City Hall is not a normal entity to investigate

City Hall is not a normal entity to investigate – Burrowes

Jul 16, 2009 News

By Sharmain Cornette
The nature of the operations at City Hall, prior to the engagement of a Commission of Inquiry, had in fact left open the entity doors for what was described by Commissioner of Inquiry, Keith Burrowes, as “skulduggery.”
Burrowes made this disclosure on Monday when he hosted a press conference at the Woodbine Room of Cara Lodge, Quamina Street, Georgetown.
And even as the Commissioner prepares to wrap up the investigation this week, he pointed out to media operatives that the inquiry was in fact a major challenge.
According to Burrowes, it was discovered that the municipality is not a normal organisation to investigate.
“If we were investigating a normal organisation this report would have been completed in one week,” Burrowes related.
He explained that the Treasurer’s Department in which a multitude of the problems were uncovered, lacked the basic tools, such as a general ledger, required for the proper functioning of such a department.
According to Burrowes the department had no entries posted thus, there is nothing that can be examined to reveal the department’s track record.
He said that the auditors have given a disclaimer since the year 2004, meaning that they do not accept anything in the reports.
“If I was looking at one transaction that would take me about one day in a normal organisation it would take me one month in the scenario of the Georgetown municipality,” said Burrowes.
And although the council has had several consultancies over the years, the Commissioner related that there were problems with those report and the recommendations in some cases as they were not practical.
For this reason, he highlighted that the recommendations which will be included in the Commission’s report are those that he has ensured could be implemented first before they were considered. And such a meticulous process has taken extra time, the Commissioner admitted.
“I don’t believe anybody envisaged the kind of work that was involved in this exercise,” said Burrowes as he reflected on the inquiry process which according to him commenced in earnest in October.
He noted that much work was not done in the month of December but the report was initially completed and handed over to Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Kellawan Lall, around June 17 last. The inquiry, he said, continued after the detection of a fraud at the city entity.
“We did some digging and then we found what I have always expected to have existed. It was just that it was difficult to pinpoint but we confirmed that there was a fraud.”
He noted that he and the Minister decided to put a hold on the report to see what the outcome of the investigation, which was handed over to the Guyana Police Force, would reveal.
“My understanding is that they (police) have spoken to a few persons and they are moving the process. But I cannot wait until the process is finished so I have decided that wherever they are (this afternoon) I will wrap my report up.”
Burrowes did disclose that based on information he received from the police, charges are likely to be brought against some persons in terms of what they have detected.
“I do not want to pre-empt the police work because it is now a criminal investigations. It has moved from the commission to one that the police are dealing with and I have no intention of dealing with that,” said Burrowes.

Latest News

City Hall is not a normal entity to investigate – Burrowes

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| February, 14th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

GBA assembles elite squad for 2025 Caribbean Boxing Championship in...

PanAm Aquatics urges GASA reform, lift suspension...

Alimohamed, Motie stroke fifties as Harpy Eagles...

Mashramani Street Football Championships...

Fitness Express to reward overall winners

Amaya Milk Company backs One Guyana Mashramani...

Features/Columnists

The Opposition is engaged in self-sabotage

OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus

Wanted – ten Guyanese true and trustworthy

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

City Hall is not a normal entity to investigate – Burrowes

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| February, 14th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]