ST JAMES, Jamaica — Yoni Epstein has tendered his resignation as chairman of the Finance Committee of Professional Football Jamaica Limited, with immediate effect, saying in a release on Thursday that he wanted to protect his professional reputation.

Epstein, who is also the chairman of Montego Bay United, cited what he described as a “troubling pattern” of the PFJL board, which he said “prioritise payments to its own members before settling these operational liabilities. This constitutes a fundamental breach of sound financial governance and directly undermines the financial integrity of the organisation”.

Epstein added, “No finance chairman operating with professional and ethical standards can lend their name and authority to such practices.”

Noting the latest decision that he said went against the recommendations of the Finance Committee, he said: “With total cash reserves of $7,600,000 available and outstanding obligations of approximately $29,000,000 owed to creditors, the board has elected to direct $5,600,000 —representing 74 per cent of all available cash — to club distributions, whilst the significant creditor liabilities that sustain the league’s day-to-day operations remain substantially unpaid”.

“This decision is indefensible on any measure of financial prudence and, in my professional assessment, constitutes conduct inconsistent with the responsibilities of a properly governed company,” Epstein said.

The MBU chairman said he was prepared to assist in the “orderly transition of the finance chairman’s responsibilities and to provide whatever handover documentation is required to ensure continuity” but urged “in the strongest possible terms, to urgently address the creditor liabilities outstanding and to restructure its decision-making processes to bring financial governance in line with accepted standards before the organisation’s position deteriorates further”.

— Paul A Reid