UCCI director accused of theft, fired, leaves island
(CNS): Officials from the University College of the Cayman Islands have confirmed that a member of the staff has been fired after the discovery of possible misappropriation of funds. CNS has learned that the individual, Wayne Jackson, who was the director of hospitality studies at the college, has already left the island, despite an ongoing criminal investigation. The college confirmed that after an internal review, they had notified the RCIPS and the Office of the Auditor General, and then sacked the staff member, who left Cayman even as the investigation was underway.
Beverly Shuford, vice president of business and finance, who is a certified fraud examiner as well as a CPA, said, “UCCI is cooperating with auditors and law enforcement in the ongoing investigation and is working closely with the Office of the Auditor General and following its advice on appropriate next steps to complete the review of 2020 financials.”
No details have been revealed as to how much Jackson, who is originally from Jamaica, allegedly took and how, or why he was able to leave the jurisdiction while under criminal investigation. However, officials have said that the theft came to light because of the enhanced financial controls that have been put in place by the UCCI administration.
This was largely as a result of the massive theft by former UCCI president Hassan Syed, who was eventually convicted of stealing more half a million dollars from the college during his tenure in a variety of ways.
Syed had also fled the jurisdiction in 2008 when his dishonesty was unveiled but he was extradited back to Cayman. He eventually stood trial before a jury in 2017 and was found guilty of 12 charges. The presiding judge described him as an intelligent man who was a “persuasive, manipulative, dishonest individual who had employed a number of deceitful ways to steal a significant sum”.
It is not clear if officials here will be seeking to track down Jackson but according to his LinkedIn profile, he appears to have already secured a new position with a Spanish real estate company working out of the United States.
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Category: Local News
Did Hassan serve any time? Is he still on island?
He did serve some time, but he was deported before his sentence was fully served.
Please correct me if I am wrong but I believe that at one time Benson Ebanks made public the fact that Cayman was wealthy enough to afford the best teachers for our children. Before being employed qualifications were checked against a list of acceptable institutions/universities.
Today we seem to be prepared to accept teachers with ‘cheap internet’ qualifications, gained from suspect sources. These places would never have appeared on BOE’s list.
And can I tell you, it is not the Caribbean teachers that’s coming with those online qualifications. There are LMs and TLCs and VPs at some school and all they have is a few certificates. The ministry seems to be pushing for a lot of these internet certificates too as many times they are mandated for PD days.
Cayman is a breeding ground for crooks and criminals. Crooks and criminals are in so many positions in Cayman, especially Government.
PACT needs to do a thorough investigation.
It is my belief that some of these people (criminals) have change their names, and in any even Jamaica et al, are more than happy to get rid of them – so here we go – Cayman must stop allowing these masses of people into Cayman. Mr Clifford needs to do his job – he got a Queens award – for what?
Sad but true. Those is online PhD’s are head of departments. Those with pedigrees and experience at top universities were made so miserable and undermined with desperate, cheap labor from poor countries that they left for much better pay, conditions, and respect.
UCCi said He’s under investigation, he hasn’t been arrested or charged. So can we stop crucifying him, unless he’s charged and found guilty.
I don’t know all of the circumstances surrounding the case but I do know that Mr. Jackson has always invested his time and talent to Cayman’s community and to our youth.
Please let’s not be so quick to jump on the bashing wagon and allow the pending investigation to take place.
His family reported that he left to undergo medical treatment, that doesn’t mean he’s not coming back here, they still live here, working and contributing to the community.
Please let’s not always think the worst.
5:01pm – are you sure his name is Jackson? And I hope you are an expat.
Too many online doctors and no medicine!
Hehe , Anyone surprised?
Several years ago I criticized UCCI after the credit card fraud for having a lack of internal control in their accounting system. It’s critical for all businesses large and small. It seems that the board of directors carried on as normal. Can the CIG please appoint a competent board of directors and save this island money. There are many people , Caymanians and others who are willing to stand.
“The college confirmed that after an internal review, they had notified the RCIPS and the Office of the Auditor General, and then sacked the staff member, who left Cayman even as the investigation was underway.”
Are you frigging kidding me? Come on, RCIPS, you have to do better, man! What a joke these investigators are! Are any of them actually TRAINED in investigation or we just pay them for fun?
He had left before RCIPS were informed.
2:38pm RCIPS – is another big big BIG mess…
Govt is a melting pot for local and foreign thiefs
Education will never improve while the ‘watchdog” (Education Council) is dominated by the very same people that are causing its demise.
No worries if he is arrested or extradited he will only apply for the right to family life and he too will get to stay here for life! Prosecution or persecution in some instances here go by favor or flavour and this place has always been a magnet for fraudsters.Who realize just how gullible and naive Caymanians are, especially if you flatter them and give them lots of platitudes. It is a greater asset and a lot easier if your skin tone is a couple shades lighter or Near BLANCO cause that’s makes it certainly understandable or digestible to the colonial minded populous ! However lately with the paradigm shit in world views and attitudes a robinHoodism has somewhat starting to take hold because of guilt over racism and slavery. Thereby allowing fair opportunities to others to now steal or defraud the others and government in order to ease some’s conscience. However in Cayman we now see Nationalism play an enormous role now in law enforcement decisions and investigations by the overrun by indigenous Caribbean born scholars who are slowly overwhelming the still very much colonial legal System. Which is both bias and very unfair to regular Caymanians. There are some exemptions however, reserved only for local political riff raff and Lodge members especially those awarded Queens medals who are immune to corruption allegations or criminal misconduct or behavior and this immunity does extend to their immediate family members. There it is Cayman in a nutshell, you need to count your lucky stars Wayne Jackson your one of the lucky ones, who at least made off island, the pandemic craziness must have distract them or your presence here was a huge embarrassment or liability to the CIG or UCCI senior Management or leadership and their complicity in this matter! As is the case in some instances in Cayman. A recent novel by ex chief inspector John Boaden called Island Justice is a good read as it puts a lot into context about Cayman attraction to all criminal types who reside or who have come here to our shores.
I find your name to be an insult to the memory of John Le Carre.
I find your name an insult to all Anonymous people around the world.
Agreed 12:06. The semi-literate poster, with a dash of bigotry, couldn’t even hold a candle to Enid Blyton on writing skills, let alone Le Carre.
I must buy the book written by John Boaden. He was a good cop out here and did a lot of fine work. He also acted as a cricket umpire and took the Police Team to Nottingham to play and beat the local cops handsomely. Somehow he pulled some strings to play the match at Trent Bridge, a famous ground where test matches are played.
“However in Cayman we now see Nationalism play an enormous role now in law enforcement decisions and investigations by the overrun by indigenous Caribbean born scholars who are slowly overwhelming the still very much colonial legal System. ”
Dear God, what is this illiterate drivel?
If that was a Caymanian a “Stop Order” would have been placed on them but they don’t see the need to put such an Order on a expat!!!! Aye boy this Island!!!!! Smdh
Sad that he is an expat and ruin it for alot of good expats.I guess what they have been saying is true. Alot of criminals are expats too.
Boy, can’t put anything past you! Such brilliance!
He’s Jamaican
All this about expats, but when a local is involved, often there is a dismissal, but no reason given, and to rub it in with the taxpayer, a golden handshake is doled out, eg Cinico and the Immigration Dept.
But or prison are full with Caymanians as some love to point out . So how can that be true anon 846pm??
It’s a very small prison. There are plenty who should be there but are not
This is Grand Cayman and therefore the home of “Caymanian” criminals. If I emigrated to another country and committed a crime while working there the persons whose country I am in would have every right to be upset and voice their concerns. By the by – before you reply with some snarky remark, I am quite aware that the name I have chosen to use (Thoroughbred) is a horse.
Rule 1 – when you are in the run, don’t post on social media advertising your position. Can’t be too bright. Then again, he is up against the best and brightest from the RCIPS – “we don’t always get our man”
One would not have to dig too deep to uncover the mess that is UCCI. Incompetent, dictatorial leadership leading to a toxic atmosphere among staff, especially locals.
All is not well at UCCI.
Hiring her own, firing ours…not going well.
And leaving Brac campus without enough money to hire live teachers….
what is it with UCCI, massive theft in 2008, yet it took another 12 years for controls to be put into place to catch fraudulent activity, to catch the second thief.
What is it with Cayman massive thefts!
3:03, Just part of our culture heritage. Though we don’t like to admit it.
Lack of controls. Rot starts at the top.
The Guayabera is a dead give away
Another Jamaican?
Expat!? Say it’s not so!
Oh, not the first time. However, they still dont appreciate us good “locals”…all get grouped the same unless you have likkle money.
Did you not read the news some years ago about the local woman who worked with government and was caught stealing? She would submit blank cheques to be signed and because she was so trusted, the cheques were signed. Then she would write on whatever she wanted. Government wasn’t the first place she stole from. I say this to say people steal regardless of where they are from. The problem is that proper regulations were not in place to prevent theft.
Does the accounts department at UCCI get paid to sleep on the job?
Why do we keep hiring fraudsters to run and fleece this place ?
Could have something to do with the big “Steal Here” sign or possibly the “No one is looking sign”
Closed borders. Criminal investigation. Still able to leave? Customs and Border Control are legends around here. #worldclass.
CBC can’t stop someone from leaving if an official stop notice isn’t put in by the investigators you bright spark 😒😒😒
You mean the #worldclass investigators. Here we go: Different government departments saying “it wasn’t me” while the whole country goes to shit on their watch. The incompetence is astounding.
Does CBC even have open lines of communication with our robust investigators? However it happened he got away, and plainly should not have been allowed to. It keeps happening and is an embarrassment. Any accountability this time?
They can communicate better with RCIP investigators! Where is the disconnect? There is plainly one, and it needs to be bridged!
Anddddd!… their esteemed leader just got a big shiny OBE or MBE award from the govna
#worldclasscivilservice
He probably used a seat a cancer patient (or other person with truly essential travel needs) needed to get treatment in Miami. You simply cannot make this shit up.
11:20 am, Yes Manderson will say world class. Everyone are doing a good job. what a big joke
Indeed a joke! Just call the Planning Dept and even that Chief Officer that is or was MIA! Some people in their get a high off making people’s lives miserable.
11:08 and 11:30. Exactly what does our DG have to do with UCCI. Let me tell you …nothing. The UCCI is separate from our world class civil service.
I agree with Chris Johnson let’s change the private sector board that runs UCCI.
In our world class civil service this fraud would never have occurred. Or if it did the individual would have been suspended and the police called.
Please don’t be jealous of our world class civil service.
12:47 you means you don’t know that Manderson is not responsible for UCCI. I really don’t understand how you and other negative posters don’t know this key piece of information.
The question is when did UCCI notify police of the fraud, was it after the fraudster left the islands.
But he did fit the ‘Essential Travel’ box ticked. Just missed the Repatriation box.
Essentially travel – because if I don’t leave, I will get arrested.
And guess who helped him escape, Cayman Airways, probably left on a free ticket issued to him after he told them he was leaving on Government University College business.
We have some really smart people running this place. Why wasn’t his passport confiscated pending the investigation?
CBC only good for ruining people over a spliff and taking 34 business days to clear a package
34 days lol. And the rest.
CBC is as useful as a fart in the wind. Just a bunch of power hungry individuals abusing their authority and intimidating members of the public.
UCCI doesn’t seem very good at vetting the expats it hires for its administration.
Including the ones at the top!!!
Funny how calamity has only started since the last president has left.
another fine mess by the civil service….
when was the last time cig did not get scammed???
cayman…a land of scams.
The last time was when they had a Caymanian in charge of UCCI. It’s almost as if when we hire locally, our people and our institutions are more likely to looked after.
locals?…yep look how that went with cifa…..zzzzz
…and look how many other positive examples we have, where corruption *doesn’t* occur. But sure, let’s disregard all of those for the single negative example you can find. If Watson actually gets charged with something, that is a perfectly fair point. Not that you ever intended your rebuttal to be fair in any way, and rather just another bitter slight towards a land and a people whose home you envy enough to live here and invest enough of your time into to troll our local media houses.
Hope your permit gets renewed so you can send some of our actually-relevant currency back home though. All love.
If Watson actually gets charged with something it’s a perfectly fair point? So I guess you were sleeping when he was charged back in January? Or when he was convicted of dishonesty at the HSA? You accuse the OP of having blinkers and bein prejudiced? LOL.
Care to address the rest of that poster’s comment? Majority ownership by Caymanians in every non-CEC/HCCI (and the few other anomalies) business on the entire island. Tens of thousands of examples showing the clear opposite of what you imply to be the norm.
As an expat, I would be happier if you would stop making the rest of us look like bigoted morons. We love the Caymans and the vast, vast majority of their people. #CaymanKind
Both the OP and the responder can be (in)correct simultaneously, especially if the “rebuttal” is just jabbing instead of addressing the topic lol. Crazy concept, I know.
You’d have to be a complete fool to think that corruption doesn’t happen here and isn’t home-grown, but you’d have to be a bigger fool to think that many foreigners don’t come here with the knowledge that they can be in and out within their rollover period and make bank by “questionable” means, then quickly disappear out of the jurisdiction. Like the one we are all here replying to, perhaps?
Be better to one another.
Really? Didn’t Mr Bodden hire him and would prefer an all ‘black/Jamaican staff’?
11:08. You mean you don’t know that UCCI is not part of our world class civil service and is run by a private sector board.
Come on keep up with the facts.
All these divisions are just pretend so no one can be blamed.
11.08am Try the Turtle Farm, we are still waiting after years to find out who stole, how much, how they did it, and when if ever, they will be prosecuted and I bet these weren’t Jamaicans.
This need some light. How comes there’s no follow up or pressure on this matter?
Cause baby turtles see light and think its the moon
Stop handing out work permits/contracts that never end. All that’s happening here, is the dredges of society are walking through the gate.