Local Gov’t Commission still deliberating on COI recommendations

Dec 16, 2018 News

The Local Government Commission (LGC) is still deliberating on the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into the Georgetown Mayor and City Council.
Chairman of the LGC, Mortimer Mingo, told Kaieteur News that the Commission is looking at 31 recommendations contained in the report.
“We are taking a serious look at these recommendations and categorizing accordingly,” he said noting that the in addition to administrative matters, the recommendations for criminal investigation is being given serious consideration.
Mingo noted that while the public will be anxiously awaiting LGC to act on the recommendations, the process will take some time.
“We will keep the public informed as we go along, “he added
During scrutiny of the 2019 budgetary allocations Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, told the National Assembly that Government will allow the Local Government Commission (LGC) to work unhindered on the recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry into City Hall.
“They are the ones who will be making the determination as to which of the recommendations in the CoI they will act on,” Bulkan told the National Assembly.
“I don’t propose that the Ministry will be a hindrance in that process,” Bulkan stated.
The CoI report was handed over on November 30, last, by lone Commissioner Justice Cecil Kennard (ret’d) to Chairman of the Local Government Commission (LGC), Mortimer Mingo. The CoI found grounds to terminate embattled Town Clerk, Royston King, and institute criminal proceedings against him. Among them is a call for criminal investigations to be pursued against several senior city officials.
The report obtained by Kaieteur News indicated that other senior officers be terminated for their poor management of the affairs of the city; and that where irregularities are found, criminal investigation and charges be laid against defaulting officers.
In light of the findings, the CoI recommends that there be further investigations in the form of a forensic audit to be conducted by the Audit Office of Guyana.
The report calls for officers to be disciplined even as that audit is being conducted.
The senior officers listed included, King, who was sent on leave to facilitate the CoI. King is cited for gross misconduct, abuse of office, recklessness, dishonesty, conspiracy, and misappropriation of funds.
Also listed in the report are Acting Town Clerk, Sharon Harry-Munroe who is cited for dereliction of duty and incompetence; Assistant Town Clerk, Sherry Jerrick, for dereliction of duty and incompetence; Internal Auditor, Omodele Umojo-Newton for incompetence and conspiracy; Chief Constable, Andrew Foo for dereliction of duty and incompetence; Human Resources Manager, Paulette Braithwaite for incompetence; City Engineer, Colvern Venture for incompetence and dereliction of duty; and Rashid Kelman for conspiracy.
Further, the report noted that City Treasurer, Ron Mc Calmon, should proceed on early retirement as he is unwell.

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