ALMOST four months after Cricket NSW appointed an auditor to investigate Newcastle City and Suburban Cricket Association's financials, the books have finally been handed over.
It's understood it's been lawyers at 50 paces with the two cricketing bodies' legal teams determining how to proceed and Cricket NSW threatening sanctions if NCSCA did not comply with the financial audit.
Insiders labelled the delay by the 100-year-old Newcastle social cricket competition handing over its financial records as "puzzling", saying they had no idea why it took so long.
The former top cop was appointed last year by Cricket NSW following a bitter internal feud that split the NCSCA board amid allegations of bullying, financial mismanagement and lack of transparency.
A Cricket NSW spokesman said this week that the investigation, that began in November, was progressing.
"Cricket NSW has only recently received full financial disclosure from the Newcastle City and Suburban Cricket Association," he said.
"We are of the understanding that Peter Parsons is also about to officially conclude his investigation, at which point Cricket NSW will seek further legal advice as to how we proceed."
Acting on a recommendation made by Mr Parsons earlier this year, Cricket NSW appointed Bottrell Accounting Group to undertake a financial audit and investigation.
NCSCA president Phil Northey said the volunteer organisation's lawyer was dealing with the matter.
"No-one has spoken to us, that's all I know," he said.
"We have no idea what's happening. We just want to put it all behind us and get on with our competition. Nobody has been spoken to at all and we find that baffling."
During the dispute, former NCSCA board members Dan Saunders, Andrew Kelly, Roy Capitao and Grant Hutchings were sacked and given lengthy playing bans.
The decisions were overturned on appeal by Newcastle Cricket Zone, but NCSCA refused to acknowledge the rulings.
The Newcastle Herald reported in 2019 that questions had been raised about NCSCA expenditure because there were minimal receipts and records kept for more than a decade and an audit had not been carried out since 2004.
Under the organisation's constitution, a financial audit should be done annually.
Mr Northey has repeatedly said the NCSCA has nothing to hide and there are no problems with the competition's financials.
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