Letter to the Sports Editor… Raj Singh must apologise for insulting the parliamentarians
Sep 26, 2017 , https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...he-parliamentarians/
Dear Sports Editor,
I read Raj Singh’s letter to the Editor carried in the July 31st 2017 edition of the Kaiteur News and found the contents to be terribly skewed in favour of his illegal group calling itself the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB). Since no one has responded to his diatribe and I was out of the country for six weeks I now wish to respond. The genesis of the problem began around 2000 when Gopaul Singh, Raj Singh and Anand Sanasie spearheaded a move to take over Guyana Cricket.
Haroon Tiwari was replaced by Anand Sanasie as the President of West Demerara Cricket Association and the late Neville Sarjoo replaced by Gopaul Singh then Raj Singh as President of the East Bank Cricket Association.
Chetram Singh was also replaced as President of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) by Paul Chan-a-Sue as the movement gained momentum.
The germination of the movement was realized in 2009 when for some reason that only he could explain, Chetram Singh orchestrated the replacement of Bish Panday Secretary of the GCB with Anand Sanasie.
Thereafter, the GCB became embroiled in turbulence and abject divisiveness. Charges of visa frauds, financial misappropriation, corruption, lack of accountability, multiple constitutions, illegal elections, physical attack (burning with acid), fraudulent conversion of GCB assets (the hostels in Essequibo and L.B.I) evolved and the list continues. The illegal 2011 elections of the DCB and the GCB heralded in new dimensions of injunctions, violation of court orders, letters in various newspapers and a general public outcry that culminated in the legalisation of our cricket by way of the Guyana Cricket Administration Act 2014 as recommended by the Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang.
Raj Singh’s whining therefore is nonsensical, misleading and totally self-serving with the obvious motive being to stay in power for as long as possible. Since he admitted that all stakeholders were involved in the process with the Parliamentary Select Committee (which met over 20 times) his complaints that their recommendations were not included in the Act reflect the inadequacy of his group’s contributions, particularly since his group comprised friends and relatives who had absolutely no cricketing administrative competence.
Also, their illegality and multiple constitutions rendered it necessary for the Select Committee to revamp the system in the interest of all especially Upper Demerara Cricket Association (Linden). The Raj Singh / Anand Sanasie group was adamant that Upper Demerara should be left out of our legal cricket structure.
The facts are that Clive Lloyd’s Interim Management Committee held consultations throughout the country with all willing stakeholders, collated the information and passed it on to the Government.
The information (the Cricket Bill) was prepared and presented by Attorney at Law Stephen Fraser to Parliament before it was forwarded to the Select Committee for action. The Select Committee comprised of:
1. Minister of State – Joseph Harmon (Attorney-at-Law)
2. Attorney General – Basil Williams (Attorney-at-Law)
3. Minister of Public Security – Khemraj Ramjattan (Attorney-at-Law)
4. Minister of Education – Dr. Rupert Roopnarine
5. Former MP and Current Director of Sport – Christopher Jones
6. Former Minister of Sport – Dr. Frank Anthony
7. Former Attorney General – Anil Nandlall (Attorney-at-Law)
8. Member of Parliament – Odinga Lumumba
9. Former Director of Sport – Neil Kumar
Four Lawyers, two Doctors, two Directors of Sport and a professional sports official all of whom have considerable parliamentary / political experience participated in the process of revising the Cricket Bill which was passed unopposed into Law as The Cricket Administration Act 2014.
Given these facts, Raj Singh must apologize to these eminent gentlemen for saying “they produced a flawed Cricket Act which some of them did not even read”, an insult to the entire parliamentary process particularly since all of the gentlemen are still intimately involved in the governance of our country.
As a matter of fact, Raj Singh should explain by what yardstick he qualifies himself to judge these gentlemen. With regard to his suggestion for an investigative journalist to become involved, I totally agree, but wish to add that the Police should also get involved so that we can investigate:
1. What is happening in terms of cricket administration/development in all cricket areas including West Demerara, East Bank, Demerara, Essequibo and the illegal GCB/DCB. How funds from the WICB (US$640,000 per annum) are utilized?
2. Raj Singh and Lalta Digamber presenting documents to Parliament signing as President and Secretary of the Demerara Cricket Board respectively when they along with others were injuncted from so doing.
3. Raj Singh’s participation in the illegal transfer of approximately $2.5 billion dollars of GCB assets to a privately-owned company with Raj Singh holding 50,000 shares for Demerara as the President of the DCB, Fizul Bacchus 50,000 shares for Essequibo and alarmingly the Berbice shares not being accounted for.
4. Raj Singh must explain to the public how and by what methodology he became the president of the Demerara Cricket Board when there are several court orders barring him from holding himself out to be an officer of the DCB.
5. Raj Singh must explain to the public what happened to the investigation regarding a report to the police from the national assembly for allegedly presenting a fraudulent document to Parliament.
6. Raj Singh must provide evidence of his permanent residence since he lives in Florida and is supposed to be operating as the Marketing Manager of the GCB and a Guyana Representative to the West Indies Cricket Board.
So let’s investigate totally for there are many other inaccuracies in his letter which need to be addressed. But in the meanwhile we ask the Honourable Minister of Sport, the AG and indeed the Government to proceed with the elections of the GCB, for Raj Singh’s claims are all designed to further delay the process whilst the illegal GCB continues to ravage our cricket. The very Cricket Administration Act caters for amending any irregularities or flaws that are observed, and these can be addressed when the new legitimate Cricket Board is formed. Only someone who has no interest in order, legality and due process would want to continue the lawlessness that presently pervades our cricket administration. Raj Singh must inform the public why he and his illegal GCB cohorts are so afraid of free and transparent elections.
Raj Singh is deliberately attempting to mislead the public when he said that two (2) ministers of the then government (PPP/C) met with the West Indies Cricket Board and agreed to amend the Cricket Act. I was present at both meetings and there was no such agreement and Raj Singh must provide the evidence that there was an agreement because both meetings were audio recorded.
What Raj Singh conspicuously omitted was that APNU deputy leader Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine was also present at the meetings.
Raj Singh’s ramblings are evidently intended to distract and divert the attention of the Government, the Judiciary and the people of Guyana while portraying an image that the so-called executives of the GCB are “victims” of a flawed law. This scheme is being used all the time and for some reason or the other it is being allowed to prevail. All Guyanese reject it and demand democracy in our national game.
IT IS TIME. Claude Raphael
Former GCB Executive
Former WICB Director