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$4.5M missing, Eccles overseer disappears
– Auditor General, police investigating
Chairman of Eccles/Ramsburg NDC, S. Khan
The overseer of the Eccles/Ramsburg Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), East Bank Demerara, has reportedly been sent home after more than $4.5M disappeared last month.
However, there are allegations that the overseer, Rawle Kissoon, was not sent on leave but rather has not returned to work since last month and has since not been seen.
He reportedly still has, in his possession, keys to the office. Attempts by officials to contact him failed.
There were reports, also, that shortly before he left, there was an attempt to set fire to the office. Yesterday, the NDC’s Chairman, S. Khan, said that Rawle Kissoon is on leave and checks are being made to determine if any monies are missing. He said that the Ministry of Local Government is handling the matter and that the fire was of electrical origin.
The official declined to get into details but said the matter was to have been discussed at the NDC’s monthly statutory meeting, held yesterday.
Minister of Local Government, Ganga Persaud, was unavailable for comments and Junior Minister, Norman Whittaker, did not return calls made to his office on the matter.
According to sources close to the NDC, Kissoon was appointed the overseer late last year, after the previous one was reportedly fired. The $4.5M rates and taxes were collections made over several days, this newspaper was told.
There are questions now how the office was allowed to have kept that large sum as there is a limit of $25,000 in cash at any one time.
One well-placed official, who asked not to be named, said that Kissoon did not report for work for about two days. The last date he was seen was the morning of January 14.
Two days later, on Wednesday, January 16, the NDC needed money to pay a telephone bill. However, calls to the overseer’s number went to voice mail. His office was locked and he had the keys. The NDC took a decision to break into the office since they needed the money right away.
Officials found undeposited cheques and deposit slips written up but no evidence of the bank deposit stamps.
The office of the Auditor General was written to requesting an investigation and the police were also contacted about his disappearance.
Further, a government locksmith was requested to assist in opening the safe/vault in the NDC.
Kaieteur News understands that the Regional Democratic Council is charged with making mandatory checks to ensure that the monies are regularly deposited to the bank.
It is unclear whether there was a lapse in the checking.
Shortly before the statutory meeting in January—meetings held on the first Monday of every month— workers of the nearby M&M Snackette noticed smoke pouring from the building and raised an alarm.
Kissoon who had just reportedly left the office was one who helped to douse the flames.
It was this same NDC which a few years ago came under criticisms for attempting to sell a playfield in Republic Park.
The Local Government Ministry has been on a campaign to clean up NDCs and towns across the country as complaints continue to surface about corruption and neglect.
Several NDCs have been replaced by Interim Management Councils (IMCs). Local government elections have not been held since 1994.
(Leonard Gildarie)
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