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City Hall undergoes forensic audit— further implementation of CoI recommendations in progress
City Hall is currently undergoing a forensic audit as part of the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into its operations.
During a recent statutory meeting of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, Town Clerk (Ag) Sharon Harry Munroe disclosed that the city administration has been cooperating with the Audit Office as that entity seeks to conduct a thorough audit of the books.
The disclosure comes days after Mayor Ubraj Narine and Deputy Mayor Alfred Mentore engaged in discussions with officials of the Local Government Commission towards the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) and improving conditions of work for staff at City Hall.
While the details of the meeting have not been revealed, Kaieteur News understands that the Mayor has met with senior officials of City Hall to discuss matters relating to their employment.
Mayor Narine had previously expressed his dissatisfaction with the work of some departments in the municipality. He has exploring avenues in an effort to bring about an overall improvement in that regard.
On November 30, last, the CoI report was handed over by lone Commissioner Justice Cecil Kennard (ret’d) to Chairman of the Local Government Commission (LGC), Mortimer Mingo. The report had called for several senior officers to be terminated for their poor management of the affairs of the city; and that’s where irregularities are found, criminal investigation and charges be laid against defaulting officers.
In light of the findings, the CoI recommended that there be further investigations in the form of a forensic audit to be conducted by the Audit Office.
The report called for officers to be disciplined even as that audit is being conducted.
Kennard had posited that it would only be fair that the CoI recommend a detailed forensic audit be done into all transactions between April 1, 2015, and October 31, 2018.
“I have found that there is prima facie evidence to support skullduggery. Moreover, where there is evidence of such activities, criminal and or civil proceedings should commence forthwith,” Kennard outlined.
The report also recommended that the State Asset Recovery Agency and the Police should lead a joint probe to ascertain the relevant criminal charge(s) to be laid.
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