Webb asked PA to create company in hospital scandal case

Miriam Rodriguez

(CNS): Miriam Rodrigues told police that she did the paperwork and local registration for AIS (Cayman) Ltd at the direction of Jeffrey Webb, not Canover Watson, while she was working as Watson’s PA because he had asked her to help Webb when he needed it. In her first interview with police regarding the CarePay case, in which Watson is accused of numerous fraud offences and money laundering, Rodrigues, who faces one count of money laundering for her part in the alleged corruption, said she had used templates to create the paperwork for the registration that she had used for Watson’s other companies.

The court heard that she had stamped the request letter with Watson’s signature and used his contacts for the letter heads as she merely followed the usual procedure for creating companies when asked by either of the men. She said errors were made because she did not have Webb’s signature stamp and other necessary details to file the registration.

She told the court that it was Webb who had asked her to collect cheques from the Health Services Authority (HSA) in relation to the AIS contract and pay them into the regular accounts. She also confirmed that on one or two occasions she held cash for Webb brought to her by another employee of Watson and Webb, Karen Barnett, who was working with AIS and other firms connected to the two men.

During the interview with police, when she was treated as a significant witness rather than a suspect, Rodrigues said that although she was employed by Admiral as Watson’s PA when he was the global managing director, he had asked her to assist Webb whenever he needed and so, when he called to ask her to create the company, she did.

Rodrigues said she was not aware of the significance of the registration or that it happened on the same day that the request for proposals had been made public for the contract. She told police that this was a favour for Webb and it had nothing to do with Admiral.

She did, however, reveal the close ties and business partnerships between Watson and Webb and told police she had known Webb for many years. Rodrigues said she was not paid by Webb to create the company or collect cheques but because Watson had asked her to help his friend, she did it.

She said she did not recall discussing the details of AIS with Watson and told police it was “a bad decision” on her part to use Watson’s signature. At the time, she said, it was not relevant as it was merely a request letter.

Rodrigues repeatedly denied that it was Watson who asked her to deal with the AIS paperwork and said she just treated the creation and updates to the registry as she had for many companies relating to the men. With Watson’s blessing to help Webb when he asked, she just pressed on with the work as she would with any other company she was asked to deal with regarding the paperwork, she said.

Although at the time of the interview Rodrigues was treated as a witness and not a suspect, she was later arrested and charged with money laundering.

The case continues.