GOA SWINDON DAY: CLARIFICATION AND STAND OF MR. SANTANA SOUSA AND HIS COMMITTEE MEMBERS

SWINDON: On 17th July 2011 Niz Goenkar was invited for a press briefing by Mr Santana Sousa and his team in order to clarify their stand on the cancellation of the GOA DAY that was supposed to be held on 16th of July 2011 at the County Ground, Swindon. Below is the clarification given by Mr. Santana Souza on the issue.

Alongwith Santana were present chairman Mr Floriano D’Sa, Vice chairman Mr. Socorro Pinheiro, Treasurer Mr. Miguel Da Cunha. Only The General Secretary Mr. Abel Nunes as absent.  Santana briefed NG starting with his clarifications on the recent incident of Goa Day Cancellation.  According to Santana an emergency meeting took place and they discussed about the Goa Day event, which he said was illegally organised by the committee headed by president Mr. Jacinto Souza.

Santana said that he had no intention of stopping the Goa Day.  However he said that the procedures by the organisers were not followed and were incomplete and that is the reason why the Borough Council of Swindon cancelled the event.

Santana disclosed to NG the email that appeared previously on NG in the preceding article, wherein it was mentioned to stop the event, was indeed written by him to Mr. James Holland and to enquire about the Goa day.

Mr James Holland told Santana that he had submitted the forms for the noise pollution. Santana was on his work when James called him. Santana told us the he replied to him that he was not involved in the organising committee to which James asked Santana how many committees were in existence among them.

Santana told NG that he informed James that the committee run by him was the legally elected committed on 16th March 2011 and that he was the president of the same. James then asked Santana to forward to him the names of the legal committee.

Santana told NG that people are accusing him of blocking the Goa Day and got it cancelled using his influence which is false and baseless. He further reiterated that he and his committee are not against the Goa Day and will never be against it even in future or even any other function organised by the Goans.

Mr Floriano D’Sa the Chairman spoke and said that in the past the current organisers of Goa Day had organised many events but they had never obstructed or objected that. “We never ever objected them in anything they organised” said Floriano.

Santana said that the current organisers had not informed the neighbours about the event as the law requires them to do and that is the main reason for the event to be cancelled. Santana said “if they had completed the formalities then neither we nor anybody could stop the event”

Stressing on the accusation by the other committee and the people that Santana misappropriated £6000, he said “I say that if they prove that if I have pocketed even .60 pence, I hereby declare that I shall never never again occupy any post in the organization all my life”

Mrs Cimilda Sousa another member of the GSA said “why has the council not recognised them and allowed them to go ahead with the event? If they were right on their side, Council would not stop them on Santana’s email”

Floriano debated that, Jacinto used the wrong dates when addressing the crowd on Saturday. He said that Jacinto said the date on the email was 13th July whereas the actual date on Santana’s email was 14th July When NG asked Floriano whether what was spoken was right or wrong, he replied ”Do you think so?”.

When asked about the election of the new committee under Mr. Jacinto Sousa, Santana said that what they have done is not in the constitution of GSA just to elect a board committee like that. Floriano said that as long as the old committee does not step down, How can new committee take over “which I have not seen anywhere in my life and am seeing here in Swindon for the first time” he said.

Over all they showed NG the minutes of the meeting that took place on 3rd July 2011 to discuss on the issue of Goa Day.   Of that below are just three points of the minutes.

IN THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING:

They had discussed the phone call of Mr. Ian Pickering of Croft Centre where the event was supposed to he held, saying that it would not be nice to have two Goa Days on the same venue, as this may hinder the holding of the event in future.

Ian had arranged a meeting with both the committees and had informed Mr. Anthony Fernandes and kept a message. However no one responded for four days and as such Ian had to postpone the meeting.

The minutes also say that General Secretary Mr. Abel Nunes inquired whether the event of Goa Day on 16th July 2001 can be stopped.  According to Santana and the others present there Abel's was only an enquiry and not a suggestion or pressure to stop or block the event.
NIZ GOENKAR ADDS: Mr. Abel Nunes contacted NG and informed that the above information is incorrect and that he never inquired if the Goa Day could be stopped.  Abel said "This is a conspiracy against me, I have never said these words anywhere at all.  I never enquired about stopping the Goa Day."  He further stated that this is being done to create confusion among people and to malign him.

Below are the copies of two documents presented to NG by Mr. Santana Souza: