…former chairman adds voice to boxing controversy.
Yaqub Abdul-Haqq, the fired acting chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago Boxing Board of Control (TTBBC), insists there is a conflict of interest overshadowing the Board involving special adviser Boxu Potts, who was appointed by Minister of Sport Anil Roberts.
Abdul-Haqq, whose official post was deputy chairman, acted as chairman following the resignation of former chairman Dr. Sebastian Antoine earlier this year.
Haqq and ordinary board members Janet Dennis, Mala Nasib and Ricardo Phillip were fired by Minister Roberts last week Monday and replaced by newly-appointed chairman, attorney Annabelle Davis, Ruth Marchan, Colin Mills (Tobago) and Neale Greaves.
However, Haqq raised serious conflict of interest issues involving TTBBC special adviser Potts, Boxing Board office manager Susan Gooding and Potts’ son Giovanni Potts, a promoter who has already benefited from substantial Government financial grants.
Haqq claimed during his tenure as acting chairman there was an ever-present climate of intimidation and the threat of dismissal for those who did not toe the line.
Among the issues Haqq listed were Potts’ relationhip with office manager Gooding; Potts’ contract; and also Potts’ position of influence as it related to his son Giovanni.
Asked yesterday about his relationship with Gooding, Boxu Potts replied: “I have no relations with her.”
Further pressed as to whether he had any children with the Board’s general manager, Potts first hesitated. He then repeatedly refused to answer the question and stated: “That is for all yuh to find out.”
“Potts has children with the office manager and we had a problem with that,” Haqq declared.
“There is a lot of unfair advantage taking place. We have a situation with Potts (Boxu) is special adviser to the Board and in a position of great influence. Then he has children with the office manager, who has access to the proposals, approvals, budgets and grants which are awarded to every promoter in the country. And finally Potts’ son is a major promoter and stands to benefit from large Government funding. Is there not a conflict of interest there?”
“She (Gooding) was brought in by Boxu Potts. We wanted an office manager to handle the day-to-day affairs and Potts said he knew someone quite competent. At the time we were all quite new to the Board. He disguised her identity from the Board…he tricked us,” stated Haqq.
“I do not hire people, that is a decision of the Board,” was Potts’ reply to the accusation.
Haqq also said that under his tenure the Board had a problem with Potts’ remuneration and wanted to review his contract.
“We felt his contract was obscene. Boxu Potts is getting a $25,000 month salary, overseas travel and loan allowances and he has never advised us on anything. He was upset because his contract was being reviewed,” said Haqq.
In response, Potts said: “I have been getting the same figure as special adviser from day one. My cheques prove that.
“And if they say that Boxu Potts bullied the Board to do things, then the entire Board should be fired for not doing its job.”
Haqq’s main bone of contention was that there was a flaw in the process involving the review of a proposed boxing card promoted by Giovanni Potts.
Board member Sam Worrell along with Ricardo Phillip were on a technical committee to review the card. Haqq said the proposals were supposed to be vetted by the two men and then recommendations returned to him.
“It should not have reached the Minister in the first place,” said Haqq. “I was the acting chairman of the Board and never signed off on that card. A sub-committee first had to review the proposal from the promoter. Then It was supposed to go another step in that it should have come back to the chairman for review. That never happened.”
However, at a press conference at the Ministry of Sport on Monday, Permanent Secretary Ashwin Creed insisted that no money was or will be given to Unified Promoters’ Boxing Association for a Boxing Day card.
“Unequivocally, no money has been given to the Unified Promotions for any upcoming fight. Not one dollar, not 1.9 million dollars,” said Creed, who also added that no further funds will be pumped into professional boxing for the next six months.
(Source http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sports/CONFLICT_OF_INTEREST-135557243.html)
