PANJIM: Former Goa Cricket Association (GCA) Treasurer Vilas Desai, who is backed by Sanguem MLA Subash Phaldesai, on Wednesday demanded a thorough inquiry into the misappropriation of funds by the GCA managing committee.
Addressing the media, GCA life members and former players, Desai said the government should suspend the GCA committee and appoint an administrator. “An IAS officer needs to be appointed as an administrator and inquire into the scam,” he said. Desai said the fake account scam is just the tip of the iceberg there being many more.
Vilas Desai, who was the treasurer when Vinod Phadke and Chetan Desai served as president and secretary, respectively, said the duo never took financial approval for any purchases etc. “We need to also look into the purchases of floodlights, which are shown as Rs 4.5 cr besides the LED scoreboard and the giant screens, which are other major scams,” he said.
Desai said these people need to be sent home. “The police need to immediately arrest those involved and bring the culprits to book,” he said.
The Vilas Desai group has also garnered support from the former cricketers association, led by former Ranji cricketer Namdev Phadte.
Phadte said, “We have nothing to do with any scam, we want cricket to be free of corruption and the game to progress in the State,” he said.
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Goa Police has filed an FIR against GCA President Dessai and two other office bearers in connection with a fraud of Rs 3.13 crore in two separate cases.
The FIR was filed after Vilas Desai complained against the GCA president, secretary Phadke and treasurer Akbar Mulla for forging the signatures and opening bank accounts to siphon of money.
The police complaint mentions that the accounts were opened by all three accused between October 23, 2006 and May 23, 2008 when they were not holding official positions. GCA was then headed by Dayanand Narvekar, while Dessai was its secretary and Phadke was its treasurer.
The police complaint mentions that Chetan Dessai, Phadke and Mulla hatched a criminal conspiracy by impersonating and posing as President, Secretary and Treasurer of GCA.
“They prepared forged and fake documents as well as resolution of GCA and submitted it to Development Credit Bank to open an account. The alleged accused then encashed the cheque of Rs 2.87 crore given by Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) to GCA,” the complaint said.
