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Disciplinary committee finds Royal AM guilty on all charges

A general view of the the PSL headquarters in Parktown, Johannesburg. File photo
A general view of the the PSL headquarters in Parktown, Johannesburg. File photo
Image: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images

Royal AM have been found guilty of all charges in their disciplinary committee (DC) hearing regarding failing to honour their four Premier Soccer League (PSL) promotion-relegation playoff matches, TimesLIVE is informed.

It was not clear whether sentences would be handed down  in the ongoing DC matter on Wednesday night.

After postponements on two successive weekends arguments were heard in the hearing on Saturday July 31. A date was set for Wednesday for the findings to be pronounced.

The DC hearing is the latest in the long saga involving Royal AM and an arbitration award of three points to Sekhukhune United on May 19. That decision came in the week before the final round of matches in the GladAfrica Championship‚ and resulted in Sekhukhune winning the second-tier for automatic promotion to the DStv Premiership.

Previous log leaders Royal were bumped down to second place by the three points awarded to Sekhukhune‚ and into the playoffs. They have waged a legal battle to be reinstated champions at the courts since.

Premier Division team Chippa United preserved their top-flight status in the playoffs‚ as Durban team AM‚ owned by flamboyant businesswoman and reality TV show star Shauwn Mkhize‚ boycotted their games.

Royal’s legal interpretation was that an earlier interdict against the playoffs proceeding by judge Nyathi still applied even after deputy judge president Roland Sutherland had dismissed the club’s leave to appeal the high court’s decision to uphold the arbitration decision. Royal have applied to have their case heard at the Supreme Court of Appeal.

The PSL’s legal advice was that the interdict fell away once Sutherland dismissed the case at the high court‚ so continued with the playoffs.

The DC was first pushed back on Saturday July 17 when Royal brought an application for the postponement without the correct paperwork‚ and were given time to file it‚ Becker said at the time.

The Saturday July 24 virtual hearing was postponed apparently because Mkhize had taken sick and could not attend.