Region Four (Demerara/ Mahaica) Regional Dem-ocratic Council (RDC) Chairman Clement Corlette has refuted allegations made by PPP/C Councillor Kwame McCoy that he has been making decisions outside of his power.
McCoy made the accusation after the Region Four Council decided to ban him from speaking at future RDC meetings until he apologises for or withdraws two offensive statements he allegedly made against Corlette. But McCoy has said he has nothing to apologise for and claimed Corlette is domineering at council meetings.
The issue stemmed from a meeting where McCoy questioned Corlette’s authority to resuscitate a bank account which had been closed. According to the McCoy, based on the Financial Management and Accountability Act (FMAA) only the Regional Executive Officer (REO) had authority to re-open the account, and the chairman did not take kindly to his objection.
However, Corlette denied McCoy’s assertion, stating that it was not even an issue though the PPP/C Councillor kept bringing it up. The account is listed as being in the charge of the Regional Women’s Affairs Committee of Region Four. Corlette said the account was started in 2000 and earlier this year the bank notified that it was dormant. He said when the new committee members attempted to resuscitate the account, they were told by the bank that they needed to bring a letter from the chairman.
According to Corlette, the initial signatories to the account have since moved on and there are now new members sitting on this committee and he wrote a letter informing the bank of this. Corlette also said that the committee also goes by a new name.
But since the letter was sent, Corlette said the REO Shafdar Alli has claimed that since he is responsible for financial matters the letter should have been sent by him. Corlette, however, says that he was only fulfilling a request made by the bank and says that it his prerogative as chairman to do so.
The chairman said too that at the last council meeting, McCoy made some erroneous statements about him trying to resuscitate a closed account when he did not have the power to do so. He said when he asked him to withdraw the statement he refused. He said other members of the council also asked McCoy to withdraw the statement and he again refused. He said that McCoy then issued threatening remarks which AFC Councillor Anthony Haynes objected to and called on McCoy to apologise. When asked what those words were, he said that McCoy had said “if you keep after me, you will see what will happen to you.”
Mc Coy had told this newspaper that he found it very strange that it was only after the AFC Councillor made reference to threatening remarks, that Corlette had acknowledged hearing them. Corlette said he heard the words but decided not to make an issue of it. However, when Haynes brought it to the council, he had to deal with it as part of his capacity as chairman. He said it was the council which called on McCoy to apologise and not the chairman.
Meanwhile, Corlette said his decision to ask members to indicate when and on which subject they wanted to speak beforehand was not an attempt to control councillors’ speech but to aid in time management. He said that very often, councillors rehash things at meetings. He said that his decision was implemented with the approval of the council. Further, Corlette maintained that he was permitted constitutionally to make such a decision.
