Carberry Commission finds... Public Service Minister acted unlawfully when she fired staffers

Carberry Commission finds… Public Service Minister acted unlawfully when she fired staffers – Persons to be reinstated

Aug 08, 2019 News

Public Service Minister, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, was found to have acted unlawfully when she fired three staffers in her Ministry – Andrew Grant, Gail Williams and Andre Dazzell.

Public Service Minister, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley

The Ministry of the Presidency’s Director-General, Joseph Harmon, said that the Board of Inquiry (BoI), headed by Lance Carberry, made this finding upon conclusion of its inquiry, which started in June 2019.
Harmon said that the BoI concluded its work and made several recommendations which were sent to the President.
“The President agreed with the recommendations and, therefore, these are the decisions that have been made by the Board of Inquiry.”
First of all, the BoI recommended that the letters of termination issued by the Minister be immediately withdrawn, Harmon said. Secondly, the Board recommended that the three public servants be immediately reinstated to the positions they held within the Department of the Public Service.
Harmon assured that they will continue to enjoy all the benefits and allowances they previously enjoyed prior to the termination of their services.
Harmon said the three persons will be called and briefed of the BoI’s findings and recommendations
Thirdly, the Board recommended that Minister Sarabo-Halley be advised of the need for due process, and that the rules of the public service be regarded with respect to employment, discipline and dismissal of public servants.
“The Permanent Secretary was appointed on the first of August, and the new PS is now following up on these actions so that the employees can expect a speedy action and implementation of these decisions of the commission of inquiry.”
The employees had been dismissed by the Minister shortly after she was appointed, after facing allegations of misconduct. Appropriately, disciplinary action should have been taken by the Permanent Secretary, not the Minister, Harmon told reporters yesterday.
However, the Ministry has been without a Permanent Secretary for some time.
On August 1, 2019, Karen Van Sluytman was appointed to the post. She will be handling the reinstatement of the three public servants.