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Fyzabad Secondary principal Troy Jebodhsingh and physical education teacher Nigel Lakhan appeared before a San Fernando court today on multiple fraud-related offences related to their registration of school footballers Dez Jones and Maurice Dick.
Jones, a former Siparia Secondary student who captained Fyzabad Secondary this season, and Dick, a former Moruga Secondary student, were both enrolled in lower sixth form on the basis of fraudulent CXC transcripts, which claimed they had four passes each.
(Courtesy Expression House Media/Wired868)
The Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Executive unearthed the discrepancy—after a probe was requested by Trinity College Moka—and the matter was relayed to the Ministry of Education and then the Fraud Squad. Fyzabad were ejected from the SSFL Premier Division while Jebodhsingh subsequently suspended his team’s entire football programme in both the girls’ and boys’ divisions.
Jebodsingh, 50, faces six charges which include four counts of misbehaviour in public office and two counts of uttering forged CXC certificates. The school principal, who was a police officer for four years, has been in the Teaching Service for 27 years. He was represented by attorney Chateram Sinanan.
Lakhan, 41, will also answer six charges, two counts of uttering forged certificates to school supervisor Zabeedah Abid, two for uttering forged application forms to the SSFL and two counts of forgery. The PE teacher has been a member of the Teaching Service for 21 years. He was represented by attorney Chris Ramlal.
The DPP on Wednesday evening advised the police to charge the two teachers, following investigations led by Head of the Fraud Squad, Totaram Dookhie. The charges were laid by Sergeant Earl Smith of the Fraud Squad.
Jones and Dick were questioned but not charged while coach Brian Williams, a Trinidad and Tobago national youth team coach and former Strike Squad standout, was not implicated.
Looking on are (from right to left) assistant coach Kerry Jamerson, team manager Nigel Lakhan and principal Troy Jebodhsingh.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/CA-Images/Wired868)
Jones and Dick maintained that they had no part in the fraud. Both teenagers told Wired868, in an interview last month, that Lakhan requested their exam certificates and never returned them. They were then told that they would be allowed to enter Form Six at the school.
“I just carried what the school asked for, [which was] my original document and birth paper,” said Dick. “I don’t know what they did after that… It is really the administration in the school and whoever had my certificate at the time.”
Dick, who had just one CXC pass in physical education, was taking sixth form classes in business, accounts, physical education, entrepreneurship and communication when the fraud was discovered.
When last month Wired868 contacted Jones, who had two CXC passes, he was not sure what form or class he was supposed to be in—despite already being six weeks into the school term. When the Fraud Squad interviewed the two players, they are believed to have found Jones working on a construction site.
“They asked if I want to come back and play school football,” said Jones, in a previous interview. “And I said ‘yeah, I want to come and play.’ And then I went training…”
Maurice Dick (bottom row, far left) and Dez Jones (top row, far right) were both in the starting line-up.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/CA-Images/Wired868)
Lakhan and Fyzabad vice-principal Suresh Roopnarine told the SSFL that the two boys duped them and somehow danced around the process for vetting students, which saw their documents pass through the school’s screening committee, Principal Jebodhsingh and the school supervisor.
However, only Lakhan and Jebodhsingh will answer for the crime in court.
Both Jebodhsingh and Lakhan were placed on a total of TT$120,000 bail with a total cash alternative of TT$15,000. The principal’s bail will cover the matters in San Fernando and Siparia while Lakhan’s will cover the charges in the three areas, San Fernando, Couva and Siparia.
They will both reappear in the different courts next week.
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Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.
If they were to do an audit of the other schools I am sure that there would be a large number of questionable students…. schools have been encouraging this for too long… SMH
yes so true
Now if my son got one pass at CXC and found out that, as a parent, my son was admitted in Sixth Form…..??
Jail all of them ,smh.
Sorry. Not myopic. I meant racist. ?
Myopic much?
21 years experience they sure about this.. …. This has been going on far too long time longer than twine so twine run what in dark does come to light they have no place in the teaching system what example and standards are they setting for students… I say check their credentials to see if it’s legitimate too… They must resign..
Remember the Great Football Scandal. This is just a local one !!!
Lead by example sorry U to greedy
Wait…man playing school football while enrolled in a class but working on a construction site???? What d ass
hahaha ENT
Kim Thomas you see this?!
Real embarrassing!!
Exactly
They can’t help it cuz it’s in their DNA
I say that is small thing that going on long time but they serious now sorry for them
Expose the ones you know.Small things develop into bid things.
The things we does call small thing hmmm
1 pass, 2 passes and two properly qualified candidates couldnt get in because of these two guys ….ridiculous
It is about time we take a stand.
Making jail for football? Idiots.
Hence the reason why meh police fraud squad have to also check their secret bank accounts , especially when they got about 200k from their sponsor for this season eh. Them really good yes.
its really big money
when you are doing wrong things its the simple things that sinks you because you get to the point where you think you will never get caught
ey George you just hit it. people get so accustom doing wrong they really feel that they smarter and would never be caught..
I trying to figure out why they felt the risk was so great to make. I don’t think Fyzo was making in the top 3 anyway. Career and possible name gone down the drain. I still want to know what the SSFL have in it so for big men to sell their souls.
Well, there is more than the SSFL prize. There is also whatever sponsorship the school’s football team might have acquired and the promises made to keep that.
Not saying that I know any details but often teams get more money from sponsor than from league they are participating in.
I learnt something today
Finally there is an answer sponsorship money !!!! I thought there was an underground betting pool. Well it all makes sense now ……well kinda
I am wondering what they are doing with the money. Especially the south teams there home grounds are in a mess. I would think spending some money to fix your home ground will be on top the list.
Hmm well if I in fraud ground maintenance is not priority 1
Not only the fraud school naps ground high and low since I small presentation have no home ground Shiva had to fine a new home this season. Most of the teams in town have a field that’s properly maintained. I guess the money in people’s pocket especially in south
Like I said not priority 1
They shudda done that long time to already eh. Them really good yes.
ok lets see if they will investigate the bank accounts now
Kester Lendor you really serious about feeling sorry for them eh, ah wonder if you is feeling sorry for the corrupted Jack Warner the same eh, when the white plane finally arrives in our sweet country to take him back to my second sweetest country for him to finally face the courts and then plenty jail time eh. Them really good yes.
So wait the principal was a police officer eh and only spent 4 yrs in my police service eh, ah wonder why he had to leave eh, ah wonder if it was because of some corrupted business the same. Them really good yes. steeuupss
Mr Bacchanal, maybe he wanted to teach…lol
Hahahahahaha
Lasana, u realise that if these men are found guilty they instantly lose their jobs inclusive of whatever benefits to be accrued after 27 and 21 years of service.
I can’t help but feel for them now yuh know. The fall out from this would be catastrophic.
Its sad that people would go to such extremes for school football! The bragging rights can’t be that great of a deal…and I’m not sure they really thought they were giving the young players a chance to further themselves
Kester, it sounds like a helluva lesson will be learnt throughout the service then.
This shouldn’t be a criminal case man. Ban them for HS sports and move on. I’d hate to see people lose their careers over this.
Charge them.
“… Jebodhsingh, 50, has been in the teaching service for 27 years and was a police officer for four years. He was represented by attorney Chateram Sinanan.
Attorney Chris Ramlal represented Lakhan, a teacher for 21 years.
Police prosecutor Cleyon Seedan made no objection to bail but reminded that the matters were laid indictably. Charges were laid by Sgt Smith of the Fraud Squad.
Jebodhsingh was placed on a total of $120,000 bail with a total cash alternative of $15,000. The bail will cover the matters in San Fernando and Siparia.
Lakhan was placed on a total of $120,000 bail to cover the three charges with a total cash alternative of $15,000. These will cover the charges in the three areas San Fernando, Couva and Siparia. They will both reappear in the different courts next week.”
Shane McCutcheon same khaki pants. Every race here and abroad are guilty of the crimes u mentioned so what’s your point. My point is where money and lands are concerned certain people would kill and rob their families and commit all manner of fraud. The impression u are giving is that the people of which I speak are so squeaky clean.
Fraud and corruption are one thing. Murder, robbery, rape, theft, delinquent parenting, are quite another,
What does this mean exactly?
How much money these schools does get when they win premier league?? All this worth it?
Was thinking the same thing is the risk worth the rewards
There is no money involved, just a trophy and bragging rights!!
Going on long time….but these get ketch…..sorry for them….it must not happen…if the students are not qualified….let them look on from the side.
What an example for their students! Dishonesty.
And they wanted to blame the boys alone smh
Jail eh easy jebodhsingh…fakkin fraud…
Applause
I’m not completely fluent in the rules surrounding school football. However it would appear to me that claiming to be a school pupil so that you can play in the team, while not attending school to work on a construction site, is in itself dishonest, and possibly fraudulent? Which then leads to the fact that whoever monitors pupils attendances, as well as the coaches and principal (if they are aware of the non attendance), are also culpable. These actions, to me, are more worthy of investigation and punishment than the registration issue. School attendance must be an ongoing criteria for inclusion in school sport.
This is so sad. And i agree, not new.
I interesting though that the fraud squad has not intervened elsewhere.
Well I guess they just cannot help themselves eh, especially when aquiring plenty of monies in the wrong way to eh. Them really good yes
Justice must prevail
Smh. Such a silly reason to be facing such an unwanted turn in life…
So true..lose job
Dishonest bunch what an example set by a Principal…shit anything to win so how are your boys and your family feeling..dahs nuttin try sumtin..shame
Let feel the full blunt of the laws
We have sank to a new low in sports
This is not new…they just got caught
Imaani .. you damn right
This has been going on far too long time longer than twine so twine run what in dark does come to light they have no place in the teaching system what example and standards are they setting for students… I say check their credentials to see if it’s legitimate too…
Earl Mango Pierre – your immediately preceding comment about the players themselves needing to be charged is spot on – they knew that and are adults and were complicit. Your name is now, Earl Juile Mango Pierre.
Yeah but the two students shudda also be charged the same eh. Because they must have known that they couldn’t play anymore school football because of their insuffient school passes or are they both so Duncy themselves eh. Them really good yes.
Them boys could barely understand dey school work, you want them to understand SSFL eligibility rules?
No wonder why our football in a real mess in these times eh, dem nowadays players not only lacks the football IQ to play the beautiful game on a much higher level but smoe of them also lacks the IQ to undertsnad the rules to eh. Them really good yes.
It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad. The schools and administrators failing these youths.
True dat eh. Them really good yes.
Lol…..he is the captain and don’t even know what class he supposed to be in.
The students did nothing but provided their certificates. Those unethical adults are the ones that manipulated it and submitted the documents.
How in creation does a teenaged student become responsible for abiding by league regulations when it’s the school’s responsibility? A student indicates their willingness to play and the school facilitates such.. we act like we were responsible adults at 16!! STEUPS
Who me I wudda lock up everybody including their parents and yes these nowadays kids even at the age of 16 yrs old are very responsible and they are putting down robberies and even committing murder including all other sort of madness , so please don’t compare a 16 yr old from back in your times nah Nicole Ulerie, you is sounding like some of those parents who is always saying that their kids are good kids eh, when they know that they are not . Them really good yes.
And I guess you’re one of those persons that makes assumptions. Carry on smartly
Nicole at 16 your dumbass knows if you are eligible or not to attend form 6 if you have 2 passes your dumbass very well know school is over for you
And if the school takes me that is my problem how exactly?
Cuz I doubt they just bought uniforms and start going to school jusso!
But is 2 lil black boys nah…so we will find any way possible to vilify them
Parents have to take blame also you must know your child’s qualifications
Wow. Just W. O. W.
Nicole these boys need to stop letting people exploit them and the stupid parents need to wake the f.ck up
So allowing your self to be exploited is a crime now?! Wda
It’s not a crime I never said it was they are guilty of being stupid and easily misled
Ok
Have plenty top footballers over the years with less than two passes….plenty
This has soared beyond shameful proportions. Wtf were they thinking?! Let the chips fall where they may. Smh!
Only in our sweet country. Them really good yes. Steeeuuuppss
So they shouldnt be charged? Yes the rest of the world is different.
Wow! well they say innocent until proven guilty. He spoke so highly of the team in the chasing goals interview. Its funny the law only applies to some.
Very interesting. Time to put school football on notice regarding the way players are commodified. This to me underscores the disservice that is being done to these students:
“When the Fraud Squad interviewed the two players, they are believed to have found Jones working on a construction site.”
Dat wah dey charging he for wat bout some ah Dem government minister an Calder Hart Dem how they can’t charge Dem
Serious?
Wrong forum dude. Leave the politicking for the campaign trail and at the stand pipe where that shit belongs.
Keep the focus and stay the course on this one.
Exactly Kester
Allyuh miss d point by mile ?
Michael Anthony there was no point.
Because the politicians never faces the courts and then plenty jail time in our sweet country. Alyuh remember Mr 2 pull the ex corrupted sports minister eh and the Life Sport madness eh himself and the other corrupted individuals the same as the principal and Lakkan wudda surely be facing the courts and then plenty jail time in meh second sweetest country steeuuupsss. Them really good yes.