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LAST December, a group of local cricket stakeholders operating under the name of National Cricket Stakeholders Group (NCSG), held a press briefing at the Manila Hotel, where they called on the Government of Guyana to enforce the law and file contempt charges against the members of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB). Such a cry did not fall on deaf ears, as the Government of Guyana commenced filing the charges against some members of the GCB last Wednesday and completed that process yesterday.
Speaking with another section of the media, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall said that all the Government is doing is keeping in effect, the injunction that was granted by the Honourable Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang.
According to Nandlall, members of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), International Cricket Council (ICC) along with both factions of the GCB and Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) and the Government set-up Interim Management Committee have been invited to appear before the Parliament Select Committee.
“You would recall during the early half of last year, the Honourable Chief Justice granted an injunction, the effect of which was to prohibit certain persons from purporting to act as servants and agents of the Guyana Cricket Board and from holding themselves out as members of the Guyana Cricket Board.
There was some conjuring up and manufacturing of what the Chief Justice granted. As a result, the Chief Justice requested all parties and their respective lawyers to make another appearance before him, where he clarified that which he granted,” stated Nandlall.
He added, “The Chief Justice explained as far as I have been informed very clearly, the terms of the injunction and that persons have been restrained from acting. Those very persons notwithstanding the clarification made by the Honourable Chief Justice, proceeded to be in flagrant disregard of the clarifications of the Chief Justice and the court order itself, proceeded to violate same and purported to act as members of the GCB and as the GCB, a result of which contempt motions have been filed.”
According to Nandlall, some officials of the GCB were served with the proceedings while some have blatantly – based on the information I have received, – eluding the opportunity to be served, hence the marshals are in the process of serving those documents as it relates to the individuals who are found in contempt.
Reflecting on an article that was published in the print media, wherein the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is presently reviewing the options to have regional and international cricket played in Guyana, Nandlall said both the Government and the Opposition are working together to bring a resolution to the GCB fiasco.
“We have put a Bill in Parliament and it has been sent to a select committee and actively considered. We have invited the personnel of the factions of both the GCB and the DCB, members of the IMC, WICB and the ICC to appear before the Select Committee, because we all hope that at the end of this process, we arrive at consensual positions.
Unfortunately, one gets the sense that the WICB is embarking upon a course that is designed to defeat or counteract what we are doing in Parliament and the Select Committee, for you would have seen over the past 48 hours, they have resorted to confirm as directors of the WICB personnel from the GCB that have been injuncted from acting as representatives of the GCB.
“That development is one we are looking at with deep concern and I am not sure what the Government’s position will be with regard to that matter, as we have not discussed it collectively, but certainly that runs contrary to what we are doing in the Parliament to bring a closure to this matter,” stated Nandlall.
Nandlall said the GCB elections, scheduled to be held tomorrow, is another act that is being done by the GCB to subvert and defeat what is being done in Parliament.
“I have seen the Berbice Cricket Board has indicated an unwillingness to participate, while the Essequibo has indicated a willingness to participate, then there is the issue of the DCB which has two factions that have been injuncted from participating, so I don’t know what type of elections that will be.
“In any event, the Bill which is before the Select Committee in Parliament will defeat the elections and render it nugatory, so there are a lot of implications which will arise, simply because there are one set of people who are not prepared to work with any other grouping to resolve this matter and they are pursuing a one-track course regardless of the consequences,” stated Nandlall.
The AG reiterated what Minister of Sport Dr Frank Anthony stated earlier to this publication, that the Government of Guyana has no intention to take over the administration of the game in Guyana, but rather to see the game being properly administered with proper accountability.
Speaking with another section of the media, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall said that all the Government is doing is keeping in effect, the injunction that was granted by the Honourable Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang.
According to Nandlall, members of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), International Cricket Council (ICC) along with both factions of the GCB and Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) and the Government set-up Interim Management Committee have been invited to appear before the Parliament Select Committee.
“You would recall during the early half of last year, the Honourable Chief Justice granted an injunction, the effect of which was to prohibit certain persons from purporting to act as servants and agents of the Guyana Cricket Board and from holding themselves out as members of the Guyana Cricket Board.
There was some conjuring up and manufacturing of what the Chief Justice granted. As a result, the Chief Justice requested all parties and their respective lawyers to make another appearance before him, where he clarified that which he granted,” stated Nandlall.
He added, “The Chief Justice explained as far as I have been informed very clearly, the terms of the injunction and that persons have been restrained from acting. Those very persons notwithstanding the clarification made by the Honourable Chief Justice, proceeded to be in flagrant disregard of the clarifications of the Chief Justice and the court order itself, proceeded to violate same and purported to act as members of the GCB and as the GCB, a result of which contempt motions have been filed.”
According to Nandlall, some officials of the GCB were served with the proceedings while some have blatantly – based on the information I have received, – eluding the opportunity to be served, hence the marshals are in the process of serving those documents as it relates to the individuals who are found in contempt.
Reflecting on an article that was published in the print media, wherein the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is presently reviewing the options to have regional and international cricket played in Guyana, Nandlall said both the Government and the Opposition are working together to bring a resolution to the GCB fiasco.
“We have put a Bill in Parliament and it has been sent to a select committee and actively considered. We have invited the personnel of the factions of both the GCB and the DCB, members of the IMC, WICB and the ICC to appear before the Select Committee, because we all hope that at the end of this process, we arrive at consensual positions.
Unfortunately, one gets the sense that the WICB is embarking upon a course that is designed to defeat or counteract what we are doing in Parliament and the Select Committee, for you would have seen over the past 48 hours, they have resorted to confirm as directors of the WICB personnel from the GCB that have been injuncted from acting as representatives of the GCB.
“That development is one we are looking at with deep concern and I am not sure what the Government’s position will be with regard to that matter, as we have not discussed it collectively, but certainly that runs contrary to what we are doing in the Parliament to bring a closure to this matter,” stated Nandlall.
Nandlall said the GCB elections, scheduled to be held tomorrow, is another act that is being done by the GCB to subvert and defeat what is being done in Parliament.
“I have seen the Berbice Cricket Board has indicated an unwillingness to participate, while the Essequibo has indicated a willingness to participate, then there is the issue of the DCB which has two factions that have been injuncted from participating, so I don’t know what type of elections that will be.
“In any event, the Bill which is before the Select Committee in Parliament will defeat the elections and render it nugatory, so there are a lot of implications which will arise, simply because there are one set of people who are not prepared to work with any other grouping to resolve this matter and they are pursuing a one-track course regardless of the consequences,” stated Nandlall.
The AG reiterated what Minister of Sport Dr Frank Anthony stated earlier to this publication, that the Government of Guyana has no intention to take over the administration of the game in Guyana, but rather to see the game being properly administered with proper accountability.
