‘Royston King operates like my boss’
–We ought to prioritise and not pay him

RESPONDING to City Hall Public Relations Officer Royston King’s letter published in the Stabroek News on July 17, acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba has noted that King does not act in his capacity, and accordingly should not be paid.

In that letter, King had related that Sooba continues to spend money, with impunity and great arrogance, from the Council’s coffers without the requisite permission or authority of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC). He said the latest such incident related to the purchase of a chair for her office, and he questioned why she was engaged in such excessive and irresponsible spending of the finances of a cash-strapped Council that cannot even provide effective waste management for citizens.

But in a press conference held at City Hall last Friday, Sooba explained that purchase of the chair was necessary, and that the expenditure was budgeted for, therefore the purchase could not be deemed illegal expenditure.

She revealed that King has not been acting in his capacity as PRO for quite some time now, and she stressed that she doesn’t even know when he is at work and when he is not.

Noting that King “acts like my boss” Sooba disclosed that she is unaware of what “work” he has been engaged in. “He doesn’t act in his capacity…. I don’t know when he’s at work; and when he is there, I don’t know what he does, because we have no proof that he does anything,” Sooba said.

Accordingly, the acting Town Clerk is urging that the Council prioritise on its expenditure and not pay King, since no work is being done by him.

Only recently, King was unlawfully sworn in as Town Clerk by the Mayor and certain councillors at an illegal Extraordinary Meeting held in the compound of City Hall. King was, however, forced to abandon his post as the controversial issue spiralled, and his appointment was later deemed illegal. King has since returned to his legally appointed post as Public Relations Officer.

(By Ravin Singh)