CoP says: No one has filed an official report
POLICE Commissioner Gary Griffith is yet to receive a complaint from the TT Football Association (TTFA) to investigate the use of what appears to be a forged document issued in the name of the Junior Sammy Group of Companies in support of the United TT Football Association (United TTFA) in the upcoming TTFA elections.
“I have received no correspondence whatsoever, nobody has filed an official report to me as of this time so until then I will just wait out,” he told Newsday yesterday.
Incumbent TTFA president David John-Williams, on Monday, said the matter would be referred to the police after the Junior Sammy Group denied that a letter endorsing United TTFA and its presidential nominee William Wallace had been issued by the executive chairman – Junior Sammy – or the group’s subsidiaries.
“I call upon them (police) to investigate this matter seriously because it involves a forged document being used (and) forged signatures being appended,” John-Williams said during a press conference at the Home of Football, Couva.
However, Griffith said he could not comment on the allegation because the TTFA had not made any report to the police.
“All I am hearing is what is being bandied about in the media,” said Griffith, an avid football advocate who this year held the Commissioner’s Cup – a community football tournament. As the fallout continues, United TTFA again admitted an error in releasing an unauthorised letter claiming support from the Junior Sammy Group for its bid for control of the TTFA during its campaign launch last Saturday.
In a statement yesterday, the United TTFA said it took “full responsibility” for sharing the letter with local football stakeholders – including coaches and club owners – at its presentation at Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain.
The letter bore the name Hugh Murphy and a signature, under the title of chairman of the Junior Sammy Group and said it supported Williams and United TTFA in the November 24 TTFA elections, and as “the new administration of local football in 2020 and beyond.”
However, the construction giant, in a release on Monday, denied issuing the letter and noted that as a corporate sponsor it has always supported the administrations of the TTFA and always “enjoyed a healthy and amicable relationship with it.”
The company statement did not refer to the name Hugh Murphy, although this person is listed on LinkedIn as the president of the Junior Sammy Co Ltd – a subsidiary – and represented the group on the board of the TT Contractors Association during the 2016-2017 term.
United TTFA yesterday said the unauthorised letter was one of three it received from corporate sponsors “through a third party and supporter of the United TTFA”, which were received on the morning of its presentation. “At that time, and until yesterday’s (Monday’s) press conference held by the TTFA president, United TTFA had no reason to question the authenticity of any of these letters,” said the association.
It claimed the other two letters “have proven to be authentic”, but did not identify who the letters were from. United TTFA said it has sent a letter of apology to the Junior Sammy Group, and has asked “the person/s” who provided the unauthorised letter to also send a letter of apology to the group. The association said it too received a letter of apology from the unnamed supporter.
United TTFA further addressed the presentation of two letters of support from foreign corporate sponsors addressed to former TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee who had considered running again. However, after withdrawing, the foreign support was transferred to Wallace. However, at Saturday’s meeting the letters to Tim Kee were also included in the presentation, alongside the revised ones for Wallace.
United TTFA assured that since Monday’s events it had “reconfirmed the commitment of all foreign companies revealed in the presentation.”