Executive Committee, International Wushu Federation
RE: Report of USAWKF Dispute
Dear Colleagues,
It was good to see everyone in June 2000 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and I hope that this letter finds you well. I hope you have received my letter dated September 20th requesting more time to prepare this report, and I thank you for your patience.
As we decided during the June 2000 IWuF Executive Committee meeting, I will make a report on the current dispute in the U.S. I am making this report with the best interest of USAWKF and IWuF in mind. In order to provide you with a clear and unbiased view of the matter, we decided to hire one of the most prestigious law firms in the United States, Whiteford, Taylor, and Preston, L.L.C. Its members hold important positions of leadership in the Maryland State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and other important legal organizations. The firm's website, www.wtplaw.com, explains the scope of its business services and shows why this firm is respected within both the legal community and the community-at-large. This law firm is also extremely familiar with the laws of the State of Maryland, which govern the operations of USAWKF, a non-stock corporation incorporated in the State of Maryland. Please note that lawyers in the U.S. are licensed legal counsels, and that their legal conclusions must be made in accordance with the law.
Enclosed please find the following attachments:
1. A report by Mr. Robert B. Curran of Whiteford, Taylor, and Preston, L.L.P. Mr. Curran is the head of the firm's corporate law unit. This report's conclusions on several points include the following:
A. Anthony Goh is still the President of USAWKF.2. A report submitted by Mr. David Feigelson, Esq., the Legal Counsel of USAWKF, whose legal findings also conclude that the Bolt group's actions were illegal and invalid.
B. All the actions that were taken by the members of the Bolt group to unseat Anthony Goh from the presidency since November 1999 were contrary to the State of Maryland General Corporate Law, and as such are null and void and of no legal effect whatsoever.
3. An intensive legal report by Mr. Sam Walters, Esq., a U.S. attorney that precisely describes each violation of the Bolt group in accordance to U.S. law, bylaws and/or constitutions of USAWKF, PAWF, IWuF and IOC.
4. A memo with attachments dated March 30, 2000 that I sent out to USAWKF Board of Directors, Officials, Advisors, and Members, which explains the history, political analysis, foreign involvement, and groundlessness of the accusations of the Bolt group.
5. A memo from Dr. C. P. Ong, a member of USAWKF, sent to USAWKF Board members, Officials, and members analyzing the events that occurred since November 1999. Its findings, based on the written record, are that the Bolt group acted outside of the Bylaws, and that their charges are without basis.
6. Letters from the Pan American Wushu Federation (PAWF) expressing concerns and their position regarding the U.S. dispute.
7. USAWKF Bylaw for your reference.
8. Attached letters:
A. A letter dated June 7, 2000 written by Ms. Li Yapei, assistant to the Secretary General of IWuF, addressing Mr. Jeff Bolt as President of USAWKF. This letter has been used by the Bolt group to harass PAWF Executive Committee members with the claim that their actions have the recognition and support of IWuF.
B. A letter sent out by Jeff Bolt on June 26, 2000 falsely claiming that my seat on the IWuF Executive Committee as the PAWF representative is vacant.
C. Letters sent to IWuF secretariat via fax on January 4, 2000 by Glenn Coleman, Assistant Secretary General and June 6, 2000 by Mr. David Feigelson, Legal Counsel for USAWKF, and Mr. Carl Hyden, Secretary General of USAWKF. These letters informed the IWuF secretariat that Anthony Goh continues to serve as the President of USAWKF.
From the above documentation, it is very clear that the actions taken by the Bolt group, including:
1. the November, 1999 ambush in Hong Kongare null and void and of no legal effect whatsoever.
2. the meetings held without due notice to all members of the USAWKF Board of Directors
3. Decisions that were made during these illegal meetings
4. the false announcement that Anthony Goh is no longer President of USAWKF
5. the illegal amendments of the by-laws, and
6. the meetings and decisions that relied on the votes from former members of the USAWKF Board of Directors
These extreme and reckless actions by Jeff Bolt and his associates were conducted based upon their belief that there was support from certain Chinese officials in the IWuF. Regardless of their beliefs, the Bolt group must act in accordance with the USAWKF Bylaws, and the law of the State of Maryland in the official business of the Federation. From the time of the illegal ambush in Hong Kong up until the present, Mr. Bolt and his associates have acted outside of the law and against the interest of USAWKF and IWuF. When the ambush failed and Federation's Legal Counsel pointed out that the action was not in accordance with the Bylaws, the Bolt group attempted to amend the by-law illegally. Based on the illegally amended bylaws, they announced that they had removed Anthony Goh as the President, as a Board Member, and also revoked his membership. The record clearly indicates that each and every action taken by them regarding this matter is contrary to the proper legal and parliamentary procedures. Please note that since the November 1999 ambush, the Bolt group has not produced any public legal opinion stating that their actions had any validity.
As this dispute has gone on for almost one year, the true motive behind their actions is becoming clearer to the U.S. Wushu community. Despite a few members of the Board and individuals who continued to spearhead these actions, they receive little support from the community. The U.S. community is aware the Chinese officials' involvement in the ambush in Hong Kong and refer to this incident as, "the slimiest thing in U.S. Wushu history."
We also have reason to believe that someone promised the Bolt group that should they succeed with the coup attempt, they would be rewarded with the IWuF Executive and Technical Committee positions available to the U.S., in spite of the fact that these positions had already been filled by the Pan American Wushu Federation's nominees. This explains why it took place in a clandestine manner during the IWuF elections in Hong Kong. They were encouraged to continue their illegal actions hoping that they could declare their outcome in the June 2000 IWuF Executive Committee meeting. I am sure you would agree that having IWuF officials involved in an attempt to overthrow the President of one of its member-nations is harmful to the integrity and future of IWuF.
I hope that this report provides you with a clear understanding of the current state of affairs, and I thank you for your attention.
Respectfully,
Anthony Goh
President, USAWKF
President, PAWF
Executive Committee Member, IWuF