City Hall told police has no place in its affairs

Sep 14, 2014 News

---

The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is yet to get a favourable response from the police about

complaints made about money being “illegally” spent from the Municipality’s coffers. Mayor Hamilton Green has explained to this publication that the Council has not received an update on any of the investigations that the police are supposed to be conducting, but has instead been told that the Police Force has no place in the affairs of City Hall.
The Chief Citizen and other Councillors have, on separate occasions, lodged complaints with the police, which range from misuse of funds and suspected fraud to theft within the organisation. They have accused the current Town Clerk (acting) Carol Sooba of the alleged misuse of close to $2M.
Additionally , they have accused  Local Government Minister, Norman Whittaker and Sooba of fraudulently waivering close to $30M of the Council’s much needed money in taxes for a “prominent and well off businessman,” the Mayor had explained.
He noted also that investigations into the destruction of the Council’s property by Sooba’s personal body guard, Shawn Hinds have been swept under the rug. Green had told the media that the Council felt obligated to prevent Sooba from occupying the Town Clerk’s office and thus secured it by putting bars across the door and changing the locks. However, Sooba’s body guard broke into the premises to grant her access to the property.
Police ranks were called in and they asked Sooba to make her way to the police station in relation to that matter and another involving the assault of a female reporter. She refused to do so and instead, got on her cellular phone before handing it over to the investigating rank and ordered him to speak to his superiors. After speaking to the person on the phone, the officer told the Mayor that there is nothing more he could do and left.
While the Mayor explained that he is unsure who spoke to the police rank, he is convinced that the Government, particularly the Local Government Minister, is integrally involved in the “chaos” occurring at the Council. Green told this publication that it was the Minister who imposed Sooba on the Council; it was he who wrote the Bank to say that Sooba cannot be replaced as signatory to the Council’s accounts. It was Whittaker, he continued, who “illegally” waivered taxes; and the same Minister who in some cases, signed in the place of the Mayor when certain matters were not brought for Council’s deliberation.
Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green was vocal in expressing the Council’s discontent with Sooba’s  unilateral decision to purchase an executive chair and a suite for her office costing some $400,000 when the Mayor’s quarters of City Hall was being denied basic items like a functional tiolet, bathroom tissue, ink and cabinets among other  items. She also pointed to half a million dollars being spent for private legal services for Sooba, although the Council has its own battery of lawyers.
Green told Kaieteur News that despite those known instances where the Council has made police reports for the “unauthorized” spending of its money none of the cases have been completed or updated. In relation to the destruction of City Hall’s property, Police Commissioner (ag) Seelall Persaud has said to the Council via a missive that it cannot involve itself in that matter unless assistance is requested by the Council’s Constabulary; which is yet to be done.
The letter which was sent to the Mayor last week stated that “the long established protocol that is still practiced by the GPF and the City Constabulary is that whenever one organization requires the assistance of the other, a request is made. No request has been made by the City Constabulary for any assistance regarding neither the security of City Hall nor investigation of any damages to property.”
Kaieteur News has been told that the City Constabulary is not carrying out its functions according to the Municipal and District Council Act, Chapter 28:01.
It was noted also that the Constabulary and other Officers of the Council are intimidated into ignoring their functions and what is expected of them. The officers are often threatened with disciplinary action if they do not carry out orders given. As such, the M&CC’s executives are at a stalemate with its secretary.
Chief Constabulary Officer Andrew Foo has told this publication that he is investigating the barring of the Town Clerk’s office and the recent theft of some $25,000 from the Council’s treasury department.
Meanwhile, Sooba told the media that she has been made aware that political persons had a hand in the barring of her office. Following the Constabulary’s investigations she said the necessary action will be taken against the culprits.
In addition, Sooba promised an investigation into the waiver of almost $30M by Minister Whittaker. She told the media that should the Mayor and Councillors order a probe in the matter, it would be her duty to facilitate that.
The Deputy Mayor has noted however that City Hall’s security arm does not have the capacity to facilitate any such investigation, hence the move to the police.
Crime Chief, Leslie James has promised Kaieteur News an update on the investigations regarding Sooba and Minister Whittaker’s waiver of rates and taxes for the city businessman.

---

---