AFC prepared to make posture on parking meter, City Hall audit known tomorrow

Nov 20, 2016 News

Earlier this week, Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, announced that he expects the support of

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo

the Alliance for Change when his party, moves a motion in the National Assembly to have a forensic audit done into the Georgetown Mayor and City Council including the controversial parking meter contract.
However, Vice-Chairman of the AFC, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, said on Friday that his party will make its posture on the issue known if the motion is deemed admissible. He said that he does not believe the Speaker of the House, Dr. Barton Scotland, would allow the motion simply on the basis of the sub judice rule.
According to Nagamootoo he had received advice that there was a pending court matter questioning the charges outlined in the contract, whether they are excessive or not.
He said that provided the matter is deemed admissible then his party will assume a certain posture on the merit of the motion.
“If the opposition can argue that there is no pending matter in court, then of course, as I said, the AFC would devise its posture on that issue.”
On the matter of an audit into the M&CC, Nagamootoo said that as a former Minister of Local Government, he knows of defined procedures in law for the auditing of the accounts of the City Council.
“I am not aware that we could change those auditing procedures unless specific and clear allegations are made in regards to some malfeasance.”
On Wednesday, Jagdeo had said that he believes the motion which is to be tabled by his colleague, parliamentarian Irfaan Ali will get the support of the AFC since its member, Deputy Mayor of Georgetown, Sherod Duncan, has condemned the contract on several occasions.
At one point in time leader of the AFC Khemraj Ramjattan had said that Duncan speaks on behalf of the party on the controversial contract.
Duncan had expressed on numerous occasions his position on the contract saying it should be cancelled since several procedures had been flouted.
The Deputy Mayor, in an interview with this publication, said that he could not support the contract citing as his reasons the Attorney-General’s review which described it as onerous. He also noted that the Ministry of Finance’s review concluded that the contract should be withdrawn since it had not been tendered and procurement procedures were not followed.
On Wednesday Jagdeo said that he is anticipating the support of AFC parliamentarians, such as Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan and the Prime Minister.

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