Coach Lee Rejects Koneh's Claims

By Julu M. Johnson, Jr.
A Liberian coach in Ghana, Clarence Chea alias "Coach Lee" has rejected a number of allegations made against him by a soccer player agent, Mohamed Koneh, based in Cameroon.
Coach Lee has challenged Koneh to give names of the player he (Lee) recommended to Tonnerre that stole away $3,000 and the year.

"Before God and man, beside Ben Teekloh and Francis Grand-Pa Doe in 2002, I never had any other dealing with TKC until now.

"When I found out that the prexy (Mr.Antoine Essomba Eyenga) wanted to convince Francis Doe to naturalize as a Cameroonian that I totally went against, every friendship fragile between TKC and I," the Ghanaian-based Liberian indicated.

Coach Lee added that he went back to Cameroon with Zar Krangar and Joseph Pailey in early 2003 to Racing FC of Baffousam.

At the time, Coach Lee named Koneh as the one that sent the invitation.

He disclosed that the players were transported by air through the club's president, Mr. Samuel Wimbe.
Coach Lee mentioned, "I also went by air with the financial responsibilities by the promotion firm (DISM Inc., based in Minnesota, headed by Mr. Charles Dean and Mr. Velmer Porte) as usual.

"The same went on with Grand-Pa and Ben (Teekloh). We were transported by Velmer Porte and TKC is yet to refund us. Everywhere I ever traveled, I was financed by Mr. Porte and Mr. Dean which included UAE, China, South Africa and Tunisia, even next door, Nigeria, I went by air. So, I really don't know where Koneh have shouldered my transportation especially by air."

He claimed to have worked in 2003 and lived in Bamenda as technical advisor to Chief Issa Bonga, President of Bamenda FC, where Christian Essel played along with Perry Kollie, while Zar and Pailey were far away in Baffousam.

"Again, where did I deal with TKC in Yaoundé that is about a day drive from Bamenda?" Coach Lee asked. He revealed that there are records at the Liberian Embassy when "James Massa stood a good ground for us especially with the Grand-Pa Doe naturalization issue."

If and only I am not fair and honest as Koneh claimed, my bosses (Dean and Porte)are very honest and always led me in a clean path.

Why I never had problem with oil-rich Al Jazira FC of UAE that wanted to naturalize Grand-Pa as Joma Saii. I refused thousand of dollars from the then prexy (Boti)."

Coach Lee then demanded that Koneh indicate the part of Liberia the latter hailed from. He wants to know the town and county.

"Let Koneh show his resident permit in Cameroon as a Liberian that I had those years. He is a Cameroonian, claiming to be a Liberian because of the civil crisis, big shark sold our birth right (passport, ID etc) to non-Liberians for little or nothing."

Koneh was in the country in recent times and later took five players of Mighty Barrolle, including Nuzohn Kulala, Michael Amaezee and George to seek greener pasture in Cameroon.
But the five players of Mighty Barrolle have returned from Cameroon under unclear circumstances.