Bagan to go slow on Barreto issue

But the club’s still backing him

MUMBAI:  After throwing their weights behind the Brazilaian striker Jose Ramirez Barreto, it seems Mohun Bagan are planning to go a bit slow and wait till the striker appears for his first hearing at a Barasat court on April 3. But the club officials are tight-lipped about their future course of action.

Since it is a sub-judice matter, none on the club executive board was ready to open their mouths, though a few spoke on the conditions of anonymity. “We have full faith in our judicial system and for now we are not moving to High Court and will wait till the first hearing on April 3,” a club official told the DNA soon after their executive meeting got over in Kolkata. This may well delay Barreto’s departure for Sao Paulo, Brazil.

However, the green-and-maroons have unanimously decided to support Barreto in the matter. “We will do whatever we can…the rest will be decided by the law of the land,” the club official maintained.

According to well-informed sources, the club will provide guarantee for the entire money ($21000 approximately) and seek an early reprieve for the prolific goal-getter.  Barreto was charged Under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and was arrested on Thursday.
 
The incident took place at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose international airport where the customs officers caught the Brazilian with foreign currency of worth $ 20,000. The Indian law permits individual foreigner to carry $5,000 without declaration.

Meanwhile, Mohun Bagan were not happy after Priya Ranjan Das Munshi announced that no player would be released for their exhibition match against Bayern Munich in Kolkata on May 27.

But Mohun Bagan are not mulling to go on warpath with the governing body of Indian football. “We will send a fresh application to the AIFF requesting them to release the players for atleast a day,” club secretary Anjan Mitra said.