CIFA’s Blake, Watson face corruption charges

First Vice President of the Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA), Bruce Blake, and the organisation’s former treasurer, Canover Watson, were both slapped with multiple charges by the Anti-Corruption Commission on 8 August 2019.

In a statement, the commission said Blake now faces “one count of Secret Commissions contrary to s.21(1)C of the Anti-Corruption Law 2008; two counts of Acquiring or Retention of Criminal Property (Money Laundering) contrary to s.134(1) and s.135 of the Proceeds of Crime Law 2008; and two counts of False Accounting, contrary to s.255(1) of the Penal Code 2010 and 2013(Revisions)”.

It added that Watson was charged with the following: “Two counts of Secret Commissions contrary to s.21(1)C of the Anti-Corruption Law 2008 and 2014 (Revision); three counts of Transferring or Retention of Criminal Property (Money Laundering) contrary to s.133 and s.134(1) the Proceeds of Crime Law 2008; and two counts of False Accounting, contrary to s.255(1) of the Penal Code 2010 and 2013 (Revisions)”.

Both men have been further bailed to appear to appear in Summary Court on 20 August 2019.

“As the matter is now before the Courts, the Commission will not provide any further comment on the matter,” the statement concluded.

Blake and Watson were first arrested in 2017 in connection with the investigation into US$1.2 million dollars that were described as being loaned to CIFA in 2013. Watson was arrested again in June 2018.

Blake, who is also an executive committee member of the Caribbean Football Union, was suspended from local football activities after his arrest but returned to an active role in administration of the sport a little over a year ago.

Cayman Sports Buzz reached out to Blake for comment. He indicated one would be issued by his lawyer on Friday (9 August). At the time of writing, we were unable to reach Watson.

The news of the arrests came a day before FIFA President Gianni Infantino and CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani are due visit the Cayman Islands. They’re scheduled for meetings with CIFA President Alfredo Whittaker, along with government representatives.

Cayman football has been struggling to recover from the fallout associated with the 2015 arrest of its then president, Jeffrey Webb, who at the time was one of the most powerful men in the sport globally. He was at the time the vice-president of the world governing body, FIFA, and president of Concacaf, which runs the sport in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, as well as being CIFA chief at the time.

Webb was one of several international football officials arrested Switzerland in a US-led crackdown on corruption in the sport. He pleaded guilty in November 2015 to racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies.

Cayman Sports Buzz will continue to monitor developments associated with this story.

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