The interim injunction granted by Chief Justice Ian Chang against the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) which restrained the members of the GCB from functioning has been discharged.
On February 24, Chang had granted an injunction to Attorney General Anil Nandlall which restrained the executives of the GCB “from holding themselves out in Guyana as members of the executive committee of the Guyana Cricket Board.”
The interim injunction, granted by Chang against the GCB, had been challenged by the defendants.
The injunction had allowed for searches of properties belonging to Chetram Singh, Lionel Jaikaran, Ramsay Ali, Fizul Bacchus, Anand Sanasie, Dru Bahadur, Anand Kalludeen, Collin Europe, Troy Mendonca, Terrence Holder, Rayon and Naximul Drepaul.
The searches resulted in computer equipment and other items being confiscated by the police and forced the resignation of then GCB president Ramsay Ali. With Ali out, Fizul Bacchus is the acting president of the GCB.
Ali’s resignation was followed by the resignations of Dru Banadur, Anand Kalludeen and Troy Mendonca.
The matter was heard on Thursday and the injunction discharged paving the way for the defendants to resume their administration of cricket in Guyana.
An Interim Management Committee (IMC) set up by the government, had temporarily taken over the governance and administration of cricket but it is not clear what role the IMC will now play following this latest decision.
Robin Singh, spokesperson of the GCB said that the executive met yesterday to decide the way forward in light of the latest development.
“We had a meeting with the board today. We wanted to appraise the situation.”
According to Singh the members of the GCB will decided by the latest, Monday what steps they will take individually.
He said that the consensus was that most of the present executive members wanted out including general secretary Anand Sanasie.
Sanasie, Singh said, was not desirous of serving in the capacity of WICB director anymore.
“We have to meet as a board and allow the executive to decide what they really want,” said Singh.
“There are about five different ways that we can go. We want to complete the audit. Everybody wants to go out with their reputations intact,” he added.
Singh said at the moment the focus was on ensuring that Guyana’s was represented at upcoming international competitions.
“At the moment our obligations to cricket are the inter county and getting the regional teams out,” said Singh.
He added that the transition to a new board and a new constitution is also on the cards.
“The new constitution has got to be tabled at an OGM (Ordinary General Meeting). The county boards have to approve it and adopt at their Annual General Meeting which is in early January.
Singh said by late January they should have a complete turnover with a new executive installed.
Singh said the AG’s case collapsed once the GCB had formed DEB Essentials Organisation Incorporated which is the commercial arm of the GCB.
“What people don’t know is that behind the scenes the West Indies board was appraised since August and they said `form a commercial arm.’ “They directed all the territories who did not have a commercial arm to form a commercial arm and to put their property and assets in them.”
Meanwhile, Singh said the last remaining issue is the case with the IMC for which the final hearing is scheduled for May 16.
He also said that the audit of the board’s finances, which is being done by Barcellos and Narine accounting firm is almost completed.
He disclosed that on Tuesday the competitions committee of the GCB will meet to discuss the upcoming U-15 Inter County competition adding that the U-17 team has already been selected. Singh said adding that there will be no changes to that team.
Lawyers Roysdale Forde and Stephen Lewis represented the GCB while lawyer Stephen Fraser represented the Attorney General along with Attorney Marcel Bobb, and Permanent Secretary Alfred King.
