Court orders Attorney General and Minister of Sport to return DEB Essential property

The High Court, in a session presided over by Judges Madam Dawn Gregory-Barnes and James Bovell-Drakes on April 10, has ordered Attorney General Anil Nandlall and Minister of Sport Dr. Frank Anthony, to return all property belonging to DEB Essentials Inc., the company formed by members of the previous Guyana Cricket Board as part of their commercial arm.
Anand Sanasie and Fizul Bacchus were the plaintiffs identified by the court documents as filing the motion to have the High Court force the government officials to return their property.
The Order stated, “…IT  IS  HEREBY  ORDERED AND DIRECTED  that  the First and Second Named Respondents (Attorney General and Minister of Sport) do  return and or deliver to D.E.B. ESSENTIAL  ORGANISATION  INC., at  its  registered  office  at  Lots  221-222 Regent  Road, Bourda, Georgetown, Demerara, Guyana, within  48  (Forty-Eight)  hours  of  the  service of this  Order  on  the  said First  and  Second  Named  Respondents:
(a)    All Books, records, computers, computer hard drives, flash drives,  and  any  other  media whatsoever, computer records,  cheque  books,  deposit  books,  accounting records,  minutes  of  meetings, correspondence received, and  copies  of  correspondence  dispatched,  used  by  or  to  or  for  the  credit  or  use  of  the  purported  Guyana  Cricket Board; and
(b)    Any documents or records relating to any of the items as aforesaid  or  to  any goods, chattels, cash, funds held in bank accounts, movable and immovable property whatsoever;…”
The parties are due to return to court on April 16 to deal with additional matters in this ongoing court battle between the officials of the former Guyana Cricket Board and the government.
Several members of the GCB, including President Ramsay Ali, resigned after recent action by government saw police searches of several members homes and offices being conducted, which served as the ‘last straw’ that resulted in the officials quitting in the bitter battle.
Several court matters over the past few months were highlighted by the locking of the GCB offices and subsequent cutting of the locks by the respective parties along with the formation of an IMC headed by Clive Lloyd, former legendary West Indies Captain, to run the game locally. Intervention by the WICB and several meetings between them and government along with CARICOM’s involvement as mediator also formed part of the saga.
The government had moved and seized documents and equipment in its effort to scrutinise the financial records of the GCB after accusations of financial misconduct were levelled. This order is the latest segment of the saga of claims and counter claims.
Despite all a Guyana team was still permitted and funded by the WICB to participate in the Regional 4-Day competition in the interest of the game and players.