Chiefs' committee served with suspension letter

BOITUMELO KHUTSAFALO
Staff Writer | Tuesday June 8, 2010 00:00

 

Through their lawyer, Ranier Busang, the club members have ordered the executive committee headed by chairman Ernest Molome to leave office because its term has expired. 'Clients have taken a decision to suspend you from dealing with any financial aspects of the club including cash and cheque withdrawals from the bank, collection of any cash, cheques or receiving any benefit or donation on behalf of the team,' the letter states. 

The letter says the committee has failed to convene an annual general meeting of the general membership since October 2008. It states that the committee failed to produce financial reports and ignored verbal and written demands from individual members that financial reports be availed to them. 'You have not updated members on the contractual terms and conditions of Extramile sponsorship. The treasurer's report that was presented at the last annual general meeting on October 5, 2008 has not been corrected, notwithstanding an undertaking by the treasurer in the presence of the entire management of the club to do so,' the letter says.

Interestingly, the letter was written a day before the committee held a press conference at Falcon Crest telling journalists that their term was coming to an end and that the club will hold an AGM on June 20. At the media briefing, the committee never mentioned anything about the letter, which Mmegi Sport is in possession of. The letter says that verbal assurances have been made that an audit was being done but no reports have been produced. 'Some committee members have claimed that the team owes them money without producing proof to that effect including the chairman at a meeting held at Sightique Clinic where he told all present that the team owed him P600,000. To date the general membership of the club has not been favoured with such proof of such claim,' the letter says. At a media briefing last week, Molome confirmed that the club owes him money. But he added that even if he will not be in the committee after the AGM, he will not put the club under pressure to pay him if there is no money. He said he will continue to support Chiefs as it is the only local club that he has supported for many years.

It is said that members are in the dark about income derived from sale of replica t-shirts. The members say club merchandise is sold at various outlets, including Chinese shops without their approval. They say the conduct of the management has clearly violated the provision of the Societies' Act hence it is in the interest of members to act urgently.

The letter demands a response from the committee and, in particular, compliance with the general members' resolution. The letter advises the committee to respond to the demands the same day - May 31 - to avoid an urgent application being filed at the High Court with punitive costs. Busang said yesterday that his law firm has not filed an urgent application because what the committee said at the media briefing amounted to admitting some of the issues raised in the letter. He said in his view, the committee responded positively to the call to hold an AGM even though they did not respond directly to him but through the media briefing. 

Chiefs' chairman, Molome, said as far as they are concerned, their supporters are  happy. He said they are still running the team  until the AGM where the treasurer will present the financial report which will clear the air.  He added that if some supporters have complaints, they should write a complaint but they cannot suspend the committee as they are not representative of the membership.

Despite the accusations, the current committee is credited with assembling a formidable side which saw them win  the league and the Coca-Cola Cup three seasons ago.