AfricaPress-Tanzania: BERNARD Morrison’s saga has refused to die, after the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) Ethics Committee shelved hearing of his case.
Charman of the committee, Kichere Waissaka said yesterday that the case could not be heard yesterday as planned because the player failed to appear before the committee. He sent representatives, instead.
Waissaka said Morrison was supposed to come for a defence in person as required by the committee’s regulations.
He said the type of case Morrison is involved doesn’t allow representatives, therefore he was supposed in person to answer charges he is facing.
Waissaka added that some of the questions couldn’t be answered by his representatives, that’s why he was supposed to be there himself.
He said: “Morrison case, in short, couldn’t be heard and ruled here because he didn’t appear, therefore no ruling could be done,” he said.
“Nevertheless he sent representatives who are lawyers by profession, but the committee saw it vital for the accused to be present,” said Waissaka.
Therefore, the ethics committee, according to Waissaka, has decided to postpone it further.
“The committee was also notified that Morrison case has been reported to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) by complainants Young Africans. that his tranfer to Simba was incomplete. “The case brought to us is solely about ethics while that pertaining to registration has been submitted to CAS,” said the advocate.
Morrison, who formerly served Yanga crossed borders to traditional rivals Simba, a move that angered the former, who claimed his contract with Simba was fake as the player had signed a two-year contract prior to signing a new one with their rivals.
Simba claimed to have signed Morrison as a free agent claiming his six-month contract with Yanga was expired and not renewed when they signed him.
The case which was submitted to TFF ruled Morrison a legal Simba player after noting several shortfalls with his former employer.
It was those shortfalls that justified Morrison to serve Simba, but Yanga were quick to oppose the ruling. Yanga claimed to have filled an appeal to CAS for what they see a fair justice.
Morrison saga has resurfaced after Young African Sports Club lodged a complaints to the TFF stating that his contract with Simba is flawed.
A statement from the club’s Vice Chairman, Fredrick Mwakeleba, said that in the press briefing at their club’s Headquarters in Dar es Salaam a fortnight ago .
He stated that, “We have crosschecked the contract between Bernard Morrison and Simba; and have identified several errors…we noted that the contract was only signed with the player, but missed signatures of the clubs CEO and the Commissioner of Oath.”
He further claimed, FIFA’s through their statement still acknowledges Morrison as Yanga’s player.
Since the contract has inadequacies, Yanga requested TFF to revisit Morrison’s contract with Simba so as to satisfy its legitimacy.
In response, Tanzania Football federation (TFF) confirmed to have received Yanga’s official letter regarding Morrison and promised to revisit the contract as per their request.
“We have received a complaint from the Yanga club regarding the contract between Simba Sports Club and Bernard Morison. The complaint is being processed in accordance with the procedures.”
