The decision by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) to issue a notice for the holding of an Annual General Meeting (AGM) is a mockery of Guyana’s judicial system, according to attorney-at-law, Arudranauth Gossai.
A notice in the Christmas Day edition of Kaieteur News stated that the Annual General Meeting of the GCB will be held at the La Bonne Intention (LBI) Community Center Ground, East Coast Demerara from 10.00 hours.
The notice further added that there will be administrative and audited financial reports from members of the board as well as the executive committee report and the appointment of auditors.
Most notably on the agenda is the elections of new office bearers. However, Gossai, who has been battling in the courts over the years to resolve the cricket impasse, yesterday told Stabroek Sport that the GCB should not be seeking to hold any AGM since it goes against a number of ongoing court matters.
“There has to be a stop to this nonsense, it’s a complete travesty what’s going on and the court has to put a stop to this,” said Gossai, who is also the legal advisor of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB).
“It’s an extremely startling publication of the notice of an intended election by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB),” said Gossai.
He explained that there is an ongoing court case where the GCB, through its lawyers, challenged the constitutionality of the Cricket Administration Act which was held to be constitutional by Justice Navindra Singh.
The GCB appealed the ruling of Justice Singh and was successful in getting Justice Dawn Gregory-Barnes to stay certain sections of the Act.
Gossai, in response, filed a motion on behalf of his clients to the Court of Appeal to quash the order by Justice Gregory-Barnes.
Arguments in that matter were completed on December 16 and the Court indicated that it is going into recess until January 13, 2020.
Gossai said he finds it strange that while all that was unfolding, an AGM and elections are being called under the very Act that the GCB is challenging.
“Assuming that they are going to say that the elections is not under the cricket act then it means that they are using the court in their frolic….. they are asking the court to suspend the cricket act while they go about administering cricket in Guyana,” the lawyer argued.
Gossai has since advised his clients- the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) – not to comply with the notice. Additionally, there is also an advertisement for Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) elections on January 25.
A notice was published in the Guyana Chronicle on the same day indicating the Annual General Meeting with elections of the Demerara Cricket Board to be held on January 25, one day before the GCB elections.
According to the notice, that county board’s election will take place at the Wales Community Centre from 11.00 hours. The notice indicated a confirmation of representatives and the appointment of Returning Officer before election of office bearers.
However the status of the DCB is unclear since it has not held elections in years.
Additionally, there is also an ongoing court matter.
