Speaking to Chronicle Sport on Wednesday, one day before he was to have made an appearance before the GCF’s Disciplinary Committee (yesterday), Bentley said after the GCF’s Council met in 2006 and suspended him for allegedly using abusive language while returning from the 2006 Commonwealth Games, which were held in Australia, he appealed the ruling, but to date, he has not received justice.

He was fined $30,000.
According to Bentley, GCF’s secretary Carmen Pertab wrote him a letter dated November 16, 2006, stating that at the GCF’s November Statutory (2006) meeting held on November 15 that year, the Council of the GCF was informed by its treasurer William Howard that he (Bentley) paid his fine ($30,000) which will bring to an end his period of suspension from riding in races sanctioned by the GCF.

The letter, which Chronicle Sport saw, further stated that Bentley was invited to attend a meeting with the special committee appointed by the Council of the Federation on November 20 that very year, at the Thomas Lands YMCA, when cognizance will be given to the issue pertinent to his transition from suspension to competing in sanctioned events of the Federation.

The letter was copied to GCF’s president Hector Edwards, president of the Flying Stars Cycle Club Rudolph Singh of which he (Bentley) is a member and Chairman of the GCF’s Disciplinary Committee.

Recently, executives of the GCF stated openly that Bentley, after paying the fine, requested that the money be returned to him that very day, since he was not pleased with the ruling that was handed down to him and as such, the suspension was reactivated.

Bentley is however claiming that he did not ask back for his money the very day he paid it over to the GCF, instead, it was one week after paying it that he decided that he wanted it back. And this was the day he appeared before the Disciplinary Committee.

But prior to receiving that letter, Bentley had appealed his suspension on the grounds that the findings of the disciplinary committee were incorrect and questionable, since, he (Bentley) never admitted to cursing on the airplane and that Edwards reported to Singh, that he (Edwards) never heard Bentley cursing at any time and as such, the initial point of the UCI regulation which Bentley was charged for, forms an infringement 12.1.005 (behaves in a violent manner or uses defamatory or abusive language to or about a commissar, a UCI body or its members or in general, anyone performing a function provided for in the UCI Constitution or Regulation).

Bentley is maintaining that he has been treated unjustly.

He said after he initially paid the fine, there was a five-stage race starting in Berbice and when he went to the starting line, he was told by the starter that he (starter) was instructed by Edwards that he (Bentley) cannot participate since he (Bentley) has to appear before a disciplinary committee one week later.

He said he attended the meeting and questioned the reason for him having to pay a fine, but to date he has not received an answer and this caused him to request that he gets back the $30,000.

According to Bentley, present at the meeting were Cheryl Thompson, Carmen Pertab and someone by the name of Braithwaithe.

The actions of the GCF seemed to have triggered other local cyclists to stand up in support of their compatriot (Bentley), since they all refused to participate in the National Sports Commission’s sponsored feature 35-lap race in the National Park last Saturday.

On that day, the police was called in since Bentley reportedly had his bike across the roadway, blocking the other cyclists from participating.

But persons present told Chronicle Sport that when the starter Joseph Britton blew his whistle for the other cyclists to start the race, they all refused to participate.

Bentley who said he was given a two-year ban by the GCF in 2006, with a fine of $30,000 said he had the money with him on Saturday and attempted to pay it over to national coach Hassan Mohamed but the latter refused to accept it since he (Mohamed) is not the GCF’s treasurer.

Bentley also told Gibson that he subsequently approached GCF’s president Hector Edwards who told him he has no problem with him participating in the event, an allegation that Edwards denied.

However, on Wednesday, Bentley told Chronicle Sport he did not say he approached Edwards, rather, it was a few other cyclists that told him Edwards said “he has no problem with me riding.”