OAG won’t play ball with CIFA
CIFA headquarters, Grand Cayman
(CNS): The Office of the Auditor General will not be appointing anyone to the proposed Cayman Islands Football Association review panel. An OAG spokesperson stated that the public sector financial watchdog had not been approached by CIFA but even if it was, it would be inappropriate for the office to be involved. Meanwhile, the sports minister has welcomed the step towards transparency and the planned review of the FIFA donations to the Goal Project but he has said that CIFA cannot review itself.
In a release Wednesday, CIFA President Bruce Blake announced plans to create a committee to conduct a “review all aspects of the FIFA Goal Project, from inception to present, and provide an independent report to the general public.”
Although Blake said CIFA was inviting government to appoint two people and the auditor general to appoint one to that committee, the rest of the panel would be appointed by CIFA and its sponsors.
The OAG said they had not been informed about CIFA’s plans to ask the office to take part in the review but a spokesperson said the office would not accept the invitation anyway.
“The Office of the Auditor General provides the Legislative Assembly with information that can be used to hold government to account for their collection and spending of public monies. The office is, to the extent possible, independent of government in order to carry out its mandate,” he said. “It would be inappropriate for our auditors to be engaged with any organization that is a recipient of public funds.”
Sports Minister Osbourne Bodden, who withdrew funding from the association earlier this year, has asked CIFA to undertake a proper independent forensic audit in the wake of a catalogue of issues surrounding the local association, including links to the ongoing major corruption probe and Jeffrey Webb’s corruption conviction, its own internal leadership issues, and the recent irregularities flagged during this year’s CIFA audit.
Following the release Bodden said, “I welcome the news and at least the message has gotten through that there needs to be transparency in this matter. The eyes of the world are upon us, as a country, and we have to show that we are not a corrupt nation, as some would like to believe. This goes to the very core of our success to date as a financial centre and a place to invest and do business, and indeed live.”
The minister said he trusted that a full and accurate disclosure would be made to this independent body but questioned the role of the association in a review that was meant to be independent. Nevertheless, he suggested the possibility that if things were conducted properly and the questions answered, government might return the funding.
“CIFA’s place on the review body should be observer status alone. They cannot review themselves,” Bodden said. “If this is all well in the end, then government can revisit its position in terms of support. Then, and only then, will I give the all-clear from my end,” he added.
CNS attempted to contact Blake regarding the refusal of the OAG to play ball and the minister’s position that CIFA could only be observers and not participants, as well as asking about the invitation to the sponsors. We are awaiting a response.
Category: Government Finance, Government oversight, Politics
Where’s your Blatter gone, junket-monkeys, where’s your Blatter gone?
I don’t think anyone on here outside CIFA really believe all will be clear and rosy. Their President has pleaded guilty to corruption, they are intrinsically linked in a corruption trial, and suspicion is only harboured by their control of the audit process. The only people carrying a forensic audit should be the financial crimes unit.
The only solution to the CIFA conundrum is to remove all persons that served under the Jeff Webb regime. I know it seems harsh but it is the only way to maintain the integrity of the Sport in Cayman. The news headlines are only going to get worse and everyday that Cayman delays doing what it knows needs to happen, will only make things worse for us. Jeff Webb casts a long shadow; its now time for CIFA to step into the Light and do what’s best for Football, not the personalities who make up football leadership in Cayman. #Straighttalk
So CIFA, man up and announce:
1) An independent review of the books, records and management of CIFA since 2005.
2) An agreement that this review will be by an accountancy firm selected by CIG not CIFA.
3) All the CIFA board members agree to make available their personal banking records, lists of directorships and beneficial interests in companies and allow access to any companies so identified.
4) Agree any CIFA board members who refuse to allow such access will be removed from the board and the accountants conduct the review can draw negative inferences from any such refusal.
Come on. Why would they not want to do this?
Blatter-voting junket-monkeys not like this. Blatter-voting junket-monkeys are scared. Blatter-voting junket-monkeys say no. Go away, or Blatter-voting junket-monkeys will throw their poo at you.
Cynical and desperate by CIFA to offer an “independent” review when the majority of the people in charge would be CIFA appointees. They obviously know the writing is on the wall.
Did CIFA send a gift to the OAG when they made the offer?
They all said a prayer and have kept everything crossed since.
We really must hope that the people appointed to this committee are truly independent, and not stooges of any kind. If Chris Johnson is appointed, the committee will have credibility; if not… well, maybe, maybe not.
What a farce! Typical of FIFA/CONCACF/CIFA way of doing business. CIFA decided to appoint an independent committee without any consultation “expecting” that everyone will be happy to comply with their request. They can not get the picture that they have no credibility left, most of the CIFA executive served under the president who pleaded guilty of embezzlement and misappropriation of funds and now they want to audit themselves. The CIG must take a clue from the AG office.
A good effort at deflecting attention by offering to do the right thing, even better that the OAG and CIG called time on the appropriateness of CIFA having board members involved. Probably to forewarn the guilty of what was coming??
I think given that the Government has been giving them money for quite a while, because they are representing this country at a national level and because of everything that has gone down with Webb, I think the Government should be able to force their hands.
Quick Bruce duck someone is throwing a pie at your face. Oops, too late ?
What a joke. CIFA doesn’t even talk to anyone before launching their grandiose plan. resign now, all of you.
Why would CIFA possibly not want a full and fully independent investigation of the conduct of its financial affairs for the last decade? Surely all the Board members, pure of deed and acting as they do only with their love of local football, would want that and would sign agreements allowing the independent investigators to look into their personal dealings too over this period. That would help prove everyone behaved really well.