The match fixing saga involving Ramnaresh Sarwan has revealed the player's association in a series of corrupt practices and political cronyism in Guyana. Over the past two days the Cricket Crusader has received hundreds of unsolicited emails detailing Sarwan's involvement and association with corrupt individuals and practices. Only allegations which have been independently confirmed will be published.
In the first instance, the embattled Mr. Bissoondyal who leads the Bissoondyal faction of the Demerara Cricket Board was the proprietor of the Texaco Gas Station at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara but has been forced to relinquish the franchise because he had embezzled in excess of $10M of fuel and petroleum products which were supplied to him at the station. He later used his political influence to have the matter kept quiet and is alleged to have bribed a key witness to disappear and not provide information against him. Last night it was revealed that Sarwan is now closely aligned to Bissoondyal and supports the latter's campaign to be President of the Guyana Cricket Board. In emails seen by the Cricket Crusader between Sarwan and Dinanath Ramnarine, the President of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA); it is clear the Ramnarine encouraged Sarwan to speak to Ministers of Government and other key officials to assist the Bissoondyal campaign so that WIPA would have control of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB). It is well known in cricketing circles in Guyana that WIPA is supporting Bissoondyal after extracting a promise from Bissoondyal to have the legal proceedings instituted by the current GCB discontinued. WIPA sees control of the Guyana Cricket Board as crucial to its plans to influence cricket and improve its finances.
Sarwan's close association with Bissoondyal is recent, as little as a year ago Sarwan's father had instructed solicitors to take legal proceedings against Bissoondyal and his brother who owed the elder Sarwan in excess of $10M and was refusing to pay. Bissoondyal and his brother are indebted to various friends and moneylenders for millions of dollars and is seeking control of the GCB so as to use his position to to improve his financial position and that of his brother. However, Sarwan now supports Bissoondyal because of the instructions he is acting upon from WIPA.
Sarwan's well known close friendship with junior Minister Irfa Ali has been revealed to be one of political corruption. Sarwan has benefited from the relationship by being awarded several acres of land in the upscale Providence area to allegedly construct a mall. It has been discovered that Sarwan is but a front for the construction of the mall complex with Minister Ali and Minister of Labour Mansoor Nadir being substantial shareholders in project. However, it appears that the owner of the Windies Bar in Scarborough, Toronto; who has been named with Sarwan in the match-fixing allegations is the principal source of finance for the mall project.
Additionally, junior Minister Ali and Sarwan have prevailed upon Minister Nadir to have the Investigator (Mr. Foster) appointed to audit the Guyana Cricket Board corporate and financial documents re-write his report to fabricate the existence of irregularities. The report which has been completed for weeks reveals no irregularities with the financial or corporate documents of the GCB. However, Minister Nadir wants to have irregularities inserted so as to discredit the Chetram Singh Administration and enhance the Bissoondyal campaign. This is despite the existence of an injunction against the Bissoondyal led Demerara Cricket Board from acting in any manner as administrators of Demerara Cricket. The GCB General Elections which were due in January is still to be held because of the direct interference of Mansoor Nadir in withholding permission for the elections to be held. The GCB as a registered Friendly Society requires permission from the Minister to be held; a process which is usually a matter of formality.
Sarwan's match fixing allegations although being widely circulated in cricketing circles has not been denied by the player. Any denial would mean that he would have to hope that Team Manager Richie Richardson "develops amnesia" about the meeting he was required to attend with Sarwan at the invitation of the Anti-Corruption Unit of the International Cricket Council (ICC). However, WIPA appears set to blindly deny the match-fixing allegations against Sarwan because of his influence in Guyana and the key role he is playing in WIPA's activities in Guyana.
more will follow on emails received.
