FIFA official banned: charged with fraud, money-laundering

A member of the financial watchdog committee at football’s ruling body FIFA has been charged with fraud, money-laundering and breach of trust by police in the Cayman Islands.  Canover Watson, a vice-president of the Caribbean Football Union and member of FIFA’s Audit and Compliance Committee, was charged with five offences by the Cayman Islands Anti-Corruption Commission. The cases relate to Watson’s time as the head of Cayman’s Health Service Authority and follow a police investigation into the introduction of a swipe card system. There is no suggestion of football-related crimes. “The Anti-Corruption Commission can confirm the 43-year-old Caymanian businessman…who was originally arrested on 28 August 2014 by officers from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Anti-Corruption Unit…has been charged today,” the Anti-Corruption Commission said in a statement on Thursday. The commission released the statement to Reuters after being asked for an update on Watson’s status. The 43-year-old is due in Summary Court on Tuesday and the commission added “it is anticipated further charges will follow”. When he was arrested in August, Watson denied the allegations. He was not immediately reachable for comment on Thursday. In September, FIFA temporarily suspended Watson from its eight-member Audit and Compliance Committee pending the outcome of the case. The Cayman Islands is a power centre in the CONCACAF organisation that governs soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean. Reuters