Contrary to statements made by Mayor Hamilton Green on Wednesday, the enquiry into extortion allegations against City Treasurer Andrew Meredith is still ongoing, lead investigator Keith Burrowes said.
“The problem we had initially is that the young man was difficult to get — the young man who made the allegation — because apparently he travels a lot,” Burrowes said yesterday in his office.
At a press conference held on Wednesday morning, Green had said that he was told by Local Government Minister Kellawan Lall that the enquiry into allegations that Meredith allegedly tried to extort money from an RRT Enterprise debt collector had been aborted.
“[For] reasons that I can’t explain, the enquiry has not been completed and the ministry has aborted the enquiry,” Green had said.
Back in November Meredith was asked to proceed on 65 days leave to allow for the investigation. The Ministry of Local Government had identified the Permanent Secretary of that ministry and Burrowes, chairman of the 2009 Commission of Enquiry into the operations of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), to investigate the allegations.
Meredith returned to work from his leave on January 14.
Meanwhile, Burrowes said that after the allegation was made, “…I had to interview several persons including the people from the Ministry of Local Government who were mentioned in his statement as well as the Town Clerk and the City Engineer.”
Burrowes clarified that these persons had to be interviewed because they were mentioned in the accuser’s statement but they were not being accused.
However, he said there was a “slight setback” in the investigation “in that some people did not want to put in writing their allegation”. It was only as recent as yesterday that he received written statements from the Town Clerk and the City Engineer, stating what they knew of the transaction. “Now that I’ve had this information… I’ll analyse it and I’ll be giving the minister a report no later than next week Tuesday on what my conclusions are.”
Burrowes said the sum of money allegedly being demanded was over $100,000. Both the accuser and Meredith have been cooperating in the enquiry, he noted.
When asked if there was any hard evidence of the extortion claim he said he “understand” there was a recording.
“I am trying to ascertain that information but yes I understand that it was taped but I would tell you at this point in time I have not gotten information but since I’m hoping to wrap up the investigation this weekend I’ll make one other effort to get it.”
A recording would be solid enough evidence Burrowes noted but so far he has been unable to get same.
When his final report of the investigation is submitted next week Burrowes said, if there was enough evidence to substantiate the allegation his report will recommend “very harsh action”. Meanwhile, Burrowes said that following the allegation last November, a number of business persons had come forward with similar allegations.
“The problem in Guyana is that nobody wants to sign [a statement].”
Burrowes believes that the financial shortcomings of the council and the need to identify who gets to be paid first has created the environment for the potential of allegations such as the one levelled against Meredith. “I would say -without saying definitively that it happened or not – I am saying that the realities within the council now are conducive to that kind of arrangement because they are cash strapped…”
