Consultant sues BFA
Sport
Asinamona Investments (PTY) Ltd, a consultancy company based in South Africa has dragged Botswana Football Association (BFA) to the High Court of Botswana seeking payments for costs of engagement for having negotiated a sponsorship deal on behalf of the association sometimes last year.
The South African consultancy company had charged P 420 000 as an engagement fee when the BFA past regime led by Tebogo Sebego contacted them for representation when negotiating with Debswana for the national First Division sponsorship. The first Division is a lower tier that feeds the elite league.
At first, the local football body took the matter lightly but after Asinamona Investments took serious steps, the BFA flipped and panicked. Information from the association is that they are at pains to compile documentation for defence because there are no records in its files to correspond with the demands. This is due to the fact that the regime that brought the company on board has since lost elections at the BFA general assembly last year.
Once more, the association says it is contacting former President Tebogo Sebego to provide light on what might have transpired with the matter. The managing Director of the company Lefore J. Lerefolo has stated in court papers that his company had entered into agreement with BFA on or around February 15th 2016. “Asinamona (PTY) Ltd agreed to render services to the defendant at the special request of the defendant,” reads part of the court papers.
As per the agreement, Asinamona negotiated and concluded a sponsorship deal whose total value was P 6 million with Debswana. The agreement between the two parties was that the consultancy company will be entitled to a total of payment of 7% of the total sponsorship value, namely the sum of P420 000. In August 2016, Asinamona says they submitted an invoice to BFA for claim.
In addition, court papers state that the consultancy company incurred travelling costs that amount to R 104, 490.22, and as per the agreement, the association has to foot the bill. Asinamona also demands interest rates charged 10% per annum from the date of the default to the date of payment. The South African company has engaged Garebamono and Pillar Law practice as their attorneys.
Meanwhile BFA is accused of neglecting these payments whilst caught up in infightings. Why the company was first involved is a question BFA fails to answer particularly that the sponsorship deal has not been improved from the previous one. BFA claims that the past president did not engage his national executive committee when consulting with Asinamona.
Efforts to solicit comment from BFA second Vice President, Marshlow Motlogelwa did not bear fruit as he said he could not comment on matters already before jurisdiction. Motlogelwa formed part of Sebego‘s Executive Committee last year, and is the only surviving member who won the seat with Mac Lean Letshwiti’s regime.
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