Letter to the Sports Editor…GCB Treasurer corrects President Ramotar

Jun 14, 2014 Sports

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Dear Sports Editor,
Mr. President, it literally pains me to respond to your reckless assertions regarding accountability within the GCB, but my professional reputation and integrity demands that I pen this response.
The GCB has been maliciously persecuted by all and sundry over the past 5 years, firstly, by a group of former administrators and now, unfortunately, the same unfounded allegations are being parroted by no less than the President of Guyana.
We can understand and rationalize the reason for this action by the upset group as they were seeking to take over the GCB and they were mudslinging as much as they could with the hope that something would stick. It did not since there was nothing factual to their wild and reckless statements.
Accountability, Mr. President, is not a watch word synonymous with the modus operandi of several administrations within Guyana but the GCB stands tall amongst all these administrations. Your government must make up its mind on why exactly you have now decided to “Witch Hunt” the GCB.
– Your Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport initially stated that he was disbanding the GCB because of the Chief Justice ruling (orbiter dicta) that the State must intervene. He proceeded to disband the GCB, seize their assets and placed padlocks on their offices.
–  Your AG then proceeded to file Court Proceedings stating that the property of the GCB belongs to the State on a principle of “Bona Vacatia” or ownerless property. Several Board officials and their families were routinely harassed and had their homes searched by the police forcing some of them to resign.
– The CCJ and the local Appeal Court ruled in favour of the GCB on all of these matters but the Government is still not satisfied.
–  Under court and police protection in February 2012, your Sports Minister and AG seized all the financial records of the GCB including computers, cheque books, invoices, etc. (two truckloads). This was done under the guise that you had to conduct a forensic Audit. These were returned over a year later in a very quiet and sedate matter by the Ministry.  Surely, had your forensic auditors discovered any act of wrongdoing or fraud, the Commissioner of Police or even the Minister of Home Affairs himself would have taken immediate steps to arrest those culpable or corrupt officials of the GCB.
–  Further, in early 2011 your Ministry of Labour had subjected the GCB to a rigorous forensic audit of its entire operations. This resulted in a detailed report termed the “Foster Report,” which cleared the GCB and all of its officers of any wrong doing. I can provide you with a copy of  this document as I am advised that your then Minister of Labour, Mr. Mansoor Nadir hid the report after he did not get Mr. Rupert Foster to insert a finding to his liking. I am also aware that the Essequibo Cricket Board tendered a copy of this document to Parliament in their submissions on the Cricket Bill.
Now that all of that has gone past us, you are suddenly speaking of rigged elections and accountability.
The elections of the DCB and GCB were challenged by the above group, which group incidentally were the clients of your AG.  In the case of the DCB, Anil Nandalall was the attorney that withdrew one of the Court Matters when he realized that video evidence was tendered by the Defendants.
Mr. President, I am a professional accountant, with a young family, and I treasure the hard work and sacrifice that was required for me to be qualified. When allegations such as yours are carelessly thrown around, it affects my career, my job, my personal, family and professional life, my very livelihood and ability to provide for and face my kids and family every day. I am forced to remind myself of another accounting colleague, Maurice Arjoon, whose career was cut short and destroyed for the very same reason.
I have been the Treasurer for the GCB for the past four (4) years and a director of the WICB for those four years. Two years ago I was appointed to the WICB finance committee.
I can assure you that the accounts of the GCB have been audited for the last 20 years and for the last four (4) I was responsible for getting those accounts in order. I can personally provide you with any information on the audited accounts of the GCB which you may require.
The last Biannual General Meeting of the GCB was observed by officials of the WICB who declared it “free and fair.” They are our parent body and main source of financing. They continue to recognize the GCB and obviously made those declarations.
Mr. President, with all due respect, you and your Ministers seem to be running out of reasons and excuses for attempts to take over a vibrant, well organized, structured and accountable sports entity.
No entity in Guyana has withstood such harassment and scrutiny as the GCB. I boast that truth, honesty, integrity and dedication are the tenets that enabled us to withstand the pressure from the Government enjoined with the unholy alliance with the group of administrators.
I remain available to produce and represent any documentation you may need to support my position on this matter.
Best Regards,
Anand Kalladeen – FCCA
Treasurer- Guyana Cricket Board
Director   – WICB
Member  – WICB Finance Committee.

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