Wired868 Wired868 for smart sport news and opinion
This afternoon, First Citizens Bank held on to the token sum of TT$300 from the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association’s (TTFA) eight accounts at the financial institution—for banking and maintenance fees. The local football body’s remaining money, TT$270,871.33, is now property of 15 former National Futsal players and their five technical staff members and attorneys.
This morning, Master of the Court Sherlanne Pierre instructed First Citizens Bank, represented by attorney Shashi Seecharan, to immediately make the payment to the claimants as part settlement for an award of over TT$500,000, which the TTFA should have paid since 13 December 2018.
(Courtesy TTFA Media)
The successful Futsal players listed in the action are: captain Jerwyn Balthazar, Kevin Graham, Adrian Pirthysingh, Colin Joseph, Kerry Joseph, Jameel Neptune, Ishmael Daniel, Anthony Small, Kevaughn Connell, Keston Guy, Kareem Perry, Jamel Lewis, Noel Williams, Bevon Bass and Cyrano Glen—whose elder brother Cornell Glen was one of 13 Soca Warriors who successfully sued the TTFA in the landmark ‘2006 World Cup bonus dispute’.
The technical staff members are: Clayton Morris (head coach), Sterling O’Brian (assistant coach), Perry Martin (goalkeeper coach), Brent Elder (trainer) and Ronald Brereton (manager).
The TTFA, whose legal actions are dictated by president David John-Williams, also owe costs to the Futsal Team’s attorneys, Keston McQuilkin and Melissa Keisha Roberts-John.
John-Williams did not appear in court today and his vice-president, Ewing Davis, represented the football body. Morris, Elder and Brereton turned up to represent the Futsal contingent.
[dfp-ad]The claimants were stunned to learn that the TTFA banked US$600,000 or TT$4,000,000 from FIFA between mid-December 2018 and January 2019. However, by the time the Futsal Team had a garnishee order accepted by the court on 18 March 2019, the TTFA had less than seven per cent of that largess left in its accounts; and nothing besides.
The TTFA’s office staff of roughly 15 persons, minus its technical director, is paid an estimated TT$90,000 per month—which would account for just TT$180,000 (two months’ salary) from the money received via the FIFA Assistance Programme.
So where did the rest go?
The Futsal Team were particularly dismayed as John-Williams, through attorney Annand Misir, allegedly promised to pay them from the FIFA funding, only to go back on his word.
“At the time of the judgment [on 13 December 2018], the attorneys on behalf of the TTFA indicated that they were getting money from FIFA,” Brereton told Wired868, “and they said when that money comes they will pay us. So they asked if we would give them 28 days to pay.
“In good faith, we allowed them the 28 days. But according to what was revealed in court today, the money did come; but they opted not to pay us and instead filed an appeal.”
The court also learned of an alleged US$24,000 payment from Concacaf to John-Williams, which was sent to the TTFA’s bank account. The attorney for the football body argued that this sum should not be handed over since it was the president’s money.
However, with no paperwork to substantiate the claim, the Master dismissed the TTFA’s request and offered that sum to the claimants as well. The football body must also pay costs to the Futsal Team’s attorneys for having to return to the courts.
Infantino was the UEFA general secretary at the time.
(Courtesy TTFA Media)
It is a process that will likely be repeated until the initial judgment is satisfied.
Wired868 can confirm that the TTFA’s office staff have not received salaries for March, nor have they been told when to expect payment.
“[…] We have a national senior men’s soccer team funded by Fifa, the government (my tax dollars), and private donors that pays Read more
“[…] The Women Soca Warriors are going to get pummelled because we deliberately chose to ignore their programme. “It seems Read more
“[…] Our Senior Women’s National team also have World Cup hopes—yet we are being neglected. We are near the middle Read more
The good news is that there will definitely be a Caribbean team at the 2026 Fifa World Cup. And Trinidad Read more
A double from debutante Dante Sealy, a goal on return from Levi Garcia and another from veteran Kevin Molino, and Read more
“[…] Dependency on global and regional football authorities, and government funds disempowers football leaders in these associations. Leaders often find Read more
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.
We know that he is not good for football…. however most of the blame has to go to the Board members who support him in his madness …. and the coaches who go along with him…. banana republic behavior….
He could have opened the books ages ago and cleared himself if he was innocent.
The man is delusional. On a hallucinogenic scale.
Did he call himself an incarnation?
He continues to blame past Administrations
Tony Maxwell Hatt very thin playbook, a couple lines..not even a full page. SMH
https://newsday.co.tt/2019/04/07/ttfa-saddled-with-lawsuits-debts/
He is still being secret. He didn’t say where the $4m went or why he claimed he was being paid $28,000 personally from a football body. He isn’t inferring that there will be more court cases in regard to the futsal matter is he?
The man is delusional.
Understanding him is like trying to smell the colour 9 ?♀️
https://newsday.co.tt/2019/04/06/im-doing-my-job/
“He continued, “Under my tenure as president, it has seemed very controversial (but) I beg to differ. But the old people say when they’re criticising you is when you’re doing something good. At the end of the day, you’ll see who’s telling the truth.”
Is this fool for real?
https://newsday.co.tt/2019/04/06/im-doing-my-job/
‘The Court learnt of an alleged payment of 24k from CONCACAF to DJW… his Attorney argued it should not be handed over, it was his”…
HIS???? For what?
Reyna Kowlessar This would make a good public case for GG. He could prove to those who may still have doubt that the TTPS will follow through no matter who is suspected of wrongdoing. Especially if it is in doubt that proper paperwork exists for a transaction over $10,000.
Jo Ann Griffith’s security firm has received TTFA business for the past few years. Doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. But it would be a bit awkward for the two men I would think if the Police moved on the TTFA.
It would really show that there is no exceptions in the application of the law then ey?
I found this from last year https://newsday.co.tt/2018/08/12/gary-i-am-above-board/
Lasana Liburd Is GG’s son still with national U17s?
If DJW is all ‘above board’ shouldn’t he be calling an emergency meeting to discuss frozen bank accounts and staff payment arrears?
Jo Ann You talking about another DJW. Not we boy. ?
King David will slew Goliath! Him not worrying a bit! But I feel he wilfiddle on while TTFA Rome burns to a crisp!
Keith Look Loy If I worked for the TTFA I would have expected all Board members to be backing the staff of the organisation and helping them get clarity as to their expectations for when the freeze on their pay will end.
Jo Ann You talking about another Board. Not TTFA.?
Jo Ann and acknowledgement of the upcoming away games at a meeting.
People get locked up every day for much less..smh
Egos….. they are not concerned about the organization…. belly full so why worry….
?
To this very minute, the following Board members have called for an emergency TTFA Board meeting:
1. KLL
2. Rayshawn Mars (NFA)
3. Colin Partap (CFA)
4. Joseph Taylor (TTFRA)
5. Sharon Warrick (WOLF)
We need two more. Let’s see who, if any, will join these five. Waiting on Selby Browne (VFOTT) and Bandele Kamau (EFA) to show up.
Keith Look Loy the only way to get things done – call people out publicly..well done!
Selby Browne should be forthcoming! What about Downer?
Brian Harry Downer is not a Board member. And Selby? Wait…
Selby Browne I strongly suggest that you attend the emergency TTFA board meeting. I know from our discussions over the years you want to see all things in TT well organized. Great opportunity to make a stance
Wait a minute wasn’t Selby the guy who recommended “strong reprimand” for DJW (or was that Downer)? Lasana Liburd If I’m wrong please advise …. either way character is required for matters of integrity and change.
Malik Johnson That was Downer.
Still waiting for Selby and Kamau to join us.
The other Board members are,
Julia Baptiste (TTPL)
Ewing Davis (VP)
Sherwyn Dyer (ECFU)
DJW
Anthony Moore (TFA)
We waiting on Julia too, for that matter. TTPL men reading this (as they are) need to get her to sign up for this.
the biggest issue in TT is the crisis and culture of corruption. The average Trini speaks about the corrupt politicians and other persons in high places. What the average Trini ignores is that your choice to speak up also signals your willingness to act with integrity. When other board members say “me ain’t getting involved in that bacchanal”, they are being complicit in the corruption and thus they have lost the moral right to speak against wrongdoing. I called on Selby Browne because a few years ago I went to a TT game at the stadium and he sat one seat immediately in front of me. The TT team played badly! He and I spoke throughout the game about the state of the local game and why teams are not well prepared etc. naturally the convo went into the TTFA. Selby spoke about the way in which the organization is run etc and why things won’t get better. So given that I’ve known him a long time and is a pal and former QRC, I know that I can call on him to do the right thing. And given that he has some views contrary to what we are witnessing, I expect him to go to the meeting and vote out DJW. We must stand behind our words. Trinidad and Tobago is a corrupt country because the average Trini is a corrupt person. When a politician could treat you bad for 4 years and come and give you a t-shirt, bottle of rum or a Roti and you vote for them, that is corruption too. When u go to work and your boss asks a question and you give the answer you think he want to hear but not what you think is right, that is corruption too.
Sorry this is long but we have to stop playing games
Brian Harry Selby cannot lattend a meeting that is not called. HE HAS TO JOIN WITH THE FIVE OF US (NAMED ABOVE) TO FORCE JOHN-WILLIAMS TO CALL THE MEETING. This right here is yet another opporrunity for him and Kamau to pass the proverbial examination of horns. They failed the last two.
Keith Look Loy I understand that and I’m simply saying that he should join the chorus of those who want to meet and then attend.
Keith Look Loy thanks Keith…stand corrected
Malik Johnson When I moved the motion on behalf of FC Santa Rosa I was seen by many as a nuisance. Downer scuttled it. Now, I hate to say it, but…..
Keith Look Loy facts are facts whether you say it or not ……
Malik Johnson Nah. I won’t be so crass as to say “I told you so”.
Keith, you see I have been trained through the following, rules learned from my mentor ( who incidentally worked in TT as an expat for 6 years. And always said “never trust the first answer out of a Trinis mouth”)
(1) you have an obligation to dissent
(2) if you don’t speak up then you own the outcome
(3) you have an obligation to call out your colleague because we go as one
The board has to step up and kick this man out! Anything less is …….
Friendly matches coming up in June. Let’s see who from the Board on the plane.
Davis and Moore are regular flyers. Quan Chan went Russia. Dyer went to Wales. Let’s see. ?
Still waiting for colleagues from EFA and VFOTT to support the call for an emergency Board meeting.
The truth is all he has to do is resign and all this falls on the TTFA organisation he as an individual is devoid of all responsibility and those “nutsless wonders” on the TTFA board too stupid to see that…..leaving the TTFA debt riddled and impotent to help run any of our programs….the fools!!!!
Is DJW and Dave Cameron related in any way
Quincy Furlong hahaha.
LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOO John William’s just dont care about nobody Hahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahah
Joshua Mickel Lamb It would be funny if it wasn’t real life! Real athletes, real women, real taxpayer money.
Girl Its funny !!!!!! This cant be real life. You think there isn’t a board in place ??? Only look loy seeing things and speaking everybody else like headless chicken
Joshua Mickel Lamb Yeah and the Government minister, FIFA and the rest sitting on their hands.
Jo Ann yup
Hope the Board members are not personally legally liable. At least Keith couldn’t be accused of being complicit.
And some people including my dictator president vex with me when long time now since in the days of the corrupted Jack Warner and his cronies I have been saying that the corrupted TTFF/TTFA is corrupted Them really good yes
DJW big, bad and bold with his incompetence and dishonesty; I get that. What I can not understand is how an organization with a membership just under 50 and a board can allow this to continue? Do these people go to church, mosque or temple? What do they tell their children about honesty and principle? If this is reflective of the society we in serious kaka.
Rest assured his accomplishments have gone largely unnoticed ???
I have demanded an emergency Board meeting and called on Board members to support my call. If they do not accept this final opportunity to do something to stop this man and to save TTFA then the Board is irretrievably complicit in all that is going on and is completely useless.
Keith Look Loy Good luck
This man is a crook. Plain and simple.
The man is a crook. Plain and simple.
Selfish movement leave youth and our future at a loss
Lasana Liburd, If money is being shifted around and hidden, would that be contempt of court??
Brian Jordan not only that but Fraud Squad and FIU will soon be involved!
Damian R. Scott hmmm.. staying tuned
Damian R. Scott will they be able to actually press charges on the actual individual or does it just fall under the TTFA organisation?
Malik Johnson the charges will be against the individuals. The organisation isn’t a ‘person’ in the eyes of the law; TTFA can’t make ‘ah jail’. But King David is a different proposition. Comingling of funds is a huge no-no that can also damage FCB’s reputation. I doubt FCB will take a willing drag with him over US $24000…
Damian incorrect.
Enlighten us Nigel S. Scott
Timothy the organization isn’t a “person” in a human sense, but it’s very much its own entity an can be charged as any individual can. That’s why there are provisions for “corporate” penalties. It’s next to impossible to prosecute individual board members and corporate officers when they act on behalf of the organization. They have to really overstep their authority, or otherwise engage in real malfeasance to even get charged.
Nigel S. Scott would it be subject to a ruling or judgement of contempt of court? Would that ruling or judgement be against individual or TTFA or both?
Brian the organization certainly could be found in contempt, and the court very well could extend liability to a corporate officer. I think this is the risk that Williams is running when he takes such a personal, hands on, and unilateral approach to running the TTFA. A defense to any personal liability is that you acted in the best interest of the organization. But it’s hard to make that argument when you insist on doing everything alone and shrouded in darkness. Such singleminded bullheadedness cannot be in the best interest of the TTFA, there’s a reason why there’s an Executive Committee. He hurts the organization, and he exposes himself to personal liability. That’s why I said some time ago that the TTFA lawyer stealing money… because he sure ain’t working for it.
Anyway, ent I tell allyuh so, long time
Finally some transparency
Glad to hear this, its about time they get rid of this man, things will run good.
Hey, Lasana! Do you think this will be a topic of discussion for Prancing Knave? So far they’re discussing Special Olympics.
Damian don’t bait me. Lol.
Lasana Liburd baiting people? Me?
I will say it…the pres is kinda special.
Timothy Rochford more like Special Ed!
Time for #fifanormalizationcommittee
The board and he should all resign. The board is complicit! This is time for Harikari
Brian Harry I said this months ago…the Board is complicit in this…when KLL took this before the Board the rest of them folded and started to suck on the man toes…. they are the ones that have created this crap….. missing meetings purposely to avoid a quorum…. etc etc
Will administrators be bought in to ensure the futsal team and the lawyers get their money?
Jo Ann the courts will the new TTFA in line with other courts cases
Damian Hilaire The court will keep the account frozen and prevent them operating from other accounts?
Who’s is responsible for financial management at the TTFA? Is there a treasurer now?
Jail time
Why don’t they jail this man for contempt of court??
Why is “his money ” in the TTFA account? That reeks of, shall I say, “irregularity”.
Keith Look Loy now seen this you walking in my head again
Was busy
Let’s see the next move multiple court case day to day financials
Movie very emotional
Damian Hilaire Batten the hatches.
Keith Look Loy lol know what mean but feeling forensic audit
FIU might be keenly interested in this admission of comingling of funds. Misir pulled a Rudy Guiliani on King David!
Damian R. Scott You said it buddy. That shite is commingling, which is a financial crime.
Keith Look Loy is it? I think that is a stretch
Antonio Decklan Ross The lawyers will advise on that. I am a lay man and maybe wrong, but what is “his money” doing in a TTFA account. Doesn’t that remind you of something? Or is THAT a stretch?
Keith not a crime in of itself, but highly irregular and exposes the “commingler” to personal liability.
Nigel S. Scott Ok.
Nigel S. Scott Keith Look Loy those assertions contained above are flawed. If funds were transferred to his account…that is not comingling…leave the legalese for the Polyester lawyers and dem….as I said….this is a stretch…..FOCUS on the mechanics of the TTFA process to remove him
Antonio Decklan Ross The judges will decide that. Not me. Not you. We done see this movie.
Keith Look Loy good….FOCUS on getting him voted out……its all a numbers game…..privately lobby individual associations and put forward a viable alternative
Antonio Decklan Ross You preaching to the converted. Cool.
Antonio if TTFA funds ended up in his personal account, or his personal funds ended up in TTFA accounts… that is textbook commingling.
With barely a quarter of the year gone, King David is already considering 2019 annus horriblis!
If it were anyone else, they’d be embarrassed into positive action but clearly King David is bereft of guilt and shame.
Whither goes the TTFA now? How will its day-to-day operations function with capital in absentia?
Damian R. Scott embarrassed in TT? Come nah man ??
Dey going and change the name again, give them some tips nah
Wind up TTFA and start what? FATT? FoTT??
where the rest ah the money gone?
Futsal guys have to discover the destination of the balance of the funds.
Where is the BOARD in all this?
This is a travesty
Where d WConnection possee now? #fakenews? #NoCollusion? ……
This man bankrupt the TTFA ……. 4 million TT in two months? …….. WConnection Supporters please feel free to defend your angelic boss now …..
How that good for DJW? Is not his accounts under judgements
It’s ttfa
HOLD ON TO ALLYUH SEAT. STORM WATCH IN EFFECT. CATEGORY FIVE.
Keith Look Loy this movie going great thank you courts we are not crazy , why is concacaf send him personal monies in the TTFA acct lol the judge set it no back up lol
Keith Look Loy DJW I am guessing is also a signatory on the accounts and can authorise spend without question or accountability?
Christian Pallai-Hernandez He is the President so…..
Keith Look Loy That is a dangerous Corporate Governance structure. If the rest of the Board don’t have the power to pull back on errant spending, TTFA is just a farce. The DJW guy dont ever respond though…
Christian Pallai-Hernandez The Board is a farce. I stay only because I want to know what’s happening. Or not.
Keith Look Loy You guys dont ever worry about getting sued as directors? Surprise no one has gone after DJW personally yet for breach of fiduciary duties and mismanagement of funds as a result of all these accusations..
Christian Pallai-Hernandez Tell the other Board members that.
Keith Look Loy I was always wondering, it’s a big joke thank you again being a great example it’s business
Bankrupted again?
On what?!
And you know what the S$%#hound daily media will not report on this…. they are like that…. everyone of them on the take….. they never report anything negative for fear of losing the perks of business class to away games
The Board should immediately call a meeting and get rid of this man. This is beyond anyone’s imagination. The court should have also ordered any additional money coming onto the account be immediately garnished.
Those who support this crap should be proud of themselves as they had many opportunities to get rid of this individual. How can people still justify working for this man?
What?Yuh lie! YOu see why DJW is failure? It good for him, the bastard!
You know what is sad abiut this situation is there are minions still supporting this man
Justin DeFreitas but they’re very quiet now aren’t they….
Malik Johnson watch how they vote at the end of the year
Now this whole entire thing is sickening. TTFA is absolute crooks, blew through all that money and not a DIME for women’s football!
Well look at bacchanal
This means the money for super league and pro league could end up in creditors hands
Kion S Williams Noooooo bredda..
Keith Look Loy ok…i thought it was actually you who was saying that the board voted for the TTFA to handle that money and you were opposed to that arrangement for this very reason. I probably misunderstood.
Kion S Williams I am decidedly opposed to league monies being passed through TTFA accounts for that very reason. It is vulnerable. The new league must establish independent account(s).