ERA boss suspended
(CNS): Joey Ebanks, the managing director of the Electrical Regulatory Authority (ERA), appears to be the latest government official to come under suspicion over financial irregularities, CNS has learned. Following the departure of Jeremy Jackson from the Airports Authority on Friday, Ebanks, who is no stranger to controversy, has reportedly been placed on leave while an investigation is underway, although there has been no official confirmation from either the Board or the relevant ministry. While messages to Ebanks remain unanswered, the beleaguered statutory authority boss discussed his suspension on the social media site, Facebook, at the weekend, making a number of allegations about others in face of his own troubles.
CNS had attempted to contact all of the relevant authorities for details regarding Ebanks’ situation but has been unable to get a comment from a single official.
In his own posts on his Facebook page Ebanks said he did not know why he had been suspended but said the letter he received referred to “alleged misconduct and abuse of office”. In the post he said, “This time I am fighting”, before launching an attack and making various allegations against members of government.
In his posts the suspended official implied underhand dealings regarding Cabinet ministers and the recent award to the Dart Group to generate the extra 36MW of power the island is expected to need over the next few years as a result of the scheduled decommission of existing CUC generators and the expectation of a growing population.
The news that DECCO, Dart Reality Cayman Limited’s general contracting arm, was given the go-ahead to begin negotiations with CUC came less than three weeks ago but it is not clear if Ebanks’ suspension is related to the issues surrounding that bid.
In the face of his suspension Ebanks went on to use the social media site to make unfounded allegations against the North Side MLA, Ezzard Miller, who beat Ebanks when he ran on the PPM ticket in the 2009 election campaign, as well as his colleagues on the ERA board.
Following Ebanks’ brief time with the PPM, he soon jumped ship and turn on his former political colleagues and has since offered his support to the UDP camp. He was appointed MD of the ERA last April in what appeared to be a political appointment, even though the MD’s post was a paid public sector position at the authority. His appointment led to a number of people leaving the ERA board amid undisclosed concerns.
Ebanks came into the media spotlight during the 2009 election campaign when questions were raised about salary advances he had taken out with the Turtle Farm when he was MD of that facility at a time when it was making considerable losses. A report by the Office of the Auditor General after the election revealed a catalogue of potential misuses of company funds under his tenure, including a $6,500 bar bill, which Ebanks ran up at the farm's on-site bar on alcohol, food and cigarettes, which was never paid back.
Following his election failure and his troubles at the Turtle Farm, Ebanks had a spell on Rooster’s morning talk-show Crosstalk before he reportedly returned to CUC. His return to Grand Cayman's monopoly power supplier ended in February last year and two months later he was given the post at the ERA. Ebanks has also worked as an assistant professor at ICCI, where he lectures on business. However, the college told CNS Monday evening that he is not currently teaching at the International College, "nor has he taught at the International College during this academic or calendar year," a spokesperson added.
Category: Local News
In all seriousness, this whole thing is a disaster and his Facebook page is like a train wreck. I couldn't look away for about 6 hours and this was AFTER he apparently deleted the really salacious things.
Am I the only one who thinks Mr. Ebanks may have some serious mental or substance abuse problems? For your own sake but also that of others, please get treatment, Mr. Ebanks. This is not normal human behaviour.
Joey The people of North Side had a Nuff of You, You will never be the MAN MR MILLER IS, So STOP IT.
How is he the boss of anything? When will nepotism stop?
Well all the bloggers here today got it right. Just remember “all” UDP existing, split and new members condone this type of behavior. So vote smart and right Caymanians as we are against people who look after their own whether they are bad or rotten! For the likes of me I just cannot understand how someone who was charged with mismanagement of funds at turtle farm can obtain employment with such responsibility with another government entity?
As to the dart deal with generating power, we need to bring Scotland Yard to investigate this deal, the dump and the west bay road, the status grant, the ciaa, the cayman brac paving, glf, cohen, Stan Thomas, man my fingers are getting tired.
The sad part about this whole mess, is that as a society, a community and as a country we allowed this to happen. PPM you don’t get off so lightly I beg for an answer as to why as opposition you did not oppose joeys appointment?
His appointment is a Cabinet and ERA Board decision. It is not debated in the L.A. and so no chance for the opposition to object. Of course if they had you would be saying it was all political because he left the PPM for the UDP.
Well said 4Cayman. We certainly need a thorough investigation of the mess that we have gotten ourselves into. This place has become a seething, virulent, festering boil of corruption on the backside of the Caribbean.
4Cayman, I really hope you are Duncan Taylor in disguise because his ongoing silence is creating pain in the heart of Cayman.
What has he done, but suppressed the release of information that would tell Caymanians what has been done with their money, in their country and under their noses.
Mr Taylor, in my opinion you have failed us. I will contact you privately also to confirm this. I am so disappointed in you, Duncan.
Will all persons holding government positions and have been stealing or accepting bribes please raise their hands??? Most that didn't are probably liars.
Jeremy J. must be saying….. PHEW!!!!…at least the heat is of me and now on someone else!!!
Or he could be saying "Whew" at least I'm not alone.
WOW….how can this person lecture a business class when he cannot even speak or write proper english ? Abuse of office, financial irregularities and the lack of corperate governance follow this man around. Perhaps he should lecture on these very same topics at ICCI.
It is sad though that he has used facebook to air his dirty laundry. The attacks and disclosure of unsubstantiated claims whether true or not have already done their damage. This person should now prepare for the backlash of civil suits to come.
We are in the 21st century, Cayman has come of age…let's stop recruiting people who cross their i's and dot their t's after having alcohol during lunch then return to their cushy offices to claim back expenses at their statutory authority or handle stronger recreational drugs. These are the same non-deserving politically connected people that get these top management positions and make a muck of things.
Lord help us through these never ending stories of unethical or corrupt managers in government offices…..
Word on the street is that Joey will rat out McKeeva, Glidden and Scotland as being the beneficiaries of this deal.
The problem is that nobody is going to believe Joey when he does get around to speaking the truth.
Joey who?
These criminals have muggle blood .
Hahahahahahahahahahanahahahahahahaaaaaaa
Laughing last? Lol
Joey was a "lecturer" of mine at ICCI for some time. Can't say i learned a thing in his class … He let everyone go early, never prepared for the lectures… only showed up to class some of the time.
His class became a political rant after a while, constantly barraging Mckeeva and his kronies with all the mistakes they had made. it was soon clear that his intentionas were not to teach, but gain votes!
Ironic that he is now supporting the UDP?
Joey…why not respond and tell us your side of the story..?
We have to thank the UK for starting this clean up. One by one they're shown the middle finger..that they don't belong amongst us hard working caymanians who are trying to get this island back on its feet. I bet there's more of them and they're wetting their pants now…xmas is over..yayyyy
Yes lets be thankful that a clean up appears to have started. Unlike you, however, I do not know who to give credit to. I hope it is not the UK because it woudl be so much better if we had started this at home. Unless it is shown to the contrary lets hope it was a Cayman instigated thing and not just chalk one up to the UK without knowing that they have done anything
I spent the last two weekends deleting mud from my FB page that was pasted all over it. I finally deleted the mud slinger because I came to realize what he is all about.
Well last weekend he was looking for pity, XXXXX
Typical Mackeeva Bush trained so called politician who thinks he have all the right to mud sling those independents who are attempting to get elected to make a difference.
That man can land on feet, I expect to see him with a big job at Dart next!
CEO of the dump!
So, if the CIAA is any example of what happens in our Statutory Authorities, then Ebanks should be fired in about 3 years time, all the while on full paid leave.
Is Steve McField on that Board as well? Just asking.
Was this the same guy who repaid tens of thousands in unauthorised "salary advances" from the Turtle Farm with a sackful of cash, and refused to say where he got it?
@ 14:53 – Yep, same guy!!
I was following his posts on Facebook and observed him attack a number of the new younger candidates like Alva Suckoo, Winston Conolly and Stephan Baraud. He singled these young men out because they either refused to engage him or actually rebuffed his posts. One post to Alva Suckoo read "I am going to give you a lesson in politics" and another read "I get your name in the paper and you wont even tell me thanks". These young guys did a good job of not getting soiled by his attacks and I take my hat off to them for keeping their noses clean. Joey also posted some incriminating statements about certain "current" ministers but has now deleted the posts, little does he know they can be retrieved by Facebook for legal purposes. If there was corruption allegations involving the recent ERA deal given to DART the public has a right to see that this is being investigated and followed up by the police.I hope that this is now happening.
I am baffled, to know that some people can commit so many offences and are hired to commit more serious offences. Knowing the character and so many misdemeanours, how can one me be so lucky? ROTFLMAO.
Joey is simply the tip of the iceberg.
nope, not deleted. and wow!
Say it ain't so Joe.
Sorry kid, it is
I'm sure if you message him on Facebook you will get a reply… He is constantly see ranting and raving about this and that.
I just added him as a friend to catch news on his rants. Little did I know his page was open to non-friends so should I unfriend him?
Yes you should. You will only get the kind of mud that people like him throw if you remain his friend.
With the way in which he has been conducting himself lately especially on facebook, this really does not surprise me at all.
How the heck did he get the ERA job after the Turtle Farm fiasco? In any properly run country that should have automatically excluded him. There's a old saying about 'never employ a fox to guard the chicken coup' isn't there?
Exclude him? Birds of a feather with the UDP.
welcome to wonderland where nothing ever makes sense….
Ask Mackeeva and his UDP cronies how a man who "Borrowed" from the cash register of the Turtle farm can be appointed to any other position of responsibility.
Pure Mac and UDP rot..how can anyone be associated with this bunch I cannot understand.
Birds of a feather?
he ain't the first and he won't be the last to abuse a high position on this island and get rewarded by being handed another lofty post to do the same again ….unbelieveable, in any normal country.
Doing things improperly here in Cayman seems to be a way to guarantee one getting another high profile job.
I agree with you 100 pct. On another relevancy, I am not for Colonialism, but I can tell anyone what, I would rather have England overseeing these small islands than despots ruling us who one by one are showing their true colors, that they cannot be Leaders. At least with England there has to be some accountablity given, whereas with these so-called political Leaders we are having whose hands are always in the coffers and every otherwise offer is for their own financial gain (as the news continues to expose), heaven help us.
Why cant we have real Leaders in such a small "Christian" (I believe most thinking people realise that the name Christian today is a misnomer) island? Why the entitlement minded-ness from our own once they are placed in positions of trust?
Come on Caymanians, havesome self-respect. Let us put a stop to the entitlment mentality. Frown on these cowards who scream at the top of their lungs about another's "mote in the eye", but cannot see "the plank" in their own eye. We need to call a spade a spade and an ace an ace – and call them nothing else but what they are!
Shame on us! For when one does wrong it reflects on all of us as a whole. Stop talking "Christianity" Cayman, and be strive to be true Christians. Not wolves in sheep's clothing (familiar isnt it?)
What business does Joey lecture on at UCCI, "Monkey Business?"
Its ICCI not UCCI, and (rather ironically) he lectures on:
Introduction to Business
Management
Marketing
Economics
Business Finance
Introduction to Banking
Risk Management
…never laughed so much in my life. It's just like Bush lecturing in Jamaica shortly after his arrest on Integrity…. oooh my sides hurt, bawahhhaaahhaaaahaaa!
Not much of a risk then, eh?
Sorry – my mistake
Sorry UCCI – my mistake.
It looks like a Bush purge is happening. Stay tuned to this channel.
Somebody puhleeeze go get that sign in front of his house.
The sign is not going to be taken down because, unfortunately, it may have to be put right back up again.
It might get covered with a garbage bag so that someone (in West Bay) can get the "full" installation costs when he gets his old job back.
CNS – can I borrow your Tardis.
According to the thread this reply was made on the 4th, in reply to a post made ont he 5th – clairvoyance is alive and well in Cayman LOL!
The sign was removed shortly after it was mentioned in a Compass article.
why is it that everyday in cayman is like groundhog day????
we really do live in an alice in wonderland environment….
Phase out corrupt Politicians and we will no longer have an "Alice in Wonderland" situation. His rant should be curtailed now and search for another classy job in play.
good ole joey….. a fine role model for the caymanian workfarce…..
Anybody got a broom? (in my Paul Pierce voice)
If these aligations that Mr. Ebanks is saying is true and he has the proof i think there has to be some serious investigations started and quickly.
"lectures on business," really!!! This man cant even string a proper sentence together much less spell basic words! Seems to me he ought to go back to school, not to teach however!
Typical UDP.
Meh folring de leeder leeder, dah meh boss.
Ah, this would be the same Joey Ebanks who "borrowed" from the public purse when he was Managing Director of the Turtle Farm?
Ah, Cayman, when will you learn?
Yes yes yes. Time to clean up Cayman.
Time to build a new wing at Northward for all the Dishonourables!
The UDP cronies are dropping like flies…
Or maybe your should say "like fleas".
They are, after all, just a bunch of blood sucking parasites.
You can't make a silk purse our of a sow's ear. Same ole same ole — give it up Joey
CNS I hope you are wrong about the last sentence in the above article, where you state "Ebanks has also worked as an assistant professor at ICCI, where he lectures on business"
Please tell me you got that wrong, if not, God help us.
Mr Ebanks has lectured at ICCI in the past I am made to understand but I cannot vouch if he has lectured there recently
I have utmost respect for the contribution and sacrifices that the Cummings family made in founding ICCI in order that local Caymanians could advance academically, however I do not think it was a wise choice in having the aforementioned as a lecturer there.
I am also a fan of the cummings family and ICCI. The school has created opportunities for many locals. Joey attended the school and earned his degrees. So while alot of this seems to be about supporting all the negatives about him.
I will say that he has done good and has accomplished more than alot of people and has given of his time and himself.
So how about jumping on a band wagon that lifts up individuals and inspire others to be their best.
The "Witch hunt" is not about right or wrong… it's just about burning the witch.
What a waste of every one's time. You tell me what good this serves ?
May good bless us all and show us the right way to live.
He is not a lecturer, he is a dictator ! What a disgrace to the ICCI founders.