Former Botswana Football Association (BFA) chief executive officer (CEO) Goabaone Taylor intends to drag the association before the industrial court seeking reinstatement or payment of her entire remaining contract.
This follows a failure by Taylor and the BFA to reach a settlement when the two sat for mediation at the labour offices recently. The former CEO had served less than a year of her 3-year contract when she was fired by the association.
“Last week we were at labour office for mediation. But since they failed to settle, I will be filing with the industrial courts to demand reinstatement or to be compensated for the remainder of my contract,” explained Taylor.
Speaking in an interview, the scorned former CEO said she is fighting unfair dismissal and wants compensation for the remainder of her contract. She is also approaching the court to quash allegations leveled against her.
Taylor revealed that there is no investigation report that was ever availed to her and was never interviewed to counter the allegations and for her to give her side of the story.
“No investigation report was ever availed. As part of a fair process, one is entitled to an investigation,” she explained.
The former BFA CEO said she was never given the chance to look into the alleged report if any of how the money was spent and to set the record straight. She had wanted ‘to be advised of which expenditures related to the over expenditure’ she is alleged to have overseen as alleged.
“I had asked for a clear breakdown of what constituted the P6, 3million with supporting documents showing the list of activities that drove the expenditures and the periods to which they relate.”
Taylor further explained that BFA financial position as at December 2020 was USD223, 292.91 in the FIFA USD Bank Account and the same was communicated in their letter to FIFA.
“You will note that this balance already falls short of the Women’s Football covid relief grant which was to be at a balance of about P4,5million as at December 2020,” she explained.
The former BFA CEO is adamant that the alleged P6.3 million short falls existed before she joined the Association. She said if ‘we are to dig deeper, we may find that more money was used at a time when footballing activities were suspended due to the Covid pandemic.’
She said questions should be raised on what the BFA spent grants from FIFA, CAF and BNSC on during the said period as there were no football activities then.
According to her, while tournaments had been postponed in 2020, no money was ever set aside until the tournaments were rescheduled.
“There had been a fundamental breach of implied contractual duty of confidentiality and trust which as a result compromised my professional reputation. Furthermore, there appeared to be an assumption of guilt and an automatic reaction that I will be placed under disciplinary allegations and ultimately dismissed no matter what evidence I provide to the panel,” Taylor said.
