Joey took salary advance
(CNS): The former managing director of the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) appears to have taken a salary advance of $10,000 during his time at the power regulator. According to what appears to be a summary of controversial payments, brought to light by the auditor general, in a move similar to events at the Turtle Farm in 2009, Joey Ebanks seems to have borrowed the money against his salary in July 2012 and at the end of February. A few days before his arrest the MD still owed the public body $3,000. The report lists a catalogue of financial question marks, from unjustified expense claims, forged signatures, travel expenses not accounted for and cheques totalling over $15,000 over a three month period paid to Ebanks without support.
Ebanks, who is standing for elections in North Side, is currently under police investigation following his arrest on 2 March and he is expected to answer bail Wednesday morning (10 April). Since hitting the campaign trail, he has indicated that he expects to be charged and the North Side candidate has said he anticipates that the charges will relate to hundreds of thousands of dollars in order to derail his political aspirations. The report suggests than Ebanks may well be correct as a question mark hangs over some $120,000.
The document shows a list of red flags picked up by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) that have not been properly justified. Almost $68,000 was reportedly spent in the Cayman Mac store with cheques from the ERA account signed by either Ebanks or board member Mike Herland, or both men. More than $6,000 was written on cheques with possible forged signatures. Over $4,000 was spent on I-Phones, only one of which the audit office said may be justified, while more than $5,000 was spent on roaming charges on what appears to be around eight trips over a six month period.
Ebanks has denied all the allegations made against him and has insisted that the authorities are ignoring significant corruption in other places while conspiring against him.
After his arrest Ebanks took to the pages of Facebook to defend himself and has made accusations of corruption against his opponent, Ezzard Miller, in connection with an email he sent regarding the possible recruitment of labour from Cuba for the Ritz, as well as accusations concerning Cayman Islands Governor Duncanand the chair of Judicial Legal Services Commissions, Dan Scott. As a result, along with his difficulties regarding the criminal investigation, Ebanks could also be facing law suits from both Taylor and Scott before Election Day.
His continued allegations about the award made to DECCO, the Dart Group’s general contractor, when he was in the MD’s post, for the generation of some 36MW of future power has now triggered an investigation into the tendering process and how the islands' largest developer was awarded the contract to generate a significant portion of the country’s future power needs.
Despite his allegations that he was asked to fix the bid as a result of a ‘typo’, he was the MD at the time and a release in the wake of the reward stated that DECCO Ltd had submitted the best deal for the consumers. Ebanks said in the release that DECCO came in first, followed by CUC and then Navasota, a Texas-based firm. He said that two separate and independent consulting firms conducted the analysis of the bids and made comparisons, and once they reached consensus, the board was informed.
“A clear explanation was given to members for their insight to allow approval," Ebanks said at the time.
This is not the first time that Ebanks has courted controversy. During the last election in 2009 it was revealed that he had taken a salary advance of some $40,000, the details of which were never fully explained. Audits later revealed that during his time at the cash-strapped government company, which sucks up almost $10 million in public money every year, he had also run up a tab of some $6,000 at the on-site bar and taken turtle meat on loan.
Category: Crime
Unna ol' stopaholics! Donkey faced devil-worshipping meddling desk clerks! How could he have taken any money when I told unna weeze broke. See, told you I could explain it. I hope unna trip and pop yu mout.
Do you have to be elected before you can ask for an advance on your MLA salary?
Look at mi boy! Just look at what some people will do to get some attention!
Let us Pray for our community and the people that have lost their way. We all have lost our way. Let see our own mistakes and bless our beloved home Cayman Islands.
Good idea! Let's pray. That'll take care of the problem much more efficiently than actually doing anything.
While I appreciate your sentiment and I am all in favor of prayer, in this instance going to the Churches to pray would be a slap in the face to all of us who have contributed to the National Building Fund AGAINST OUR WILL and WITHOUT ANY INPUT and would be rubbing salt in a wound. In addition, prayer is for those who help themselves and we have not helped ourselves we have ALLOWED and OPENLY and WILLINGLY ALLOWED our government to help itself to our money and spend it anyway they want because we did not speak up and we have allowed this corruption to continue for years because well gee, it’s so and so and or it’s my cousin’s auntie’s uncle or I remember when we were in school together or whatever the excuse we have used. The only way these actions can occur is if we allow them to occur.
No this election year needs to be a clean sweep, at this point I am looking at the idea of if you have heldoffice before forget it you are not getting my vote. Fresh faces, fresh start and oh boy you all had better be watching out because all about in your face if you start with any of this nonsense that has been going on.
One who feels it takes more than prayer to fix problems
Will he's still calling Mac "Primier" (Mr. at that)!
Why is anyone surprised? He is just carrying on the same as he did at sports headquaters & the Turtle Farm. Why on Earth was he given the job in the first place?
This North Sider certainly won’t be voting for him and I expect that the majority of my North side peope won’t either. I would be totally disappointed in my people if they made such a foolish choice as him. Joey needs to sit down and face the fact that he’s done!
Deja vu, anybody?
UDP Motto – What is the point of having a position of power and authority if you don't abuse it?
Joey you really scare me. I am concern about your well being I am going to suggest you see Dr. Lockhart. Hopefully he can get you some help and get you on some meds before its too late.
DON'T STOP THE CARNIVAL!
Just like the new Machel Montano song:
"Doh mind! Doh mind my biznez, doh mind my biznez, my biznez is MINE!"
That's Joey's motto…..
I previously used Mr. Ebanks as my inspiration when it pertained to business, policies and political viewpoint and the way that he publically displays great family values- which anyone in Grand Cayman is well aware of. But I no longer view him in this light. Not for the antics that people are saying that he displays but the antics which I've witnessed on my news feed from his facebook profile. Very disappointed that he chose to air his dirty laundry in this way.
Jo Jo keeps getting better at this!
LMAO. ROTFL. That PICTURE gets me EVERYTIME!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks CNS. I needed the laugh. Joey…I've been checking your facebook all day for anything on this latest piece of news! Your silence is deafening.
He is a complete XXXX.
PS: I have a huge vocabulary, but nothing, nothing captures the essence of this arrogant little man better than XXXX. With possible exception of XXXX. In cases like this XXXX or XXXX are probably interchangeable. Indeed perhaps he is really a XXXXXXX XXXX.
Well you know what they say, "If it looks like XXXX and smells like XXXX it probably is XXXX, just be sure you don't step in it."
Cayman's Lindsey Lohan.
"I am not afraid"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hopefully without the pictures of shaved bits!
At least Lindsey is off to rehab in May.
I was thinking Charlie Sheen
Wait…CNS. I think you need to do more investigating before you publish your articles….clearly this a error because there is no one man can be so foo foo.
He got away with what he did before at Turtle Farm so i assume he would expect to get away with same at the ERA.
Joey & Mac why you give me 2 thumbs down?
here comes to bulls…… if cabinet did not know mac signed the CH agreement, how do you know?
Lawd Have Mercy This Man Is In Some Serious Trouble and it seems to be him alone. I am eager and somewhat saddened to see when the 'Leaning Tower of Piza' Will finally Crumble.
Dont worry, he is not alone. He is on a mission to try to distract voters from the others who are involved with him. He do not have the resources to carry this on alone. Someone is funding his rhetoric and it is all intended to smoke the tracks of the rest of the culprits.
He and the rest of his team really thinks that the caymanian public is stupid and cannot see whats going on here.
I just read on his Facebook page where he is now concerned that the voters are not responding on his rhetoric on his facebbok page but only reply to him electronically.
No, WE are in serious trouble since incompetent and unethical people are continued to be put in positions of trust, high salary and benefits due to political motivations and "I scratch yours, you scratch mine" mentality.
It is OUR money that is pissed away and it will continue to go down this route until some is made an example of in the court of law with a proper conviction and an appropriate sentence. Politicians and Civil Servants in other countries have had to resign or were fired and jailed for much less………….how long are we going to wait and what needs to happen? Murder?
And who was it that got him both positions………
Bush put him there as Managing Director in April last year following the death of Phil Thomas. With Phil at the helm in those days I know it was well run with absolutely no hanky panky. With the Turtle Farm debacle it is truly a case of deja vous and I quote from two comments following an article in the Compass last year.
"What does he bring to the position other than a nice smile and the desire to spend $15m the Government does not have on 1500 voter households'
… although Joey does know how to have a good time- too bad we will all be paying for it in the future as has been the case in the past'
The last statement was brilliant and I take my hat of to the writer.Pity he was anonymous.
You are 100% spot on with your observations/comments Chris. What's also curious is three members of the ERA resigned shortly after Phil Thomas died and Joey was thrust in charge. Obviously three very concerned and honest individuals in my opinion. The writing was clearly on the wall from the get-go.
All these salary advances! What was Joey spending all his money on?
Who approved the advances?
AtBoswains Beach, Joey himself approved his own salary advances. And yes, it was legal according to the bylaws in place at the time.
Surely they must have changed the ERA bylaws when Joey was appointed to make he didn't give himself advances again? Or put a clause in his employment contract that he was not allowed to take salary advances? Hahaha just kidding, forgot where we lived for a moment.
You crack me up!
Cigars, apparently.
A real disgrace to the honest, hard working people of this country and what an example for his kids!!
All these people in positions of 'authority' need to start growing up, start acting 'professionally' and stop embarrassing these Islands, of which they claim to be proud. Obviously don't have any respect for themselves or anybody else and certainly do not show any for the people of these Islands. The nonsense and self indulgence has to be stopped.
Why does this guy keep getting jobs in positions of public trust? Your country is a laughing stock.
Because morons in power keep putting him in positions of trust because he is a know blabber mouth and will sell them out for $2
Salary advance.
Whoops. I did it again.
Laughing all the way to the bank.
Bozzo the clown is what comes to mind when I I look at this pic lmao! Caymanian
Please retract that statement. It is defamatory. Mr. Ebanks looks far more ridiculous than I do.
Not even Bozo look that fool.
He looks more like Crusty the Clown from the Simpsons. LOL!
Why was he appointed to this role and WHO appointed him. Does he have specialist knowledge, did his recent track record not warn someone? And most important, was the paper trail on the big contract complete and above board?
Given the near certainty on negative answers to all the above, I hope that his court case is soon and far reaching.
His appointment was by the distructive force the UDP (XXXX). How could anyone with integrity, sound mind, educated, honest, responsible, accountable, and good common-sense, ever have a nighmare to appoint Joey as leader, manager, director or CEO of any establishment or business.
This type of behaviour and employment of such, casts a dim light on hardworking civil servants. I can't imagine that the government that I once worked for has crumbled to this point. Clean house and set the house in order, once again.
Don't look over here – nothing to see here. Look over THERE. And over there. What, this? It's nothing. Pshhh, I can explain. But let's talk about that later. Look, look…Ezzard tried to hire expats…Ezzard tried to hire expats!
Money? Huh? What money? I took it? Ohhhh, thaaat money…uhmmm, I can explain. But didja hear about that ting with Decco? Dat sumtin eh…!?
Mac store…phones? I thought that was for McKeeva Bush. I was donating to the Mac's Fund for the Corru…er I mean eldery and destitute.
But enough about me. Let's talk about corruption. Noooo…not MINE…theirs! Over there. See…them! They're corrupt too…I mean…for real! Not like me…no that didn't come out right. Nevermind. Read my facebook page. I got the good goods on errrbahdeh! If i'm going down, they're coming with me! But I'm not going down. Cuz I started talking before they could read me mah miranda rights. So now nothing i say can be held against me in a court of law. Right? Lawsuits against me? Cha…I got a good l'il collection started. Errrbahdeh wants a piece of the Joey. I's the talk of the town yah nah! Got mah own l'il talk show too!
I'm invincible. Unsinkable. Notorious J.F.E. Blap blap!
(Uhmm…do you know if HMP Northward will allow some turtle meat as a hand-in?)
This has got to be the best post on CNS for 2013. DWL!
Tooooo funnnyyyyyy! ROFL with tears running down my cheeks.
(BTW: Tell 'em to put deh turtle meat in a chicken an' trow it ovah deh fence.)
Why is anyone surprised? He is just carrying on the same as he did at the Turtle Farm.XXX Why on Earth was he given the job in the first place?
An excellent question but not exactly difficult to answer.
My mother whould always say "You can't leave puss to watch milk."
Translated means, "like leaving a lit match in charge of the dynamite"
At this point, I want the FCO to raid every government department and department head anyone who had access to OUR money
The man is an idiot plane and simply.
This idiot has been gorging at the government trough for years.
Disgusting. Why hasn't government closed the "salary advance" loophole. Time to stop the rubbish.
It might have been for emergency medical expenses. 🙂
That "loophole' HAS been closed,..for ages…that's the problem..he probably approved his OWN advance..just like he did at the Turtle Farm..
And this is why you must "Just say "No"" children. (I was referring to the UDP, obviously). Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Isthis an official document? I don't see anything to indicate so? Can we find out?
All I can say is wow! The UDP has surely made a mess of everything they have touched. Anyone who still supports them has no shame.
Joey has nothing to do with UDP!
Don't try distiancing yourself. Who put Joey in the position? Surely the UDP.
Gees me thinks you mean the PNA now as well.
Really? Joey was going to Jamaica to support his good buddy MacKeeva when he was getting his honorary degree,to say good things about him. And you think he is not a UDP supporter
10:33, I see you pulled your head out the sand long enough to type your comment! Now put it back.
Ummm who appointed him as MD of the ERA knowing full well his record at the Turtle Farm? On whose platform was he appearing in the last 3. 1/2 years?
Answer: UDP
Oh please! You're as delusional as he! Joey has strategically positioned himself as an independent given the current controversy with the previous UDP administration- it provides him with a slightly better chance of being elected. However, let there be no mistake, Joey Ebanks is very much so a firm supporter/ personal friend of MacKeeva and wouldn't ever contemplate voting against any policy proposal that he would put forward or endorse. XXXX
where next for joey….. cayman islands financial secretary?????
If he's a regular church-goer, I say PREMIER. The Third XXXX.
Well what do you know he did it again!
Too funny he can't help himself looks like to me!
looks like a muppet, acts like a muppet…..
LOL!!! Joey Suckered them into advances again!!! LOL! EEEdiots
Well done Joey, great Job!!! now enjoy your nice expensive cigar – dwl what a fine example for everyone to follow!!! hahahahahhahahhahahahhaaha
God bless him, Catch fools, turn them fools
This is getting to be a farce… I know of hard working civil servants who hit a rocky patch and can't get a salary advance because of "policy" and have to wind up going to the bank and getting a loan or begging, borrowing or robbing Peter to pay Paul, to cover unexpected expenses, but this JACKASS can get salary advances willy nilly…I am beyond disgusted…
Government should not be in the position of operating as a bank, giving loans to employees.
Brilliant example to show kids why they need to think twice before posting pictures of themselves on the Net.
Look at him! if not a crook he is not intellectually deserving of a seat in the LA, he posted the perfect shot for the media to pick up.
CNS, I don't like your approach to reporting, but on that picture I have to give you kudos!
Not surprise ………… If he had done is job as an honest abiding worker I would be like WOW never knew he had it in him but I am sure he will be the best choice of NS (rolling eyes ).
UK politicians were jailed for fiddling expenses far less than these. Although not a politician, Joey Ebanks is a public servant and, if this is true and he is found guilty of most of this, he deserves a meaningful jail sentence – at least a couple of years.
Along with a cup of tea with his good friend who put him in the post. LOL
A very fitting photo…
Mr. Ebanks Please STOP with the BS & this picture that you are trying to paint of your self that you're looking out for the intrest of these islands and the people youare only trying to cover you behind for what u have done again.
"Since hitting the campaign trail he has indicated that he expects to be charged" I should hope so!!!! He knows what he did, so he can only trump up this "they out to get us" crap to try and deflect from the fact that HE HAS A PROBLEM!!!
The UDP and the PNA are BOTH responsible for this as they got him that job as a political favor. But i'm sure we will hear the great Juju and her musical crew hum their usual song, "Wewere thrown under the bus".
Another great example of why the UDP and PNA can never ever be trusted to be in power again!
He has a problem alright, and its much deeper than most people know !! get some help Joey, you seriously need it !!!
Joey needs to keep his mount shut and stop embarassing his family
Well, I the photo did make my day, I laught until I PPPPP my pants honestly .
What?!!! You have got to be kidding me Joey!! And you have the nerve to stand up in front of people and talk about Ezzard!!!
Got to give it to you, you got some big coconuts my friend.
If the people of North Side vote you in they obviously lack common or capital sense!
Dont worry, "What, if North Side vote u in" The good decent,intelligent , people of north side will not vote him in. The few votes this idiot will get will be his croonies and not all of them want to be affiliated with him. So he need to shut up and have respect for his family if nothingg else.
Put him in a cage and lets walk by and demand all of our money back. Actually the whole UDP, PNA crew should be in cages.