Ebanks triggers bid probe
(CNS): Following accusations made by the former MD of the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) about the bidding process for power generation, local officials have announced an independent investigation. Joey Ebanks, a political hopeful for North Side, has alleged that the ERA attempted to fix the bid for DECCO, which was awarded the contract sometime in February to produce some 36MW to meet future power demand and to replace CUC generators due to be decommissioned. Since the former regulatory boss was suspended from the ERAand then arrested on suspicion of drug related offences, fraud and theft, he has taken to the pages of Facebook alleging skulduggery and conspiracies by a catalogue of people, from the governor to members of the local press.
In particular, Ebanks has been focusing his latest allegations at the ERA management, implying that he had been asked to ‘fix’ the generation bid for DECCO because of a so-called ‘typo’ regarding the rate in the documents submitted by the islands' largest developer.
In light of Ebanks’s continued allegations, the ERA board released a statement on Friday afternoon stating that the board was instigating an investigation but made it clear that if this was nothing more than a wild goose chase that it would be ensuring Ebanks footed the bill. The board pointed out that the former MD made no mention of the allegations before his suspension and if he had suspicions about the process he had remained silent.
“The 36 MW bid was awarded by the Board to DECCO on the 9th February 2013 on the recommendation and with the full support of the former Managing Director as well as the entire ERA team,” the ERA said in the release. “Up to the date of the notification of his suspension to him on the 2nd March 2013, the former Managing Director had not notified the Chairman or the Board that he was concerned that the bid process was flawed or that there had been any irregularities either before or following the award of the bid.”
Ebanks had been suspended on full pay because the Office of the Auditor General had uncovered serious financial irregularities involving Ebanks during the ERA’s annual audit. The former MD was then arrested in connection with those alleged irregularities and as a result of drug paraphernalia found at his home at the time of his arrest. Arrested on suspicion of theft and fraud, he was bailed to return to police on 9 April after spending two days in custody.
On his release, Ebanks took to his Facebook page and said his arrest was because he had used the ERA credit card to pay for a trip to Jamaica to support the then premier. In an ironic twist, Ebanks admitted using the card to pay for the flight to speak for McKeeva Bush at a ceremony where the UDP leader was to receive an honorary Phd from a regional university days after his own arrest on suspicion of theft and corruption offences.
Ebanks then moved on to make attacks in the coming days on the press, the governor, the police, and other figures in the local community, including his political opponent in the fight for the legislative seat in the district of North Side, Ezzard Miller. The other main target of his prolific and unrestrained posts has been the ERA, and in particular the current deputy MD and the board.
The former ERA boss also sent the accusations of a ‘fix’ to two other bidders and so the ERA said it determined that it had a duty to all the bidders and the general public to cause an investigation to be undertaken on the 36MW bid process by an unrelated, qualified party that it was presently in the process of identifying.
“The former Managing Director has been notified of this decision and asked to cooperate fully with the investigation and the Board sincerely hopes that he will take this opportunity to fully disclose any concerns he has with the process,” the ERA stated. “In the event that it is confirmed to the Board that the bid process was open and transparent and there were no irregularities, it will take whatever action necessary to recover the costs and expenditure of public funds on this investigation. In the event that irregularities are found they will be reported to the appropriate authorities."
Ebanks, who resigned last month from the post he had been suspended from to run for office, has also been threatened with law suits from both the governor, Duncan Taylor, and the Judicial and Legal Services Commission chair, Dan Scott.
Category: Politics
Joey Ebanks my family and I stand behind you. Thank you for all you have done for us and continue to do. Your advise has been so very helpful.
care to let us in on what he's done for your family so maybe we can admire him too?
Joey you have my vote and my all the votes in my house. NOT Ezzard.
you CANNOT vote for the other members in your house!
How many LAW SUITS do he have to get before he realize he is fighting a loosing battle…Come on boy have some pride for your self and your family..Whats so amazing is he was mad cause they called his mama a bad thing but look at the shame and disgrace he bringing on his entire family now…
Joey's the new Mac, right? I mean birds of a feather and all (from an international perspective, they're wearing the same chicken suit down to the last feather).
This entire situation looks like a 'back stabbing movie with numerous guilty parties' being unravelled before everyone's eyes.
Anyone smell a Troll??
But it really appears that Mr.E is really in some deep trouble after what has transpired over the past weeks. I guess the 'real' truth would hopefully come to light soone than later with everyone involved. The entire Caribbean is watching what is going on in the beautiful Cayman Islands, so please be very careful with what you do.
Can I get his old job, I understand he was on 10 G’s a month. I promise not to steal for a least two years, unless McKeeva gets back in, then, let the tiefing begin!
He is like a fish out of water flapping around and singing like a canary hoping that something sticks that comes from his under-educated cranium that may save his sorry —.
flapping…. or fapping?
Fapping,,,, you so slick man…. you crack me up….. ROTFL
Joey is true to his family name! They don't point fingers until they are in the shame spotlight! Be a man and take responbilty for your actions………..NS would be fools to have this man represent them come May 23 for 4 years and beyond!!!
Something going on here which reminds one of the old gangster movies… "If I go down, I'm taking youse guys with me!!" Everything was fine. Corruption was rolling along, people were appointed to positions for which they were not qualified to keep their silence. Joey flies to Jam to talk to Da Boss. "Boss whatta I'm gonna do??" "Accuse everyone!! And don't admitta anyting!!" Then…Joey gets caught… again. "I knew we shouldna put him there. We shoulda retired 'em…fed im to da turtles!! Talk to da Boss of Bosses Mr. Big. We needa meet Joey gotta big mouth… he's gonna spill da beans!!"
Honestly Im not sure what Mr. Ebanks is trying to prove by the things he is saying and doing. for someone that claims he has so much evidence on so many things for so many years why owuld it take you 10 to 12 years to bring these to lite or is it that you're bringing them foward now to take the heat off of your self.
Well at least, hopefully, this will put paid to the original marl road rhetoric that Joey was installed at the ERA to take care of the Dart bid. If he was, then he certainly is doing a damn good job of it! I hope by he time he’s done, he will sink himself and McKeeva as deep as the bottom of the Cayman Trench, which is where they both belong.
Is Joey Ebanks in the sewage disposal business? I ask the question because he is just perfect at stirring sh$t.
Well! If he is not presently in the business, he surely has a profession to work with after he is completely despised by the people of North Side again at the upcoming election.
Joey…Joey…Joey….Why was not all the bids opened at the same time with a bidders present to see what each bidder bid?……tsk tsk tsk…thank God the Govenor did his Job….hope you and Mr. Bush wont be fighting over top bunk or bottom bunk.
Joey you and Mac don't know when to tell when the show is over. You both remind me of Hardy and Laurel , except they were funny.
who's the skinny one??…
He was accidentally caught in in the mids of the turtle farm scandal (unauthorized salary "advances" etc.) and is now accitentally caught in this scandal with no fault of his own.
Wonder what the two scandals have in common? Oh yes, you Joey!
Because of his previous dishonesty and slandering on every type media he can get on I can understand the threat of being charged the cost of this investigation, however, if this comes to something it will bring light to what many believe regarding former and present Government "negotiators" have been doing for some time with Dart. That being the case to even it out they should offer a whistleblower reward to Joey, help him pay some bills, he has a lot of them.
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Let it all out Joey and leave nothing out, this is one poster who will have a better opinion of you for it, couldnt have gone any lower anyway.
No one in North Side in there right mine will put you in over Mr Miller they know what they got an sure is hell dont know from one day too the next what they will get from you.. I feel sorry for the shame and disgrace he is bringing to family and friends and the Cayman Islands. Praying for you Joey go seek some HELP.Try Jesus he never fails…
Joey, it's over man. Seriously, you need help and I hope you obtain it sooner than later.
Joey was the managing director at the time, under the Anti Corruption Laws he has responsibility to report it, if he did not then should also be charged with any corruption found or charged for false accusation if no corruption was found. How daft can he really be?
Joey should be arrested for slander. Why is no one suing him? I would have him in court before he finished saying my name. He's worse than McKeeva. At least McKeeva not singing like a canary.
22.57, great that you are so strong, but how would you know he is talking about you? So many Mr Anonymous's here…
I'm Mrs. Anonymous and as soon as he says Mrs. I'm suing him.
Nah man. Nobody worse than mckeeva.
Joey needs to go sit down…
This horrible sample of a man needs to check himself into a mental instituion, he has gone completely nuts – a real attention seeker – its funny how when he was The Managing Dictator (yep dictator) of the ERA that this was such a great deal, great for the islands etc etc and was a part of the approval for this but now that he has been kicked out, he wants to turn the tables? Pleaseeee!
YAAAAAAAWWWWWNNNNN!!!! Joey it's time to your head straight, you need help man.
All this poor fool is doing is digging a deeper pit for himself.
No one is interested in your rambling Joe, we know all we need to know about you. I voted for you the first time you ran in North Side, as much as it now pains me to say it, but I will not be making that mistake again!
OK maybe I have not followed all posts carefully enough, but when one reads the article and attached statement (link below) on "Dart wins power bid" there does not appear to be any controversy over the actual bid. The bids were reviewed by ERA staff and two independent parties all arriving at a concensus. I would assume that the Managing Director (Joey Ebanks) would have had to be a part of that concensus, even if he was not, for whatever reason, there was definately enough time for him to say that something "fishy" was occuring.
Seems that this is a case of "pot calling the kettle black" to get the heat off oneself. Sorry, but you had a job to do, you agreed with the process that was followed, you agreed with the concensus, you made the announcment of the winning bid. Sorry, don't come now and say there was foul play then, you should have said so when it occurred. YOU had a lot of time to do so.
Read and decide for yourself……. http://cnsbusiness.com/content/dart-wins-power-bid
Sit down Joey, dont waste your time trying to convince the voters of north side and embarrassing all of cayman. You need to be a MAN, real man and face the facts. Something wrong with your head. Straighten up and fly straight not by the seat of your pants.
You cant do anything for us now, at least not in north side, so stay home and stop beating up your gums.