THE GUYANA Public Service Cooperative Credit Union (GPSCCU) Management Committee, which was forced out of office last month, has now moved to the High Court with the hope of having the Government-appointed Interim Management Committee (IMC) removed but in the interim, it is seeking an injunction.

President of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) Patrick Yarde, confirmed that the embattled Chairman of the GPSCCU Patricia Went, with the support of the members of the defunct committee, has initiated legal proceedings at the High Court with the intention of having the IMC and recently-appointed Officer in Charge, Justice (ret’d) Prem Persaud removed from office on the basis that it is illegal.

In an application filed on Thursday, Went in her capacity as a member and chairman of the GPSCCU, asked the High Court to declare that the decision by the Chief Co-operative Development Officer Perlina Gifth, to assume control of the affairs of the Guyana Public Service Co-operative Credit Union (GOSCCU) pursuant to Regulation 56 of the Cooperative Societies Act Cap. 88:01 is unlawful and of no legal effect.

Went, through her attorneys-at-law Roysdale Forde and Olayne Joseph, is arguing that the decision of the Chief Co-operative Development Officer is in breach of the Co-operative Societies Act Cap. 88:01and a denial of the principles of natural justice.

On May 25, 2018 the Social Protection Ministry informed Went and team, that their services were no longer needed, and that the Chief Co-operative Development Officer (CCDO) would take immediate control over the GPSCCU. Poor performance on the part of the old management team was cited as the reason.

By May 29, the ministry announced that Justice (ret’d) Persaud was appointed Officer-in-Charge of the Credit Union, in addition to disclosing that an Interim Management Committee (IMC) has been set up.

The announcement came one day after the embattled GPSCCU Management Committee led by Patricia Went registered its objection to the takeover by the Department of Cooperatives, Ministry of Social Protection.

Went is now asking the High Court to declare that the appointments of Justice Prem Persaud, Patsy Russel, Trevor Benn, Rajdai Jagarnauth, Gillian Pollard, Oneidge Walrond- Allicock, Patrick Mentore and George Vaughn by the CCDO to manage the affairs of the Credit Union is unlawful.

Among other things, Went is also hoping to have the decision by the CCDO to instruct the Republic Bank Limited and Bank of Nova Scotia to freeze the bank account of the Credit Union revoked.

At a recent press conference, Went contended that the decision was rooted in the demand by the Department of Co-operatives for “an undue payment of the Audit and Supervision Fund for the years 2002-2013 of an alleged balance of forty-nine million, six hundred and ninety one thousand, six hundred and eighty-two dollars (449,691,682.00).”
“The Credit Union contends that the Department of Cooperatives’ claim to outstanding payments towards the Audit and Supervision Fund could not be justified, given that the already audited Accounts of the Credit Union for the years 2002 to 2010 reflected no such balance, as was claimed,” Went had contended during a press conference at the Critchlow Labour College (CLC) in May.

In her application on Thursday, Went stated that members of the Committee of Management; Vera Naughton, Uhlan Leaner, Thomas Nestor, Patrick Yarde, Maurice Veecock, Dawn Gardener, Jermain Hermanstyne, Reginald Brotherson, Kenneth Watson, Grace Mc Kend, and Ivelaw Henry, authorised her to make the application.

However, at least one member of the now defunct management team has come forward saying that he had no part to play in the action taken by Went.
Jermain Hermanstyne, who recently opened up about the alleged corruption that occurred under the watch of Went, told the Guyana Chronicle on Thursday evening that he is in full support with the ministry’s decision.

“I am in no way associated with the actions of Patricia Went and a few others. As a matter of fact, I was never contacted by any of those persons who filed this action on my behalf. This is another attempt to tarnish my integrity by those who wish to utilise the membership finances as their private property,” Hermanstyne told Guyana Chronicle.

According to Hermanstyne, who sat on the old management committee for approximately nine years, the Credit Union suffered at the hands of Yarde, who was also member of that committee and had strong support from at least five other committee members including the chairman, Patricia Went. The matter would be heard in the High Court on July 9, 2018 before Justice Navindra Singh.