By Jeff Trotman
The September statutory meeting of the Region Ten Democratic Council was adjourned in confusion on Thursday after AFC Councillor, Audwin Rutherford, refused to apologize for a remark over the now aborted self-help fund for the One Mile Primary School.
The AFC Councillor had caused eyebrows to raise when he called for a report on the financial record from the committee that had spearheaded the self-help reconstruction of the school before the government began rebuilding it. The school was gutted by fire during the 2012 disturbances in Linden.
Rutherford said he had been repeatedly calling for such a financial report at RDC Statutory meetings. His request was supported at Thursday’s meeting by APNU Councillor Frank Carew, who said councillors had been repeatedly told that the report would be presented to the council in a timely manner. “This is the second meeting after that,” Carew said. “I have not been hearing anything. So, I’m wondering where are we right now?”
Chairman of the Com-mittee that was responsible for the self-help project on the school, Maurice Butters, upon being prompted by the Regional Chairman, Sharma Solomon, said that an accounting body is preparing the report after which, the audit would be done.
“We were told repeatedly that the auditors were auditing the thing,” Rutherford interjected, adding that even a layman knows that an unaudited report can be presented for public purview. He then asked if communication between the accounting firm and the committee was being done in writing and he was told, ‘yes’. He then said that such correspondence could be used at RDC meetings to apprise councillors.
The Regional Chairman then said in future he would ensure that Councillor Butters submits all relevant correspondence at the RDC’s statutory meetings.
Claiming that he “may not be as knowledgeable as Councillor Rutherford where … procedures should be followed ….” Butters said the committee was waiting to have a report and an audited statement completed before presenting them to the RDC council.
Solomon said the accounting firm found that “$1M went into the account and it was taken back out … as a transaction in Georgetown. But before we can move forward with that, the bank will have to send a letter that it is not an error but a transaction at the bank ….”
Rutherford then suggested that the person, who is doing the accounting is also responsible for the auditing and he questioned whether the members of the school rebuilding committee “could stand up and tell this nation that somebody is doing your accounting and your auditing”.
He added: “Stand up and tell yourself in the mirror that … a man doing your accounting and he’s doing your auditing. I can’t sit down here and watch a man auditing and accounting … and this August body of so called gentlemen and ladies sit down there and accept it.”
APNU Councillor Charles Sampson rose on a point of order, stating that he took offence to the insulting statement of “so called …” and he asked for Rutherford to retract the statement. He also called on Rutherford to offer an apology.
Regional Vice Chairman Byron Lewis and Chair-man Solomon cautioned Rutherford on the apparent lack of respect for his fellow councilors that was implied by his statement. Councillor Sampson insisted that Rutherford apologise to his fellow councillors. Rutherford then said that he respected his fellow councillors but he did not respect their acceptance of that particular accounting situation and if they thought that his terms were offensive, he apologises to them.
Councillor Sampson said that was not a proper apology and he would not accept it. Rutherford refused to change his position and the Regional Chairman adjourned the meeting, which had lasted over six hours including a one-hour lunch break.
