- Friday, 10 February 2012 16:08
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) – Some presidents of Haitian football clubs met in a meeting to denounce and take actions against Digicel and its CEO Maarten Boute for what they allege as an attempt to “destabilize and destroy Haitian football.”
Following a controversial election process by the Federation of Haitian Football (FHF) that saw the reelection of Dr. Yves Jean-Bart to the presidency of the federation for a fourth consecutive term.
Digicel, FHF’s largest sponsor, imposed sanctions in lieu of a commission of inquiry into the elections, which indeed aroused questions by the Haitian population.
Credits to club presidents’ cellphones were cut and Digicel Haiti CEO Maarten Boute spoke about the need for clarity and the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry, as the Haitian community did find the election process to have been irregular.
Mr. Carlo Marcelin, Recording Secretary of a meeting held by some of the club president’s of the Haitian Division I league published the minutes of the meeting held on February 5th in Le Nouvelliste.
Men’s and Women’s Division I Club Presidents: AS CAPOISE, BLACK EAGLE of BEL AIR, DON BOSCO of PETIONVIOLLE, AMERICA of LES CAYES, VALENCIA of LEOGANE, A.S. MIREBALAIS, BALTIMORE of ST MARC, TEMPETE F.C. of ST MARC , AS TIGRESSES, ESSENTIAL F.C., AMAZONS S.C., BRIGHT EAGLE, GOLDEN EAGLES of ST MARC, JUGGLERS of CAP HAITIEN, ANACAONA of LEOGANE, OLYMPIA of LES CAYES met Monday, February 5, 2012 at the headquarters of the FHF Goal Center by the invitation of Joseph Blatter of the Executive Committee of the FHF and analyzed the latest developments around the recent statements and actions of the CEO of Digicel, Maarten Boute and fixed their position in relation to what amounts to retaliation against the Federal Bureau and a clear attempt to destabilize and destroy Haitian football.
The Club Presidents indicated above, under contract with Digicel via the mandate given to the Federal Bureau regretted that, citing complaints that are filed by “some clubs who came to visit”, ignoring the views of all other clubs with which his company is under contract, the Director of Digicel, in violation of contractual provisions which exclude any recourse in the media regarding any conflict or misunderstanding has carried out a crusade on all radio stations in the country to discredit a process in which more than 99 percent of the clubs involved were causing enormous harm to all clubs affiliated to the FHF, these clubs have also complained that Mr. Boute, in public statements, required the Executive Committee without consulting them or contact them directly, took measures reflecting his own will (including independent commission, external football bodies,) contrary to Articles 13 and 177 of the FIFA statutes. These clubs forcefully denounce the gravity of the untimely intervention of the Director of Digicel which constitutes an unacceptable interference that is not of a sponsor, of a donor in the business of football and a gross violation of the contract between the FHF and Digicel.
The Club Presidents are even more amazed to note that, without warning and contrary to what is usual on the first (1st) of each month, while the phones were already credited in the morning of February 1 2012, the Director of Digicel, Mr Maarten Boute, has chosen to arbitrarily remove by his own will some minutes on the phones who automatically received their credit on Wednesday 1 February at 7: 45 AM, this by way of illegal sanctions against Haitian football and without first informing the Executive Committee of the FHF, even less, concerned clubs to the extent that they award players of the National Football Selection whose minutes were also removed from their cellphones.
During the meeting the men’s and women’s D1 Club Presidents noted in the light of any contractual clauses by reference does not give this authority to the Director of Digicel. It is therefore a severe abuse as well as clubs and FHF have complied fully with their obligations under this contract and to date, and in six years, Digicel has had no complaint or reproach addressed to the FHF nor Clubs in contract.
The Club Presidents haven taken note that Mr. Maarten Boute, to influence the vote and prevent the free expression of the will of the members of a partner institution in connection with the conducting of a sovereign election process, has suddenly made public statements and continues to do besides announcing that he was willing to double and increase the value of the premiums of their contract if we agreed that he would impose conditions in 2010, despite months of protracted negotiations Digicel refused to add a penny to the contract of 2006 when the company became the largest commercial enterprise in the country. It was also noted that Mr. Boute spoke rudely and without reserve for the cancellation of the Electoral Congress which he foresaw that the results are not what he wanted.
The men’s and women’s D1 Club Presidents complain that this apparent attempt to remove Digicel vis-à-vis its contract which expires in 2015, by a wrongful termination now seems to have achieved the goal it wanted using football and has all powers to treat Haitian football leaders.
Given what they see as an awkward and dishonest attempt to cut its benefits from Haitian football, the Club Presidents decided to form a block of solidarity with all football clubs, all sports in the country and all soccer lovers to respect their dignity and the labor of the servants of football in the country; all clubs in the country will soon be united in this sense this week towards this national solidarity for the purpose of enforcing a football that existed before Digicel that participated, stone by stone, the construction of Digicel.
In pure legal terms, the Club Presidents decided to form a group of lawyers familiar with the matters of football to defend the interests of Haitian football, their rights and obtain justice. Club Presidents also decided to inform all football associations around the world affiliated to FIFA and the National and International Human Rights organizations on the assault and conspiracy that seen by football especially those in the Caribbean many of which could be victims of the same situation from a director of a multinational company which appears to take the formula: He who pays, orders.
The Club Presidents have requested that the FHF should establish an aggressive Marketing Commission to broaden the financial base of the FHF Clubs to find, and phase out the monopoly that promotes this kind of abuse , taking advantage of the big advertising vehicle that is football and resources to continue its development.
Finally, the Club Presidents invite each of the other members of the FHF for solidarity to start the competitions of the season as scheduled.
Secretary General A.I. of the FHF
Mr. Carlo Marcelin
Recording Secretary of the Meeting
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COMMENT- HAITIAN-TRUTH
Reminds me of three Haitian medical students who decided to form a Haitian
Medical Society, at their university.
They haven’t spoken since.
Each wanted to be the president!!!
O’Brien should withdraw support and place his money into something else. He has done much to revive our sport and has a right to complain when those involved have no integrity.
People make like he is unwanted.