– over $36M in tax waivers to Beacon Foundation

THE Office of the Auditor General is currently investigating the actions of City Hall Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Royston King, who was alleged to have acted fraudulently in signing $36M in tax waivers to the Beacon Foundation. 
This was confirmed by Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Mr. Norman Whittaker, in an invited comment, where he noted that to his knowledge, “investigations are continuing on the alleged signing” of the $36M in tax waivers.

When asked whether the actions of the PRO constituted a criminal act, Minister Whittaker noted that while there are no current updates on the investigation, the Auditor General has been presented with “prima facie evidence that things were not done in the right way.”
“We, at the Ministry [of Local Government and Regional Development] essentially asked the Auditor General to conduct an inquiry to determine, indeed, if there was any irregularity,” Minister Whittaker disclosed.
In April 2013, it was reported that King had allegedly misrepresented the capacity of acting Town Clerk, when he signed tax waivers for the Chairman of Beacon Foundation, Mr. Patrick de Groot.
Attempts to contact the Auditor General proved futile.
A statement from acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba, seen by this newspaper, confirmed that the letter which King had signed was for an exemption of payment of rates and taxes of the Beacon Foundation at 127 Carmichael and Quamina Streets, South Cummingsburg to the Georgetown Mayor & City Council, in excess of some $36M.
In a series of circulated letters to the Auditor General and the Commissioner of Police, Minister Whittaker had asserted that the power to exempt owners of certain properties from liability to pay rates is vested either wholly or partially in the Council and not in the Town Clerk or any other singular officer.
The dispute over the Town Clerk’s appointment has spanned over the tenures of three successive Local Government Ministers – Kellawan Lall, Ganga Persaud and Norman Whittaker.
In an e-mail to the Local Government Minister from the Principal Municipal Services Officer in the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Ms. Nandranie Harrichan, it was recalled that Ms. Yonette Pluck functioned as Town Clerk up until July 25, 2012.
Pluck was sent on administrative leave from July 24, 2012 pending City Hall investigations.
Harrichan added that Carol Sooba had subsequently been appointed by then Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Ganga Persaud to act as Town Clerk, replacing Pluck on July 25, 2012.
In a bizarre turn of events, the appointment of Royston King as the acting Town Clerk was also published on July 25, 2012.
King, however, had not acted in this capacity by appointment of the minister and as such would not have been authorised to make such a decision in the absence of the approval of the Council.

However, it should be noted that King’s appointment was not in keeping with the provisions of the Municipal Act, Ch.28:01. In any case, King would have issued the missive to de Groot some 12 days before his announced appointment by the Council, without the consent of the minister.
King had given all assurance in a letter, seen by this newspaper, to the Beacon Chairman, that in keeping with the Municipal and District Councils Act, Ch. 28:01, Section 212, Beacon Foundation had met the requirements to be granted exemption and further declared that “the council will have no objection to Beacon Foundation being granted exemption of rates.”

(By Derwayne Wills)