SHOCK - ANDRA Board Removes SQ Division Director Frank Oliveri

 

 
The ANDRA board has sensationally sacked South Queensland Divisional Director Frank Oliveri in what is one of the rare occassions in ANDRA history an elected official has been removed from their position.

JustDragRacing.com understands Oliveri was notified of the board's decision in late April, although news did not break until Oliveri quietly confirmed it on his and the South Queensland Division Facebook pages last week (Tuesday, 29 May 2017).

No mention was made in the ANDRA Motor Mail emailed to members three days earlier (26 May), but Oliveri's name was conspicuously missing from the updated list of elected office holders contained in the email.

In his Facebook posts, Oliveri said his dumping was due to an alleged breach of the ANDRA Code of Conduct, although an email from alternate SQ DD Wayne Downes to the division council, copied to ANDRA CEO Grant Goodall and seen by JustDragRacing.com, offered a different reason.

Oliveri wrote: "A lot of you are probably wondering why the recent ANDRA Motormail [sic] shows that there is no Divisional Director for South Queensland. Well that's because the [ ] chairman of the ANDRA Board, Terry Jongen, and I suspect the majority of others on the board that support him, has "removed me" because in his opinion I have breached the ANDRA Code of Conduct."

Oliver goes on to state he made repeated requests to ANDRA to detail how and which points of the code he had breached, alleging it had refused to answer.

He also alleges ANDRA board chairman Jongen refused his request to appeal "under clause 6 of the ANDRA constitution."

Under the headline "Appeal," Clause 6.5.1 of the constitution states:

"A member who is disciplined by the Board is entitled to appeal to the Company in general meeting against the determination or penalty. The intention to appeal shall be communicated in writing to the Secretary of the Company within 14 days after the determination of the Board has been communicated to the member and shall set out the grounds of appeal and shall lodge the sum of $1,000.00 for the costs of calling a meeting."

Downes' email on Thursday, 1 June, told the DC he had been asked to fill the role by Goodall and the board 20 minutes before Oliveri was notified of his removal, and highlighted a different clause from the constitution as reason for the sacking – Clause 33.8.3.

That clause under "Provisions for Divisions, Other Matters" states:

"The provision of the Constitution apply to directors Vacation of Office, Interests of Directors and Remuneration of Directors will apply mutatis mutandis to the Divisional Council save and except that a member of the Divisional Council may be removed by a vote of no confidence by the Board."

Whichever reason, it would appear that a request for details of any charges is only fair to enable an appropriate defense, as is the right to appeal as listed in the company constitution.

It appears as though Oliveri will not take it lying down, telling his Facebook followers "... it doesn't end here! If I am wrong I'll take it on the chin but I won't be judged by them!"

His sacking is one of a very few times in ANDRA history an elected official has been removed from office.

ANDRA has been approached for comment and we are awaiting a response.