Complaint filed seeking GFA prez candidate Caitano’s disqualification
PANAJI: Goa Football Association (GFA) presidential hopeful Caitano Fernandes suffered a setback as rival Jose Welvin Maximao de Menezes has sought his disqualification on the grounds of suppressing information about criminal cases against him.
In his complaint Welvin Menezes has stated that Caitano is facing criminal charges of cheating, fraud , misappropriation of funds and breach of trust which are serious offences under the Indian Penal Code which have been framed by the Chief Judicial Magistrate Panaji under No. IPC/261/2017 and a petition challenging the framing of charges was also dismissed by the Additional Sessions Judge North Goa.
According to Menezes, Article 27 of the Goa Football Statutes mandates that a member of the Executive Committee of the GFA shall lose his membership if he or she, inter alia, “has been charged by a court of law and charges have been framed in a non-bailable offence or is found guilty in respect thereof to imprisonment for not less than six months and a period of five years has not lapsed from the date of expiry of the sentence.
“The offence under the above section is cognizable, and non-bailable and therefore in terms of Article 27(f) of the GFA statutes Caitano is barred from being a member of the Executive Committee of the GFA as he has been charged by a court of law for a non-bailable offence and therefore his nomination for being elected to the post of the President of the Goa Football Association President deserves to be rejected,” Menezes said in his complaint to the Returning Officer.
Menezes also alleged that Caitano was “fully aware” of the case pending against him “but still went ahead and filed his nomination form by giving a false declaration.”
The matter is now pending for adjudication before the Returning Officer.
Both Caitano and Welvin are contesting for the post of GFA president whose elections are expected to be held shortly.
Loading ...
