Latest update November 8th, 2024 1:00 AM
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All records were intact before my removal from City Hall – Former Town Clerk Carol Sooba
Former Town Clerk Carol Sooba is giving her side of the story pertaining to pertinent records City Hall officials say cannot be found.
Former Town Clerk Carol Sooba
She told Kaieteur News that when she left the Council in 2015, all the documents that she had knowledge of were left in the custody of City Hall officials.
“All the important records such as leases, agreements and such that are kept in the Council are supposed to be recorded and kept in the Council’s registry.”
Sooba also said that contrary to claims of officials of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, (M&CC) the public should be reminded that she did not voluntarily leave the post, but was removed from office.
“When I left office in 2015 there could have been no handing over of records. I was escorted out of City Hall’s compound and I left everything behind. All I was allowed to take was my handbag,” Sooba said.
Sooba served the Georgetown municipality as legal officer for 15 years before she took up the office of Town Clerk.
The former Town Clerk said that the records of Council are usually filed and in some cases locked in a vault.
The vault is said to contain all transports, titles, contracts and other types of agreements.
“The Town Clerk is custodian of those records,” Sooba said, noting that far as she can recall previous Town Clerks Beulah Williams, Yonette Pluck were all in charge of the City’s records.
“So, after I was forcefully removed from office. The persons that took office after me should have had free access to those documents.”
At least two persons occupied the office since Sooba, Royston King and Sharon Harry- Munroe. King was fired last year and Harry Munroe was recently sent on administrative leave by the Local Government Commission.
Sooba’ s comments come days after it was reported that a failure of previous Town Clerks of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council(M&CC) to hand over pertinent records before departing the post has hampered the Council’s ability to account for valuable assets.
At last Monday’s statutory meeting, City Mayor Ubraj Narine, sought information from Town Clerk (Ag) Sherry Jerrick on the records of properties under the control of the Council.
The Mayor had recommended that the Council take stock of all the properties leased or otherwise under its control. He suggested it would be good for the Council to know exactly how much valuable assets it has.
However, Town Clerk (Ag) Sherry Jerrick reminded the meeting of Councillors that the Council has an issue with record keeping.
Jerrick said that the issue may have stemmed from the failure by previous Town Clerks to hand over pertinent documents belonging to Council.
She clarified that she cannot say definitely which Town Clerk should be held responsible for the missing documents. Jerrick, nonetheless, asked the Council for permission to have the matter dealt with internally.
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