My nephew is Jermaine Hue and based on very recent developments concerning Jermaine, I have felt compelled to issue this release and do so with the approval of Jermaine and our family.
Jermaine represented Jamaican National Football Teams, including the National Senior Team, for over 10 years up to June 2013. In July 2013, he was banned from pursuing his livelihood as a professional footballer for 9 months. The ban occurred because, while on National Senior Team duties in Honduras, he was administered a negligible amount of a prohibited substance by the National Senior Team Doctor.
Jermaine, his wife, other members of our family and his supporters believed the ban to be, at the very least, excessive if not unjustified. We appealed to the JFF for financial assistance to pursue an appeal as the JFF had by this time publicly stated that it too believed the ban to be excessive and would support his appeal; that support was never provided and Jerry, as he is commonly known to us, was deprived of earning a living for 9 months up to May, 2014.
Earlier this year, Jerry, through his lawyer, sent a letter to the JFF seeking compensation for errors of its employee; having received no satisfactory response to this demand, Jerry was left with no option but to seek recourse in the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court of Jamaica. The JFF has filed a defence to this case and denied any responsibility for Jerry’s ban. The JFF’s position is that Jerry and the JFF team doctor were the causes of Jerry’s ban.
Jerry’s decision to sue the JFF resulted in him being threatened with disciplinary proceedings by it unless he withdrew the case. Jerry did not yield and on November 1, 2014 he was banned indefinitely by the JFF from performing any Football related activity. I should point out that at no time before Jerry was banned did the JFF provide him the information and material he requested to properly defend himself before the JFF’s Disciplinary Committee despite requests by his lawyer.
On November 26, 2014, Jerry started a new court case to challenge the ban imposed by the JFF’s Disciplinary Committee. Jerry made an application that until the new case is decided by the court, he be allowed to among other things play football locally and earn a living. This application was set for hearing yesterday, December 3, 2014, but was adjourned until January 7, 2015 because the JFF requested more time to respond to the application. Acting on advice from his lawyers, Jerry agreed to give the JFF more time to respond but disappointingly the JFF refused to allow Jerry the opportunity of playing and earning from football until January 7, 2015.
In conclusion, Jerry would like to thank all of his fans and well-wishers for the tremendous outpouring of support. Also, he wants them to know that he intends to seek justice- he simply has no other option at this point.
– Michael Hue
December 4, 2014