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Where are the investigations following the Kennard recommendations?
Dear Editor,
Almost one month ago, the Former Chancellor of the Judiciary, the Honourable Cecil Kennard completed and handed over a most detailed, cogent and lucid report containing more than 31 prudent recommendations after an exhaustive investigation into some of the venality that has been occurring at City Hall.
One would expect that dealing with these recommendations would be an unqualified priority of the Local Government Commission, the agency that sought the special competence of Mr. Kennard and who has the power to deal with all matters relating to the regulating and staffing of local government organs including employment and dismissal of staff.
Of course, everyone would expect substantive as well as procedural standards for the review of the report to be upheld in the interest of natural justice and fairness. But at the same time with the level of misconduct that has been unearthed by the COI, one could only imagine that in the interest of protecting evidence of misconduct, records that detail fraud, violations of bidding and tender procedures, of nepotism and cronyism, complicity, bribery, embezzlement, extortion, and malfeasance in office to name a few, that those officers that were fingered by the COI would have been immediately sent on administrative leave until a final determination is made on the fate of those officers.
Additionally, one wonders if an investigation will be made into the display of sudden new wealth and acquisition of many properties and business by some officers through unexplained income, whether the State Assets Recovery Agency will be called in to recover the many municipal assets and properties that have been doled out to friends and family. Indeed, there were properties that were not under the purview of the Georgetown Municipality that were illegally sold or leased out.
One wonders whether the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) will deal with the privileged and well-connected municipal officers who were abusing their positions and acquiring wealth through illicit means.
Citizens of Georgetown have experienced municipal officials, both elected and appointed — known to be on fixed income — moving from rags to riches in a very short period. Citizens have seen disregard by Council’s Officials for the functioning of the Integrity Commission and Revenue Authority, the National Insurance Scheme all of which are legal entities.
There is the prevalent instance is the use of state motor vehicles including those owned by the City Police driven by persons employed by the Council transporting children, and spouses of municipal officials.
Then you have the chauffeurs and bodyguards of the big shots there that have often been subjected to the indignity of having to wait for extensive hours whilst the assignee engages in non-official activities. This is a form of corruption, given that it is an abuse of municipal resources.
The Local Government Commission must ensure that the brunt of the law must bear down wherever misconduct occurs. Municipal officials who commit, or have committed, offences must be placed rapidly before the courts.
Sincerely,
Roseanne Rodgers
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