GFF rules GFL's Interim Committee unconstitutional
Millennium Executive to be re-instated
By Steve Ninvalle
Stabroek News
August 30, 2002
The life of the Georgetown Football League's Interim Committee may have come to an unceremonious end.
A highly reliable source yesterday told Stabroek Sports that the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has deemed the GFL's Interim Committee unconstitutional.
Efforts yesterday to get a comment from GFF president Colin Klass and general secretary George Rutherford proved futile.
However, the source said that chairman of the Interim Committee Dr. George Norton and acting secretary Fabian Denny were notified at a meeting yesterday. Repeated efforts to contact Dr. Norton also proved unsuccessful yesterday.
Stabroek Sports understands that resulting from the new development, ousted president Christopher Matthias and his Millennium Executive will be back at the helm of football in the city.
It was disclosed that Matthias had appealed to the GFF questioning the constitutionality of the eviction of his executive.
The Millennium Executive was replaced by the Interim Committee at an extraordinary meeting on August 14 after a no confidence vote was brought against the former.
Immediately after the meeting, both Matthias and secretary Raol Johnson stated they were happy with the general council's decision.
The source could not say exactly why the GFF had declared the process of eviction unconstitutional but noted that the abstaining of nine clubs from the no confidence vote was enough grounds for the GFF to declare the committee null and void.
He also added that Matthias and company could have sought justice in the court of law, a process which would have resulted in football in Georgetown coming to a stand still for a lengthy period.
"This thing could have gone on to the courts and in the end football in Georgetown would have been even harder hit. It could have spread and done much damage," the source said.
The no confidence vote came after it was alleged that approximately $500,000 from GFL coffers was missing. Treasurer Daune Campbell was fingered in the alleged misappropriation of the funds but has vehemently denied the allegations.
Campbell, who has vowed to clear her name, has since returned from Barbados and has made a full disclosure to her lawyer Joe Harmon who has promised an imminent release to the media.
Norton was elected chairman, Fabian Denny (acting secretary), Desmond Alfred (acting treasurer) and Bobby Fernandes, Odinga Lumumba and Jermaine Grimes (members) of the Interim Commitee which has already been functioning.
The Interim Committee has been in operation for about two weeks and has hastily put together two teams for the launching of Upper Demerara Football Sub Association 2002 season. The two teams were victorious against two teams from the mining town.