Ramsaran: Reallocating funds common among Govt ministries

EXECUTIVE member of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board Manohar Ramsaran said the procedural audit conducted by the National Gas Company (NGC) early last year found no wrongdoing or misappropriation of funds. He also said reallocating funds to other areas within the framework agreed upon is a normal occurrence.

Ramsaran’s statement comes as the audit found that 24 per cent of its sponsorship was not spent in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding signed between both parties. NGC ended their sponsorship of the local cricket body in 2016 after three years.

Ramsaran, in a TTCB press release, said the pointing of fingers was another attempt by leading TTCB critics Daren Ganga and Dinanath Ramnarine to cast aspersions on the character and integrity of the top cricket administrators.

He said National League Club representative Kiswah Chaitoo — a chartered accountant — who called on the entire TTCB executive to resign, was culpable in aiding and abetting Ganga and Ramnarine in attempting to force out a democratically elected national executive.

“I can state categorically and emphatically that the TTCB has nothing to hide because no member benefited from the re-allocation of the sponsorship funds. Every cent went into cricket and not in anyone’s pocket,” said Ramsaran.

He said government officials will best understand the process in which funds allocated for a specific purpose, if unspent after all expenses have been covered, can be legally reallocated to other areas within the framework agreed on.

“This is a common occurrence in ministries and local government bodies which does not constitute corruption or misbehaviour in public office. But some people has seen an opportunity to make mileage out of a situation to fulfil their own objectives and this is unfortunate,” said Ramsaran.

The NGC audit, confirmed by its president Mark Loquan, specifically states however that the TTCB sought no approval to “legally reallocate to other areas” the under utilised funds.

The audit states, “This action by TTCB meant that the organisation was not in compliance with the requirement under Section (1) clause (iv) which states: TTCB shall not transfer disbursement allocated to any of the line items on the Funding Requirement and Disbursement Schedule to items not included in this schedule unless agreed to by the NGC.

All requests for transference must be made in writing. NGC reserves the right to refuse any such request for transference.” Ramsaran said when the audit was completed last year, the TTCB made a formal request to acquire a copy but was politely denied by the NGC who informed the board that it was an internal exercise conducted to assist their sponsorship system going forward.

The former Sports Minister added, “I will never be part of a dishonest organisation as my life is an open book having been involved in public domain for a long while. If I am aware that there is wrongdoing I will be the first to walk away.”

He said he had utmost confidence in Suruj Ragoonath, up to recently the CEO of the TTCB; Baldath Mahabir, head of the TTCB Marketing Committee; and board treasurer Sukesh Maniam who were directly responsible for the execution of the sponsorship programme with the NGC.

Ramsaran said he welcomed the opportunity for the TTCB to meet with Sports Minister Cudjoe as her ministry has continuously given the cricket board high marks for its accountability and transparency.