CWI not hiding audits – Skerritt

ST JOHN'S, Antigua (CMC):

Cricket West Indies (CWI) president Ricky Skerritt says that there was never any intention on the part of the regional governing body to "hide" the contents of a recent audit report that uncovered "illustrations of questionable executive standards and practices".

Skerritt said on Sunday that the audit commissioned by his administration and carried out by accounting and management consulting firm Pannell Kerr Foster (PKF) was for internal consideration only and thought had not been given to releasing it publicly.

He was speaking in the context of a leak of the report, which saw international broadcaster and former Windies fast bowler Michael Holding revealing sections of the document on a YouTube cricket show called "Mikey - Holding Nothing Back" hosted by Asif Khan.

Telling the host that he had obtained a copy of the audit report, Holding said that CWI had been in receipt of the audit for some time but had chosen not to release it "for what reason I don't know".

Serious consideration

Skerritt, who came to office last year March after unseating three-term incumbent Jamaican Dave Cameron, said serious consideration would now have to be given to releasing the report, especially since it had been made public.

"Since the adoption of the PKF report six months ago, numerous references to the existence of the report have been made in media statements and interviews by the CWI chief executive officer (Johnny Grave), vice-president (Dy Kishore Shallow), and myself," Skerritt said.

"I can confidently assure you that at no time was there any decision taken by the board or anyone associated with CWI to 'hide', 'conceal', 'withhold' or 'hold back' the PKF report.

"However, in light of an apparent recent access to some of its contents by the media, the CWI Board will now have to contemplate whether it may be appropriate at this time for the report to be shared publicly."

In assuming office in April last year, Skerritt said that the commission of the audit was one of three immediate actions taken in keeping with his campaign promise to reform the governance structure and enhance financial transparency.

As such, PKF was "was engaged for a six-month period to conduct a business situation assessment and review of the organisation's financial-management systems and to provide recommendations for addressing any shortcomings".