GFF silent on outcome of O’Jeer, MacArthur probes
Despite the FIFA-approved Disciplinary Code being presented in December 2018 to its Disciplinary Committee, the Guyana Football Federation [GFF] remains silent on whether the body has pronounced on the Keith O’Jeer ‘inappropriate behaviour’ and Roy MacArthur sexual harassment probes.
GFF President Wayne Forde has refused to disclose the status of the respective adjudications. An email which was sent to Forde on February 24th, was unanswered up to press time.
Among the questions posed to Forde were, “What is the status of the Keith O’Jeer misconduct investigation? Has the GFF Disciplinary Committee set a timeline for the completion of the process? Similarly, has the entity submitted any findings to the Federation? “Similarly, can you state if the GFF Disciplinary Committee has submitted any verdict into the Roy MacArthur issue? If not, has the Disciplinary Committee set a timeline for the issuing of a verdict?”
To date, no information has been forthcoming on both issues. Forde, on January 7th, 2019 during a press conference, had revealed that the fates of O’Jeer and MacArthur will rest on the outcome of disciplinary proceedings by the GFF’s Disciplinary Committee utilising the newlyapproved Disciplinary Code.
The members of the GFF’s Disciplinary Committee are Chairman and Attorney-at-Law Roger Yearwood, Whittington Braithwaite, Dr Clement McEwan, Ashley King and Everton Singh-Lammy.
O’Jeer, who holds the portfolio of Berbice Football Association President, was suspended in April 2018 for alleged inappropriate conduct following a meeting with the GFF Executive Committee.
Although details surrounding what led to O’Jeer’s suspension have not been revealed by the federation to date, it was disclosed by sources that the incident in question was brought to light by a prominent member of the football fraternity.
On the other hand, Referee Assessor MacArthur was provisionally suspended by the federation in January 2019 following the conclusion of a Commission of Inquiry [CoI]. The inquiry, which commenced in March 2018, was commissioned following allegations of sexual harassment by several female referees against senior members of the referees’ fraternity.
The report was submitted on November 19th, 2018, after more than 16 individuals gave testimony before the five-member probe panel. The commission that presided over the COI comprised Chairman Dr Karen Pilgrim, Dr Melissa Ifill of the University of Guyana, Human Resources Consultant Karen Joseph, and Karen De Souza and Joy Marcus, both of Red Thread.
Former Head of Referees Stanley Lancaster was dismissed with immediate effect by the GFF in January 2019, following the conclusion of the CoI which recommended both his removal and that of MacArthur.
Meanwhile, former GFF President Christopher Matthias during a brief comment said, “Respectfully I would say, O’Jeer has a commanding presence and influence in one of the leading associations in Guyana’s football. He is not only admired for his knowledge of football but for his contributions and effort to its development. The GFF elections has always been about politics, from time immemorial it has always been about politics and the securing of votes and it is my humble opinion that the present football administration is mindful of the way they treat O’Jeer so not to anger the Berbice Association or lose their vote.”
According to Matthias, “If you are suspended from the GFF and they are the governing body and if you are a member of that body, you should be suspended from the other body as well. The Colin Klass example is applicable here. The manner in which the investigation into the allegation of sexual harassment (occurred) leaves much to be desired. One can’t have a fivemember committee and the committee consists of five women.”