By NOUMAN KHALIL (South Asian Focus)
Toronto and District Cricket Association may face severe consequences if found guilty in the alleged irregularities during its elections held in March this year. Focus has learnt that the probe committee has sped up the process after OCA appointed David R. Cooke – a veteran politician, former immigration judge and a retired lawyer – the new chairman of the body and gave him the task of releasing the findings at the annual general meeting on May 30.
“It all depends upon the situation. It can be just a warning or they (T&DCA) may go into fresh elections or face suspension and freezing of funds – it all depends,” a reliable source told Focus.
The OCA’s elections are scheduled to take place the same day.
Soon after the T&DCA elections Mar 28, Pandit Basdeo Maharaj, president of Parkdale Cricket Club, challenged the integrity of Canada’s biggest league and alleged the polls were unconstitutional and invalid due to large-scale irregularities. Maharaj reasoned that an incomplete notice of annual general meeting was issued without the last AGM minutes, balance sheet, operating statements and the proposed budget.
He further alleged ineligible and proxy voters were allowed to cast their ballots unconstitutionally.
In response to those serious allegations about one of its leagues, the apex body of cricket in Ontario appointed a three-member investigation committee to probe the allegations, but the chairman (Balwant Bajwa) resigned as T&DCA posed mistrust in him.
The OCA last week appointed former MPP David R. Cooke to look into the matter and report the findings on May 30.
Based on recommendations and findings of the investigation team, the OCA board can declare the elections null and void and suspend its membership until the league complies with the orders, which may deprive the league from voting rights in the elections the same day.
Other two members of the committee are Faheem Ataullahjan, a resident of Brampton and retired Pakistan Army officer, and Francis Currie, who has TTC management experience with background in dispute resolutions.