Webb finally sacked as president of Cayman Islands federation
GEORGE TOWN: Former FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb has been formally kicked out of football in his Cayman Islands home writes KEIR RADNEDGE.
Webb has been under suspension since last May when he was arrested in Switzerland on a corruption indictment issued by the United States Department of Justice.
The former head of regional confederation CONCACAF is now living under house arrest on bail in Georgia after admitting involvement in racketeering and bribery schemes in international football.
However he still remained president of the Cayman Islands Football Association – until an executive committee meeting on Monday.
The exco voted to strip him of the presidency and organise elections early next year.
Bruce Blake, first vice-president and interim president, said: “Following his guilty plea it has been determined that he is not fit for office of president of CIFA and as such his position as president of CIFA is officially vacated.”
Blake did not comment on allegations that Webb had embezzled funds allocated by FIFA for youth development programmes.
Webb’s role in an alleged heatthcare payment scandal is the subject of an ongoing trial in George Town.
A former business associate, Canover Watson, is on trial along with his personal assistant Miriam Rodriguez.
Accusations denied
Watson, former chairman of the CI Health Services Authority, has denied charges of defrauding the government and committing various offences under the local anti-corruption law.
Watson and Rodriguez are also charged with transferring criminal property to Webb.
The prosecution has claimed that Watson and Webb formed a local company, AIS (Advanced Integrated Systems) Ltd, which was run by “sham” directors put in place by the two men in order to hide their personal interests in the business.
Watson is alleged to have personally benefited by more than US$348,000 from healthcare contract awards he helped direct as HSA chairman.
Some $425,000 was diverted allegedly to Jamaican businessman Douglas Halsall, who owned both AIS Jamaica and a similarly-named company in St Lucia. The destination for a further $50,000 is unknown.
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