President of the East Bank Demerara Cricket Association (EBDCA) and co-opted member of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB), Rohan Sarjoo yesterday denied that he was involved in the acid attack on treasurer of the DCB Pretipaul Jaigobin last year.
Jaigobin, 43, who works at the National Authorisation Office in the Ministry of Finance, suffered a gruesome attack last year which he alleged was cricket related. He has been reluctant to pursue the matter.
“I have my suspicions on who was behind this but since I don’t know for sure and did not recognize the person who threw the acid and also for security reasons, my family and I have decided to let the matter rest,” Jaigobin said last year after the incident.
Yesterday Sarjoo protested his innocence at a press conference at the Georgetown Cricket Club pavilion.
“I was arrested, taken to the Brickdam Police Station, where the police read the charges to me, that I was arrested for throwing acid on Mr. Jaigobin, which I know nothing about,” Sarjoo told the media yesterday afternoon.
Sarjoo was taken into custody following a DCB executive meeting Monday evening in the boardroom of the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) Regent Street office. The meeting was called by the DCB to decide a date for the club’s Annual General Meeting and to decide on the delegates that will represent the various area boards. Sarjoo was detained around 9.30pm Monday and released on $25,000 bail.
Speaking to media operatives Sarjoo denounced his arrest stating that his arrest was orchestrated by some members of the DCB.
“The East Bank Cricket Association is very concerned about what happened to me last night, by a few of the members of the Demerara Cricket Board,” he said.
Explaining what transpired Sarjoo stated: “The police came for me at about six o’ clock [6pm] in the middle of the Demerara Board meeting. I asked them to wait until the meeting finished and they wait until 9.30.
“When I questioned the police and asked them certain things they said they don’t have any report about me, but it so happens yesterday afternoon at six o’ clock, four police showed up at the Guyana Cricket Board Office to arrest me for burning Mr. Jaigobin,” he recounted.
“I don’t know what game is playing there… I want to know what’s going on and I asked the police to do a thorough investigation into this matter,” he added.
Sarjoo declared that he was wrongfully accused and that he was “very concerned” about the circumstances surrounding his arrest.
“I’m very concerned about it and I’m accused wrongfully and arrested wrongfully last night [Monday night] by the police,” said Sarjoo.
“I think all these things are coming out of the meeting that we had last night [Monday night]. “They wanted to keep me out because of the votes. Our side had seven and their side had six and if they keep somebody out, the president automatically has a casting vote, so that’s my view of what I think happened to me last night,” Sarjoo opined.
“People are using this issue as a campaign weapon right now for the Demerara Board election, against myself and I hope that they’re not doing it against any other member on the Demerara Cricket Board.
“A serious, serious thing is going on with this Demerara Board and people are using it for votes,” he added.
According to Sarjoo, he will be returning to the station at 10 am tomorrow in the presence of his attorney.
