– Overseer Kevin Gunporth fired
During the Budget 2022 debate in the National Assembly Oneidge Walrond, who has responsibility for the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, said there was no evidence of corruption under the current regime. However, a leaked financial Report of a Region 1 Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) tells a different story. It is one of many such narratives which saturates the installed regime.
The finances of the Port Kaituma/Matthews Ridge/Aranka NDC are in total disarray and the now former Overseer Kevin Gunporth, an ardent member of People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and appointed by their regime, is at the center on the unfolding scandal according to a Local Government Commission’s Internal Audit Department (IAD) Report.
The Report by the IAD states, “The Council had established a system to ensure that monies collected are safeguarded by way of lodging daily collections at the Port Kaituma Police Station in the evenings and then proceeding to the bank such the following day. Nevertheless, the Overseer indicated that this practice would have ceased from an undetermined timeline.”
The damning leaked Report made several indictments against the NDC under the control of the PPP. For instance, “The Council failed [to] prepare payment vouchers for expenditures undertaken. It was explained that monies were expended; however no payment vouchers were prepared.” Additionally, “With reference to cheque payments, the signatories to the bank account of the Council would oftentimes sign cheques without a payment voucher and other supporting documentation being presented.”
The NDC’s toll system indicated corruption and fraud, as a racket was unearthed there as well. The Report states, “A reconciliation of the toll register with receipts issued and the toll register at the toll station revealed that amounts on the receipts would have varied from what was recorded in respected registers.” The Reports shows, “The following monies were embezzled by respective officers of the Council”, Donna James, $457,000 dollars in fifty-eight (58) instances of detected fraud; Nathaley Jacobs $454,000, in fifty-eight (58) instances of detected fraud as well. They were among several other persons implicated in wrongdoing.
Among the failings highlighted by the scathing Report by the PPP dominated NDC, “The Council failed to pay liabilities related to the Council”; “The Council failed to establish sufficient systems to manage and collect monies for stall fees for the bus park area, the greens stall and other stall areas”; “The Council failed to establish rates partially for stall holders”; “The Council failed to prepare an income and expenditure and general ledger to properly track, and record transactions related to the Council.”
No one has been held criminally accountable.
More, In The Ring.
