An allegation of assault against the Crabwood Creek Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) chairman yesterday saw a street protest, the resignation of the chairman and the closure of the office pending an investigation.
It is likely also that the troubled NDC would have to be dissolved an Interim Management Committee put in place until all of the problems can be ironed out.
Residents of Crabwood Creek yesterday blocked the road and burnt tyres outside the NDC office calling for the removal of the chairman, who it is alleged, had assaulted a member of the sports club.
Contacted yesterday, NDC Chairman Vasco Jardim said he had already decided to resign.
It is alleged that the chairman, also called “Martin”, assaulted 23-year-old Clovis Hunte on Mashramani day over the use of the Crabwood Creek ball field. According to reports, Hunt suffered fractured ribs and injuries to his mouth and right arm and had to seek treatment at the Skeldon Public Hospital.
The protest started at 7 am in front of the NDC office with residents using a tractor and a trailer belonging to the NDC, to block the road. They also placed objects on a section of the road and started a fire. Ranks from the Whim and Springlands police stations were able to put out the fire and remove the roadblock by 9.50 am.
Residents carried placards with the words, “Martin is a boxer, not a leader,” “He is not a fair man” and “Chairman beat decent citizen”. They said they planned to continue the protest until Jardim was removed.
However, after a meeting between members of two recently formed sport clubs, regional officials and the police, the protest ended before 11 am. But this was only after Community Relations Officer Faizal Jafarally and Vice-Chairman of Region Six, Dennis Deoroop promised to shut the office and cease all operations for 72 hours until an investigation was completed.
Residents were at first reluctant to accept this and demanded that the keys to the NDC be lodged with the police.
While the meeting was in progress, other residents who were picketing shouted loudly that it was taking too long and that they should be a part of it. Before long residents flocked the door and stairway to hear what was being said.
Members of the teams complained that they had scheduled a match to be played on Mash day but up to 2 pm the day before they were not able to meet the chairman. They said another official from the NDC gave them the key to the ground and they were supposed to commence their game at 9 am.
But when they turned up to play a group of boys were playing a softball match. They said they waited until the match was finished at 1 pm to start their game. But, according to them, the other group claimed that Jardim had given them permission to play for the entire day.
Jardim admitted to this newspaper that he had given some younger boys permission to use the sports complex ground for the entire day. He said Hunte and his team were bullies and they started to play with a “hard ball” while the other game was still in progress and the ball hit one of the younger boys.
He said the boys went to him to complain and when he went over to investigate an argument erupted. They started to “wrestle,” he said, and a bat hit his shoulder. Jardim denied hitting Hunte and said he must have gotten hurt during a scuffle for a bat. The chairman also alleged that some of the members wanted to control the ground and they “see me as a threat.”
The members said they insisted they should have the ground but the boys ran to get Jardim who reportedly assaulted Hunte. Captain of one of the teams, Surujpaul Sahadeo, said that at no time did Hunte or anyone else attack Jardim. He said, “Hunte had on his pads and gloves and did not hit the chairman.”
Hunte told this newspaper that Jardim went onto the field and started to shout that he was the chairman and he gave permission for the softball players to use the ground for the entire day. Hunte said he asked the man, “who put you there to be the chairman?”
Meanwhile, residents are calling for the reappointment of Surijpaul “Vako” Makarchand, former chairman of the NDC. Makarchand claimed that he had written his resignation and that a clerk “stole” it and handed it in.
He claimed that meetings were held secretly behind his back and allegations were made against him that he had stolen $2 million and that he had fired the former clerk.
Jafarally said in the meantime the NDC would have to be dissolved and replaced by an Interim Management Committee.
