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O’Jeer relieved following High Court ruling
Keith O’Jeer
– GFF ordered to pay $2.4M in compensation
By Rawle Toney
Kaieteur Sports – Former football administrator Keith O’Jeer has expressed relief following the High Court’s ruling, which declared his suspension as an Executive Member of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) over an “inappropriate behaviour” allegation to be both unreasonable and unlawful.
The High Court handed down its decision on January 24 of this year, but the GFF has remained tight-lipped about the ruling. This contrasts with April 2018, when President Wayne Forde publicly addressed O’Jeer’s suspension through the local media.
In 2018, O’Jeer was suspended to allow for an investigation by the GFF after allegations of misconduct surfaced. This led the Berbician to challenge the suspension in the High Court, where he was represented by Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde.
The GFF was represented by former Chief Magistrate and now Senior Counsel, Kalam Juman-Yassin.
The High Court found O’Jeer’s suspension to be unlawful and further criticized the GFF for its failure to address the allegations within a reasonable timeframe, deeming their actions unjust and unreasonable.
As a result of being suspended for 20 months, O’Jeer was awarded $2.4 million in compensation, reflecting his $120,000 monthly stipend as a GFF Executive during that period.
Sources confirmed to Kaieteur News that the GFF has complied with the court’s ruling.
“I am immensely relieved and gratified by the Court’s decision, which has brought a long awaited sense of justice to this matter,” O’Jeer told Kaieteur News yesterday.
According to O’Jeer, “The ruling not only vindicates me but reinforces the principles of fairness. I remain committed to contributing positively to the development of football in Guyana.”
He explained that in 2017, the GFF appointed a Commission of Inquiry, led by Lieutenant Colonel Eon Murray of the GDF, to conduct an investigation.
According to the records from the Executive Statutory Committee Meeting on January 28, 2018, Lieutenant Colonel Eon Murray recommended that O’Jeer’s suspension be lifted immediately, citing a lack of evidence to prove his guilt.
However, the meeting minutes indicate that GFF President Wayne Forde stated he would consult with some members of the Executive Committee before deciding on the way forward.
He noted that because O’Jeer’s case was highly sensitive and a public matter that “can really tarnish the image not only of the Federation but of our own as custodians of the sport, and should have this report subjected to the judicial process of the GFF.”
According to the meeting’s minutes, Forde recommended that the report be submitted to the Disciplinary Committee for review and analysis. The committee would then determine whether the matter should be pursued further or if the evidence provided is sufficient to close the case.
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