Peters

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

The lawyer representing suspended West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Chief Executive Officer, Dr Donald Peters, is requesting that he be returned to his job immediately.

Failure to carry out the request would then lead to legal action, according to a strongly worded, detailed letter from Anthony 'Tony' Astaphan QC, to WICB president Dr Julian Hunte on Wednesday.

The letter, a copy of which was obtained by CMC Sports, requested that correspondence sent to Dr Peters by Dr Hunte in which the CEO was asked to go on administrative leave from Monday over the controversial issue of money spent for renovations to premises in St Lucia occupied by Dr Hunte, be 'withdrawn forthwith'.

Deyal fired

Following an emergency internal investigation into the source of leaked information on the spending of the money, the WICB on Monday fired its Corporate Services Manager Tony Deyal, who was in the job for two years and sent Dr Peters on leave. Dr Peters was appointed last November 1.

Dr Hunte's letter to Dr Peters (by way of an e-mail) also stated that he was to have a hearing with the Finance, Audit & Human Resources committee of the WICB, which is based in Antigua.

But according to the letter from Astaphan, 'the genesis of this unfortunate incident lies at the feet of the Chief Financial Officer (Barry Thomas) who released a mis-statement which provoked the allegations by the media'.

Astaphan further stated that "no action has been initiated against him. On the contrary, he is being asked to sit in judgement of the CEO!"

"In the circumstances set out above, under no circumstances can the CEO comply with your letter. I am to inform you that your letter must be withdrawn forthwith and that Dr Donald Peters will resume his duties as CEO at 8.00 a.m. tomorrow morning (Thursday)," the letter said.

"Should this regrettable letter not be withdrawn as I have requested, Mr Peters will be left with no alternative but to pursue all remedies available to him against the various persons and authorities involved. However, I trust good sense will prevail in order to avoid any confrontation and further embarrassment to all and to West Indies cricket."