SMEAR ATTEMPT

President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF), Joseph Delves, has labelled as an attempt to “smear Football and Football business”, the recent circulation of an e-mail, charging among other things that the current Executive and the former one, have engaged themselves in irregular and perfidious activities designed to defraud the business community of their right to remuneration.{{more}}

The e-mail which surfaced earlier this week, from one John Wilson, has been copied to several persons in the state, including members of the legal fraternity.

Contending that the name given by the sender is fictitious, Delves, who acknowledged receipt of the e-mail told SEARCHLIGHT last Monday afternoon, “First of all the Federation does not have a creditor by the name of John Wilson and I do not know him in person”.

Delves said that he believes the author is writing under a pseudonym. “Why would a bona fide creditor of the Federation want to hide under a pseudonym?” Delves questioned.

Delves said that since taking office on October 20, last year, his Executive has made a concerted effort to settle outstanding debts, many incurred by the past Executive.

“We have made many payments, we have gotten debt forgiveness for some, we have negotiated with some of our creditors, some have remained unpaid for obvious reasons, as we don’t have the ways and means to pay them”, Delves added.

He further pointed out that prior to leaving office, the Leacock-led Executive incurred an overdraft facility at a local bank, which his Executive has had to service.

Delves, a lawyer by profession, is also peeved by Wilson’s statement that imputed that “some higher(sic) purchase businesses clearly indicate that goods charged to the Association were in fact for private and personal disposition of members”.

Delves sees this accusation as “completely false, distasteful, libelous and defamatory”.

He pointed to the fact that Wilson lumped his accusations of the past Executive with that of the current Executive.

According to the e-mail, the writer is referring to the last six years of operations of the SVGFF.

“I cannot say if the previous Executive was involved in such activities”, Delves said.

The Football President categorically stated that his Executive has been prudent and above board in the manner they conduct the Federation’s business.

Wilson also took a personal swipe at Delves, claiming that “to the new President, reparations for slavery, which ended one hundred and seventy years ago, is more important than the Association’s present indebtedness”.

Delves, who is also a member of the local Reparation organization wondered, “I don’t know how he arrived at that”.

Delves is calling for Wilson “to come out from the cover”.

The Football boss said the recent developments of the e-mail will not side track his Executive from carrying out its work, but revealed they will use what is available to unmask Wilson.

The e-mail, which was dated Monday November 3, 2008, had as its closing signature “THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY”.