No request made for preliminary action from City Hall CoI

No request made for preliminary action from City Hall CoI – Gov’t

Oct 20, 2018 News

Information has emerged at the CoI that this disputed
riverfront land was leased to Quick Shipping Inc by City Hall

Government is not deaf to what is emerging from the ongoing Commission of Inquiry (CoI) being conducted by former Chancellor Justice Cecil Kennard, into the working of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC).
This was disclosed yesterday by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon during his post-Cabinet media briefing.
He stated that the Terms of Reference of some of the Commissions of Inquiry permit the Commissioners, if they find that it’s in the public interest, they can in fact make preliminary recommendations if they find that actions need to be taken even before the CoI has completed its work.
“We have no such recommendations as such, so we will have to await the findings of Justice Kennard in what his Commission determines in this matter,” Kennard stated.
The CoI into the affairs of the M&CC was ordered by the Local Government Commission to examine, advise and report on irregularities of the administration, its operations, and the management of its financial affairs.
So far, there have been some alarming cases that point to financial mismanagement, incompetence and procurement irregularities. The CoI has heard evidence that the council has not had financial audits into its affairs for the years 2016, 2017 and 2018.
There have been accusations that the Council has leased lands that are owned by other state agencies and have been collected rent in some instances. Most of the accusations have been against Town Clerk, Royston King, who was sent on administrative leave. The city’s treasury department has also been embroiled in the mismanagement of the city affairs, as contractors have come forward claiming that they are still owed millions by the city.
Hundreds of workers have complained that the council was deducting monies from their salaries but were not paying into the National Insurance Scheme.
“We are recognising the matters that are coming out of the CoI, but as you know the CoI is still a matter that is ongoing. While you may be expressing concerns about what is coming out. It is the recommendations which come out of that CoI that the Government will have to take action on.
Yes, we are concerned with some of what I see coming out of the reports of the CoI, but certainly we will have to await the completion of it,” Harmon noted.
The CoI is expected to conclude at the end of the month with scheduled testimonies from Royston King and Mayor Patricia Chase-Green.

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