$96,484.00 unaccounted for – SVGFF’s treasurer begs forgiveness

Second Vice President of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) Marvin Fraser has asked that affiliates forgive him and his organisation for their inability to account for $96,485.00.{{more}}

Providing his head on a platter, Fraser came to the throne of football grace last Saturday afternoon at the SVGFF’s office on Bentinck Square, during the Federation’s Annual General Meeting.

Without going down in sackcloth and ashes, Fraser rent his heart and acknowledged that there were some internal deficiencies, but promised to be a better steward of the SVGFF’s funds.

“….I will take total responsibility and say if you want a head to roll, take my head, because I am the treasurer …. I am the one who is supposed to [be] oversighting everything and I have failed for $96,000, so take my head and roll with it, but leave everybody else,” Fraser pleaded.

Continuing his plea for forgiveness, but without being sanctimonious, Fraser added: “Put it in the newspaper; send it off to FIFA; let Marvin Fraser be the head to roll, because he is the treasurer. He is the one who should be making sure that you have all the documentations, all your vouchers signed and he did not; so tek my head… tek it today … I can’t give you anything else..….I can’t turn blood from stone”.

The funds, which could not be accounted for, consumed most of last Saturday’s meeting, with many searching questions being asked of the secretariat of the SVGFF’s operations.

However, Fraser sermonized: “I am no way slighting ninety something thousand dollars not being accounted for, for the books sake, but I stand before you telling you that you monies were spent on football matters.

“…There are things we have put in place to try and deal with the situation….If next you come and we have the same problems, you can chop me to pieces”, Fraser offered.

Fraser’s plea was supported by committee member of the SVGFF Earl Bennett, who accepted collective responsibility for the current state of affairs.

However, their mitigation pleas did not always sit well with some affiliates, who wanted their pound of flesh and the blood to go with it.

Receiving some measure of pardon, it was agreed that the executive come face to face with the affiliates again within the first quarter of 2014, with the hope of seeking ways to account for the $96,000.

Last Saturday’s meeting, which was overdue since October 2012, came at a time when the Federation’s financial health was being questioned.

Some insight into the position of the Federation was given by former first vice- president of the SVGFF Lloyd Small who tendered his resignation on Tuesday, November 5. In his letter, Small, revealed that some of the internal operations of the SVGFF, including its financial practices, were cause of concern.

His revelations came to the attention of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), who dispatched its manager of legal affairs Marco Leal to sit in as an observer at last Saturday’s meeting.

Three officers of the Special Services Unit of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force were present at last Saturday’s meeting.(RT)