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FIFA financial watchdog arrested in Cayman Islands on money laundering charge - Printable Version

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FIFA financial watchdog arrested in Cayman Islands on money laundering charge - David Guyatt - 08-09-2014

Gotta larf! What else is a "financial watchdog" for these days, than laundering dirty money and general corruption?

Gotta larf twice when I read that the Compliance and Audit Committee of FIFA asked if he could "share" additional information about his arrest. Now there's a committee with real teeth, eh.

Quote:Member of Fifa's financial watchdog arrested on money-laundering charge

Canover Watson arrested on suspicion of corruption
Fifa demands explanation from Watson
Said & Done: Jack Warner's Sunshine
 [Image: Fifa-011.jpg]
Canover Watson, a member of Fifa's financial watchdog, has been arrested on suspicion of corruption. Photograph: Steffen Schmidt/EPA

Fifa has asked for an explanation from Canover Watson, a member of the body's financial watchdog, after he was arrested on suspicion of corruption and money-laundering in the Cayman Islands.
Watson, one of eight members of Fifa's audit and compliance committee and a vice-president of the Caribbean Football Union, has denied the charges and has been released on bail.
"In agreement with the ethics committee we have asked Canover Watson whether he can share with the audit and compliance committee any additional information," said Domenico Scala, head of the committee. "Once we have more information we will consider appropriate measures."
The Fifa committee is charged with ensuring the "completeness and reliability of the financial accounting" of world football's governing body.
The Cayman Islands anti-corruption commissioner David Baines said that Watson was suspected of a "breach of trust contrary to section 13 of the Cayman Islands anti-corruption law, as well as abuse of public office … and conflict of interest."
Those allegations refer to Watson's time at the head of Cayman's Health Service Authority and follow a police investigation into the introduction of a swipe card system.
Baines also cited "suspicion of money-laundering contrary to section 133 of the Proceeds of Crime Law" in the Watson case.
Watson denied the allegations in a statement to the Cayman Compass newspaper. The newspaper said no charges had yet been filed against Watson who under his bail terms is due to report back to police on 29 September.


FIFA financial watchdog arrested in Cayman Islands on money laundering charge - Magda Hassan - 08-09-2014

The Cayman Islands have a world class soccer team don't they? That's why he was there surely.....?

FIFA financial watchdog arrested in Cayman Islands on money laundering charge - Magda Hassan - 08-09-2014

What ever happened to they guy in Brasil that did the run? Were they rendezvousing in the Caymans?

FIFA financial watchdog arrested in Cayman Islands on money laundering charge - David Guyatt - 08-09-2014

It was Ray Wheelan, head of FIFA "Partner" Match Hospitality turned himself in to police some days later. Clearly he got a tip off to run, but that doesn't appear to have been followed up by the sleuths in Brazil. It is suggested that he might also have been a "partner" in an "international gang" that has made $90 million in illegal world cup ticket sales. Wheelan claimed that his flight from arrest was to give him time to prepare documents for his defence.

I can't help but contemplate that his "preparation" possibly involved the use of copious amounts of lighter fluid. Just guessing, obviously.

In the run up to the 2014 world cup, Mr. Wheelan apparently exchanged over 900 telephone calls with Algerian ticket pimp, Lamine Fofane, for the sale -- for cash -- of "hospitality packages" at $25,000 a throw -- presumably flogged off, in part anyway, by FIFO officials who didn't have an actual use for the tickets themselves? Just guessing, obviously.

Since the publication of the above linked story on 5th August 2014, there's not been another peep about him or the corruption charges. Maybe paying a bribe, er, fine (oh gosh, sorry about that typo!), is all it takes in Brazil to make something as small and insignificant as this to go away? Just guessing, obviously.

Meanwhile, on the Cayman Island money laundering issue, I gotta larf one more time when I consider that under FIFA rules, a player can get red-carded for the most innocuous thing - without hope of appeal - whereas, an apparently corrupt FIFA official merely is "asked" to "share" his experiences about being arrested in the Cayman Islands. Maybe he will do so over cocktails, canapés and call-girls with his FIFA colleagues after an exhausting work day back-pocketing cash from selling football tickets to dodgy ticket touts? Just guessing, obviously.

FIFA financial watchdog arrested in Cayman Islands on money laundering charge - David Guyatt - 08-09-2014

Meanwhile, President-for-Life, Sepp Idi Blatter, has today announced that despite his prior commitment not to stand for a 5th term as President-for-life, he will now, in fact, stand again.

He believes his "mission" remains incomplete, and I agree entirely.

For me, there's so much filth, rottenness and corruption inside FIFA that it will take a person of real commitment and power to ensure none of it seeps out further in to public view in the future -- and the only way to do that is cover all the bases for the foreseeable future.

After he fulfils his FIFA mission - over the next several decades - I believe he will be appointed as the chairman-for-life of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), where he can use his extensive talents and masterful bristles-less brush to clean up that organisation too. Just guessing, obviously.

After that, the world is his oyster.