Goa MLA Accuses Churchill Brothers Club of Defrauding Govt
Independent MLA from Goa, Rohan Khaunte, on Tuesday demanded that funding of football team Churchill Brothers be stopped, "as the club had faked its details to obtain money from the state government in a fraudulent manner" over years.
Panaji, May 5 (PTI) Independent MLA from Goa, Rohan Khaunte, on Tuesday demanded that funding of football team Churchill Brothers be stopped, "as the club had faked its details to obtain money from the state government in a fraudulent manner" over years.
NCP MLA Churchill Alemao, whose family member run the professional football club, has dismissed the allegations as baseless.
The club was funded under the state government's scheme to encourage the game of football in the state.
Addressing a press conference, Khaunte alleged that Alemao had fraudulently obtained Rs seven crore till date from the Goa government providing fake details about his club.
"I appeal to the chief secretary to immediately stop further funds under this scheme to non-existing company, Churchill Brothers Pvt Ltd, whose directors are also disqualified," he alleged.
Khaunte said both the directors of the club- Fatima Alemao and Valen savio Alemao- have been disqualified by ROC (Registrar of Companies) from November 01, 2016 till October 31, 2016.
The MLA demanded that the Chief Secretary examine the file and initiate action against government officers who connived with Alemao to defraud the state exchequer.
"Churchill Brothers was considered for the scheme even tough they were disqualified by I-League prior to 2018 as the club neither mentioned about the disqualification nor government authorities verified the facts," he alleged.
Khaunte alleged that Alemao had also "lied" that 75 per cent of the players are of Goan origin in his club, "but actually the percentage doesn't cross 35 per cent".
When contacted, Alemao rubbished Khaunte's allegations.
"I will respond to his allegations with right authorities," he said.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)