City Hall’s mechanical workshop at Princes Street, Georgetown, is the site of rampant fuel theft, the cannibalising of city equipment and the operation of a private scrap metal business, according to the findings of the recent probe into the operations of City Hall done by consultant Ramon Gaskin.
The City Council is still awaiting word on a request to the Local Government Ministry for the Town Clerk, the Treasurer and the City Engineer to be sent on leave and for an investigation to be launched into City Hall’s operations, based on the findings of the probe.
At yesterday’s statutory council meeting, tempers flared before the council agreed to await a response on the request, which was made last week.
Stabroek News has been told that Gaskin’s report highlighted the situation at the city’s Princes Street facility, stating that it needs a general overhaul and a criminal investigation of the alleged rampant theft of fuel.
It was stated that Town Clerk Yonette Pluck-Cort uplifts on average $190,280 in gasoline from the facility per month. It was also reported that City Engineer Gregory Erskine uplifts on average $180,900 of gasoline a month, Mayor Hamilton Green an average $89,140 a month in dieseline and City Treasurer Andrew Meredith an average of $70,310 a month in gasoline.
Also discovered was equipment down for repairs at the location, including the Lugger Bobcats Excavator, were being cannibalised. In addition, no one was attending to the six out of seven garbage trucks provided to the council that were down for repairs.
Gaskin also reportedly found that there is a scrap metal business, called “Good Crop” Scrap metal, that is operating from the Princes Street location and he raised concern over the difficulty in assessing how much of City Hall’s scrap metal can be found in the 40-foot containers loaded up with scrap.
This newspaper also understands that Gaskin requested information on the $500,000 petty cash float received by the workshop manager but got no information on the spending.
Criminal
investigation
Gaskin’s findings of major fraud at City Hall, including “phantom” workers on the payroll, payments to front companies and the abuse of assets, was the result of a probe undertaken as part of the work of a committee set up to assess progress by the city in implementing key reforms that came out of the Keith Burrowes Inquiry into the municipality’s operations.
In his findings, Stabroek News was told, Gaskin noted that City Engineer Erskine instructed the acting City Treasurer to pay a woman, who was named, $2,845,125 for 75% of work done in desilting the Church Street canal, between Irving and Cummings streets. However, there was no address, telephone number listing for the company identified on the letterhead for the invoice, MTN General Contracting and Transport Services, nor was the woman listed. As a result, Gaskin suggested that the issue be the subject of a criminal investigation.
According to information received by Stabroek News, Gaskin found that some markets lose money on a regular basis and he suggested that constables and other collectors are not remitting all their collected rents to the Treasurer. He suggested a serious review and also the demolition of the Kitty Market.
Gaskin’s report, Stabroek News understands, also highlights the deployment of nine members of the 146-member City Constabulary to the mayor’s residence as well as “irregularities” accompanying the sale of the mayor’s last vehicle.
The former was recently raised at the level of the City Council, which has been mulling reducing the mayor’s security detail in the light of the council’s weak finances.
Answerable
Meanwhile, at the council’s statutory meeting yesterday, Chairman of the Finance Committee Councillor Junior Garrett asked that the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) issue another request to the Local Government Ministry for an investigation.
Mayor Hamilton Green had written to Local Government Minister, Ganga Persaud, proposing an investigation in the light of the Gaskin report. He had asked that the Town Clerk, City Treasurer Andrew Meredith and City Engineer be sent on leave in order to facilitate this probe. Green had also requested to head the investigative team.
When the issue was raised at yesterday’s meeting, PPP Councillor Kamla Devi-Ross opined that the three officers should remain on duty and be made available to provide answers if necessary.
“If councillors attended meetings more often they would have an understanding of what is happening,” Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, however, said in response.
“Don’t tell me how to attend meetings,” Devi-Ross answered.
“Shut up! Just shut up… shut up!” Chase-Green declared before a stunned Devi-Ross finally rose to her feet and questioned the Deputy Mayor about the manner in which she speaks to persons while holding the post. She further stated that Chase-Green lacked respect for herself and others.
It was subsequently decided that a letter will be drafted by the Town Clerk to declare concern on behalf of the council that the initial request has not yet been acknowledged. It was also agreed that no other avenues will be explored until a response is received and the council is advised on the next course of action.
