Russell Latapy, the ex-T&T midfielder can be the one to spare former president of the T&T Football Federation (TTFF), now the T&T Football Association (T&TFA), the embarrassment of losing his house and other properties from the courts.
Camps told the Guardian that a suggestion was made for the cash-strapped football federation to approach Latapy, to have his payments for salaries deferred and subventions to be used to pay the organisation’s outstanding debt to coach Rijsbergent. Like Rijsbergen, Latapy known popularly as ‘The Little Magician’ had been in a battle for monies owed to him by the said football association for a long time now.
However his battle which started in 2009, came to an end when Minister Smith intervened and decided to settle the agreement between him and the TTFA by paying more than half the bill. The TTFA is expected to pay the remaining amount from the subventions given to them from government.
The suggestion was made on the basis of the Camps family now facing some six days before the court swoops down and seizes their properties and because of the fact that the matter is in the domain of the court.
Camps (Sandra) explained that Rijsbergen had been reluctant to negotiate with her or the football association as he feels unfairly treated by the move to pay Latapy before him, although he has been lobbying for payment since 2006/7, two years before the veteran midfielder maestro.
Smith was expected to contact new president of the TTFA David John-Williams yesterday to inform him of the request, Camps (Sandra) said, but when reached on his cellphone, John-Williams said he could not respond as he was not contacted by anyone to make such a request.
Another suggestion made by the minister according to Camps (Sandra), is for the football association to represent Camps on the issue by providing him or his ministry with an official letter outlining the situation and their intention to assist him through their subvention.
According to Camps, the minister said he had not been approached or written to by either John-Williams or the ex TTFA boss Raymond Tim Kee about the matter, which Camps (Sandra) said was a surprise to her.
The T&T Guardian was told that arrangements had been made by the ex-president for monies from the subvention to be used to help clear Camps (Oliver’s) debt. But this never came as Tim Kee was voted out in November last year and monies from the subvention were used to pay salaries for Latapy, salaries for Women’s coach Even Pellerud, match fees for the Soca Warriors and to send the teams on international outings.