‘I will sell my property’
Disappointed over government’s refusal to pay the salaries of ex Soca Warriors coach Dutchman Wim Rijsbergen, Oliver Camps, the former president of the T&T Football Federation has agreed to sell a property to clear the debt. His decision comes on the day that the court was expected to rule on whether his properties should be sold to clear a debt of approximately $3.8 million.
The Camps are hoping that the sale of a property will cover the amount ordered by the court, but Sandra added if the sale did not reach the required amount, they will decide what they should do then. Sandra explained that close to $1 million of the debt owing to Rijsbergen was accumulated through taxes and she is hoping that government can waive this.
“From the total that we were given to pay, about $1 million was accumulated through tax, so I am now hoping government can waive the tax so that we can pay off the bill.”
She recently approached sports minister Darryl Smith who could not provide assistance and will be seeking an audience with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to advance her father’s concerns. She explained that her father expressed his disappointment in the government’s reluctance to clear a bill that they promised to pay.
In 2006/2007, a verbal agreement was made by then Prime Minister Patrick Manning to pay the salaries for the Dutch coach, which was why Camps took the initiative of hiring Rijsbergen. Because of legal complications, the TTFA was registered as a sole proprietor under Camps’ name.
In an effort to assist the former football administrator, president of the T&T Cricket Board Azim Bassarath, on Monday offered to raise close to $400,000 to help pay the bill.
Camps did not want to comment this.
Sandra took a swipe at critics who have been saying that her father benefitted financially from the football federation.
“My father did not benefit financially from the TTFF. He went abroad on official business for the federation and he may have allowed people to do things that they should not have done, but my father is an honest man and if I knew that he had benefitted from the TTFF, then I would be the first to say that he should accept the consequences,” she ended.
Meanwhile, there will be no further extension for former Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation, president Oliver Camps to pay outstanding fees owing to former national coach Wim Risjbergen.
Camps, who has serviced football and sports administration for over 40 years, had signed a promissory note for US$480,000, which amounts to approximately TT$3.8 million, on behalf of the then TTFF for the services of Dutch coach Wim Risjbergen.
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Property to be sold
By JOEL BAILEY (Newsday).
FORMER TRINIDAD and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) — now TT Football Association — president Oliver Camps and his family will have to sell a property to offset a $3.8 million debt to ex-TT football team coach Wilhelmus “Wim” Rijsbergen.
Camps’ daughter, Dr Sandra Camps, in a telephone interview yesterday evening, revealed that the decision was taken earlier in the day at the High Court, Portof- Spain.
The ex-TTFF president and national team manager had until yesterday to give a detailed account of how he intended to satisfy the court judgement after the former Dutch defender pursued legal action against the local governing football body to secure outstanding salary.
According to Dr Camps, “we had to promise that we will sell a property to cover the debt, or try to cover most of the debt.
“It will have to be decided on,” she lamented, “one of two (properties) that (we) have.” The daughter of the former Harvard Sports Club president said that she is unaware if the parties (Camps’ attorneys Russell Huggins and Robin Montano; and Rijsbergen’s lawyers Al Roberts and Company) will have to return to court to fight the matter.
However, she commented, “we have to promise the monies to (Rijsbergen’s) lawyers. We will have to pay his lawyers, who will have to pay him.” Admitting that the former administrator is “holding up as best as he could, under these circumstances,” Dr Camps denounced a recent report, which indicated that the ex-TTFF boss was bedridden as a result of the strain caused by the legal matter.
“It is not true that he’s bedridden,” she fumed. “I was very upset. My father is becoming forgetful, maybe (he is) in the early stages of dementia, that runs very badly in our family. The thing about him being bedridden is untrue.” With regards to assistance on the matter, Dr Camps said, “(former TTFF special advisor Jack) Warner did pledge to help financially, the exact amount I can’t say.
“I was told by the Minister of Sport that (the Government) cannot help because that will be opening up a Pandora’s Box,” she continued. “I attempted to get on to the Prime Minister but was unsuccessful.”