With the absence of an Ethics Committee in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) the recent audit and subsequent revelations of possible impropriety within the Guyana Football Federation during the years 2011 and 2012 need to be investigated and those who are culpable brought to justice.
The Normalisation Committee of the GFF, headed by Clinton Urling, should submit the auditors’ report to FIFA for further investigation ahead of the GFF’s Congress set for this weekend.
Failing which the Ministry of Education, Department of Sport should intervene and order a probe into the allegations raised in the audit. Sports Administrators must work in the interest of developing sports in Guyana and not use sports associations as a way of making money for themselves, family and friends. The recent ongoing investigation within FIFA and its domino effect around the world and the recent audit should send strong signals to the Guyana government to investigate the Guyana Football Federation.
Several administrators who were members of the executive during the period in review are aligning themselves to run for office again at the upcoming Congress.
The investigations should go as far back as possible to find out why Guyana’s football has failed to develop despite the enormous funding from FIFA and other organizations including the government over the years.
The investigation must probe all areas including the administrators, the Trinidad debacle where officials of the GFF were indicted in the Cash for Votes scandal where it was alleged that $40,000 US was paid out to each association including Guyana by former FIFA Vice President Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar, Guyana’s relationship with disgraced former FIFA Vice president Austin Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago who is facing charges, television rights for World Cup matches especially Guyana’s ill-fated World Cup campaign, recruitment of overseas players, the Goal Project and overseas travels by officials among others.
