The Region One (Barima/ Waini) administration has launched an investigation into allegation that up to $4.5 million were advanced off the books to a former official of the Matakai sub-region Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).
Stabroek News has been told that the sum may have been “advanced” to the official, who is also associated with a contracting firm in the region. Additionally, this newspaper has been told that a serving member of the council, who was responsible for advancing the money to the former official, disappeared since the situation came to light.
Assistant Regional Exe-cutive Officer (REO) Deon Seecharran yesterday confirmed that he has been mandated to investigate the finances of the NDC by REO Mary Williams. Seecharran refused to go into detail about the investigation and would only say that upon completion he would forward a report to Williams. Efforts to contact the REO were unsuccessful.
According to sources, the money was discovered missing some time last week and an emergency meeting was called. However, the serving official who was implicated failed to show up. He instead sent a letter, which said he had gone on no-pay leave for seven days. Officials said the person sought no permission to proceed on leave and the council took the position that he had walked off the job.
Reports are that after threats of going to the police were made, the official indicated that he would visit the office today and turn over the requisite records to facilitate a thorough investigation.“I think these two men were running a racket and more money is missing but the records show $4.5 million missing,” a source told this newspaper.
According to a source close to the council, the serving official usually collects the tolls in the Port Kaituma area and other money paid to the council. He is expected to hand the money over to his superior.
However, it has been revealed that the official may have been handing over some of the money to a former executive member of the NDC, who is associated with a contracting firm that would do work in the sub-region. None of the money advanced to him was for work completed or commenced.
Meanwhile, this newspaper has also been told that an initial investigation found that the former executive member, up until he left the council mid last year, had been awarding contracts for the sub-region to the company he is associated with.
“Investigations reveal that this man was not only awarding contracts to the company but the work was done without any form of documentation being done,” one source said.
The source said that it was only after the works were completed that the former official would “write up a report for payment”.
Questioned whether there is a tender board process at the sub-region level, the source responded in the negative but pointed out that works usually have to be approved by the regional administration.
“But in this case it was not done and that is what is troubling, it means that a racket was going on long before,” another source said.
