The Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed that a case brought by ousted executives of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association against the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is proceeding normally.
The Switzerland-based CAS was responding yesterday to a Trinidad Express enquiry on the state of the case.
“The arbitration procedure is in progress,” CAS stated. “The parties are exchanging written submissions and a panel of arbitrators is being constituted. Once appointed, the panel will issue directions with respect to the holding of a hearing.”
CAS also revealed that the TTFA executives’ appeal had been properly registered and would be placed on the case list once a likely three arbitrators are selected and a time for hearing has been established.
“This is to confirm that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has registered an appeal filed by Trinidad and Tobago Football Association, William Wallace, Clynt Taylor, Joseph Sam Phillip and Susan Joseph-Warrick against FIFA.”
Wallace’s side-lined executive filed an appeal to CAS on Monday, April 6, objecting to FIFA’s intervention in T&T football. On March 17, FIFA appointed a normalisation committee headed by businessman Robert Hadad to run the Association’s day to day affairs and also to formulate a plan to clear its massive US$7m debt.
Going under the name “United TTFA”, Wallace’s executives are using a fan-funded online petition to fight FIFA. However, an on-line gofundme account has been standing at US$3,920 for nearly a month now, though United TTFA have raised the $1,000 Swiss francs needed to begin the legal process.
Representing the deposed TTFA executives are attorneys Matthew GW Gayle and Dr Emir Crowne of the Port of Spain-based New City Chambers.
Contacted yesterday, Gayle said no date had yet been set to proceed and that a deadline had not yet been reached when FIFA had to present the major points of its defence to the appellant.
“Your source is as up to date as mine,” Gayle stated.
Meanwhile, Gayle could also not say whether any legal proceedings would be pursued against First Citizens Bank, which has had withheld access to the TTFA’s accounts.
“I have to get direction,” Gayle said, directing enquiries to Wallace, who did not respond to telephone calls yesterday.
With US$1.25 million in FIFA funding coming to the TTFA this week, both the Hadad-led normalisation committee and Wallace’s side-lined executive are jostling for control of the Association’s accounts. First Citizens Bank will not hand over control of those accounts until either side provides a court order indicating that it is the legitimate entity in charge of such.
Through its legal representatives, the bank said through its attorney: “Having regard to the current dispute which could involve assets held on trust, the bank proposes to maintain the status quo by neither transferring any signatories nor disclosing details on the TTFA’s accounts until there is either a determination in the arbitration, or there is a court order compelling the bank to disclose certain information or take certain steps.
“To avoid any uncertainty on the bank’s position, please note that given the on-going dispute, the bank shall not permit any party—neither the TTFA nor the normalisation committee— to operate the accounts until the matter is settled and/or determined as set out above.”
The bank’s latest position will less affect the normalisation committee, which a source assures will get the FIFA money to pay salaries and run the association’s business. The source said the normalisation committee has no need for either the First Citizens account or Wallace. The normalisation committee will do its own banking, allowing for FIFA to deposit the money, which is a gift from the governing body and not a TTFA entitlement.
SOURCE: T&T Express