Former national footballer Brent Sancho is determined to find the people responsible for the disappearance of funds belonging to the T&T Football Federation (TTFF). Sancho, along with 12 others, received cheques yesterday from Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar during a brief ceremony at the Diplomatic Reception Lounge of the Parliament. They represented the balance of the money the court has said was owed to them for their 2006 World Cup campaign.
Speaking with reporters, Sancho vowed the players would continue with their legal action, as they had discovered a lot of wrongdoing. “While the procedure has gone before the court we have unearthed a lot of wrongdoing and we intend to find the person responsible for the missing funds. We will continue with our legal battle and bring those missing funds back to the TTFF.” He also gave the assurance that once those funds were recovered, the players would reimburse the Government.
Sancho expressed gratitude to the Government for keeping to its commitment. In July, this year, Persad-Bissessar agreed to pay the Soca Warriors the outstanding US$1.3 million for their role in the 2006 Fifa World Cup campaign in Germany. That figure represented the sum owed to the players by the TTFF.
“We fought so hard over the past eight years, those very long and difficult eight years. I am sure that some of the personal stories during the eight years of battle will eventually be told. But, today is a day of joy, particularly for this gift and this gratitude shown to us by the Government.” Persad-Bissessar again pointed out that the Government was under no legal obligation to the Soca Warriors.
Soca Warriors timeline
• October 2005: T&T national senior football team, Soca Warriors, qualifies for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
• June 2006: Fifa vice-president and T&T Football Federation special adviser Jack Warner promises the team a bonus of 50 per cent of all World Cup revenues of US$3 million (TT$19.23 milliion)
• May 2008: The London-based Sport Dispute Resolution Panel rules Warner’s promise was a binding contractual agreement which must be upheld.
• November 2008: TTFF applies to High Court judge Devindra Rampersad to stay the decision of the panel.
• July 2010: Justice Rampersad dismisses the TTFF’s application and orders it to pay the outstanding bonuses.
• May 2011: TTFF makes a first interim payment of US$1.1 million (TT$7 million).
• February 2012: Players levy on TTFF’s headquarters at Dundonald Street, Port-of-Spain, seizing all removable items in an attempt to recover a TT$4.2 million (US$655,000) second payment ordered by Rampersad.
• May 2013: Current T&T Football Association president Raymond Tim Kee announces that his newly re-branded organisation is in talks with the players to bring an end to the dispute.
•July 2014: Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announces that Government will pay the remaining US$1.3 million (TT$8.33 million) owed to the footballers.
