Gaba transfer saga resurfaces, BB faces penalty

FAM has threatened to punish Big Bullets for not remitting to Brave Warriors FC 15 percent from striker Frank Gabadinho Mhango’s K3 million (about $7 500) transfer fee to South Africa’s Bloemfontein Celtic.

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) transfer matching system manager Casper Jangale wrote the Bullets’ chairperson Kondi Msungama and general secretary Harold Fote on Friday over Mhango’s protracted transfer to Celtic last year.

“Can we resolve the Gabadinho Mhango transfer amicably? I have been pushing for this issue to be resolved and it seems we are not making progress. Big Bullets FC need to honour its transfer agreement with Brave Warriors FC of 15 percent transfer cut,” reads Jangale’s letter which The Nation has seen.

“There is a balance and as FAM we will be left with one option of deducting from Big Bullets FC (its revenue from the league or cup competitions) until Brave Warriors FC is settled. Please Big Bullets FC, contact Brave Warriors FC and agree on the way forward.”

On Saturday, Msungama insisted that his executive committee was in the dark on the actual transfer fee Celtic paid to Bullets as “there are 100 versions”, hence difficult for them to determine the 15 percent.

“There were no handovers with the previous committee. We would love to know as to how much he was sold and establish the cut; otherwise our hands are tied. When we [alongside Fote] tried to contact the former officials, we were called names as they felt we were witch-hunting,” Msungama claimed.

But former Bullets general secretary Higger Mkandawire said they paid partly the second-tier side Warriors through their official George Kapachika and there was a balance that is yet to be honoured.

“The Bullets trustees should handle this matter as they dissolved our executive and the supporters committee. We handed over to them all the documents. We agreed to pay and referred Kapachika to the trustees,” said Mkandawire.

Kapachika could not be reached as we went to press.

However, the original Warriors letter to Bullets has 30 percent and not 15 percent as the cut.

“We wish to confirm that we have cleared the player to be registered with your club with effect from the date of this letter. Considering that the player is sold to any club before three years from the date of this clearance, Brave Warriors shall be entitled to a transfer fee cut of 30 percent,” wrote Kapachika to the Bullets on July 9 2011.