Passing the buck (part 1)

I wrote to LCI Finance on 12.12.2016 and then to LCI Finance, Administration and Legal on 13.12.2016 and again on 18.12.2016 and continued with many more emails.

I wrote to most of the PDG’s in District 308A2 and to the DG and VDG.

The then VDG Pelly Lee did not respond to any of the emails I sent to her as shown below. I shall post the full emails to her tomorrow for anyone interested in reading the details. The following are extracts.

I shall also post all emails to DG Eve Wong soon. It is going to be lengthy as I am going to post them as quickly as possible as I have some important task to do in March 2018.

LCI did not take any action and after I was expelled I am told by LCI that I did not follow instructions and file an official complaint using Club Dispute Resolution Procedures (CDRP). I shall post their recent email soon.

When I first wrote to the DG (I’ll post this email soon) she had written and said that I should refer to LCI.

The VDG and almost all the PDG’s did not respond to my emails. 

Only PDG Lawrence Ting passed the buck to DG Eve Wong and said I should ask for CDRP.

I have a few questions;

1.     Having written to LCI while I was still a member should LCI not have immediately written to DG Eve Wong and ask her to commence investigation of the extra bank accounts?

2.     If PDG Lawrence is no longer a DG is it acceptable that he cannot/should not act on a complaint as serious as misappropriation of funds which is a criminal offence.

3.     Do I need to file Club Dispute Resolution Procedures to start an investigation by LCI, DG, VDG, and PDG’s?

4.     What happened to the Lions ‘We serve’ motto?

5.     As a non member, if I find out and have documentary evidence and bank account numbers of 3 secret bank accounts as well as the bank in which fixed deposit is placed and inform the Lions District dignitaries should they still ask me for CDRP to be filed?

6.      Would I want to pay RM230 (equivalent of USD 50) to make a report about a criminal offence when I am a retiree?

7.     When I reported the matter in December 2016 I had not been expelled from my club. It was not a dispute. It was a complaint about criminal breach of trust. Is it fair and proper for LCI to ask me for CDRP?

8.     Should the dignitaries still wait for authorities to check instead of taking the bull by the horns and taking the culprits to task?  

The following are extracts of my emails to the then VDG Pelly Lee who is now the DG.

My email dated 12.12.2016

There are 3 bank accounts operated under the name of LCKKHost name in Alliance bank in Kota Kinabalu. Only 2 of these 3 accounts are audited by our in-house auditor Lion Horace Ho. Many of the past presidents and members are not aware of the 3^rd bank account. This account can be misused and money misappropriated.

(My comment now as of 17.2.2018): Did PDG Lawrence Ting, VDG Pelly Lee, and DG Eve Wong not know who Past President Horace of LCKKHost is? Would it be too much to ask these dignitaries to telephone Past President Horace Ho Toh Chee if there is any truth to what I am saying?

Email to Dato Lawrence Ting and copied to VDG Pelly Lee and DG Eve Wong on 14.12.2016.

Having a bank account (or possibly more than one) that is not audited and not accounted for could lead the whole Lions movement to be questioned.

Just imagine for a moment if there is money laundering in this account,

what will be the implications?

Where is the transparency? How is it possible that bank accounts are not

audited by our in-house auditor Lion Horace Ho?

The bank statements and accounts of the 3rd bank account (or more)

were never given to Lion Horace Ho to audit. If this is not a cause of

concern to the Lion Movement than I am not sure what is.

Email to VDG Pelly Lee on 20 Dec 2016 at 07:25

1.       To have a bank account in Alliance bank that has not been audited by the auditors for a number of years. This is over and above the 2 accounts that are audited. Lion Horace Ho can confirm that only 2 accounts have been audited. I have checked and confirmed same with ROS.

.       To operate 3 or more bank accounts under the name The Lions club of Kota Kinabalu Host when this name was not approved prior to November 2016.

My comment now as at 17.2.2018: I was still a member as of the date of the above email. Why did VDG Pelly Lee not contact me or Past President Horace Ho to check on the veracity of my complaint? Do I really need to file a CDRP before she takes action?

Email to VDG Pelly Lee on 24 Feb 2017

(At this time I was no longer a member of the club)

LCI has asked me to bring this matter up to local leaders and I

am now requesting you to help in this matter.

I attach herewith the email from LCI and hope you and a few PDG's may get together and see what you can do about this matter.

I will be writing to LCI once I have exhausted all avenues of contacting local leaders as suggested by LCI.

Email to VDG Pelly Lee on 19 Mar 2017

Now, I am requesting you to look into this matter as it is against the LCI constitution.

If I do not hear from you in the next one week I will escalate this matter to higher authorities.

I refer you to the email from LCI below:

Thank you for contacting the Legal Division.

As an initial matter, all Lions clubs are autonomous, meaning that each Lions club is responsible for complying with local laws, handling its own finances and addressing membership matters. If you believe that the Lions club is mishandling club accounts, we recommend speaking with district leadership to review this matter.

With respect to your removal as a member, if you believe that your removal was unjustified, a complaint may be filed under the Club Dispute Resolution Procedure (CDRP). The CDRP provides in part…………….

My comment now: There are two matters here;

i.                    If you believe that the Lions club is mishandling club accounts, we recommend speaking with district leadership to review this matter.

ii.                 With respect to your removal as a member, if you believe that your removal was unjustified, a complaint may be filed under the Club Dispute Resolution Procedure (CDRP).

I had no reason to complain under CDRP as I was expelled only at a later date.

LCI is trying to pass the buck to me by saying that there was inaction because I had not filed a CDRP. I shall post LCI’s email at a later date.

Despite this I still prepared documents and wanted to pay the RM230 to DG Eve Wong who refused to accept the cash. (I will write more when I publish all my emails to DG Eve Wong)

Email to Pelly Lee on 14 Dec 2017

I was expelled from the Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu host for asking members if there were more bank accounts than the 2 shown to us as directors of the club. I later found out that my club had 3 extra bank accounts that were not privy to many of my club members. After my expulsion 14 members resigned from my club. Most of them were more than 10 year members and many of them were PP's.

My comment now as at 17.2.2018: Even as of December 2017 why did the then VDG, now the DG, not investigate?

I shall post the complete emails to VDG (Now DG) Pelly Lee tomorrow.