PERMANENT Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Alfred King made it clear that the removal of data and equipment belonging to the Government of Guyana without permission is a criminal act.
King made the revelation while speaking exclusively to Chronicle Sport yesterday, addressing the newspaper’s findings of ‘crucial documents’ and millions in sport equipment missing from the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall bond and the headquarters of the National Sports Commission (NSC), all under the care of Sports Director Neil Kumar.
In both the Sunday and Tuesday editions, Chronicle Sport outlined how equipment, all belonging to the Government of Guyana, paid for by taxpayers, were missing from the bond, taken by Kumar as confirmed by the facility’s manager.
Documents detailing the spending of millions of dollars, belonging to the NSC are also missing, ironically under Kumar’s watch who was responsible for the safe keeping of the files.
Following the disclosure in the media, King said that the Ministry has tightened security at all the properties under their control, passing strict orders for only authorised personnel to have access.
“We’ve upped our security, because we are totally responsible for all state records and all must be intact to be properly handed over. It’s a criminal offence to remove them, or anything that belongs to the state as a matter of fact,” King said.
Kumar had told high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Sport, including former Minister Frank Anthony, that his office was broken into where the ‘important documents’ were kept.
Checks to police stations in and around the capital showed that no report of theft at the Homestretch Avenue NSC Office was ever made.
But yesterday, King said, “If he claimed that these files were missing or stolen, and as you (Chronicle Sport) pointed out that no Police report was made, then when that time comes when the transition of governance reaches the NSC, he will have to say what exactly happened.”
On December 3, 1993, the National Sports Commission Act was passed in Parliament and the current Board members include Conrad Plummer in the chairman’s seat and the ex-officio member is the Director of Sport Neil Kumar.
The other members of the Board are: Vidushi Persaud, Peter Green, Alicia Fortune, Sean Richmond, Peter Abdool, Frank DeAbreu, Deputy Permanent Secretary Steve Ninvalle, Hector Edwards, Pradeep Balram and Cheryl Thompson and will serve until 2016.
King noted, that while Kumar served the former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government for a number of years as a Member of Parliament, his position as Director of Sport at the NSC is a contractual one.
“He’s still the Director of Sport until his contract comes to an end. Apart from the Minister, every other appointment is on contract, so while, yes, the appointment could be political it’s supposed to be a contractual one. He’s supposed to be answerable to the Sports Commission, not really on a day-to-day basis, but he’s supposed to report to them,” said King

A LITTLE TENSION
Meanwhile, King is asking the various sports associations and federations who frequent the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and other venues belonging to the NSC and the Ministry of Sport, to be patient during the transition period.
The Sport Ministry PS said that with several teams preparing for international engagements, he doesn’t want the perception that they are being disallowed but rather, the NSC is protecting its property.
“We’ve added additional locks and put a strict policy now about who we let into the venues, especially the Sports Hall, as you would’ve pointed out where stuff were removed,” said King.
Yesterday, at the National Gymnasium, the basketball players who frequent the venue for a regular ‘sweat’ were told by the security that the venue is off limits until further notice.
“I don’t want the players to believe that this is a lockout, but we have to put stronger systems in place to protect the Government’s property, until this transition period is over at least.
“The National teams will get a chance to train and so on but I don’t think the regular goers will get to utilise the facilities. I just want them to see with us at this time,” King explained.

By Rawle Toney