Court’s decision to remove GCB’s locks could compromise investigation
HOME Affairs Minister Clement Rohee registered, on Friday, his disappointment with the court order granted by Justice William Ramlal on February 1, giving Permanent Secretary Alfred King of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport 24 hours to remove the locks placed on the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB’s) office. This, Minister Rohee said, could compromise the investigation launched by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) into the affairs of the GCB, since it would allow members access to the records.
Rohee explained that the general belief is there are discrepancies, particularly with regards to the financial activities of the GCB, and there are certain documents which have to be perused in order to ascertain the extent of the situation.
“The investigation has already begun, and it is my expectation that it will be expedited as I have so requested,” the minister said.
At his most recent post-Cabinet press briefing, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, said the list of GCB wrongdoings has been brought to the attention of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), CARICOM, the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Cricket and the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Further, the formation of the cricket Interim Management Committee stemmed from a High Court ruling by Justice Ian Chang, which rendered the GCB an illegal entity.
The work of the IMC, on the other hand, is moving apace, as it is expected to deliver its remit well ahead of the allotted six-month timeframe.
Government, meanwhile, has reaffirmed its commitment to fix the state of Guyanese cricket at all costs, and is fully prepared to work with ICC and WICB in this regard. Moreover, no threat of removal of matches from the country will stymie this effort.

Human Services Ministry providing counselling, protection for abused boys
THE BOYS who have allegedly been molested by the Muslim Imam are currently being provided with counselling services, and are also in receipt of medical attention provided by the state and the protection agency, Human Services and Social Security Minister, Jennifer Webster said Friday.
She emphasised that the boys are being protected from any further abuse and harm, and are presently kept in a safe place.
Minister Webster explained that while the boys are responding very well, counselling is an on- going process, since their progress has to be reviewed.
The defendant Imam has been arraigned on three counts of having sex with a child. Other allegations of a similar nature have been levied against him.
Minister Webster reiterated that, in Guyana, the Child Care and Protection Act of 2009 and the Protection of Children’s Act of 2009 state that the child protection agency has a responsibility to protect the country’s children, to take care of them, and to provide all the necessary assistance for the recovery and rehabilitation of any child who has been a victim of abuse.
“As a result of that, we do have a duty and responsibility to ensure these children are kept in a safe place, where no harm can come to them; and we have to provide certain basic services to them to ensure that, while they remain in our custody, care and guardianship are provided,” she said.