A decision on former Town Clerk Royston King’s challenge to his dismissal as Town Clerk by the Local Government Commission (LGC) is expected to be made by the High Court next Friday.
King was fired from the post of Town Clerk in January following a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the financial affairs of City Hall.
King was dismissed via a letter, dated January 23rd, 2019, that cited gross misconduct as the reason for the dismissal, which was based on the findings of the CoI.
In the lawsuit, which was filed in February, King made an application for several orders to be made by the court, including the quashing of the decision of the LGC to dismiss him from the post of Town Clerk for gross misconduct; reinstatement; and/or payment to him of all benefits inclusive of pension, gratuity and annual leave allowances until he reaches retirement age in January of 2020.
King is also asking for a declaration that the charge of gross misconduct and any other charges levelled against him which led to his dismissal are null and of no legal effect.
The grounds for his application include the “indecent haste” by the LGC in dismissing him, purportedly without a hearing on the recommendation of the CoI’s report. He also contended too that the LGC had no power to delegate its investigative functions to the CoI. He also contends that since at the time of being fired he had about ten months of service before reaching the retirement age he is entitled to “Pension, Gratuity and all other benefits, as if he was never summarily dismissed”.
A decision is expected on September 13th.
