It will appear there's a legal wrangle between the lawyers for the former president of the T&T Football Association (TTFA) William Wallace and the attorneys who are representing First Citizens Bank in a battle for the TTFA bank account.
After missing the stipulated 8 am deadline on Monday 20th April 2020 to respond to a legal letter from Wallace's attorneys Matthew GW Gayle and Dr Emir Crowne, FCB responded with a letter on April 21 which in part stated: "Our client is in process of providing us with full instructions to respond to your letter, and we should be in a position to do so in 28 days from the date of this letter."
The letter from Kendell Alexander, an associate of Johnson Camacho and Singh Attorneys at Law, of T&T law firm further stated: "Furthermore, our client notes that your client caused the said assertions/implications to be published in the national print and electronic media. Those assertions/implications could have the effect of discrediting and/or lowering our client’s professional image and reputation as a competent, confidential and prudent financial institution in the estimation of right-thinking members of society. As a result, we are instructed to demand that your client properly verifies information pertaining to our client before causing same to be placed in the public domain. Should your client cause any false allegations to be published our client will have no other recourse but to seek injunctive and such other relief in the High Court of Trinidad & Tobago for any reputational damage it may suffer."
Wallace and his three vice presidents - Mr Clynt Taylor, Ms Susan Joseph-Warrick and Mr Joseph Sam Phillip, who are challenging FIFA's decision to remove them from office after they were elected on November 24, 2019, at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), had sent a legal letter dated 17th April 2020, to the First Citizen's Bank, Park Street Branch manager advising the bank that a person or persons may have attempted and/or be in the process of attempting to change the names signatories on the accounts held by the TTFA.
The letter also stated: "This letter is sent in compliance with the relevant pre-action protocols as prescribed by the Honourable Chief Justice pursuant to Part 4 of the Civil Proceedings Rules 1998. No further notice or warning shall be issued."
However, FCB's responded: "Please be advised that our client instructs us that it categorically denies any assertion/implication that it has engaged in any of the acts alleged/referenced in your letter. Be advised that our client has strict policies and procedures in place which must be adhered to and require that all the requisite due diligence must be completed before the Bank can act on any request to transfer or change signatories on any account."
On March 20, the lawyers had sent a similar letter to Tyril Patrick, the current TTFA Finance manager who FIFA had appointed as caretaker until the normalisation committee was appointed giving him three days to respond. He did write FIFA on March 21 rescinding the offer. He remains the TTFA finance manager.