Watson ordered to hand over $900k
(CNS): Canover Watson has been ordered to pay CI$925,000 to the Cayman authorities by a Grand Court judge under the Proceeds of Crime Law. Following a brief hearing on Thursday morning, the former chair of the Health Services Authority, who was convicted of fraud and corruption offences in relation to the CarePay scandal, was told he had six months to hand over more than US$1 million based on his part in the crime and his ability to pay.
The sum had been offered by Watson, a former senior accountant and businessman, based on the amount he said he was able to raise. The crown opted to accept the amount and made no challenge to the sum or any indication that prosecutors intended to try to trace more funds based on assets that he may have overseas.
Watson, once a prominent local leader who was also involved in local politics, was found to be liable to the tune of more than CI$5.5 million along with his co-conspirators in the scandal, in which the hospital was essentially conned into a fraudulent and inappropriate payment and verification system.
The CarePay service never really worked in the way intended or solved the hospital’s long-standing bad debt problem but prosecutors say it made Canover Watson, his business partner Jeff Webb and possibly others who were never charged rich.
Webb has still not answered the charges he faces in Cayman because of his part in the FIFA scandal. He has admitted conspiracy charges and remains on bail in the US awaiting sentence some three years after the scandal broke. It is still not clear whether or not Webb will be deported back to Cayman once he has served any sentence that may be imposed, as he is married to a US citizen. Nor is it clear whether the Cayman authorities will seek to extradite Webb for the charges against him in the CarePay case.
Meanwhile, Watson, Webb and former CIFA executive Bruce Blake remain under investigation regarding an alleged local fraud surrounding the local football body. No charges have been brought in that probe, which is understood to be ongoing.
The courts are a joke. Who ever heard of pay a huge fine or six months in default. He should return every cent he stole and then left to rot in jail.
Elementary my dear.
Hmmn so I’m already in jail, reputation ruined and I’m ordered to pay $900k or serve an additional 6 months. Best believe I’m serving the 6 months.
Once he’s released I’m sure he’ll stay in Cayman and make amends to alla ya’ll. HAHAHAHAHA Nope.
Nah he’ll just become a politician
Upon his release I bet he’ll be running for office. He’d fit right in with the rest of our politicians.
Nah, he will return to his native country.
Hello,….. he’s a born Caymanian
One has to accept a certain level of denial from the nativist bigots.
“Once a prominent local leader” ?! Please CNS… Are you serious? Says who? Canover was never more than pond scum attached to a certain politician of ill repute.
He was never prominent and the only leadership he exhibited was as a crook. The only reason he found favour with the politicians of the day is because he know how to “wuk” with them. Crooked accountants are always in demand by crooks.
In America they call it “affirmative action” in Cayman , it’s just plain “entitlement” .
Now let me get this straight…. Watson is said to have stolen 5.5 million plus dollars from the Health Services Authorities and is only asked to pay back 1.1 million US dollars (which is offered by him) and the poor people of this country who can barely afford to by bread and water let alone pay for health insurance (because of no job or under paid) will be taken to court if they can’t pay their outstanding medical bill, some of which may be as low as $300.00 or less. SAD!!SAD!!SAD!! NO JUSTICE.
Shouldn’t he be mowing the playing fields as part of his prison rehabilitation program?
ha…. he got money hid and now a bad name. hhmmm which really matters the………. most money or name. he dies a theft and a rich man. legacy is everything.
polticians gonna have a time with that money…maybe it time for civil servants to get a raise? again…???? they struggling man….banks taking away homes.. stress….on 2010 salaries?
Read the article folks….more $$ to come to the crown.
Maybe you should reread. It states:
“The crown opted to accept the amount and made no challenge to the sum or any indication that prosecutors intended to try to trace more funds based on assets that he may have overseas.”
Money to come to the crown? Maybe….. maybe not…….. you will never know.
A pittance compared to what they stole
Should have to pay it all back plus interest for good measure
Well after all he did have friends in high places that he didn’t rat on…still waiting for an ex politico to answer for this.
He is a nice person and never did anything wrong. He is being picked on. Set Mr. Watson free.
Cayman’s OJ, the glove didn’t fit!
Yup, more folks involved in this as he certainly didn’t steal ALL that money by himself.
Why is he not speaking up on the others?
There should be a clause in the agreement that his assets can be seized in the future if it is later found that he did not declare all of his assets locally or overseas.
Let that be a lesson to all you kids. Steal $3,000,000 and all you have to pay back is 1/3, spend a few months away and get out with $2,100,000. Not a bad life…Cayman Kind
Apparently white collar crime does pay after all ! Especially if you keep your mouth shut in the process.
Suspect when he gets out he will be living quite well…
And do not forget he still has the CIFA/FIFA funds to go along with this.
Not bad?
Tek ya licks!!
That’s a lick???? I don’t think so. You a foofoo
That’s what we would call a drop in the bucket.
Remember folks, if ya gonna steal, go big or go home. Get it off of the island and you can keep your ill gotten gains!!!
I’m learning a lot from these born and bred Caymanians.
So he stole $5.5 million dollars from Carepay and now he is ordered to return $900K, so he is $4.6 million in the “good” for a 7 year sentence or $ 657K per year, $55K per month. And they say crime do not pay!!!!
No. If you read the article earlier in the week, it said the total amount misappropriated was $5.5m. The crown was trying to determine how much of that went to Canover and how much to Jeff.
What a joke. Justice in the Cayman Islands…
No effort to seize property overseas????? So does that mean that the moral of this story is that one should cultivate friends in high places and move stolen property off island?