Tomorrow the Guyana Public Service Co-operative Credit Union Committee of Management (CoM) should have been holding a Special General Meeting (SGM) but the day for holding this is now uncertain. On September 30, Justice Navendra Singh hearing a case brought by Mehalai McAlmont, Keith Marks, and Natasha Durant-Clement ruled a SGM be held no later than October 24, 2022
Among the Judge’s rulings was that Notice of the said meeting be published in the national newspapers no later than ten days after the ruling, which would have been no later than October 9. That notice was published October 10, one day later, but not according to the specification as instructed by the court. The court had instructed a notice similar to the one published last June for the meeting and agreed to by the COM but this was not published.
Mr. Trevor Benn, former the chairman of the COM who was arbitrarily removed by the acting Chief Cooperative Development Officer Debbie Persaud, is part of a team that filed the court matter Justice Singh ruled on. He is running for Chairman at the election to be held at the next SGM.
Yesterday the team, who filed the court matter to have the election, issued a statement advising the SGM will not go ahead as planned for Monday, to elect a new CoM given the need to clarify, unambiguously, Justice Singh’s ruling.
Read full text of statement below:-
On September 30, 2022, High Court Judge, Justice Navindra Singh, gave several orders including, an order for the holding of a Special General Meeting by the Committee of Management of the Guyana Public Service Co-operative Credit Union by October 24, 2022.
In his ruling, the learned Judge made clear that the Committee of Management, led by Karen Vanslyutman-Corbin, cannot be allowed to subvert the Co-operative Societies Act, and the demands of the membership.
Given the Judge’s clear ruling—we the applicants, Mehalai McAlmont, Keith Marks and Natasha Durant, were made aware that the Committee of Management in a bid to cling to power, approached the Courts asking for a variation of the Judge’s ruling. We have strongly opposed their Variation Application, in light of their flagrant breaches of the Court’s orders and scant regards for the Credit Union’s Membership.
We are also cognisant that the decision of the Court stands, and all orders issued must be followed until otherwise determined. In fact, we understand that the Judge has not granted a variation and we were also made aware that the Court plans to hear the variation application on Monday 07th November 2022.
We were further made to understand that it was established by the Judge that the Court has jurisdiction to hear the variation application. Additionally, it was established that in light of the pending application—unless there is strict compliance in the conduct of the meeting and the Court’s orders, sanctions can be brought against those who are deliberately flouting the Court’s orders.
This position by the Judge was communicated to our Attorney, Senior Counsel, Roysdale Forde and Attorneys representing the Credit Union, Paula Jones-Nicholson and Adrian Smith in a correspondence dated Saturday October 22, 2022. It is, therefore, disingenuous at least and unbelievable at best, that although the Committee of Management is aware of this position, they are continuing their party of unconstitutionality as if it is business as usual causing panic among the membership. Their desperation is now evident.
In these circumstances, where there have been clear breaches of the initial order by the Committee of Management and in light of the Court’s indication to hear the matter, it is our view that no Special General Meeting and Elections can be held on October 24th, 2022 until this matter is properly ventilated that the Committee of Management follow ALL ORDERS issued by the Judge.
