LGC divided on City Hall COI report recommendations

Jan 07, 2019 News

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– To meet with M&CC officers on Wednesday

The Local Government Commission,( LGC) appears to be divided regarding their response to the recommendations that a Commission of Inquiry has made about the operations of City Hall.
A source close to the LGC revealed that individuals on the eight-member commission have expressed divided views on the recommendations, and this has led to a delay in implementing the COI’s recommendations.
The meetings have apparently become so contentious that at least one member, (Carol Sooba) was asked by Head of the Commission, Mortimer Mingo to recuse herself from a recent meeting.
Tensions have mounted among the senior officials of the LGC as they deliberated on whether criminal charges should be filed against employees of City Hall.

Kaieteur News understands that the discussions were so heated that at one point some of the officers were put out of the meeting. It was subsequent to this that members of the Commission were asked to vote to remove Sooba from the hearings.
The ousted Commissioner told this newspaper that she had willingly recused herself from any considerations that dealt with recommendations for her to be paid her benefits. However, she stressed that as a constitutional office-holder, the LGC has no authority to vote her out of the meetings dealing with other matters of the Council.
“It was on the insistence of the Chairman, Mortimer Mingo and Vice-Chairman, Andrew Garnett and two others that I was instructed to remove some of the recommendations from the report as well,”Sooba said.
“I’m a constitutional office-holder. I am a Commissioner. If I recuse myself from my matter, there is no issue on any other matter that I should recuse myself.
“But I believe that they have an ulterior motive. They are trying to circumvent the recommendations and want me out of the way because as a former officer of the city council I have institutional knowledge, and if I am there I can interfere with the plans. ”
Sooba believes that LGC is operating with a double standard since another commissioner reportedly has a personal interest in the issues being deliberated. However, she said that Commissioner was not asked to leave.
“That officer is Andrew Garnett, former head of the Guyana Local Government Officers Union, (GLGOU). He has a sister Wendy Decuhna who currently serves as the President of the same Union which represents City Hall workers. She testified before the COI. Why is he not asked to recuse himself?”
At present, Sooba is considering her legal options but is adamant that as a constitutionally elected Commissioner, she should be able to perform her duties without hindrance.
“I will fight for my rights as Commissioner. They have no authority to put me out of a meeting. I must be able to function and I will be attending the meetings,” she stated.
Since November there has been no development on the recommendation from the public hearings. However, Kaieteur News understands that the LGC will be meeting with members of the Council on Wednesday.
After that, it will be decided what action will be taken against the officers of the council.
The CoI report prepared by lone Commissioner Justice Cecil Kennard (ret’d) to Chairman recommended that termination of 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 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, Royston 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 Calmont, should proceed on early retirement as he is unwell.

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