By LeVaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter
Burrell… I’m not going to be drawn into any ‘cass cass’ over my funds. - File
FORMER PRESIDENT of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Captain Horace Burrell has rocked the present administration with a letter stating that the $14.9 million owed to him must be repaid by March 31 of this year.
The Gleaner understands that Burrell sent the letter on January 6 to the president of the JFF, Crenston Boxhill, outlining specific repayment dates that date back to November 28 of last year.
Boxhill said he and his administration were surprised at the request and said it is contradictory to the prior repayment arrangements.
"As far as every board member is concerned, the loan was condition-free. Yesterday (Tuesday), when I gave the letter to the members of the board for the first time, everybody was surprised because there were no conditions attached to the loan," Boxhill said.
"I received the letter from The Captain's Bakery (signed by their financial controller) giving a breakdown as to the various payment dates starting as way back as the 28th of November and the final date should be the 31st of March," Boxhill said, while claiming there was no way the federation could realistically begin repaying in November if it received the letter in January.
Acting general secretary of the JFF, Burchell Gibson, confirmed the conditions of the loan were "interest-free, no specific time frame and unsecure", which he termed a "worthwhile and kind gesture to the federation."
When Burrell was asked about the terms of the loan yesterday he said, "I will not speak to anything concerning the loan publicly."
Burrell further claims that the furore the JFF has made out of this is a ploy to steer the focus from the real issue.
"I sent this letter on the sixth of January under private and confidential heading. I did it because I had no intention of bringing this matter to the public any further than they did during their campaign," Burrell said.
"And it is clear to me at this time that it as a ploy to shift the focus and I have no intention of discussing this matter in the public domain. I'm not going to be drawn into any 'cass cass' over my funds," Burrell said.
The Gleaner asked Burrell about the logistics of beginning repayment in November if the JFF received the letter in January but he opted to defer from that topic, saying that: It is not true; that is not the way it went. I'm not going to speak to that issue now in this way. All I'm saying to you is that it is clear to my mind that things are currently in shambles and that they are obviously wanting to shift the focus."
"Let Mr. Boxhill and his executive get on with the business of the federation. I have no intention of discussing this thing in public. I have written to Mr. Boxhill and I will await his response," he said.
None of the $14.9 million has been repaid as yet and this figure represents half of the total debt the JFF currently owes and, according to Gibson, it "grows daily."
The JFF has nine weeks to respond to Burrell's demands and with $600,000 in the federation's bank account, according to its last financial report which was made public at a press conference in December, the JFF has little time and minimal options.
Boxhill said that a meeting would be arranged between the board and the former president to iron things out but in the meantime he would be seeking legal advice.
"It was always our (Finance Committee) intention to meet Captain Burrell with a view of working out some form of repayment plan. But as far as this letter is concerned, talking about the 31st of March, we have a company lawyer and we will be giving it to our company lawyer so that he can advise us legally," Boxhill said.
