http://www.todayonline.com/articles/126806.asp
FAS paid income tax for Agu, Dickson
Today Exclusive
Jose Raymond
[email protected]
The first shocker was in February when it was revealed that
footballers Agu Casmir and Itimi Dickson each received a cash bonus
of $50,000 last year to pledge allegiance to the Young Lions after
playing key roles in Singapore's Tiger Cup victory two years
ago.
.
This was over and above their salaries and match-winning bonuses
which amounted to more than $5,000 each a month.
.
Now comes shocker No 2. The Football Association of Singapore
(FAS), through the Young Lions management, also paid a portion of
the two Nigerian-born Singapore citizens' personal income tax for
the last financial year.
.
According to tax consultants Today spoke to, the personal income
tax for each of the footballers for their $50,000 sign-on fee could
be anywhere from $4,000 to $6,000 each, depending on the amount of
relief both may have applied for.
.
The FAS' chief of administration, finance and corporate affairs
Samuel Panthradil confirmed that the body had agreed to pay the
personal taxes for the two men, but only for the $50,000 sign-on
fee.
.
He said: "During the negotiations between the Young Lions
management and the two players, it was agreed that the $50,000
which the two players received was nett. It was agreed that the tax
attributable to the $50,000 payments would be borne by the
FAS."
.
While the taxes paid by the FAS for the two players may not be a
large amount, football officials and players Today spoke to
yesterday were outraged. Several officials also felt disappointed
that the FAS agreed to almost every demand the duo made.
.
Said a senior national player, who spoke on the condition of
anonymity: "It is a matter of principle. Agu and Dickson are
supposed to try and assimilate into Singapore's society.
.
"Yet, they are given special privileges such as having a portion of
their income taxes paid. Some national players have served the
country for years but we have never had our income taxes paid or
even subsidised by the FAS.
.
"This is a joke."
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An S-League club chairman added: "If they were foreign players who
were new to Singapore football and their salaries were not that
high, I would understand the need to offset some of their personal
taxes.
.
"But Agu and Dickson were earning much more than most of the
average footballers in Singapore at the time."
.
And while they were playing for the Young Lions, their
accommodation was paid for in full by the FAS, the club chairman
said.
.
The FAS still subsidises the accommodation costs for the two
players who now play for Woodlands Wellington despite their
having been axed from the national team.
.
Agu and Dickson have been in the news this year for all the wrong
reasons.
.
At the beginning of the year, Agu pocketed US$20,000 ($32,544) from
an Indonesian club before reneging on an agreement to play for
them, while Dickson failed to report for national duty that same
month.
.
In March this year, the FAS announced unprecedented punishment for
Agu the 21-year-old was fined $20,000 and banned from
international football for a year.
.
This followed the punishment dished out to Dickson, who was banned
from national duty for six months. The FAS, following a discussion
in Parliament over the subject three months ago, said that they
will review the Foreign Talent Scheme.
