A cricket team travelling to Canada last year for a tournament was denied visas because of concerns about fraudulent letters emanating from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and it was only after the intervention of a senior government official that the visas were granted.
Stabroek News was reliably informed that the 14-man team was denied visas initially and the High Commission had indicated that they had some 40 supporting letters from the cricket board for persons seeking to travel to Canada to play cricket.
It was this initial refusal that alerted some in the GCB that something was seriously wrong with the issuing of letters by the board and questions were raised at subsequent executive meetings.
“It was a shock when the High Commission said it was denying the visas and that there were forty letters on file,” a source told this newspaper.
This newspaper on Monday had reported that the team was denied the visas but did not clarify that the visas were subsequently granted.
According to sources, following the refusal of visas for the squad some board members at an executive meeting questioned how many letters were issued to persons in the months leading up to the meeting and there were two figures given by the two members who are authorized to issue the letters.
Reports are that while initially it was stated that 80 letters may have been issued, two other figures of 40 and “twenty-something” were also floated.
Sources said that the issuing of visa letters was one of the issues acid attack victim Pretipaul Jaigobin was very vocal on and it was through his constant objections that a three-member team was formed to ascertain how many letters were really issued.
This newspaper was told that when the initial check was made there were only 28 names of persons who were issued letters and no one could have given an account for the other letters that would have been issued.
No connection with board
It was Jaigobin, this newspaper was told, who went through the list and later revealed that two of the persons who were issued letters had no connection with the board and one of them was later found to be associated with a board member.
“But you know even though the team was set up it was never really allowed to function, it was undermined but Jai never left it alone and he would raise it at many meetings,” a source told this newspaper.
One source said five months ago it was decided at an executive meeting that at every meeting the most recent list of names of the persons who would have been issued letters would be provided.
“But people said they were not being trusted and it never happened, it just die like that,” the source said, adding that there is need for proper record-keeping of the letters issued.
The issue of visa letters was one of the many matters discussed at the recent meeting between Minister of Sport Dr Frank Anthony and members of the board.
The minister had advised the board to write letters to the Canadian High Commission and the US Embassy advising them that while the board did not have a good record of the persons who played cricket for the country, it would immediately put systems in place to rectify this.
Stabroek News was told that the minister stressed that it was very important for the board to dispatch such letters.
Reports are that since the issue became public, visas for two persons who were issued supporting letters were denied and while there is no direct link to the allegations some feel that it may very well be a consequence of the allegations.
Audit – when?
Meanwhile, some are questioning when the auditing of the board’s finances will commence as this is an issue that should be addressed urgently. It is felt that monies have been expended without due diligence being done. At the meeting with Minister Anthony it was decided that the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) would be approached to conduct the auditing. However, it was also stated that should the OAG office be unable to conduct the audit they would be asked to identify a private accounting firm to do so.
Reports are that a well-known accounting firm was originally named for the job but the name was objected to immediately. It was the same firm some in the board had identified at a March meeting to conduct an audit but the decision was later overruled by a senior board member who had been absent from that meeting. “This thing should be done immediately because the more you wait is more things could be done to cover up things,” the source said.
The board has since published what it said is its financial record to the end of last April on its website and stated: “Auditors have been called in and those statements will be provided when ready.”
One particular matter of the finances that prompted strong concern from Jaigobin and others was the hiking of the cost to build the LBI hostel by $26 million. The board had originally approved $43 million to construct the hostel but in the end some $69 million was spent and the additional sum was not approved by the board.
Stabroek News was also told that it was through Jaigobin’s diligent investigation that it was learnt that while the financial report of last year’s Cricket Festival Twenty/20 competition suggested that the board had made a profit, it actually had suffered a loss.
At the meeting it was also decided to employ Design and Construction Services to examine the two hostels, one at LBI and another at Anna Regina, which several persons have said are falling apart even though they have only been recently built.
Cracks in the walls and doors and toilets and other fittings falling apart are some of the defects that were listed to this newspaper.
Stabroek News was told that at the meeting Dr Anthony indicated that the company was used in government circles.
According to sources, all members have agreed that the board went deeply over budget in constructing the two hostels.
The construction firm is expected to be mandated to examine the two hostels to establish whether the “board got value for its money.” All relevant documentation related to the hostels will have to be handed over to the firm.
The firm will also pinpoint whether any structural flaws exist in the two buildings.
Importantly, it was revealed that even if defects are found in the buildings the contractors will not be held responsible as there was no defects liability clause in the contracts and both contractors have “been paid and signed off”.
The contractor in Anna Regina is still demanding $4.8 million from the board but the treasurer said he has been paid in full.
Minister Anthony advised the board to seek assistance from the Ministry of Finance for examples of how a “proper contract is done.”
