Simple truths cannot be fudged by dishonest people

Goa Football Association (GFA) president Elvis Gomes in his Presidents report printed in the Association’s Annual Report of 2016 writes: “The said FD (Fixed Deposit) of Rs 48,47,017 was encashed on 28^th April 2014 when I was not the President.” The statement is to deny The Navhind Times Report where  it is mentioned that Fixed Deposits totalling over Rs forty eight lakhs were encashed  as mentioned in the GFA Annual Report of 2015.

After the AGM, GFA issued a press note which claimed: “ The President produced records to tear apart malicious reports in a section of the media which had tried to insinuate that fixed deposits to the tune of Rs 48 lakhs were broken to run the affairs of the GFA. It was clarified that the said amount was withdrawn during the tenure of the previous president and for official purpose.

Many of the GFA members present for the AGM specifically told this paper that “no proof, in the form of bank statements, were shown to the members during the AGM, corroborating Elvis’s statement.”

The Navhind Times is in possession of the GFA  Annual Reports from 2014 to 2016.

The annual Report of 2014 has Shrinivas Dempo as president. In it the annual Report  says that fixed Deposit from Axis Bank (Account No 165457) totalling Rs 3713715 was encashed in the previous year and nil amount in 2014.

The Annual Report of 2015 has Elvis Gomes as president. He took charge in June 2014. In it the Annual Report says that Rs 4876,017  from a Fixed Deposit in  Axis Bank Account No 170635 was encashed in 2015 and in the bracket of ‘previous year’ “nil” is mentioned.

The 2016 Annual report which has Elvis Gomes as presi dent states that Rs 4,876,017 has been encashed from the Fixed Deposit in Axis bank Account no 170635 and that Rs 771,679 has been encashed from PNB 205.

Page 94 of the Annual Report has the following details of Fixed Deposits:

The Balance with Central Bank of India , Margao Branch is Rs 1,45,208.72  with IDBI bank Margao is Rs 3,017,079.95 and Bank of India (Bandodkar Gold Trophy ) Rs 62,445.30. The total Fixed Deposits amount to Rs 3224733.97.

Based on the three Annual Reports, the following is the breakdown of the interest earned by GFA on the Fixed Deposits:

The Annual Report of 2014: Rs 808,562.61;

The Annual Report of 2015: Rs 440,737.56:

The annual Report of 2016: Rs 370,656.00.

In the Notes to Accounts in the Annual Report the following observations have been made: “ During the course of audit we have come across payments for hire of bus, security charges ,accommodation charges and ambulance charges which are reported to have been paid by account payee cheques however no official receipts are obtained, accounting is done on basis of bills submitted by the respective parties. The Association has not invited any tenders for giving contract to transporters. In case of Transport Expenses Self Made Vouchers Should Bear Vehicle No, Distance in Km etc which is not found on some vouchers.”

“The Association is having various sub-committees such as Finance Committee,Media Marketing Advisory Committee,Women committee etc..minute books are to be maintained for recording the deliberations of the committee.” says the Audit Report.

Transports is generally provided for all GFA activities by executive member Anthony Pango.

In his Presidents Report Elvis Gomes says the following about the government: “On March 26,2012 football was declared as the “official Sport” of Goa by the Government of Goa. The declaration of football as the official sport has proved meaningless to Goa football Association. We have been charged exhorbitant sums of money to use the Fatorda stadium , Tilak maidan……Meetings held with the authorities where delegations of affected clubs were taken have no effect.If Goan players and Goan children ,are not able to use the facilities which are developed in their own state, I do not see how Official Sports status can benefit Goa and its football. Truth is sometimes hard to digest and bitter to swallow.”