements, integration and layering? we cannot be stupid and uneducated and also able to pull these things off by ourselves. I will agree we were stupid to allow ourselves to be used by the unscrupolous. You know back in the good old days we were all mostly poor. There were a few families who had money, boats, stores who would hire some of us , work us like dogs and pay us a pittance. we did the work but when pay day came we were told there was no money coming to us because we had taken it all in flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt beef etc to feed our families over the month. We accepted it because we did not even had any proof of how much we had actually taken in goods because we were stupid and trusted the employers. That is what we got for trusting. However even though times were hard we could still sleep with windows and doors unlocked- poor people never stole from each other, no one would think about entering your house night or day to steal. Caymanian were honest folks, we travelled all over the world and no country had any issues with us. We were accepted all over the world, now we have the reputation of tax evasion, corruption etc. Well we do not really have income tax in Cayman so who is really trying to evade the taxes- wh is breaking the laws? I don’t think it’s the Caymanians!! Why did the big shots move in on us- the same one who are degrading us on a daily basis, in the daily news and elswhere, could it be that they came to evade taxe in theirs own country
,could it be that they created this entire mess because they did not want to pay taxes to their countries. Our governments have spent too much of our money trying to regulate businesses, traveling all over the world to sign agreements to satisfy these other countries to try to prevent their citizens from breaking their own laws. Shouldn’t that be their responsibility to do, why should our little 2×4 Cayman Islands be saddled with such a responsibility? If they cannot control their citizens how the heck they expect us to do so? They assisted in giving us a bad name on the international scene and now they are cussing us. now that is treasonous!!
Paragraphs would help, I gave up about the 4th line of your mass of words
True, 10:59, but the person was speaking from the heart — something that the Compass is sadly deficient in. 11:59am, thank you for taking the time to comment. I appreciate your contribution. Good job.
If the impressive trio is investigating and reporting to the board rather than to the Managing Director, What more “recusing” is necessary? Your story does not say what would be your concern. Seems that that would be what should satisfy the “perceived” conflict of interest.
By the way, no one else besides Jeffrey Web has been implicated.
Quote, “By the way, no one else besides Jeffrey Web has been implicated.”
Yes they have but probably for good legal reasons it hasn’t been reported yet. At least three people who could be linked back to this have been interviewed by RCIPS on other matters in the past 12 months.
Wow. Who else knew?
It’s only a matter of time before the “truth” breaks.
Cayman Islands Government come clean!
What more is there for the people to know concerning this FIFA/CONCACAF Corruption Scandal? Protecting reputations is not a good enough reason to hide information from the public.
WE NEED TRANSPARENCY.
It would be treasonous to reveal the truth
His is a US investigation, you silly people. The Cayman Govt know nothing.