Phillip Carrington, President of Cougars Football Club has signalled his intention to challenge the result of yesterday’s Berbice Football Association (BFA) elections which saw Keith O’Jeer returning as president.
According to Carrington, four of the six clubs eligible to vote at yesterday’s elections were told that they could not do so because they did not have audited financial statements.
This Carrington said was a double standard as the BFA itself did not present an audited financial statement. Instead, it presented a letter which stated that the financial statement would be available in May.
“What should have happened is that the two clubs could have moved a motion giving the clubs more time to submit their financial statements,” explained the former national goalkeeper.
According to Carrington, this was not done and instead a decision was taken to ahead with the elections with the knowledge that clubs who were not in good standing would therefore not be allowed to vote.
The clubs that were not allowed to vote were New Amsterdam United, Cougars Football Club, Monedderlust Football Club and Paradise Football Club with only Rosignol United and Corriverton Links able to vote.
In one instance an audited report, produced by one club, was rejected for not having a stamp, Carrington stated.
He added that given that the BFA was not in good standing, then it should not be allowed to participate in the upcoming elections of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).
The BFA has not produced any audited financial statements since 2010 and this, O’ Jeer said, was due to the fact that the association does not have a treasurer.
“Why can’t these clubs be given a date to submit their financial statements because the women have been accepted why can’t the clubs be accepted?” Carrington asked.
O’Jeer said that the clubs were given the same opportunity to submit their financial statements at another time yet they were still not allowed to vote at the elections.
“We did offer the same thing to the clubs. What we said is that if a club does not have all their accounts audited by a credible auditor and the auditor would write that everything was there but it will be available at a later date, that would have sufficed and I believe one club did fall under that umbrella,” said O’Jeer.
O’Jeer, however, could not say which of the clubs fell under that umbrella.
“But even at previous meetings it was discussed that the same would have been granted to every club. I am sure if things had worked out in their favour and they were the clubs in power it would have been a different situation.”
Asked why the elections were not postponed given that most of the clubs were not in good standing, O’Jeer said the elections were already postponed in order for the clubs to get themselves in order. He was also asked why a motion was not moved to have the audited financial statements submitted at a later date and said had it come up during the meeting then he was sure the motion would have been carried.
O’Jeer nevertheless, said that the GFF officials were present and found that the clubs were not in good standing and barred them from voting.
Carrington said in two instances clubs went to the auditor recommended by the BFA and were told that he could not prepare any financial statements or give them a letter stating that the statements would be availbale at a later date.
Nichelle Layne of Monedderlus said that she will not be participating in any programme organized by the president.
Like Carrington, Layne said the clubs could have very well be given the opportunity to submit their financial statements at a later date.
Other members of O’Jeer’s executive are Mark Adams first Vice President, Ceon Bristol second Vice President, Adity Singh, Secretary, Mike DeSouza Treasurer and Joseph Simon Assistant Secretary/Treasurer.
The returning Officer was Lawrence Griffith and he was accompanied by Duane Lovell, a vice president of the GFF.
