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City Hall leased plot of land at GNIC ground to businessman
The attempt to damage the Guyana Cricket Board’s owned Stanford T20 practice facility on the Western Half of the GNIC cricket ground on Woolford Avenue by a local businessman, who evicted National Coach Michael ‘Hyles’ Franco from the location on Monday, led to the businessman being taken to the Albertown Police Station.
Anand Sanasie
The Businessman (Mr Fox) claims the land was leased to him by City Hall and produced a document to support his claim.
However, according to Colvin London, the CEO of the National Industrial & Commercial Investments Ltd (NICIL), of which GNIC is a subsidiary, only NICIL has the authority to sell land at the GNIC Sports Club.
It is understood that NICIL plans to take legal action and is likely to issue a public statement on the matter today.
Mr Fox’s workers has already dismantled the ‘cage’ surrounding the practice pitches near the Southern fence and sources close to GNIC Sports club says Fox is planning to construct a Medical facility on the ground.
Only Schools and recreational facilities are on Woolford Avenue, while in 2007 the GCB and GNIC signed a MOU for the use of the Western side of the ground where the Stanford concrete pitches and a changing room with washroom facilities are located.
The project was earmarked for use by the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) and funded by Texan Billionaire Allen Stanford. It was upgraded by GCB at a cost of over $3Million.
When contacted yesterday, Secretary of the GCB Anand Sanasie informed that he was summed to the venue and informed that Fox’s team of workmen had broken down the cage, evicted Coach Franco and painted out the GCB’s name on the building.
“I spoke to the businessman who identified himself as Mr Fox and informed that he was the owner of a Medical Company (name given). At the Police Station I saw Mr Fox waving a Lease which he claimed he got from the City Hall,” said Sanasie.
Sanasie stated that he made a Facebook post saying that ‘NICIL had sold the cricket Board’s facility at the GNIC ground.
Sanasie subsequently spoke to the NICIL’s CEO Colvin London who informed they had not sold anything at the GNIC Sports Club to anyone.
Calls for a comment on the issue to Deputy Mayor Alfred Mentore proved futile. Mentore was a former National U-19 opening batsman and former President of the Georgetown Cricket Association. (Sean Devers)
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