By Siebo D. Williams ( The NEWS )
May 21, 2002

The adage that "a leopard never leaves its black spots behind" has been likened to the former General Secretary of the Liberia Football Association (LFA), J. Sackie Kennedy and some so-called Liberian sports promoters.

As information emerges, Mr. Kennedy is said to have been involved in the illegal transfer of Liberian players around the globe.

The former LFA's Chief Scribe is also on record for allegedly issuing a fake international transfer certificate (ITC) for former Barrolle player Augustus Dumbar. According to the ITC issued by Mr. Kennedy at the time, Dumbar was a player of the Lone Star and not Barrolle. He and his collaborators' intention was to deny Barrolle of its share of the transfer fees.

When the deal backfired, the real ITC was sent and Barrolle reaped a staggering US$120,000.00, something the perpetrators wanted to deny the club.

The latest deal carried out by Mr. Kennedy and his collaborators who reside in the United States, according to the LFA secretariat, is the transaction made between they and a club in Portugal called Sporting Club Campomaiorense .

According to documents in the possession of our sports desk, Mr. Kennedy wrote a letter to Mrs. Geraldine Bass on October 31, 2001, an official of the Liberian Embassy in Abidjan, Cote d"Ivoire requesting her to help secure a visa for player George Miller to travel to Portugal in pursuance of a professional contract. The former LFA General Secretary wrote and signed as the General Secretary of the LFA, a position that is currently occupied by Mr. Yanqueh S. Borsay.

Mr. Kennedy's letter to Mrs. Bass stated that as per their request, they were sending the security clearance; letters of authorization from Mighty Barrolle and the Liberia Football Association via DHL to enable her obtain the visa for the player.

In a recommendation letter written to the club by Mr. Kennedy as LFA secretary general, he misinformed them that player George Miller scored 62 goals in the LFA 1999/2000 and 2000/2001 league, thus surpassing the record of 52 goals set by George Weah in the 1985/1986 and 1986/1987 LFA league seasons.

Unfortunately for Mr. Kennedy, the LFA did not hold the 2000/2001 season, and thus he misinformed the Portuguese club.

The documents in our sports desk's possession show that Mr. Kennedy is not in the business alone, as there are few other so-called Liberian sports promoters based in the United States are part of this syndicate.

The name of one Emmanuel Williams has also been unearthed and is said to be part of the dubious deal the former LFA chief scribe is involved in.

When LFA General Secretary Yanqueh Borsay was contacted, he said the football house has begun immediate dispatching of information to FIFA, CAF, and WAFU as well as other Federations and Associations around the world that Mr. J. Sackie Kennedy is masquerading as LFA chief scribe and should not be dealt with in terms of any transaction that has to do with Liberian players contracts and promotion around the world.

The report of Mr. Kennedy's alleged impersonation as LFA chief scribe is not surprising to some football fans. According to Mr. Samuel Vah of central Monrovia, the former LFA chief scribe has since been involved in such transactions. He even said when Mr. Kennedy was then chief scribe he was always involved in such dubious transactions, evidenced by issuing of the fake ITC for former Barrolle player August Dumbar to RKC Waalwijk of Holland.

Player George Miller recently returned home from Ireland after staying in Portugal for some time. According to reports gathered, he did not sign a contract because Mr. Kennedy and those in the USA did not reveal the true picture of his stay in Portugal.

It has also been learned that the player did not get a penny from the game he played for the club, but the money went to his manager who is yet to be named.

Mr. Kennedy was transferred from the chief scribe post in 1998 to the Technical Department before he left for the USA. Mr. Gus Doe-Williams replaced him before Mr. Yanquey S. Borsay was appointed to the post.

We hope to make contact with Kennedy in the USA as soon as our Sports Desk gets his telephone number.