By HERMAN ROOP DASS Sunday, September 7 2008

ALL CHARGES levelled against Mishri Lutchmedial, past chairman of the Central Zone of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) have been dismissed.

The Central Zone held their monthly meeting at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain, Couva, and resolved the suspension of Lutchmedial, Hadeed Ali (past treasurer) and Mozac Rahamut (vice chairman).

The trio was reinstated to continue serving the zone.

The charges levelled against the three former Central Zone Executive members were reportedly engineered by another official of the zone.

The charges involved misappropriation of funds and misconduct by Rahamut at a monthly meeting.

Officials of the TTCB who paid particular attention to what transpired at the meeting on Wednesday were CEO of the TT Cricket Board, Forbes Persad, and executive members Azim Bassarath and Leo Doodnath. “And they were all very pleased with the final decision taken by the Central Zone in bringing an end to this disastrous and distasteful situation,” said an official who attended the meeting.

The 2008 cricket season in Central Trinidad has been seriously affected by these recent controversies which, according to Lalman Kowlessar, a Humming Bird Medal Award recipient, “and took on the complexion of a personality problem.”

It was generally believed by some officials of the Central Zone that the executive member who sought to oust the trio, had felt threatened by the outgoing chairman, Lutchmedial who remained on the executive.

This affected the smooth running of the zone and had a negative impact on matches during the 2008 season.

Lutchmedial said that when he lost the chairmanship of the zone he handed over all financial documents to the incumbent chairman.

He said the issue should have been settled within the executive of the zone but this was never done and the matter escalated to such an exent that it reached the TTCB and was later referred to the police for investigation.

During the meeting on Wednesday, the Central Zone’s Executive Council took a decision to ignore the present chairman’s decision and to reinstate the three past officers and declare all the charges null and void.

Lutchmedial, Ali and Rahamut said they feel “vindicated” that the charges have been dropped.

They have expressed the desire to return to the zone and to continue serving cricketers in the central as well as partnering with the TTCB to lift the standard of the game locally.

“The healing process has now begun and we are delighted that this trivial matter has been finally resolved,” said Lutchmedial. He said he was prepared to work with the present officers until the end of their current term of office.