– after Gifth, IMC ordered to cease control of credit union

l
CHIEF Co-operative Development Officer Perlina Gifth and the Interim Management Committee (IMC) have been ordered to cease control of the Guyana Public Service Co-operative Credit Union (GPSCCU).

On May 25, 2018, the chief co-op development officer had terminated the service of the GPSCCU management team, which at the time was headed by Patricia Went, over allegations of poor performance. Days later, Justice (Ret’d) Prem Persaud was appointed officer-in-charge of the credit union, and an Interim Management Committee (IMC) set up.
In response, the embattled management team moved to the High Court, filing several applications. Trevor Benn was among applicants and filed an application for an injunction to restrain and/or prohibit the chief co-op development officer and her agents from assuming control of the affairs of GPSCCU.

On Thursday, June 21, 2018, Justice Gino Persaud issued an interim order, staying the decision of the chief co-operative development officer or any person appointed by her from assuming control of the affairs of GPSCCU until July 3, 2018. July 6, 2018 has also been set for the hearing of the Fixed Date Application.

Shortly after Justice Persaud issued the order, Benn wrote managing-director of Scotia Bank, Georgetown, asking that the credit unions’ two accounts be restored. The chief co-op development officer had frozen the accounts after taking control of the credit union.
In the Fixed Date Application, embattled GPSCCU Chairman Patricia Went, asked the High Court to declare that the decision by Chief Co-operative Development Officer Perlina Gifth to assume control of the affairs of the Guyana Public Service Co-operative Credit Union 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. 88:01 and a denial of the principles of Natural Justice.
Went is also 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 chief co-operative development officer to manage the affairs of the credit union is unlawful.

Among other things, Went is also hoping to have the decision by the chief co-operative development officer to instruct Republic Bank Limited and Bank of Nova Scotia to freeze the bank account of the credit union revoked.

Went is of the belief that the decision to terminate the services, the old management committee 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 explained.